If your Fairphone 5 battery is draining faster than it should, the first thing to check is the battery usage stats. Head to Settings > Battery > Battery usage. This screen shows you exactly which apps have been consuming power over the last 24 hours or the past week.
Look for any app using a surprisingly high percentage. A social media or navigation app running in the background is a common culprit. This gives you a clear target before you start changing settings.
Update Your Apps and Software
Outdated apps can have bugs that cause excessive battery drain. Open the Google Play Store, tap your profile icon, and go to Manage apps & device > Updates available. Install all pending updates.
Next, check for a system update. Fairphone is committed to long-term support, and updates often include battery optimizations. Go to Settings > System > System update to see if a newer version of Android is ready.
Manage Location Services
Location tracking is one of the biggest battery drains. You don't need every app to have constant access. Go to Settings > Location. Here, you can toggle it off entirely when not needed, or tap App location permissions to manage access per app.
For apps like weather or maps, consider changing the permission to Allow only while using the app. This stops them from using GPS when they're closed. Also review system location services in Settings > Location > Location services and turn off options you don't use.
Control Background Activity
Android allows apps to refresh content in the background, which uses power. Go to Settings > Apps and select any app you suspect. Tap Battery and then Background restriction. You can set it to "Restricted" to prevent background activity.
For a broader approach, check Settings > Battery > Background restrictions. You can see a list of apps and manage them from there. I'd start with social media, email, and news apps.
Adjust Display Settings
The screen is a major power user. Reducing brightness has an immediate effect. Pull down the quick settings panel and lower the brightness slider, or set it to Adaptive Brightness in Settings > Display.
Also, shorten the screen timeout. Go to Settings > Display > Screen timeout and set it to 30 seconds or 1 minute. Enabling Dark Theme in Settings > Display > Dark theme can also help save battery, especially with darker wallpapers.
Review Connectivity Features
Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you're not using them. The constant searching for networks drains the battery. You can quickly toggle these from the notification shade.
For mobile data, if you're in an area with a weak signal, your phone works harder to maintain a connection, which drains the battery faster. Switching to Airplane mode in these situations, or forcing the phone to use Wi-Fi calling if available, can help.
Check for Rogue Apps and Widgets
Sometimes a single misbehaving app is the problem. If you see an unfamiliar app high on the battery usage list, try force-stopping it. Go to Settings > Apps, select the app, and tap Force stop.
Live widgets on your home screen that constantly update (like a news feed or weather widget) also consume power. Consider removing widgets you don't actively need by long-pressing them and selecting "Remove."
Enable Battery Saver Modes
The Fairphone 5 has built-in battery saver options. You can turn on Battery Saver manually from the quick settings or in Settings > Battery. This limits background activity and reduces performance slightly.
You can also schedule it to turn on automatically at a certain battery percentage, like 15% or 20%. This is a good way to extend your battery life when you're out and about without a charger.
Reset All Settings
If you've tried everything and the drain persists, a misconfigured system setting might be the cause. You can reset all your network and system settings without losing personal data.
Go to Settings > System > Reset options. Tap Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth or Reset app preferences. If the issue is severe, Reset all settings will revert all system toggles and preferences back to default.
Consider the Battery Itself
One of the best features of the Fairphone 5 is its user-replaceable battery. If your phone is a couple of years old and you use it heavily, the battery's capacity naturally degrades.
You can check its general health by looking at the battery usage graph for sudden drops. Since you can buy an official spare battery, swapping in a fresh one is a straightforward and cost-effective fix that can make your phone feel new again.
Use the Right Charger
While the Fairphone 5 supports up to 30W charging, using a slow or incompatible charger can lead to inefficient charging cycles. For the fastest, most efficient charge, use a 30W USB-PD (Power Delivery) charger and a high-quality USB-C cable.
Avoid charging from low-power sources like old laptop USB ports if you need a quick top-up. Making sure the battery charges efficiently can contribute to its overall long-term health.
