The Best Ways To Keep Your Phone Battery From Dying In Cold Weather

Despite the frigid temperatures and face-hurting wind, spending time outside in the winter is beneficial for us in many ways and it can actually help increase immunity and improve mood. However, if you've ever spent time outside in winter running, hiking, or walking your fluffy best friend, you've probably already noticed that phone batteries die much more quickly in the cold. Nothing is worse than pumping yourself up for a long winter run only to have your phone die halfway through ending your music or podcast.

Luckily, there are a few ways you can help your battery last longer in the cold. To understand how we need to know why phone batteries die faster in low temperatures in the first place. The reason for this is that phone batteries need to use more power to accomplish the same functions when the temperature drops below freezing but, at the same time, the chemical reactions inside the battery that create the power don't happen as efficiently in the cold. This problem is the same across phone brands and models because they all use the same type of battery. So, what can we do to get our phones to last longer in the cold?

The first way to make your phone battery last longer in cold temperatures is to try and keep it as warm as possible. One good way to do this is to use your body heat. You can do this by storing your phone as close to your torso as possible in the inner pocket of your jacket or shirt. You can also add some extra insulation around the phone before placing it in a pocket. Slipping the phone inside a warm glove or sock and then into your pocket should do the trick. For extra warmth, you can even store it next to a hand-warming packet.

Once you have your phone stored in a warm place near your body, you also want to minimize the phone's exposure to the cold outside air. If you are listening to music, you will want to change songs, pause the music, or adjust the volume using buttons on your headphones so that you remove your phone from your pocket as little as possible. You can also opt to start all your apps like your distance tracker and music while inside the car or house before stepping out into the cold. This way you can make sure your phone battery stays as warm as possible during your adventure.

Also, because your battery will need to work harder in colder temperatures, one way you can make your phone last longer is to simply try and conserve as much power as possible and only run necessary applications. Closing unnecessary applications like any social media app and the camera app can help save battery. You can also put your phone in battery-saving mode and decrease the screen brightness. Furthermore, if you need your phone to last for a long time, you can put it in airplane mode to prevent your phone from using all its power to constantly search for a signal. This is especially important if you plan on being in a remote area with little cell service.

If you know your phone will likely die, you may feel that you should bring a power bank with you to help you recharge it. However, many power banks also contain the same type of batteries as cell phones and, therefore, won't work well in freezing temperatures. Like cell phones, for a power bank to help you out in the cold you'll need to also store it near your body and try to keep it as warm as possible during your winter outing.