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Flat by mid-afternoon? Your Android already knows which app did it

How to see which apps drain your battery on Android

Open Settings > Battery > Battery usage (on a Samsung: Settings > Battery > View details). The apps are sorted by how much battery they used since the last full charge. Tap the top one to see how much was in the background, then turn off Allow background usage (Pixel) or turn on Background usage limits (Samsung).

How to do it

  1. Open Settings and tap Battery. On a Samsung on One UI 6 or older, it's Battery and device care > Battery.

  2. Tap Battery usage (Pixel) or View details (Samsung). The apps are sorted by how much battery each used since the last full charge.

  3. Tap the app at the top. If most of its use was in the background, that's the drain.

  4. Pixel: turn off Allow background usage. Samsung: turn on Background usage limits and pick Sleep or Deep sleep.

Watch it in 20 seconds

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My phone went from lasting all day to being flat by four, and I hadn't changed anything. The battery list had a supermarket app I'd opened once that week sitting near the top, and nearly all of it was background. One switch off, and it was back to making it to bedtime.

The percentages are shares of what was used, not of a full battery. An app at 30% used 30% of whatever went since the last full charge.

Check again the next day. If a different app jumps to the top and it's one you really use, like WhatsApp or Maps, that's normal and you can leave it alone.

Other ways to do it

  • Battery Saver Built in

    Pick it if you need the phone to last until you get home tonight and don't care which app is to blame.

    Stick with this tip if it happens every day and you want to stop the cause.

  • Uninstall the app By hand

    Pick it if the top app is something you barely use. Removing it beats managing it.

    Stick with this tip if you still need the app, just not running all day in your pocket.

Questions people ask

The list is empty or looks wrong. Why?

Android only counts use since the last full charge, and nothing is measured while the phone is charging. Use it for a few hours off the charger, then check again.

Will turning off background usage break the app?

It can delay its notifications and syncing until you open it. That's fine for a shopping app or a game. Leave it on for messaging, maps and anything you need to hear from straight away.

I can't find Optimized and Unrestricted on my Pixel.

Since Android 14 they sit one level deeper. On the app's battery page, tap the words Allow background usage (not the switch) and the choices appear. The switch off is the old Restricted.

Google Play services or Android System is at the top. Should I limit it?

No. Those are part of the phone and Android won't let you restrict most of them. A high number there usually means the screen was on a lot, or the phone had a weak signal.

What if it's my battery that's worn out?

On a Pixel, look at Settings > Battery > Battery health. On a Samsung, the Samsung Members app runs a battery check under Support > Phone diagnostics. If the battery is worn, the list just shows where the little that's left is going.

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