It’s a familiar scene for most smartphone users—your battery percentage dips into the red just when you need it most. And while the app stores are packed with battery-saving apps promising miracles, the truth is: you don’t need a single one.

Today’s smartphones are packed with built-in features and smart settings that can dramatically extend your battery life. All it takes is a little know-how and some small habit changes. So, before downloading another app, here’s how to give your phone’s battery a real boost—no extra software required.

If there’s one thing silently draining your battery faster than anything else, it’s your screen. High-resolution, bright displays are beautiful—but power-hungry. Reducing your screen brightness is the easiest way to save battery life. You can lower it manually, or better yet, enable adaptive brightness, which adjusts according to your surroundings.

Also, take a moment to reduce your screen timeout—that’s how long your screen stays on after you’ve stopped interacting with it. Cutting this from two minutes to 30 seconds can make a noticeable difference over time, especially if you frequently glance at your phone without locking it.

And if your phone has an OLED or AMOLED screen, using dark mode can save even more power by turning off pixels entirely in darker areas of the screen.

Many people think force-closing apps will save power. In reality, it can have the opposite effect—restarting apps from scratch often uses more battery than keeping them paused in the background.

Instead, focus on restricting background activity. Both Android and iPhones allow you to manage which apps are allowed to refresh content when you’re not using them. Disabling background data for apps you don’t need running 24/7—like games or shopping apps—can save a ton of power over the course of a day.

Also, consider turning off push notifications for apps that constantly ping you. Every time your phone lights up for a non-essential alert, it takes a small toll on your battery.

Most people only switch to Battery Saver Mode when their phone drops below 20%. But it can be just as useful earlier in the day—especially if you know you’ll be out for hours with limited access to a charger.

Battery Saver reduces performance slightly, limits background processes, and turns off non-essential services. The result? Hours of extra usage without any added effort.

On Android, you can even set it to turn on automatically at a specific percentage. On iPhones, Low Power Mode offers similar benefits and can be toggled quickly from the Control Center.

When your phone is struggling to maintain a weak cellular signal, it works harder—and that drains battery fast. If you’re in an area with spotty coverage and don’t need mobile data, switch to Airplane Mode until you’re back in range.

Also, avoid exposing your phone to extreme heat or cold. High temperatures can cause permanent damage to your battery’s capacity, while cold can cause it to temporarily die even when there’s charge left. Keeping your device in a moderate temperature range is one of the easiest ways to protect long-term battery health.

Whenever possible, use Wi-Fi instead of mobile data, which typically uses more power—especially if you’re on 5G. You’ll save battery and probably enjoy faster performance, too.

And while we’re on the topic of power, your charging habits matter. Try to keep your battery between 20% and 80% instead of fully draining or overcharging it. Most modern phones come with charging optimizations, but it’s still a good idea to avoid leaving your phone plugged in overnight unnecessarily.

Boosting your phone’s battery life doesn’t require fancy apps or deep technical know-how. With just a few mindful adjustments—like dimming your screen, managing background activity, and using built-in battery saver tools—you can stretch your charge further and keep your device running smoothly throughout the day.

So the next time your battery starts dipping fast, skip the app store. Everything you need is already in your hands.