All about Android battery health – Back Market - Help Center - USA

Help your Android battery live its longest, healthiest life with these tips from our in-house tech wizards.

What are Back Market’s battery standards?

All smartphones sold on Back Market will arrive with a battery health of at least 80% (for all other devices the battery health will be at least 85%). You can also choose a Premium grade smartphone which comes with a a minimum battery health of 90%.

If you purchased a phone with an "Extra charge battery" and the battery capacity falls below 90% after the first 30 days of use, and below 80% after the first 30 days of use, or any time after up until the end of your twelfth consecutive month of use, you're entitled to a repair.

For devices without "Extra charge batteries", keep in mind that if your battery health is above 80% within the first month of purchase, the state of its battery complies with our Quality Charter. This applies to smartphones purchased across all condition grades.

How do I check my battery health?

Androids don’t have a built-in system that reports battery health and history. But, don’t worry! We have a solution for you.

AccuBattery is an app that allows you to learn more about the health of your battery.

Keep in mind that it takes around 4-5 days for AccuBattery to get accurate data from your battery. The app will show more precise information as time goes on.

To use it:

Step 1. Download the app.

Step 2. Wait a few days for the app to analyze your battery.

Step 3. Go to “Health” in the app.

Step 4. Check out the evaluation.

The “Health” tab also shows battery wear. AccuBattery recommends charging your battery to 80% to slow down normal wear and tear.

How do I check my battery usage?

It’s important to get into the habit of checking your battery usage. It’s a great way to monitor how much power your apps and software use. To view it:

Step 1. Go to “Settings” > “Battery” or “Battery Usage”.

Step 2. Look at the list of your apps and how much battery they use.

Step 3. Click on any app you want to monitor.

Step 4. If an app is taking up too much energy, select “Uninstall” to remove it from your device. Or, select “Force stop” to close an app that’s using an unusual amount of energy. This can fix problems associated with the app.

You can also manage the settings of battery usage per app by changing the following settings:

Unrestricted allows battery usage as a background activity, which may consume more of your battery power.
Optimized optimizes the performance of the app according to your usual usage — we recommend that you select this option.
Restricted reduces the battery usage of the app — but notifications might be delayed and sometimes it causes the app to malfunction.

How do I get the most out of my battery?

Reduce the screen's brightness

One of the best ways to save battery is to reduce the screen brightness.

You can set the brightness to low by going to “Settings” > “Display” > “Brightness level”. Or you can do it from the control panel by scrolling down twice from the top of the screen, adjusting the brightness, and then turning on the "Extra dim" option.

You can also turn on adaptive brightness. Just go to “Settings” > “Display” > “Adaptive brightness” > “On”.

Keep your software up to date

Step 1. Go to “Settings” > “System” > “System update”.

Step 2. Click “About phone” or “About tablet” if the option appears.

Step 3. Look at your update status.

Step 4. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Limit the apps running in the background

Step 1. Go to your “Settings”.

Step 2. Select “Apps”.

Step 3. Choose any app.

Step 4. Select “Usage”.

Step 5. Select “Mobile data”.

Step 6. Select “Allow background data usage”.

Step 7. Switch to “Off”.

Change your theme to dark mode

Go to “Settings” > “Display” > “Appearance” > “Dark theme”.

Turn on battery saver

Go to “Battery” > “Battery Saver” > “Use Battery Saver” and switch to “On”.

You can also set a schedule to turn it on. Just choose one of these options:

No schedule: You have to manually turn it on.
Based on your routine: “Battery Saver” will turn on if your phone detects that your battery may run out before your typical charging time.
Based on percentage: Under this option, you will find a slider to customize the percentage of your preference.

Finally, you can activate the “Extreme Battery Saver” in critical moments — it will pause all apps and their notifications except your essential apps.

Turn off the location feature

When you allow apps to use your location, it can consume a lot of your battery in the background. To adjust this, go to “Settings” > “Location”. Here you can:

Deactivate "Use location" by turning the slider to the left.
Manage “App Location” permissions. You can also check which apps are allowed to access your location all the time or only while in use.

To restrict access, click on the app and a screen with the following options will appear:

Allow only while using the app: Limits the background location activity.
Ask every time: When you open the app, a pop-up message will ask if you wish to turn on location service.
Don't allow: Restricts all access to your location. We recommend this setting for apps that you don’t use often.

Turn on Airplane Mode

You can do this when you don’t need to receive texts, make calls, or search the Internet. You can easily turn it on via your control panel.

Just scroll down twice from the top of your screen, swipe right, and select the "Airplane Mode" option. Once off, it will appear blue.

If you don't see the Airplane mode, you can select the pencil icon at the bottom of the control panel, scroll until you see "Hold and drag to add tiles" and drag the “Airplane Mode” option to the top of the list of shortcuts inside the Control Panel.

You can also turn Airplane Mode on from your settings. Go to “Settings” > “Network & Internet” > “Airplane Mode” and toggle it on.

Let your screen turn off automatically

Go to “Settings” > “Display” > “Screen timeout” > choose a setting that makes your screen turn off after a certain amount of time. We recommend between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.

Turn off active listening

Go to “Settings” > “Apps” > “Assistant” > “Say ‘Hey Google’” and toggle it off.

What are some easy ways to extend my battery's life?

There are several best practices that can extend your device’s battery life and help the charge last longer.

Keep it cool

Avoid situations that can cause your device to overheat — this is particularly important when it’s fully charged. Your battery will run out a lot faster when it’s hot out, even if you aren’t using it.

It’s important not to expose your phone to temperatures above 35°C (95°F) as this can permanently damage the battery.

You should also stay away from cases and accessories that may cause your device to overheat.

Optimize your settings to save your battery

You can adjust the following settings on most devices:

Turn off sounds or vibrations, such as the keyboard.
Leave your apps open — reopening them uses a lot of battery.
Reduce the usage of apps that consume a lot of Bluetooth.
Delete any apps you don’t use.
Place your device facing down while you aren’t using it — this will stop the display from lighting up when you receive a notification.
Avoid playing games with heavy graphics.
Consistently update your apps.

Charge your device only as needed

Contrary to popular belief, phone batteries don’t need to be charged to 100%. Don’t make your battery work harder than it has to follow these tips:

Ideally, your phone should always be charged between 20% and 80%.
Don’t charge your phone to 100% unless absolutely necessary.
Don’t allow your battery to drain to 0% and turn off.
Don’t leave your device without a charge for too long.
Prioritize small charges — 20% at a time multiple times a day is best.
Consistently update your apps.

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