Basics

There are a lot of ways to make the battery in your Windows Phone last longer between charges. The easiest way is to use Battery Saver.

Battery Saver can automatically turn off some of the features on your phone that use battery in the background. So when it's conserving battery power, your phone won't be able to:

• Automatically receive email or calendar updates – You can still sync your email manually whenever you want.
• Update some Live Tiles – The technical explanation is that if a Tile uses something called push notification to get its updates, it'll stop receiving those updates in Battery Saver mode. But the upshot is that when Battery Saver is on, some of your Tiles won't be updated.
• Allow apps to run in the background – You'll only be able to use an app if it's open.

You can still make and receive phone calls and text messages, and browse the Internet.

Battery-saving tips

Here are some more ways to limit display time, sync less often, and more.

Display

• Reduce the time before the screen turns off. Set a shorter duration before your screen times out and your phone locks. For more info, see Lock screen FAQ.
• Lower the brightness setting. In the App list, tap Settings > Brightness, turn off Automatically adjust, and then select the Level that you want to use instead.
• Use a dark background theme. In the App list, tap Settings > Theme > Background, and then tap Dark.
• Turn off the screen during calls. If you're using the speaker phone or a Bluetooth device, press the Power button to turn off the screen.
• Turn off the viewfinder after you take a picture. Press the Back button to exit the camera viewfinder or the Power button to put your phone to sleep.

Syncing

• Sync email less often. In the App list, tap Settings , and then tap Email + accounts. Tap the account that you want to change the sync settings for, tap Download new content, choose a longer interval, and then tap Done .
• Choose which contacts are synced to your phone. You don't have to sync email and social media contacts unless you want to. For more info, see Social networking on my phone FAQ.
• Limit what you pin to Start. It's great to have your favorite things—people, apps, songs, and more—pinned to Start so you can access them quickly. The more Live Tiles you have on Start, the greater the impact on battery life.
• If you don't play games, don't connect with Xbox. You can turn off the Connect with Xbox setting in the Games settings.
• Upload only the pictures you want to keep. This saves power—and saves you time later when you want to sort your pics in SkyDrive. For more information, see Take, edit, and share photos and videos.
• Check social media less often. Each time you visit What's new in the People Hub and Photos Hub, your phone uses extra power to sync and update.

General

• Turn off background tasks that you don't need. In the App list, tap Settings , flick to Applications, and then tap Background tasks. Tap any apps running background tasks that you want to block, and then tap Block.
• Restart phone if you notice short battery life. This can sometimes fix issues that can shorten battery life.
• Don't leave apps running under the lock screen. Some apps may continue to run when the phone is locked. Tap the Start button before you press the Power button or allow your phone to lock.
• Use headphones. If you're listening to music or using a Bluetooth device, try using headphones instead.
• Turn off Bluetooth connections you're not using. If you're not using a Bluetooth accessory, you can turn off Bluetooth. For more info, see Pair my phone with a Bluetooth accessory.

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