How to bulk up your BB's battery life

BlackBerry smartphones are renowned for their short battery life, but here are a few tips to get the most out of your device.

Running multiple apps and games is nothing unusual for BlackBerry users. However, it is important to remember that apps and games left open when you are not using them can sometimes use up battery life. An easy way to see which apps or games are open is to press and hold the Menu key, which causes the App Switcher to appear. You can then switch to the app or game you are not actively using and, after pressing the Menu key, select the “Close” option to exit the app or game.

If you are using a BlackBerry 7.1 device you can also download the new Application Resource Monitor (ARM) app for free from BlackBerry App World . It’s designed to identify and alert you to idle apps that are draining battery life and automatically close them. ARM will only trigger an alert for apps that are running but not in use, or are running while the device has been idle.

Turn off network connections you aren’t using

A quick way to save some battery life is to review and turn off any network connections you are not currently using. For example, by switching off the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth functionality built into your BlackBerry smartphone, while you don’t need it, might save some battery life.

To review and modify network connections on a BlackBerry smartphone, click the connections area along the top of the home screen, or select the “Manage Connections” icon from the home screen. You can then enable and disable network connections by checking or clearing the checkboxes.

Review backlighting options

An easy way to see improved battery life is to customise the backlighting settings on a BlackBerry smartphone. You can optionally change the brightness, the amount of time the backlight stays on, and the ability to automatically dim the backlight. Review and customise these settings using the following steps:

1.     On the home screen or in a folder, select the “Options” icon.

2.     Select “Display” followed by “Screen Display”

3.     Do any of the following:

o   To change the brightness of the backlight for the screen, change the “Backlight Brightness” field

o   To change the length of time that the backlight stays on when you’re not touching your BlackBerry smartphone, change the “Backlight Timeout” field

o   To stop the backlight from adjusting to lighting conditions, clear the “Automatically Dim Backlight” checkbox

4.     Press the Menu key and select “Save”

Automatically turn your BlackBerry smartphone on and off

Instead of using battery life while you sleep, you can set your BlackBerry smartphone to automatically turn on and off. Data you receive while the BlackBerry smartphone is turned off will be received automatically as soon the BlackBerry smartphone turns on again. You can experiment with the Auto On and Off capabilities by completing the following steps:

1.     On the home screen or in a folder, select the “Options” icon

2.     Select “Device” followed by Auto On/Off

3.     In the “Weekday” section, select the “Enabled” checkbox if desired

o   Specify the times when the BlackBerry smartphone should turn on and off on weekdays

4.     In the “Weekend” section, select the “Enabled” checkbox if desired

o   Specify the times when the BlackBerry smartphone should turn on and off on weekends

o   Press the Menu key and select “Save”

BlackBerry Saving Mode for BlackBerry 7.1 OS smartphones

Battery Saving Mode lets BlackBerry 7.1 OS smartphone users extend battery life by unobtrusively reducing battery drain; this includes setting the backlight brightness to 20%, setting backlight timeout to 20 seconds, automatically dimming the backlight, and reducing the timing on mobile hotspot auto shutdown. 

Use a Pocket or Holster

A holster or pocket for your BlackBerry smartphone is a really easy way to save battery life. When you place a BlackBerry smartphone in a holster or pocket, the screen will automatically shut off if desired. You can customise how your BlackBerry smartphone works with a holster or pocket.

BlackBerry Buddies

Should you need help with any of these battery saving tips, please ask BlackBerry® Buddies for support.

The BlackBerry Buddies are at designated stands in the following shopping centres:

•            Sandton City – Johannesburg

•            Menlyn Park – Pretoria

•            Mimosa Mall – Bloemfontein

•            Canal Walk – Cape Town

•            Gateway Shopping Centre – Durban

Alternatively, you can visit the BlackBerry Buddies site at www.blackberry.co.za for answers to questions, tips and tricks, general technical solutions, software update information and much more.

* Follow Gadget on Twitter on @GadgetZA

 email this to a friend
 printer friendly version