The Impact of Screen Wake on Battery Life

One of the most common questions we get is: "Does keeping my screen on kill my battery?" The short answer is yes, but not as much as you might think, especially when compared to alternatives.

Screen vs. CPU

The display is one of the biggest power consumers on any device. However, modern OLED and efficient LCD screens have improved significantly. The real battery drain often comes from CPU usage.

The "Video Loop" Hack

Before the Screen Wake Lock API, people used to play a blank video on loop to keep the screen awake. This forced the device to decode video continuously, keeping the CPU and GPU active, which drained battery fast.

The Modern Way

MyScreenOn uses the native Wake Lock API. This tells the OS to keep the display powered but allows other components (like the CPU) to enter low-power states if they aren't needed. It's the most energy-efficient way to keep your screen awake.