Having enough battery on your phone while traveling is vital for navigation, getting transport, and more. However, keeping your device charged isn’t easy—unless you copy these tips to keep your phone charged up without using a battery pack.
1Using Airport and Plane Chargers Where Possible
I always try to find a plug socket while waiting for my flight, and things have improved significantly over the past decade. You’ll usually find a plug socket at tables with high chairs. I’ve noticed that these are often close to departure gates, too.
Many airports also have charging ports in the main lounge area, but availability will depend on where you’re flying from. Moreover, I’ve experienced some airports with charging sockets but no power.
Nowadays, many planes also have places to charge my phone. I love Virgin Atlantic because I can use my EU plug without an adapter. Many planes also have USB charging ports.
2Bringing a USB-A Cable
USB-C cables are becoming more widespread; all new iPhones get them, and devices are mandated to have USB-C cables in the EU. However, many planes haven’t yet caught up.
I still see more USB-A charging ports on planes than USB-C, which used to be frustrating. However, I mitigate this problem by bringing a USB-A cable. If you’re buying a USB cable for travel, I recommend ensuring it’s USB-A.
3Using My iPad Instead of My iPhone for Entertainment
I can comfortably say that my iPad was one of my best-ever tech purchases. Besides helping me optimize my daily workflow, it’s been a game-changer on long trips. While I previously used my iPhone to listen to podcasts and music, I now bring my iPad instead.
Since I don’t like charging multiple devices while traveling, I’m happy to reach my destination with a low iPad battery and a fully charged smartphone. My iPad is Wi-Fi only, so I can’t use it all the time anyway.
iPads are worth buying and a great travel companion for numerous other reasons. For example, I like having a bigger screen to watch the content I wish to stream.
4Enabling Low Power Mode
Enabling Low Power mode on my iPhone is one of the easiest ways to save battery on long trips. Since I can still perform every task I want, turning this feature on makes total sense. The dimmed screen brightness is a nice bonus; I don’t like looking at bright lights on a plane, especially at night.
If you have an Android device, consider using Power-Saving Mode instead. You can do plenty of other things to make your Android battery last longer while traveling.
5Blocking Unnecessary Apps So I Can’t Access Them
Not having access to the internet when flying makes it very easy to avoid wasting my battery in some cases. For example, I can’t browse the internet or check what’s happening on Instagram. However, I still sometimes spend too much time on needless apps.
Blocking these apps is one of the easiest ways to preserve my phone battery. I normally use Opal, which is an excellent app for monitoring phone usage.
Setting boundaries is harder when traveling by train, as I often still have an internet connection. However, I have found that deleting the apps I don’t need works.
6Turning Off My Phone for Particularly Long Flights
I normally fly from Europe to the US at least once yearly because I have family living in New York City. The flight takes 7-8 hours, so I usually turn my phone off for its duration. First, though, I fully charge my device if a charging port is available.
I only turn on my phone before clearing customs to use the mobile passport app. I may also use it to order Uber or Lyft from the airport to my accommodation. Other than that, though, keeping my device switched off has worked quite well.
7Disabling Bluetooth
Since I now use my iPad for in-flight entertainment (and therefore connect my wireless headphones to my tablet), I don’t need Bluetooth enabled on my phone. Switching off Bluetooth is an easy way to save battery, and I normally do it on long and short-haul flights.
8Closing All Apps After I’ve Used Them
I rarely use a lot of apps on my iPhone when traveling, and as a result, keeping lots of them open is pointless. Even worse, it can significantly drain my battery. On a long-distance journey, I do my best to keep no more than three apps open simultaneously.
Besides limiting how many apps I keep open at once, I also close all apps when I’ve finished using them. My camera roll is one of the biggest battery drainers; if you only close one app, I recommend making it this one.
9Printing My Boarding Passes
Longer trips normally require me to visit my airline’s reception desk because I typically have check-in baggage. Since I’m already there, I think it makes total sense to also print my boarding pass. That way, I don’t need to keep my phone switched on while going through security and boarding my flight.
Even though you can also add your passport to Google Wallet (in some cases), I’ll still probably use my physical one if the feature rolls out across all devices and nationalities.
Compared to the mid-2010s, I find it significantly easier to keep my phone fully charged on long trips. Many planes have charging ports, and it’s easier to find somewhere to charge your phone at airports. However, adjusting in-device settings and using your tablet as in-flight entertainment will also help.
