How can you optimize your web app's battery usage?

3 Use the Page Visibility API

Another factor that affects the battery usage of your web app is the visibility of the page. When the user switches to another tab or minimizes the browser, your web app may still be running in the background, consuming power and resources. To avoid this, you should use the Page Visibility API, which allows you to detect when the page becomes hidden or visible and pause or resume your app accordingly. For example, you can stop playing audio or video, pause timers or intervals, or suspend network activity when the page is hidden. To use the Page Visibility API, you need to check the document.hidden property and listen for the visibilitychange event, like this:

// check the initial visibility state
if (document.hidden) {
  // pause your app here
}
// listen for visibility changes
document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', function() {
  if (document.hidden) {
    // pause your app here
  } else {
    // resume your app here
  }
});        

4 Use the Vibration API

Another feature that can affect the battery usage of your web app is vibration. Vibration can provide a tactile feedback to your users, but it can also consume a lot of power and drain the battery. To optimize your web app's battery usage, you should use the Vibration API, which allows you to control the vibration of the device and customize the pattern and duration of the vibration. For example, you can use a short and simple vibration for a notification, or a long and complex vibration for a game. To use the Vibration API, you need to call the navigator.vibrate method and pass an array of numbers that represent the milliseconds of vibration and pause, like this:

// vibrate for 200ms, pause for 100ms, and repeat
navigator.vibrate([200, 100]);        

5 Use the Network Information API

Another aspect that can influence the battery usage of your web app is the network connection. Depending on the type and quality of the network, your web app may consume more or less power and resources. To optimize your web app's battery usage, you should use the Network Information API, which allows you to access information about the network status and speed. You can use this information to adapt your app's functionality and performance according to the network situation. For example, you can reduce the quality of images, videos, or audio, or cache some data offline when the network is slow or unstable. To use the Network Information API, you need to get a NetworkInformation object from the navigator.connection property and access its properties and events, such as type, effectiveType, and onchange, like this:

// get the initial network type
console.log(navigator.connection.type);
// get the effective network type
console.log(navigator.connection.effectiveType);
// listen for network changes
navigator.connection.onchange = function() {
  console.log(navigator.connection.type);
  console.log(navigator.connection.effectiveType);
};        

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?