A few years ago, only computer enthusiasts and network experts used VPNs. But nowadays, practically everyone knows what a VPN is and what are the reasons for using it. Well, even if you already have experience with this type of service, surely you do not know the amount of battery these apps consume and the magnitude of said consumption.
But don’t worry, if you want to learn about the energy consumption of VPNs and how prevent them from draining your mobile batteryNext, we explain this topic in detail, providing some tips that will be very useful to you.
Does a VPN use more battery on your mobile phone?
When you use a VPN on mobile, it fulfills its function by staying active in the background. This means that even if you are not inside the app, it continues to work. An app running in the background consumes less power than one that is actively used. However, this does not mean that the battery drain is insignificant.
It is estimated that a mobile that has a VPN service active consumes about 15% more battery. This percentage may vary, since the energy consumption of this type of application depends mainly on the following three factors:
- The encryption level that uses the VPN service, consumption being higher with encryption levels of 256-bits or higher.
- The internet signal strength your phone receives. If the signal is of low quality, your mobile will spend more energy trying to maintain the connection.
- The power consumption setting that the data usage mobiles.
Before any variation of these three factors, the battery consumption by the VPN may be higher or lower. Now, there are measures you can take so that the VPN you use on your phone does not consume an excessive amount of battery.
What to do so that the VPN does not spend all the battery of the mobile?
The first thing you should know is that not all VPN services consume the same amount of power. As we already mentioned, those that have a high level of encryption will use more battery, so one of the measures you can take is go for a VPN with low level of encryption. However, remember that the security of the connection depends on this variable, being more vulnerable the lower the encryption.
Another thing you can try is ensure that your mobile is connected to a stable and strong WiFi signal. And, in case you find yourself using mobile data to connect to the Internet, it is recommended disable 5Gsince this type of network consumes much more battery.
Likewise, although it seems obvious, we suggest that you close the VPN app once you finish using this connection. Remember that these apps run in the background, so it’s not enough to just quit the app to close it.
As you can see, there are different ways to take advantage of the benefits offered by this type of Internet connection without affecting the battery of your mobile. And, if you are interested in one of these apps, here we recommend the 10 best free VPNs for Android.
