A common question amongst new Pokemon Go players is how much battery does the game actually use? Based on interviews with multiple users, the average Pokemon Go player can drain a fully charged iPhone/Android device battery in less than three hours of gameplay!
Now, this may seem like a decent amount, but most people find that their battery drains quite quickly throughout the day. By the time iPhone/Android users finished with school, work, traveling, etc. for the day, many have already lost half of their battery life.
New to Pokémon Go? Check out the Pokémon Go Beginner's Guide.
9 Best Ways to Save Battery Life
Here are the nine best ways to save battery while playing Pokemon Go:
#2. Minimize In-Game Actions
Capturing Pokemon in AR Mode, visiting Pokestops, Battling/Training at Gyms, etc. all drain battery more quickly than if you are simply walking or checking your Pokedex.
Now, don’t get me wrong, in-game actions are definitely the main ways to progress in Pokemon Go. However, you have the ability to focus your battery life usage on specific actions and avoid others for a certain period of time.
For example:
- Capture only new Pokemon, unless you really need the evolution shards for a particular species.
- If you are well stocked on items, skip a few Pokestop during your travels.
- Avoid zooming in and out of the Map.
- Choose to capture Pokemon without using AR Mode (Use of Camera).
- Avoid Gyms unless your particular gaming session is focused on training and/or battling.
As you continue to play Pokemon Go, you will become more accustomed to which in-game actions are best suited for your play style and achievements.
Some may ignore this tip and instead choose to interact with everything in their path (especially new players, I know I will!), but for the sake of this article, every player should be aware of the fact that each in-game action drains additional battery.
#3. Turn Sound Off
Yes, it can be more enjoyable to play with the Pokemon Go background music and the cool sounds that notify you when a medal has been earned. However, playing without music and sound will definitely help to reduce the speed at which your battery in drained.
I actually prefer playing mobile games without sound as it can get distracting to those around you. However, all players have different perspectives as to how the music and sound impacts their Pokemon Go experience.
#4. Close Background Apps
Closing non-essential Apps is critical to saving battery life. You may not be using a particular app, but it very well may be running in the background of your device. Learn how to limit or get rid of Apps that drain a lot of battery.
If you tend to use Apps such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and/or Snapchat, you will be shocked to see how much battery they actually use.
#5. Turn off Bluetooth
Unless you are using the Pokemon Go Plus, which requires Bluetooth to sync with your phone, turn your Bluetooth off. Although, having Bluetooth on (not connected) drains minimal battery, over the course of one day it does help in saving some.
#6. Turn off Wi-Fi
If you are strictly using Mobile Data to play Pokemon Go, you do not need Wi-Fi to be on. When Wi-Fi is on, your phone actively searches for Wi-Fi hotspots in the area and drains a lot of battery life in the process. Keep Mobile Data on while playing Pokemon Go and then switch to Wi-Fi only when you get home in order to help keep Mobile Data usage to a minimum.
#7. Not Playing? Use Airplane Mode
When your phone is not in use (School, work, gym etc.) the easiest way to conserve energy is to simply turn your device off. The other option is to put your phone in Airplane Mode to disable cellular service, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. By disabling these connections, you can make sure that apps are not running or updating without your knowledge.
Now, this may seem like a decent amount, but most people find that their battery drains quite quickly throughout the day. By the time iPhone/Android users finished with school, work, traveling, etc. for the day, many have already lost half of their battery life.
New to Pokémon Go? Check out the Pokémon Go Beginner's Guide.
9 Best Ways to Save Battery Life
It can be a challenge constantly monitoring battery life and charging your device to make sure you have enough juice left to have a decent gaming session. Luckily, there are some great ways to extend your battery life.
Here are the nine best ways to save battery while playing Pokemon Go:
#1. Manually Adjust Screen Brightness
One of the best ways to save battery is by adjusting the brightness on your screen. To conserve the maximum amount of battery life, be sure to reduce the screen’s brightness to the dimmest visible setting.
Wired.com did some research on this topic and an iPhone with the dimmest setting lasted approximately three hours longer than the same iPhone on the brightest setting.
It should be noted that this test was done in Airplane Mode, which disables cellular services. If this test was done under normal circumstances, the battery life would still be extended a decent amount longer, just not as long as three hours.
Be sure to adjust the brightness on your iPhone or Android device. It definitely helps!
