The hidden Android tweak that reduces battery consumption overnight

There is a little-known option within the Developer options which, according to the experience of many users, can significantly reduce consumption at rest.

It’s about the fit “Suspend execution for cached apps” (“Suspend running cached applications”), which allows you to prevent cached apps use the processor while they are idle.

According to various tests, night drainage went from between 6% and 7% to just 1% after seven hours of inactivity. While that result may vary depending on the phone model, Android version, and installed apps, the change aims to reduce background process activity without the need to install additional software.

Closing an application does not mean that it disappears completely from the system. Android usually keeps many of them as processes cachedthat is to say, remain loaded in memory to reopen faster when the user needs them.

While in this state, some apps may wake up briefly to sync information, update content, or perform other tasks in the background. Therefore, when checking the battery consumption the next day, it is common to find several apps with a small cost (between 1% and 2% each) instead of a single person responsible for drainage.

The “Suspend running cached applications” option modifies that behavior. Instead of closing apps or deleting them from memory, prevents processes from running using the processor while they remain cached.

In practice, works as a kind of pause. When the user reopens an application, Android reactivates the process and allows the user to continue using it normally.

The exact location of this function may change depending on phone brand and operating system version. On a device with Android, the route is as follows:

• Gonna System (o About phone).

• Go into Device details.

• Tap Android version.

• Access Developer Options.

• Enter Applications.

• Look for Suspend running cached apps.

• Change the option Defaults to Enable.

If the menu Developer Options does not appear, first you have to activate it by touching it seven times Build numberwhich is usually found within the device software information. The system may ask for the unlock PIN or pattern to enable that menu.

According to the tests carried out, the change allowed reduce battery loss during the night from between 6% and 7% to approximately 1% in seven hours of rest.

There was also a lower consumption when the phone remained unused during the dayfor example while it was stored in a pocket or resting on a desk.

Nevertheless, impact may vary from device to device. Factors such as the manufacturer, the Android customization layer, the age of the battery and the installed applications influence the energy consumption of each device.

The main disadvantage of this configuration is that some apps may delay sending notifications.

When suspended while in the background, certain apps can take longer to update information or generate notices.

If this occurs with an important application, an alternative is to manually exclude it from battery optimization so that it continues to function normally, while the rest of the applications remain subject to the new behavior.

Beyond this hidden option, there are Other configurations that can help reduce energy consumption during the night or when the phone remains unused.

Among them are:

• Disable WiFi and mobile data otherwise they will be needed for several hours.

• Activate power saving mode to automatically limit background activity.

• Restrict activity of certain applications from the system battery menu.

• Disable the function Always On Displaypresent in many phones with OLED screens, to avoid permanent consumption.

• Remove unnecessary widgets that update information constantly.

• Within Developer Options, activate “Limit search for WiFi networks” and deactivate “Always-on mobile data”two functions that can also contribute to reducing energy consumption in certain situations.

On the other hand, although it does not reduce nighttime battery consumption, maintaining proper charging habits helps preserve the health of the battery in the long term. Among the most common recommendations are avoid downloading it below 20% and, when possible, do not keep it permanently charged at 100%, but around 80%.