eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.

How To

How to Improve the Battery Life of an iPod

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(1 Ratings)

You can improve the battery life of an iPod in two ways. One way is to maximize the amount of time you can play or use the iPod before recharging, and the other way seeks to extend the life of the iPod rechargeable battery before it needs replacing. The following steps are meant to increase the amount of time that you can use your iPod between charges. Follow these steps to improve the battery life of an iPod.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  1. Step 1

    Make good playlists. When you have created a playlist that contains a number of songs you find yourself skipping over, you wind up wasting your battery charge avoiding those songs. Delete those songs from your list and save the juice for the things you want to hear on your iPod.

  2. Step 2

    Use the equalizer as little as possible. The settings require more from the processor, which means more power is drawn from the battery. Most modern recordings have been recorded with better equalization than you can get from a portable music player anyway.

  3. Step 3

    Compress songs to save on file space. Files take up space in the cache, which is where the iPod keeps song information for easy play back. When the iPod has to search through the hard drive to get more songs, this uses power. An uncompressed song takes up more space in the cache, which means that the iPod will have to search its hard drive sooner for more files to put in the cache.

  4. Step 4

    Turn off the backlight unless you need that extra light. During the day or in well lit places, having the backlight on at all times is an unnecessary drain on battery power.

  5. Step 5

    Use the “Pause” button. When you are not actively listening to your iPod, hit “Pause” until your attention can be fully on the music. Should your model of iPod have a Hold switch, set it so you do not accidentally bump the controls and turn the player on when you do not mean to.

Tips & Warnings
  • Keep the juices flowing. The iPod is designed to be used regularly. If you let your device sit around unused for long periods of time, you may find that the battery will not hold charge as well as it should. Fully charge the battery at least once a month.
  • Make sure that you have the latest versions of the operating software installed on your iPod. One effect of the evolution of iPod operating software is improved power usage characteristics. As the software undergoes more development, even more improvements to the battery life can be expected.
  • Avoid storing or operating your iPod in temperature extremes. Hot weather is especially harmful to the battery.
Subscribe

Post a Comment

Post a Comment

Related Ads

  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This
Get Free Electronics Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.   en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

eHow Electronics
eHow_eHow Technology and Electronics