Will the "airplane mode" save the battery on your I phone?

[moldy]

When I hike I must completely power down the I phone to save the battery, then when I want to take a photo I have to wait a few minutes to power back on to use the camera. Does anyone know if instead of powering it down, I just switch to "airplane mode" will it keep the phone from searching for a signal all day and killing the Battery? Has anyone actually done this?

[Sarcasm the elf]

In my experience it uses less of the battery if I keep my phone in airplane mode and use it to take photos vs turning it off and on several times a day to take the same photos.

[rafe]

Airplane mode is the way to go on a smartphone. It's all that pinging around and searching for signal that eats power. And GPS slurps power. If you're going to carry a smartphone and use it heavily or even just moderately, get an external battery backup pack. Usually the main battery is around 2500 mAh, so that's the reference for choosing an external pack. I've been carrying a 4500 mAh backup that's about 4 oz or so and cost maybe $20.

[colorado_rob]

In my experience it uses less of the battery if I keep my phone in airplane mode and use it to take photos vs turning it off and on several times a day to take the same photos.

I agree. I keep meaning to actually test this, just never get around to it. I do know my phone last for many days in airplane mode, taking lots of pics with an occasional text/call (briefly out of airplane mode, of course).

[cmoulder]

Airplane mode all day, off at night. Agree with Elf that turning on and off uses more battery. My Samsung S5 goes for about 4 days when used this way, taking quite a few photos along the way. Samsung batteries are easy to change and weigh 46g (1.58oz) each for a 2950mAh, so I would just take 1 or 2 spares for a longer trip. I've never done a thru, but I guess the strategy there might be to take 1 spare plus a quick charger.

[theoilman]

In my experience it uses less of the battery if I keep my phone in airplane mode and use it to take photos vs turning it off and on several times a day to take the same photos.

+++1

Additional power savings: on an iPhone go to > Settings > Battery > and turn on 'low power mode'
Also > Settings > Display & Brightness > and turn as low as you can use.
Power off at night.

By turning off airplane mode to check for signal to make 1 or 2 short calls or texts a day and then back to airplane mode and these other savings you should get over a week on a charge, perhaps 2 weeks. I have found texting the better communications than calling. It works even with 1 bar of signal even when voice will drop calls. Text messages take less power than voice calls and the message is waiting for you the next time you turn it on and get signal.

[earlyriser26]

I found out the hard way how fast a phone can draw down a charge the first time I took my phone on a hike. It was an old flip phone that normally only had to be charged once a week. It was dead the first day of my hike because I left it on. I never knew that it was searching for a signal all that time. It failed when I really needed it. It did result in my first 26 mile hike. Not a good thing.

[One Half]

If you use your phone to listen to music you can conserve a little power by reducing the volume, or so I have heard from "power experts."

[1azarus]

I use airplane mode all day, too. It helps if you use a navigation app that only uses your gps, which can remain active when you are in airplane mode. I use maprika.

[jcamp]

If you really want to save as much power as possible, use these settings... do not disturb mode, airplane mode, minimal screen brightness, lowered volume and completely off at night. If you do need to communicate with the outside world, texting is a more efficient use of power. Some phones even have a "low power mode" which can also help, but airplane mode is a must.

[Cheyou]

http://www.guthookhikes.com/2015/04/...s-battery.html

[Slo-go'en]

With proper power management the battery can last a long time.

[evyck da fleet]

Airplane mode and a brightness setting as low as you can take pictures with worked for five days, enough time to resupply and recharge.

[soumodeler]

Airplane mode and low power mode during the day and off at night is my method.

[OneDoesNotSimplyWalk]

I did a test a little while back and if I remember correctly, airplane mode will extend your battery life by about 20% if you're using an iPhone. So I assume that would hold for other phones as well.

[rafe]

I did a test a little while back and if I remember correctly, airplane mode will extend your battery life by about 20% if you're using an iPhone. So I assume that would hold for other phones as well.

More like 3:1 for my Samsung smartphone. That is to say, a day or so on normal mode (Wifi, GPS and bluetooth all off) but three or four days in airplane mode.

[Uncle Joe]

Airplane mode and GPS off. If you're using GutHook be sure to fully close the app when not in use to keep it from using the GPS. In fact, close all apps fully (iPhone: double-click the Home button and swipe them all up).

[Bronk]

I don't generally bring a phone with me but one of my hiking partners does and she would usually kill the battery by the end of the first day...then she started putting it in airplane mode and would have like 98% battery life at the end of a 2 day trip.

[sheperd80]

Yep, i cant speak for iphones but ive used samsung gs3 and now gs6 active this way and it lasts a couple days. I put it in airplane mode, auto-brightness, gps on, everything else off.

Backcountry Navigator and other apps can operate with just gps as long as u download maps of the area before you head out.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Traveler]

Probably the best way to answer the question if airplane mode will provide enough battery savings for you is to actually put the phone in airplane mode and do what you would do with it on the trail for as long as the battery lasts. Charge it up and do it again to compare the time you get. Phones, even the same brand/model can be different from each other in fidelity, battery life, charging time, etc.