A feature on Samsung Galaxy phones can make your battery last longer. But is turning it on a good idea?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Samsung smartphones have a feature called Protect Battery that restricts the battery’s maximum charge to 85% in order to lengthen its longevity.Protect Battery helps to maximize battery performance by minimizing charging wear and safeguarding against excessive temperatures and voltages.Using Protect Battery will rely on your priorities—whether you value a longer battery life or getting the most power out of your phone.
Every smartphone has a lithium-ion battery with a set lifespan that is determined by how many complete charge/discharge cycles it can withstand before beginning to deteriorate. A normal Li-ion battery has a lifespan of two to three years, or roughly 300 to 500 charge cycles.
Samsung’s Protect Battery option can assist extend the battery life if you plan to keep your phone for a while. More information on Protect Battery, how to use it, and if you should leave it on is provided below.
What Is Protect Battery?
A battery management system (BMS) called Protect Battery is a feature of Samsung smartphones running One UI 4.0 (Android 12) or later. To increase battery lifespan, it restricts the battery’s maximum charge to 85%.
You might be wondering how reducing the battery’s capacity will lengthen its longevity, but the Protect Battery feature’s scientific foundation is solid.
We must first define a complete charge cycle before moving on. It involves a complete charge up to 100% and then a complete drain down to 0% of the battery. Your battery is consumed after one charging cycle and cannot be replaced. This is not a result of some evil battery design defect. All rechargeable batteries function in the same way. More information on charge cycles is provided in our guide to determining your iPhone’s battery cycle count.
So, how might Protect Battery be of assistance? There is a limit to which charging your battery is more effective and safe, even though you cannot regulate charge cycles and a full cycle will occur as long as you are using your phone and charging it.
Protect Battery limits charging to 85% in order to minimize charging wear and maximize performance. Or, to put it another way, it halts the charging procedure as soon as it reaches the point where your battery is most prone to deteriorate. Additionally, it aids in shielding the battery from extreme heat and high voltage from a full charge—two things that Li-ion batteries are notorious for.
How to Use Protect Battery
There are two main ways to use Protect Battery on your Samsung smartphone. The first is the most straightforward.
By dragging the status bar downward, you may find the Protect battery button.
To display the Quick Settings Panel, swipe down again.
One of the symbols that appears in one of the Panel’s sections should read “Protect battery.”
By touching the three-dot icon, choosing Edit buttons, and selecting Protect battery from the list of choices, you can add it if it isn’t already present.
You can also enable it from the Settings app:
Select Battery and device care in the Settings app.
Navigate to More battery settings at the bottom by tapping on Battery.
Switch the Protect battery light on.
You can set up a Bixby routine to have the function activate when specific criteria are satisfied if you want to somewhat alter it. For instance, you may program Protect Battery to automatically turn on before you go to sleep and switch off immediately before you wake up.
Should You Use Protect Battery?
Protect Battery offers advantages, but a significant disadvantage in that it lowers the functional capacity of your battery. In essence, you are substituting a battery with a longer lifespan for one with a higher capacity.
Thus, should you employ it? Protect Battery is probably not for you if you’re worried about getting every last bit of juice out of your smartphone. You can do without the feature if you don’t mind spending money on a new battery (or a new phone) every two to three years.
Protect Battery is a good first step, nevertheless, if you like to keep your phone/battery for as long as possible.
Protect Battery vs. Optimized Battery Charging
Similar to Protect Battery on iOS 13 and later, Optimized Battery Charging is a battery management feature. By lowering the amount of time the battery is fully charged, it helps to increase battery lifespan. It, too, employs machine learning, unlike Protect Battery, to identify times when your phone is likely to be kept charging for a considerable amount of time. When you unplug your device, your battery should still be completely charged thanks to the algorithm.
But there isn’t really a “better” strategy; it all depends on what works for you. In essence, there would be no difference if you substituted a Bixby routine for Apple’s algorithm.
Limit Maximum Charge to Extend Battery Lifespan
Because of the relatively new trend of non-removable batteries in smartphones and laptops, battery replacements have never been more expensive as they are right now. Therefore, it is more crucial than ever to use battery protection technologies to extend the life of these batteries. Keep Protect Battery turned on if you plan to keep your smartphone for a long time.