One of the best ways to save battery is by adjusting the brightness on your screen. To conserve the maximum amount of battery life, be sure to reduce the screen’s brightness to the dimmest visible setting.
Wired.com did some research on this topic and an iPhone with the dimmest setting lasted approximately three hours longer than the same iPhone on the brightest setting.
It should be noted that this test was done in Airplane Mode, which disables cellular services. If this test was done under normal circumstances, the battery life would still be extended a decent amount longer, just not as long as three hours.
Be sure to adjust the brightness on your iPhone or Android device. It definitely helps!
#2. Minimize In-Game Actions
Capturing Pokemon in AR Mode, visiting Pokestops, Battling/Training at Gyms, etc. all drain battery more quickly than if you are simply walking or checking your Pokedex.
Now, don’t get me wrong, in-game actions are definitely the main ways to progress in Pokemon Go. However, you have the ability to focus your battery life usage on specific actions and avoid others for a certain period of time.
For example:
- Capture only new Pokemon, unless you really need the evolution shards for a particular species.
- If you are well stocked on items, skip a few Pokestop during your travels.
- Avoid zooming in and out of the Map.
- Choose to capture Pokemon without using AR Mode (Use of Camera).
- Avoid Gyms unless your particular gaming session is focused on training and/or battling.
As you continue to play Pokemon Go, you will become more accustomed to which in-game actions are best suited for your play style and achievements.
Some may ignore this tip and instead choose to interact with everything in their path (especially new players, I know I will!), but for the sake of this article, every player should be aware of the fact that each in-game action drains additional battery.
#3. Turn Sound Off
Yes, it can be more enjoyable to play with the Pokemon Go background music and the cool sounds that notify you when a medal has been earned. However, playing without music and sound will definitely help to reduce the speed at which your battery in drained.
I actually prefer playing mobile games without sound as it can get distracting to those around you. However, all players have different perspectives as to how the music and sound impacts their Pokemon Go experience.
#4. Close Background Apps
Closing non-essential Apps is critical to saving battery life. You may not be using a particular app, but it very well may be running in the background of your device. Learn how to limit or get rid of Apps that drain a lot of battery.
If you tend to use Apps such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and/or Snapchat, you will be shocked to see how much battery they actually use.
#5. Turn off Bluetooth
Unless you are using the Pokemon Go Plus, which requires Bluetooth to sync with your phone, turn your Bluetooth off. Although, having Bluetooth on (not connected) drains minimal battery, over the course of one day it does help in saving some.
#6. Turn off Wi-Fi
If you are strictly using Mobile Data to play Pokemon Go, you do not need Wi-Fi to be on. When Wi-Fi is on, your phone actively searches for Wi-Fi hotspots in the area and drains a lot of battery life in the process. Keep Mobile Data on while playing Pokemon Go and then switch to Wi-Fi only when you get home in order to help keep Mobile Data usage to a minimum.
#7. Not Playing? Use Airplane Mode
When your phone is not in use (School, work, gym etc.) the easiest way to conserve energy is to simply turn your device off. The other option is to put your phone in Airplane Mode to disable cellular service, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. By disabling these connections, you can make sure that apps are not running or updating without your knowledge.
This is one of the best ways to save your battery on a daily basis. Get into the habit of switching your phone to Airplane Mode before putting it away for an extended period of time. You can quickly and easily turn off Airplane Mode if needed.
#8. Carry Around an Extra Battery
Using the battery saving tips above will only get you so far. If you often find yourself playing Pokemon Go for more than three hours at a time, it may be time to invest in an extra backup battery.
Find out what type of battery your device requires and check out Amazon.com. When one battery gets too low you can swap it out for a freshly charged one. Just remember to have both fully charged before you go out.
#9. Get a Power Bank
A power bank is essentially a portable external battery that can be charged through a power source such as a Laptop or an outlet. Once charged power banks can be carried around and used to charge your mobile device on the go.
You can easily acquire an external power bank for less than $25 on Amazon with 10,000 mAh or more. Generally, the higher the mAh, the more charges you will be able to get from a fully charged power bank.
mAh stands for Milliamp Hours, which is used to describe the total amount of energy a power bank can store at one time. A power bank rated with more mAh will be able to power more batteries, before needing to be charged again.
It is recommended that serious players purchase a power bank to allow for extended hours of play. In fact, many hardcore Pokemon Go players carry around a couple of extra batteries, a portable charger and a power bank to ensure their phones are always charged.
