Did you know you have a hidden feature on your Android device that boosts battery life?

Daily, our smartphone battery gets drained, considering that the phone is rarely turned off. Once the battery level drops below 20%, the phone is immediately put on the charger. However, imagine being in a place where charging options are limited, and you need your phone to call someone. Typically, the call to someone is a last-minute thought, and the rest of the day is spent browsing apps, playing games, and so on.

In the same context, the more resource-consuming apps you have, the more battery your phone will consume. This can be a serious issue if you are in a place with limited charging options. However, there are many built-in features on Android devices that can help enhance and save battery life, as well as tools and apps from external sources.

In this new article, we will explore a hidden default option on Android devices known as “Standby Mode” or “Standby Apps.” This feature works to increase battery life by restricting access to the apps installed on your device. If you are interested in extending the battery life of your Android device, keep reading to learn about this hidden feature.

Related: How Does the Adaptive Battery Feature in Android Extend the Phone’s Battery Life?

What is the Standby Apps Feature?

The “Standby Apps” feature, also known as “App Standby Buckets,” is designed to create different categories of apps on your Android phone. Through these categories, access to apps is restricted based on their usage. There are 5 categories in total:

Active: Apps that are regularly used and have full access to battery life, operating according to their default settings.

Working Set: Apps that are not frequently used but are still used regularly, with medium-level restrictions to limit their functions.

Frequent: Apps used irregularly with greater restrictions than the Working Set category, including limits on high-priority FCM services.

Rare: Apps that are rarely used and placed under strict restrictions, limiting internet access, function execution, notification reception, and high-priority FCM messaging.

Never: Apps that are never used but still installed on your device consume battery life invisibly in the background. These apps are subject to the strictest restrictions to prevent draining your phone’s battery unnecessarily.

Note:

Some smartphones have 4 ratings instead of 5, with the missing category being “Never.”

How to Use and Access the Standby Apps Feature?

As mentioned earlier, this feature is hidden and requires some navigation to access. Here are the steps to use and access it:

• First, go to “Settings” on your Android device.
• Then, navigate to the “About Phone” tab.

• From there, press the “Build” number option 7 times to activate Developer Options.

• At this point, go back to Settings, scroll down to find “Developer Options,” and then scroll down to find “Standby Apps” or “Standby Mode.”

• Once you access it, you will see a list of all installed and currently running apps on your phone. Choose the apps and place them in the appropriate category based on how often you use them.

• Finally, repeat the process for each app and restart your phone to apply the changes.

Related: Learn About the Doze Feature to Improve Android Battery Life

Final Word:

By utilizing the “Standby Apps” feature, you can ensure that less useful apps on your phone do not compete for the same resources as your favorite apps. This will reduce the strain on your phone’s battery, leading to fewer recharge cycles and longer battery life.