The phone settings I change before any new game

Every time I install something new, I spend two minutes in the settings before I touch the actual game. It sounds fussy, but it saves headaches later.

First thing: drop the framerate cap if the game offers one and you're on an older phone. A steady 30 beats a stuttery 60 that overheats after ten minutes. Then I turn off screen shake, because half the games out there shake so hard I can't read anything.

I also mute the game and use my own audio, or headphones. In-game music loops fast and eats a surprising amount of battery on some titles. And I always check for a 'reduce animations' or 'battery saver' toggle buried in the graphics menu.

Last, notifications. Most mobile games want to ping you constantly to come back. I switch those off immediately. If a game is good, I'll remember it on my own.

None of this takes long, and it's the difference between a game that respects your phone and one that treats it like a furnace.