I hope these Battery Saving Tips were helpful. If you have any other suggestions or tricks on how to save even more battery please leave a comment below.
Be sure to also check out:
10 Best Beginner Tips
10 Best Ways to Prepare for Pokemon Go
#8. Carry Around an Extra Battery
Using the battery saving tips above will only get you so far. If you often find yourself playing Pokemon Go for more than three hours at a time, it may be time to invest in an extra backup battery.
Find out what type of battery your device requires and check out Amazon.com. When one battery gets too low you can swap it out for a freshly charged one. Just remember to have both fully charged before you go out.
#9. Get a Power Bank
A power bank is essentially a portable external battery that can be charged through a power source such as a Laptop or an outlet. Once charged power banks can be carried around and used to charge your mobile device on the go.
You can easily acquire an external power bank for less than $25 on Amazon with 10,000 mAh or more. Generally, the higher the mAh, the more charges you will be able to get from a fully charged power bank.
mAh stands for Milliamp Hours, which is used to describe the total amount of energy a power bank can store at one time. A power bank rated with more mAh will be able to power more batteries, before needing to be charged again.
It is recommended that serious players purchase a power bank to allow for extended hours of play. In fact, many hardcore Pokemon Go players carry around a couple of extra batteries, a portable charger and a power bank to ensure their phones are always charged.
I hope these Battery Saving Tips were helpful. If you have any other suggestions or tricks on how to save even more battery please leave a comment below.
Be sure to also check out:
10 Best Beginner Tips
10 Best Ways to Prepare for Pokemon Go
That is a very important question, if I do say so myself ..
ReplyDeleteWhen hatching an egg, do the steps only count if the game is open and running? Or does it work offline too?
ReplyDeleteMy experience in egg hatching so far is that you have to walk while the app is open using your gps
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else ran into a problem of a Pokémon being literally right in front of you but you can't click on it to catch it? Why does that happen?
ReplyDeleteThat happened to me a second ago.
ReplyDeleteWalking home from work, I see grass moving about a block away from my house. Wander on over there.
STANDING ON TOP OF THE GRASS. Nothing. :/
Happened to me too.. i was literally standing on top of the shaking grass but no pokemon pops out of it. its just keep shaking ._.
ReplyDeleteMy focus is mainly on the catching. It states that the circle needs to be at its smallest, but I've noted that if you throw the PokeBall at its largest size, that you WILL get a nice throw bonus, usually +10XP.. And my catch rates are higher the closer to full it is..
ReplyDeleteFrom what I heard the shaking grass is only a % of a chance that there is actually a pokemon there, so you can stand right on it and something might never pop up...
ReplyDeletelol, you guys seem like losers to me... jk, I've stood right next to shaking grass and also weird expanding circle blips that don't do anything when I tap them. I have caught 9 pokemon so far. Pokemon normally just appear near the street, in front of houses) in my neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteMostly I want to not have to physically enter a random stranger's backyard, and I want to battle pokemon to capture them.
Oh, and North American servers are TERRIBLE!!!!!!! Especially mid-day to early evening. They crash and stay down all day. It's fabulous.
ReplyDeleteFrom my experience 1 footprint is up to 100 meters, 2 is up to 200 meters, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen in battery saving mode, you can turn your phone upside down and the display will turn to a still image. This way, you won't be wasting battery life on displaying the 3d map, and you can still feel vibrations when a pokemon is near.
ReplyDeleteOne step is 20m, 2 steps is 40m, and 3 steps is 60m or more, from what I've heard. It is also easy to gain candies by catching an unwanted Pokémon and then transferring it to Professor Willow. I am a level 18 player on Team Valor, and that is what pretty much got me there. It definitely helps. Also, don't turn on the camera. That will drain your battery. You also can't ride in a car going over 20mph. There was a major car wreck where i live because someone stopped in the middle of the highway to catch a Pokémon. I hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteThe author should note that certain apps tend to use resources in the background.
ReplyDeleteYou can either force stop the app or look for a lighter alternative.
For example, I used chrome FB page rather than the FB app. I also use Disa instead of the FB messenger. I have notice less data use and longer battery.
my touch screen becomes untouchable 4 times an hour
ReplyDeleteWho has spare battery that they can just bring along with them
ReplyDelete