Android manages battery life aggressively. Usually that is a good thing. The problem comes when the phone decides a focus app is “unused” and suspends it in the background. That can happen right when you need AuraLock to protect a session.
What battery optimization does
Battery optimization puts apps into a restricted state when they are not in the foreground. For most apps this is harmless. AuraLock is different. It has to keep running in the background for the entire length of an Aura, monitoring which app you open and holding the boundary.
If Android suspends AuraLock mid-session, a few things can go wrong. The boundary stops being enforced. A scheduled Aura may not start on time. Your session may end early.
None of these mean AuraLock broke. They mean the system closed it to save power.
The fix
The fix is to exempt AuraLock from battery optimization. The app will guide you through this during setup and inside Guardian. The manual steps are:
- Open Settings → Apps → AuraLock
- Tap Battery (the exact label varies by device)
- Select Unrestricted (or Don’t optimize)
AuraLock is designed to be lightweight, so an unrestricted setting has almost no real battery cost. It simply tells Android to leave AuraLock alone.
Why the steps differ by device
Every Android manufacturer ships a slightly different settings app. Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and others each name things differently. You might see “battery optimization,” “app battery management,” “background activity,” or “autostart.” That is why AuraLock’s Guardian checks your specific device and points you to the right screen.
Three settings to check together
Battery optimization is only part of reliable background operation. You should check three settings together:
- Battery optimization — set to Unrestricted / Don’t optimize
- Background activity — allow AuraLock to run in the background (Samsung, Xiaomi, and others hide this deeper in settings)
- Autostart — where offered, allow AuraLock to start with the device
For device-specific steps, see the Android guides for Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus & Oppo, and Pixel devices.
Run Guardian after updates
Phone OS updates and app updates can reset these settings without you noticing. It is a good habit to open Guardian in AuraLock after a system update. It takes a few seconds and confirms everything is still configured correctly.
The result
Once AuraLock is exempt from battery optimization, your sessions run reliably from start to finish. The boundary holds, the schedule fires on time, and you can stop thinking about your phone’s power management.