Extend Your iPod Battery Life

Music plays a large part in most people’s lives. Some people absolutely need music to get motivated to workout. Some people need music to make the workday go quicker. And for those romantic types, music is counted on to “set the mood”. Gone are the days of mixed tapes and clunky CD players though. Digital music is where it’s at and what better way to enjoy your music, then on the go. The iPod was introduced in 2001 and revolutionized how we listen to music.

Now, anyone who is anyone owns an iPod.  Apple hasn’t made it easy to keep up with the latest technologies though. Shortly after you buy your “latest and greatest” iPod, a new iPod model comes out that can do things you wouldn’t imagine an iPod ever doing. iPods come in several different “flavors” from orange, red, and lime to sleek glossy black and now many iPod models not only play and store music but also movies and games. All these extra iPod features equals more time with your headphones plugged in your ears, but also means your iPod is powered on much longer.

With the extended “play time” of these iPods, have you ever found that your iPod battery is just not keeping up with you? Below are a few tips on how to extend the life or your iPod battery so you can enjoy your iPod to the fullest.

Use Hold and Pause
Set the Hold switch when you are not using your iPod. The hold switch prevents the iPod from inadvertently waking up, which unnecessarily uses power. Also, consider pausing your music when you are not listening to it.

Turn Wi-Fi Off
Wi-Fi uses power even if you are not using it to connect to a network. Turn it off saves power. Go to Settings > General > Network > Wi-Fi.

Turn Equalizer Off
Turn EQ off if you don’t use it. Adding EQs to playback uses more of the iPod processor, which in turn, drains more from the iPod battery. However, if you’ve added EQ to tracks in iTunes, you’ll need to set EQ to “flat”, which will give the effect of “off”.

Limit Backlight Usage
The default setting is for the backlight to always be on. Leaving the backlight on will significantly reduce your battery life.

Second Guess Third-party Applications
Many third-party applications make the iPod Touch so much more fun to play with. However, excessive use of these applications can reduce the battery life because they prevent the screen from dimming or shutting off.

According to Apple.com, a properly maintained iPod battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 400 full charge and discharge cycles. If you find that your iPod battery no longer holds a charge like it used to, it might be time to replace your battery. There are several reputable vendors online that sell iPod batteries as well as iPod extended life batteries.