The Facebook App May Be Draining Your Phone’s Battery

If your smartphone’s battery life has seemed particularly pathetic lately, it may be time to do a little purging. Android users are reporting a 20 percent boost in battery endurance after deleting the Facebook app.

The app’s appetite for power is well established. Complaints about its drain on the iPhone have been amassing for years, thanks in part to Facebook’s constant location tracking and background refresh features.

Facebook has also had its share of issues with the Android version of its app. Last year, Facebook's chief product officer Chris Cox encouraged his staff to switch to Android phones so they could see the problems and frustrations firsthand. The tactic apparently was not enough to get things sorted, and Android users are facing the same issues as their iPhone-loving counterparts. Tech bloggers and reporters who removed the app from their Androids consistently saw their sluggish batteries perking up and lasting significantly longer.

“We have heard reports of a few people encountering speed issues coming from our Android application,” a Facebook representative told Tech World Zone. “We are investigating this and will update you as often as possible. We are focused on keeping on enhancing these issues.”

So yeah, the app is an energy vampire. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up your endless Facebook scrolling altogether. It’s still accessible through browsers like Chrome and Safari and through wrappers like Metal.

If you’ve deleted the app and still aren’t satisfied with your battery life, there are plenty of other things you can do. First, stop charging it every night; charge it only when the power is low. Next, switch on Airplane Mode when you’re in an area with no Wi-Fi. This will save your poor phone the fruitless struggle of trying to pick up a signal. You can also reduce the brightness on your screen, be liberal with your use of Low Power mode, and stop force-closing apps when you’re done with them.