Can My Bluetooth Speakers Drain the Phone Battery? (Solved!)

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Bluetooth speakers are a great way to enjoy music, but some people have reported that their phone battery drains more quickly when they use Bluetooth speakers. So, you may wonder, Can My Bluetooth Speakers Drain the Phone Battery?

Yes, Bluetooth speakers drain the phone battery. Your battery is only slightly depleted to keep the connection between the two devices active. The audio compression quality also affects how much power is used; high-quality audios use more power while low-quality audios use less.

In this blog post, I will discuss why your Bluetooth speaker might be draining your phone’s battery and provide tips on reducing Bluetooth battery consumption.

Can My Bluetooth Speakers Drain the Phone Battery?

The average Bluetooth speaker uses about 0.045 watts when idle and 0.25 watts when in use.

This may not seem like much, but it can add up over time; if you use your Bluetooth speaker for two hours a day, it will consume about one watt-hour of power daily.

Power Drain From Different Kinds of Bluetooth

You need to remember that there are different types of Bluetooth; each type has its power consumption:

1. Classic or Standard

This is the most common type of Bluetooth used in most phones, laptops, and other devices.

Classic Bluetooth has a range of about 30 feet (nine meters) and uses 0.32 watts.

2. Low Energy (LE)

Low Energy Bluetooth was introduced in 2010; it is designed to use less power and has a shorter range than Classic Bluetooth.

Low Energy Bluetooth uses 0.11 watts and has a range of about 30 feet (nine meters).

3. Bluetooth Smart or Version 5.2

This is the latest type of Bluetooth; it was introduced in 2013 and uses even less power than Low Energy Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Smart has a range of about 30 feet (nine meters) and uses 0.04 watts when in use.

5 Factors that Affect the Amount of Power Bluetooth Speakers Drain

There are a few factors that affect how much power Bluetooth speakers drain from your phone:

1. Audio Compression

The first factor is the quality of the audio compression. When music is compressed into a digital format, it takes up less space on your device but can sound lower in quality.

The higher the audio compression quality, the more power it will use.

For example, MPthree files use less power than FLAC files.

2. Bluetooth Version

The second factor is the Bluetooth version. The latest Bluetooth version, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), uses much less power than older versions of Bluetooth.

So if your phone and speaker both support BLE, you will save battery life.

READ MORE! Bluetooth 5.0 to 5.2: All You Need to Know (Upgrades Explained)

3. Distance Between Devices

The third factor is the distance between your phone and the speaker. The further apart they are, the less power they will use.

4. Bit Rate

The bit rate is the fourth factor that affects how much power Bluetooth speakers use. The bit rate is the number of bits per second that can be transferred between devices.

The higher the bit rate, the more power it will use.

5. Sample Rate

The fifth and final factor is the sample rate. The sample rate is the number of times a signal is sampled per second.

The higher the sample rate, the more power it will use.

18 Tips for Reducing Bluetooth Battery Consumption

Now that we know how Bluetooth speakers can drain your phone battery, let’s look at some tips for reducing Bluetooth battery consumption:

1. Turn Off Your Bluetooth Speaker When You’re Not Using It

The easiest way to reduce Bluetooth battery consumption is to turn off your speaker when you’re not using it.

If you’re not going to be using your speaker for a while, disconnect it from your phone and turn it off.

2. Use a Lower Audio Compression Quality

If you’re using a high audio compression quality, consider switching to a lower quality.

You can usually find the audio settings in the Bluetooth speaker’s app.

3. Switch Off Network and Wi-Fi

If you’re not using your Bluetooth speaker to play music from the internet, turn off the network and Wi-Fi settings.

This will help save battery life.

Wi-Fi uses more power than Bluetooth, so turning it off will help reduce your battery usage.

4. Use a Lower Bit Rate

If you’re using a high bit rate, try switching to a lower bit rate. The lower the bit rate, the less power it will use.

5. Use a Lower Sample Rate

If you’re using a high sample rate, try switching to a lower sample rate. The lower the sample rate, the less power it will use.

6. Turn Off Background App Refresh

If your phone constantly refreshes apps in the background, it will use more battery life. To reduce Bluetooth battery consumption, turn off background app refresh.

7. Reduce the Distance Between Your Phone and Speaker

The further your phone is from your speaker, the more power it will use. To reduce Bluetooth battery consumption, keep your phone close to your speaker.

8. Dark Mode

Although most people do not like dark mode, it is a very effective battery saver.

However, it is only available on AMOLED and OLED displays as LCD panels lack a “true” dark mode because even when the pixels are black, they continue to draw power.

Since the pixels on AMOLEDs are entirely off, this does not apply to them.

If you have an AMOLED or OLED display, enabling dark mode will save battery life.

9. Lower the Brightness of Your Screen

The brightness of your screen is another factor that affects battery life. The brighter your screen, the more power it will use.

To reduce Bluetooth battery consumption, lower the brightness of your screen.

10. Use Airplane Mode

If you’re not using your phone’s data or voice features, you can save battery life by putting it into airplane mode.

This will disable all wireless radios on your phone, including Bluetooth.

Remember to turn Bluetooth on after enabling Airplane mode to use your speaker.

11. Use a Lower Output Setting on the Speaker

The speaker’s output setting is another factor that affects battery life. The higher the output, the more power it will use.

Use a lower output setting on your speaker to reduce Bluetooth battery consumption.

12. Update Your Phone and Speaker Firmware

If you’re not using the latest firmware for your phone and speaker, you may be able to save battery life by updating to the latest version.

Check for updates in the settings menu of your phone and speaker.

13. Charge Your Phone and Speaker Regularly

If you’re not using a power-saving mode, your phone and speaker will consume more battery power as they get closer to empty.

To reduce Bluetooth battery consumption, charge your devices regularly.

14. Location Services

If you’re not using location services, you can save battery life by turning it off. Location services use GPS and other data to determine your location. This data is then used by apps to provide you with relevant information.

If you don’t need location services, turn it off in your phone’s settings menu.

15. Do Not Use Your Phone While Charging

If you’re using your phone while charging, you’re using more battery power than if you weren’t.

To reduce Bluetooth battery consumption, do not use your phone while it’s charging.

16. Use a Wired connection if Possible

Instead of using Bluetooth, use a wired connection if possible. This will reduce battery consumption as well as provide better sound quality.

17. Disable NFC

If you’re not using NFC, you can save battery life by turning it off. NFC is used for things like mobile payments and data transfers.

If you don’t need NFC, turn it off in your phone’s settings menu.

READ MORE! Can I Connect NFC Bluetooth Devices with an iPhone? (Solved)

18. Restart Your Phone Regularly

If you’re not restarting your phone regularly, you may be able to save battery life by doing so. This will close all open apps and clear any memory leaks.

To restart your phone, hold down the power button and select “Restart.”

FAQ

Final Thoughts

Bluetooth speakers can drain your phone battery, but there are ways to reduce Bluetooth battery consumption.

You can use airplane mode, use a lower output setting on the speaker, update your phone and speaker firmware, charge your devices regularly, turn off location services, and disable NFC.

By following these tips, you can save battery life and enjoy your Bluetooth speaker for longer.

I hope this article was helpful. Thanks for reading.