Is your phone always running out of power? Scientists reveal 10 simple tricks that could boost your battery life

Keeping your phone cool and removing it from its case can boost batteries

Updating your software and leaving your wifi on can also help save power

Engineers insist there is no need to let your battery drain before charging

With power-hungry apps like Pokemon Go surfacing, now many people struggle to make it through the day without charging up their smartphone.

But according to engineers, there are some clever tricks that can help you squeeze a little extra life out of your phone's battery. 

'It's a careful balancing act between prolonging the life of your phone battery on a daily basis and maximising the battery's overall calendar life,' Paul Shearing, a chemical engineer at University College London told MailOnline. 

'There are really no magic secrets, but there a few things everyone can do to make their battery last longer'.

Here some simple tips for keeping smartphone batteries running longer...

SHUT DOWN APPS 

Smartphones use up a lot of power just to keep multiple apps running.

'Most phones will tell you the percentage of battery that apps are using so that people can find out which ones are using the most,' says Mr Shearing.

'It's a good idea to shut these down when they're not being used.'

CLOSE LOCATION SERVICES

Location services use GPS, which also zaps battery life. When not using maps, turning these off can preserve power throughout the day. 

TURN OFF PUSH NOTIFICATIONS

Notifications for new emails and updates on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can use up lots of juice.

For anything that is not urgent, it is best to turn off push notifications where possible.

BATTERY COMING OUT IN 2020 THAT COULD HOLD 40% MORE ENERGY 

Sony is working on lithium-sulfur battery and a magnesium-sulfur battery that they say will be able to carry 40 per cent more energy than the traditional batteries.

Sony tells Nikkei that it's working on a battery that uses sulfur at the negative electrode (and plain old lithium at the positive one) to provide an energy density per unit volume of 1,000 Wh/L.

For comparison, most conventional lithium-ion batteries have an energy density of around 700Wh/L.

UPDATE SOFTWARE

'Most phones have built-in software that's designed to save energy and maximise battery life', says Mr Shearing.

Users should always update the software on the their phone to the latest version, whether it is iOS, Android or another mobile platform.

Many phones also feature a dedicated power-saving mode that be switched on to make batteries last even longer throughout the day.

TURN OFF BLUETOOTH 

Bluetooth connections are used to connect wirelessly to other gadgets including speakers, fitness gadgets and smartwatches.

While useful, it can be a extra drain on battery life so it is best to turn it off when not in use.

LOWER THE SCREEN BRIGHTNESS

Turning on automatic brightness settings can save battery, as the screen will be dimmed when less backlight is needed.

To save even more battery, the screen can be manually dimmed even lower, particularly when inside brightly lit buildings.

KEEP WI-FI ON

Accessing data over a Wi-fi connection takes up less power than over a mobile network connection, so it's best to keep it turned on at all times. Wi-fi can usually be turned on using the main settings menu.

MAKE SURE THE PHONE DOESN'T OVERHEAT

While smartphones are pocket-sized computers, unlike their desktop siblings, they don't have a cooling fan and so are prone to overheating.

'Ideally, smartphones should be kept between 0 and 35°C,' says Mr Shearing.

Most mobile phones are designed to work best at room temperatures, and charging a phone at high temperatures can permanently damage the battery, according to Apple.

REMOVE THE CASE

'Some cases are better removed when charging the phone, particularly designs that insulate the handset. But this is probably quite rare - most cases should be fine'.

LEAVING IT PLUGGED IN WON'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE 

'Going back 15-20 years, older types of battery were more temperamental,' says Mr Shearing.

'For most modern Lithium-ion batteries, it doesn't matter what the state of charge on your mobile is when you plug it in.

'Once charged, phone batteries can't accept any more current so leaving them plugged in after they've fully charged shouldn't make any difference either'.

NEVER GET CAUGHT SHORT AGAIN WITH THE URINE POWERED PHONE 

British scientists have created a new way to charge smartphones - using urine.

Researchers have revealed a new system which transforms urine into electricity using a microbial fuel cell.

Just over half a litre of urine is enough for six hours of charge time, which can power a smartphone for three hours.

The average toilet break produces around 600ml of urine.

Researchers at the University of the West of England hope the technology will eventually allow people to stay connected when off-grid.

The units contain bacteria that breaks down the chemicals in urine, in the process releasing energy in the form of electricity which is stored on a capacitor within a fuel cell.

'The microbial fuel cells (MFC) work by employing live microbes which feed on urine for their own growth and maintenance,' explained Professor Ioannis  Ieropoulos.

'The MFC is, in effect, a system which taps a portion of that biochemical energy.

'This technology is about as green as it gets, as we do not need to utilise fossil fuels and we are effectively using a waste product that will be in plentiful supply.'