How to make a Blackberry battery last longer



How to make a Blackberry battery last longer

If there’s a list of mistakes Blackberry made without the poor battery life of its smartphones mentioned then that list is far from complete. Some would argue that if you wish to go out with your Blackberry and have peace of mind then you best go with a fully charged spare battery and a power bank. That school of thought is indeed hard to argue with (if you’ve ever used a Blackberry). Blackberry did do a number of things right though, one of which was their Enterprise Service’s security for which Blackberry won a Govies award but today’s guide is focused on how to make a Blackberry’s battery last longer.

What could cause a Blackberry battery to drain quickly / not last long?

When a Blackberry’s battery life drops dramatically or stops lasting as long as it used to then a few possible causes are:

  • Too many applications running: When you run too many applications at a time or leave unused ones open then you are giving away valuable battery time to unneeded processes.
  • Unoptimized camera: If you’re the paparazzi type then leaving your camera open when not in use or enabling flash light even for daytime pictures eats into your battery.
  • Leaving 3G, WIFI or Bluetooth on: If you’re not making use of these radios but leave them on then you’re not helping your battery time one bit.
  • Poor battery charging habits: Using your Blackberry continuously while charging it, over-charging or charging your Blackberry using a laptop have long term damaging effects on your Blackberry’s battery.
  • Setting screen brightness too high: Setting your screen brightness like it is intended to replace your torchlight is a major battery drainer.
  • Setting backlight timeout too long: The backlight timeout setting dims your Blackberry screen after a pre-set number of seconds or minutes of idleness. Setting this value too high will drain your Blackberry’s battery faster.
  • Poor signal / network setting: If you are in an area with poor signal or perhaps you set your Blackberry to 3G only in a non-3G area then your Blackberry’s radio will work extra hard searching for signal, a huge battery waster.
  • Leaving the screen unlocked: A screen lock not only protects you from accidental dialing or texting but also ensures your screen doesn’t stay active (for long) when a button is accidentally pressed while your Blackberry is in your bag or pocket. A screen lock is your battery’s friend.
  • Too frequent syncs: If your social media / email apps synchronize too frequently with their servers then your battery will suffer an extra burden.
  • Not using the auto ON/OFF (bedside mode) feature: This setting enables your Blackberry shutdown / come on at pre-set times of the day. It’s not a bad idea to set your Blackberry to go to sleep at night and come on early the next day as a battery saving mechanism.
  • Type and Input alert: Setting your Blackberry to give sound confirmations for every button press or input is a bad idea if you really want a longer battery life on your Blackberry.
  • Leaving GPS on when not in use: If your GPS is always set to ON when not in use then your battery is wasting away.

What are the signs of a damaged Blackberry battery?

The fact that a Blackberry’s battery no longer lasts as long as it used to doesn’t mean that the battery is bad. There are a few pointers to a damaged Blackberry battery which should be exhibited before you can conclude that the battery has to go. Some are:

  • A swollen battery: Look closely at the battery if it appears slightly swollen at the middle
  • Overheating: If the battery tends to overheat then you’re looking at a possibly faulty battery
  • White screen: If the Blackberry’s screen suddenly fades to white ( see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-fix-the-blackberry-white-screen-of-death-wsod/ ) during use then the battery is likely dead and gone
  • Charging anomaly: If the battery charges to 100% too quickly or drops too rapidly from 100% to a much lower percentage then you possibly have a damaged battery on your hands
  • Red blinking light: If the Blackberry only shows a red blinking light but wont come on ( see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-fix-the-blackberry-black-screen-of-death-bsod/ ) then you likely have an unhealthy battery and a Blackberry in need of kick-starting.

My Blackberry keeps restarting, what could be wrong?

From my experience on such issues, this could either be associated with an overheating Blackberry or a loose battery. If the Blackberry is not over-heating then try padding the battery with a piece of paper to maintain firm contact with the battery panel.

My Blackberry overheats, what could be wrong?

There are quite a number of reasons why a Blackberry could overheat but that is beyond the scope of this tutorial. Common causes of overheating – though – are poor ventilation, using 3G / 4G for too long , a damaged battery or a faulty Power Supply Unit (PSU).

How can I make a Blackberry battery last longer?

If you wish to enjoy a longer battery time on your Blackberry then here are some techniques to help you achieve this:

  • Reduce screen brightness: Endure to reduce your screen brightness (backlight) to a value more optimized for battery saving yet smooth user experience. To do this, go to Home screen > Options > Display > Screen display > Backlight brightness > set it something low but bright enough to read from the Blackberry conveniently.
  • Turn off WIFI / Bluetooth when not in use: If you’re not actively using your WIFI or Bluetooth then turn them off. To do this, go to Home screen > Options > Manage connections > Untick WIFI and Bluetooth.
  • Set Backlight timeout to a low value: Set the Blackberry’s backlight timeout to a moderate value so the screen doesn’t dim too quickly or stay on for too long when idle. To do this, go to Home screen > Options > Display > Screen display > Backlight timeout > Set it to 20-30 seconds.
  • Disable 3G/4G when not in use or out of range: Ensure not to use 3G/4G for too long and also disable when in a non-3G/4G area. To do this, go to Home screen > Network settings > Network & connections > Mobile networks > Set to 2G only in a non-3G/4G supported area or when not needed
  • Turn off Mobile networks in an area with poor signal strength: If you are in an area with poor signal strength then turn off Mobile networks to save battery else your Blackberry will expend much more battery on searching for signal. To do this, go to Home screen > Manage connections > Turn off Mobile networks
  • Enable bedside mode: Bedside mode lets your Blackberry shutdown (night) and come on (morning) again at pre-set times to save battery. To enable this, go to Home screen > Options > Device > Auto ON/OFF.
  • Disable Type and Input sound confirmations: Disable sound confirmations whenever you type on the Blackberry. To do this, go to Home screen > Options > Typing and Input > Keyboard > Uncheck Tone.
  • Turn off GPS when not in use: Ensure GPS is set to OFF when not in use. To do this, go to Home screen > Options > Device > Location settings > Location service > Set location to OFF
  • Employ healthy charging practices: Avoid over-charging the battery or charging using a laptop as these wear out the Blackberry’s battery quickly.
  • Use a reliable Third party battery manager: Install any good battery optimizing application

Hovatek….just a button away!



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