A team from Artezio’s mobile app development division, part of the LANIT group, carried out a thorough examination of how much power popular mobile apps consume. They built a ranking of those that use the most energy. To measure power draw, the team used a toolkit that combines a dedicated hardware stand with developer-grade software tools.
More than a hundred widely used apps from around the world were tested. The hardware basis included both Apple devices and Android hardware to capture a broad spectrum of performance. In the unfavorable ranking, the top spot went to the Facebook app. Instagram and Snapchat also appear high on the list.
Following them are TikTok, YouTube, Google Maps, Uber and Netflix. Messenger apps like WhatsApp took ninth place, and Skype landed in tenth. The top twenty continues with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Twitter, Gmail, Google Chrome, Amazon, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Spotify and Adobe Photoshop Express.
The company is also preparing a study on the energy draw of apps in Russia.
Why do some apps drink more battery than others?
Smartphone apps can consume power for a variety of reasons. When an app is active, it uses the processor and continuously communicates with the internet to refresh content or send data. Many apps also keep running in the background after being opened, which adds to energy use.
Operating systems include features to manage this drain. They can pause background tasks when an app is not in use, throttle the processor, or limit network access to save power. The Artezio study notes that long-lasting battery drain is common with reader apps such as Kindle and iBooks due to bright screens. High-end mobile games with rich graphics, like Fortnite and PUBG, also demand substantial hardware resources to deliver dynamic visuals, which drives up energy consumption.
Instant messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber, often run in the background to fetch new messages, which can boost power use. The same goes for calling apps like Skype, Zoom and FaceTime, which may also use the camera and microphone, with video and audio quality impacting overall power draw.
How to reduce rapid battery drain
To stay connected without interruptions, monitor app power use and disable those that consume a lot of resources when not needed.
Many power-hungry Google apps on Android cannot be uninstalled because they are part of the firmware. They can, however, be turned off if they are not needed. To do this, press and hold the app icon, open the app information section, and choose Disable. The same steps apply to other built-in apps that are not removable. Users can re-enable them later from the settings where the complete app list is shown.
It is important to note that some programs are essential for the device to function properly, so disabling must be done thoughtfully.
Users can also identify energy-heavy apps by checking the Battery section in the device settings. There, a graph displays energy use and reveals which apps, including background processes, consume the most power. Users can then adjust behavior, such as limiting background activity or autostart permissions.
Additionally, it is useful to remember that apps not running in the background may not deliver timely notifications.
Many users have reported longer device life after turning off activity tracking and Digital Wellbeing features. The Digital Wellbeing tool appears in the main settings and can be turned off. The same approach can be taken with other apps that gather usage statistics for the device or user behavior, helping to manage battery life more effectively.