Cell phone won't stay charged

Good morning all,

I have a Samsung phone that is ~3.5 years old. It won't hold a charge. I left it plugged in over night and after unplugging and turning it on, it has lost 80% of its charge in just a couple of hours.

Can it be fixed?

Any info/ideas welcome.

Thank you,

Libby

I had the same problem with a different brand and after trying various chargers found a charger that would work. Are you sure it is your phone?

brigitte wrote:I had the same problem with a different brand and after trying various chargers found a charger that would work. Are you sure it is your phone?

I'm not sure of anything. It gets plugged into the wall with the AC adapter that came with it. How would I check that?

Is the charge showing 100% when you first turn the phone on in the morning?

ferret wrote:Is the charge showing 100% when you first turn the phone on in the morning?

Yesterday it was, for sure, and then it was really low in the middle of the afternoon and I hadn't even used it.

May be a call for a battery change. Battery life approximately 2 years.

According to Recon Analytics, the average lifespan of a smartphone is about 21 months.
https://www.psafe.com/en/blog/how-long-android-phones-last/

Also... is your wall outlet grounded? I plug my cell phone into it's AC adapter and then plug the AC adapter into a surge protector and the surge protector is plugged into a voltage regulator which is plugged into a grounded outlet in the wall. I've lived in Mexico a long time. ;)

Is this a new problem? You may have a power gobbling app running in the background.

ferret wrote:Also... is your wall outlet grounded? I plug my cell phone into it's AC adapter and then plug the AC adapter into a surge protector and the surge protector is plugged into a voltage regulator which is plugged into a grounded outlet in the wall. I've lived in Mexico a long time. ;)

The outlets are all grounded in my house but I only use a surge protector for the TV. That's a good idea to use it for the phone.

I think the battery replacement is probably what I will have to do, but it's better than buying another phone.

Thanks for all your great suggestions. I've been here a long time too, but it's easy to forget.

mattoleriver wrote:Is this a new problem? You may have a power gobbling app running in the background.

Yes, it's a new problem, and I probably need to delete some apps I am not using. Thanks for the suggestion. It couldn't hurt!

Depending on the model of your phone, new batteries are relatively cheap and easy to install.

This one is in Cdn. dollars.

https://www.amazon.ca/Original-Samsung-Battery-EBBG920ABE-EB-BG920ABE/dp/B01F7U7QEA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542320211&sr=8-2&keywords=samsung+s6+new+battery

Ana at the TelCel store on the side street at the west end of Bugambilias plaza can do it for you if you don't want to DIY.

oatsie wrote:Depending on the model of your phone, new batteries are relatively cheap and easy to install.

This one is in Cdn. dollars.

https://www.amazon.ca/Original-Samsung-Battery-EBBG920ABE-EB-BG920ABE/dp/B01F7U7QEA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542320211&sr=8-2&keywords=samsung+s6+new+battery

Ana at the TelCel store on the side street at the west end of Bugambilias plaza can do it for you if you don't want to DIY.

Thank you, I'll check it out.

When I replaced my samsung battery, the tech told me not to leave the phone on the charger overnite. Better to leave the phone charging only up until it reaches 100% and then disconnect from the charger.

kiko wrote:When I replaced my samsung battery, the tech told me not to leave the phone on the charger overnite. Better to leave the phone charging only up until it reaches 100% and then disconnect from the charger.

You've been charging your smartphone wrong
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-way-to-charge-your-smartphone-2018-1

If you typically keep your phone's charge level between 25% and 75%, you most likely won't cause too much long-term damage.

Kiri wrote:

kiko wrote:When I replaced my samsung battery, the tech told me not to leave the phone on the charger overnite. Better to leave the phone charging only up until it reaches 100% and then disconnect from the charger.

You've been charging your smartphone wrong
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-way-to-charge-your-smartphone-2018-1

If you typically keep your phone's charge level between 25% and 75%, you most likely won't cause too much long-term damage.

Well... alrighty, then. I will do this.

But, doncha think the designers of the battery should put in a stop function at 85% and 25%?

And doncha think your smart phone should KNOW when it's battery is fully charged and stop charging and shut itself off?

ferret wrote:And doncha think your smart phone should KNOW when it's battery is fully charged and stop charging and shut itself off?

Exactly! So much for being "smart!"

All you need is an iPhone X or newer and it is all done for you.

Only kidding. I just charge my iPhone once per day from about 85% to near 100% and I have never had to buy a new battery. I do get a newer iPhone though every 4 or so years, though.

The sad thing is, it sounds like that new battery of yours needs to be replaced.

FeelinGroovy83 wrote:

Kiri wrote:

kiko wrote:When I replaced my samsung battery, the tech told me not to leave the phone on the charger overnite. Better to leave the phone charging only up until it reaches 100% and then disconnect from the charger.

You've been charging your smartphone wrong
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-way-to-charge-your-smartphone-2018-1

If you typically keep your phone's charge level between 25% and 75%, you most likely won't cause too much long-term damage.

Well... alrighty, then. I will do this.

But, doncha think the designers of the battery should put in a stop function at 85% and 25%?

My phone announces when the charge is charged to the preset level.

That's true Kiri but there is no way that I'm going to hear that little "BOINK" when I'm fast asleep.
Most people I know do plug in their phones to charge overnight and unplug them in the morning.

Not to cause any concern but I had the exact same situation with a Samsung phone and eventually the battery became swollen and destroyed the phone. When I took it in for repairs (and was told it was toast) I was advised, in future, to replace the battery when it failed to hold a charge and not keep attempting to charge it. Apparently this is a common issue for batteries used by Samsung.

Axixic wrote:Not to cause any concern but I had the exact same situation with a Samsung phone and eventually the battery became swollen and destroyed the phone. When I took it in for repairs (and was told it was toast) I was advised, in future, to replace the battery when it failed to hold a charge and not keep attempting to charge it. Apparently this is a common issue for batteries used by Samsung.

Actually ANY battery used in a cell phone.

It is not a good idea to continually 'top up' the charge in those batteries. It is better to let it do its work, and then tell you when it needs charging. Batteries last longer if they are run down to 'almost dead' and then recharged to a full charge.