There are few smartphone specs more important than battery life.
After all, you can’t look at your OLED display, take pictures with the 50MB camera, or test the power of the advanced processor if the device has run out of battery.
Unfortunately, even in 2026, many users are left wanting when it comes to the longevity of their device’s battery.
Sure, the battery lasts all day when you take it out of the box. After a few months, though, many are forced to choose between some of their favorite settings and having a smartphone that lasts until the end of the day.
Unless you’re able to turn off the perfect combination of settings that unlock some serious battery life without drastically impacting your overall smartphone experience.
Which settings should you turn off for better battery life?
Scanning settings, your days are numbered
If your device isn’t lasting long enough, you’re in luck. There are some settings on your device that are a huge battery suck without providing a lot of additional functionality.
By turning them off, you can give your battery new life to ensure you make it to the end of the day without your smartphone in Battery Saver mode.
So what are these mysterious settings? You’ve almost certainly noticed them at some point in the setup of your device. They are associated with two of the most important features on your phone: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
No, I am not suggesting you stop using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to improve your battery life. However, the automatic scanning settings attached to these features are a huge battery suck, and turning them off greatly improves the life of your smartphone.
I went from limping across the finish line at the end of the day with Battery Saver mode activated hours before.
Now, with Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning turned off, I am no longer bothered by the mental anguish that comes with a yellow or, forbid, red battery meter.
Even better, I noticed the biggest improvement in battery life while out and about.
My device isn’t searching for Wi-Fi when I’m at home connected to my network, but when I’m driving around, running errands and getting stuff done, this setting change nearly doubled my battery life.
What do scanning settings actually do?
You aren’t missing out on much
Don’t worry, I understand your trepidation about turning off such a potentially valuable setting.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are obviously vital to the functionality of your device, so turning off the automatic scanning feature for each must have a dire impact on your overall experience, right?
Wrong! By turning off these features, I noticed almost no difference while using my device. So what do they actually do?
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning are designed to help you recognize and connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networks and improve location services when the settings are turned off.
Basically, they are designed to be kind of a “diet” version of the settings, making it easier for your device to do Wi-Fi and Bluetooth things without being officially connected.
This might sound pretty convenient, but the reality is that the difference is virtually unnoticeable.
Location services didn’t seem to take a hit at all when I turned off these settings, and my ability to connect to networks wasn’t much of an issue either.
The only somewhat valuable aspect of the feature comes if you pair it with the “automatically turn on when detected” setting.
This means that whenever your device recognizes a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network that it has connected to before, it will automatically turn on the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth setting and connect.
Is your battery life worth it, though? You could just remember to turn your Wi-Fi on when you come home and your Bluetooth when you need to use your headphones.
How to turn off scanning settings
Better battery life awaits
It’s time to free yourself from poor battery life and turn these settings off. The process isn’t very difficult, which is why this section is so short.
You’ll start by going to the Settings menu. Give your display a scroll and tap the Location option. Then scroll until you see the Location services option, likely at the bottom of the menu.
Then, again at the bottom of the menu, you’ll see the Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning options. Click those respective buttons, and you’ll find a simple toggle for each that will turn off these battery-draining settings once and for all.
Update your settings
If your phone isn’t working for you, change it
Smartphones in the modern era have dozens, if not hundreds of settings that can have an impact on your phone.
Sometimes it’s a small change, like how powerful haptic feedback is, but it can also be quite substantial, like improving your battery life.
Smartphones are more customizable than they ever have been in 2026, and if there’s something you don’t like about your device, there’s a good chance there’s a setting that can change it.
