6 ways to save battery life in 'Pokémon Go' so you can keep playing
It's been a week since Pokémon Go launched and people still can't stop playing it. Two men even fell off a cliff because they were too focused on catching Pokémon and not watching where they were going.
The game is so addictive people are literally losing sleep over it because they gotta catch 'em all.
Whether you like or hate the game, one thing is for sure: It sucks battery life like there's no tomorrow, leaving little power for you to Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and do all the other important things that are key to surviving in today's modern world. Like obsessively knowing what Kanye, Béyonce or Kim Kardashian are doing at all times.
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Oh the horror if some celebrity released their own emoji app and you missed out because you were busy trying to catch the millionth Zubat.
Not to worry, we've rounded up the best ways to save battery life and still be able to enjoy hours of Pokémon Go.
1. Turn off augmented reality (AR)
While it's really cool to be able to see Pokémon superimposed on top of the real world, the game's use of augmented reality, which activates your phone's camera, does suck up battery life.
Turn off the AR to save some power. The real world will be replaced with a blander background, but the battery benefit is worth it. Plus, Pokémon are easier to catch with AR off since they stay still in the center instead of requiring you to aim your phone in the air all over the place.
You can turn off AR by hitting the AR switch in the upper right corner of the screen when you encounter a Pokémon.
2. Turn on battery saver
Pokémon Go has a built-in battery saver. To turn it on tap the Poké Ball, then tap the settings icon (gear in the upper right) and then make sure "Battery Saver" is checked.
With battery saver turned on, the game will turn black when your phone is held upside down (perfect for when you're walking around outside with your phone by your side) and vibrate when something new happens.
3. Turn on your phone's battery saver
In addition to turning on the game's battery saver mode, you can also turn on your phone's battery saver mode as well to squeeze out even more play time.
On iPhone go to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode. On Android go to Settings > Battery > Tap on the three vertical dot icon in the upper right corner > Battery saver > On.
While the phone's built-in battery saver is a good way to save power, you should also know that it limits location services (Pokémon Go uses your phone's built-in GPS to track your location) and you may see fewer PokéStops and encounter fewer Pokémon.
4. Reduce screen brightness
This one is a no-brainer and good for saving battery life in general, not only for playing Pokémon Go. The only downside is turning down the brightness may make it harder to see what's happening on the screen, especially if you're playing outside in direct sunlight.
To adjust the brightness, on iPhone you can pull up the Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and sliding the brightness slider left or go to Settings > Display & Brightness and adjusting the slider from there.
On Android, you can pull down the Quick Settings by swiping down from the top menu bar with two fingers and then adjusting the brightness slider from there. Or go to Settings > Display > Brightness level and adjusting from the there.
5. Turn off music, sound effects, vibration
Just want to catch Pokémon and don't care for everything else? You can conserve power by going into the game's settings and turning off all the music, sound effects and vibration. Every one of those things eats up a little bit of battery life that adds up over the course of a play session.
To turn them off, tap the Poké Ball, tap Settings (upper right) and then uncheck Music, Sound Effects and Vibration.
6. Get a battery case or battery pack
If you've done all of the above and still need more battery to keep playing Pokémon Go, then you need to get checked out because you have an addiction my friend. Have you slept? Have you eaten? Have you taken a break from catching the 'mons?
The easiest way to get more battery life it to pick up a battery case or battery pack. Yeah, it's another thing to connect to your phone, but whatevs. More Pokémon playtime man.
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Topics Pokemon
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
