A smartphone as a personal assistant, navigator, game console and TV? Great. Until it turns into a hot brick without energy at three in the afternoon. Below, we reveal which applications are proven to be the biggest battery consumers in 2024-2025 - according to research by serious institutions, not just complaints from sleepyheads on forums. So - energy-hungry smartphone applications.
Energy-hungry applications smartphone?! If you think your battery is only draining TikTok during your evening doom-scroll session, let us tell you something: your phone is draining even when you're not doing anything – and apps are grinding away in the background as if they're on caffeine. Welcome to 2025, where the most popular apps are not just digital companions, but also the biggest power consumers. And if your phone "dies" before lunch, you know who to blame.
TOP 10 energy-hungry smartphone apps – Android
1. Instagram – the queen of visual marketing and battery drain. Refreshing, notifications and non-stop background activity – up to 85 % consumption, even if you're just dreaming about new stories.
2. Fitbit – you wanted health, you got… a dead battery. Constant tracking, synchronization and connection to the watch? Count on 85 % consumption.
3. Tasker – if you automate everything, the battery automatically says goodbye. 80 % goes to waste while you unknowingly optimize your schedule.
4. AliExpress – a shopping paradise with an energy price. Location, notifications and updates? Poof, 80 % energy.
5. Facebook – the social dinosaur is still eating up data and battery. It's doing more in the background than you do on a Friday afternoon.
6. LinkedIn – because even a career burns battery power. 80 % of consumption, even when you just think you're "invisible".
7. WhatsApp – always on the lookout. Messages, pictures, videos and notifications – the battery says: “I’m not a teenager anymore!”
8. X (Twitter) – microblogging, macro spending.
9. Google Maps – a digital guide that uses more energy than your GPS-hunting friend on a road trip.
10. Telegram – same as WhatsApp, except it occasionally claims to be more secure. The battery doesn't believe it.
TOP 10 energy-hungry smartphone apps – iOS
No surprises – iPhone users have the same problems, only it's a little more glamorous. From Instagram to Snapchat, apps on iOS run with almost the same energy hunger.
Bonus: Snapchat, thanks to Snap Map and filters, it burns battery like New Year's fireworks.
TikTok? An hour of viewing = an hour less of your battery life.
YouTube, Netflix and other video game fans? Watching series = goodbye %.
The biggest battery consumers by category – energy-hungry smartphone apps
1. Social networks
More connectivity, more posts, more notifications – more energy hunger. When Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn are “watching” you while you sleep, you can be sure that your battery is not resting either. Fun fact: every time an app checks your comment or heart – your phone dies a little.
Mini tip: Turn off background refresh. This way the app will wait for you, not you waiting for it.
2. Mobile games
In games, everything is at full speed – processor, graphics, display, sound. PUBG or Genshin Impact? Two hours of gameplay and your phone needs a fan.
Candy Crush? A sweet battery trap.
Solution: Lower brightness, mute, power saving mode… or play chess. On paper. 😄
3. Navigation and GPS
Google Maps, Waze, and Uber may get you to your destination, but they drain your battery to the core.
Permanent location + sun screen = goodbye energy.
Trick: Plug in the car + use “Allow location only while in use.” Thank you, future!
4. Video and music streaming
YouTube and Netflix are fun... until your screen starts crying while watching 4K video.
Spotify can also become a vampire – if you listen to it all day.
Tip: Download content in advance. 480p is the new 1080p. Put your screen to sleep while you listen.
5. Communication
WhatsApp, Messenger, Zoom – because you have to be “always online”.
But be careful: every vibration "ping" is actually a micro-infarction of your battery.
Tip: Mute groups, turn off the camera during a Zoom call, and... give your phone a break.
Top tips for extending your battery life – or phone usage time
- Permissions with header: Why would Instagram know where you are 24/7? Just give it occasional info, and in moderation.
- Push notifications? No, thanks. Don't let your phone flash for every meme.
- Light version of the application: Facebook Lite is a real Zen.
- Economy mode = Zen mode
- Screen? Not a TV. Less brightness, shorter timeout. Your battery will sing your praises.
- Wireless connections – only when needed. Bluetooth is not a piece of jewelry that should always be on.
- Treat your battery like a houseplant. Don't let it freeze or overcook. An occasional calibration doesn't hurt. She has feelings too (well, almost).
Conclusion
Your phone isn't a perpetual motion machine. But with the right amount of awareness, settings, and the occasional "digital fast," you can prevent it from leaving you stranded—or worse—in the dark in the middle of the day. And hey, who knows—maybe you'll catch a few more unfiltered sunsets while the battery lasts longer.
Sources:
-
pCloud App Resource Usage Report 2024
-
Green Alliance: Digital Device Energy Use 2025
-
AV-Test Battery Consumption Benchmark 2025
