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2012 Nexus 7 Discussion Forums (1st Generation) => Nexus 7 General Discussion => Topic started by: ivan on January 30, 2013, 07:38:35 AM

Title: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: ivan on January 30, 2013, 07:38:35 AM
Yesterday I headed on a trip, I turned gps on at first, but then decided that I didn't want to use GPS, so I closed up my tablet. Halfway through my trip I hear a noise from my bag, it's my tablet shutting down. Turns out I left my GPS on. Is this amount of battery drain normal with GPS?

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x2t_F6rJZc0/UQiCgquxG_I/AAAAAAAAAhU/6VIsqBQ_AsU/w480-h480/13%2B-%2B1)

As you can see, the screen is off, but the GPS kept waking up the tablet. What's up with that?
Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: mikespe on January 30, 2013, 08:18:52 AM
I never turn my GPS or WiFi off and at the end of the day I still have at least 50% battery life...I have the 3g model so data is on too. I am using the JellyBelly ROM which makes some improvement but not that much. You must have a rogue app draining something...notifications running all the time

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Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: bjs229 on January 30, 2013, 11:58:54 AM
I never turn GPS or Wi-Fi off. Never noticed any problems.

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Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: JayJ on January 30, 2013, 12:54:27 PM
I'd say you have something using the GPS because it's definitely the GPS using the battery.

Personally I never haver GPS turned on...

Sent from my 16GB Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: fxsarge on January 31, 2013, 10:33:45 AM
I always leave mine on, and it only turns on if I'm in an app that uses so as someone else mentioned you have an app that continues to track your location. Scary stuff. Start checking app permissions.

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Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: bjs229 on January 31, 2013, 10:53:07 AM
Do you have any ideas on what app that uses GPS could be running?

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Title: Re: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: JayJ on January 31, 2013, 03:04:44 PM
I always leave mine on, and it only turns on if I'm in an app that uses so as someone else mentioned you have an app that continues to track your location. Scary stuff. Start checking app permissions.

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Google Location services... unless you've turned it off...

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Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: ivan on January 31, 2013, 03:26:32 PM
Sorry about the late reply.

I have any number of apps that use gps.  I've noticed that google maps is often on in the background (when checking what's using the battery), even though I'm not using it.

I'm also wondering if my gps program was on as well.
Title: Re: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: JayJ on January 31, 2013, 03:36:03 PM
Sorry about the late reply.

I have any number of apps that use gps.  I've noticed that google maps is often on in the background (when checking what's using the battery), even though I'm not using it.

I'm also wondering if my gps program was on as well.

Its normal for Google Maps to show, your not looking at active applications but services and processes. Services and processes work in the background, some will be related to your homescreen, email clients polling, some to do with location like maps et cetera.
Its pointless using a task killer or manually stopping them because the OS or another application will restart them and that kind of defeats the object.

Just remember, Android isn't like Windows in that it doesn't require free RAM to start applications. It borrows the RAM needed from else where, closing something the system thinks isn't needed.

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Title: Re: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: fxsarge on January 31, 2013, 04:18:04 PM
Sorry about the late reply.

I have any number of apps that use gps.  I've noticed that google maps is often on in the background (when checking what's using the battery), even though I'm not using it.

I'm also wondering if my gps program was on as well.

Nothing from Google should have your GPS constantly on

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Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: bjs229 on January 31, 2013, 07:59:28 PM
I am guessing this is an app you loaded.

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Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: matt on February 10, 2013, 04:59:59 AM
Try this and let me know...

http://nexus7forum.com/nexus-7-general-discussion/nexus-7-battery-charging-issues/msg15656/#msg15656 (http://nexus7forum.com/nexus-7-general-discussion/nexus-7-battery-charging-issues/msg15656/#msg15656)
Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: Newbieoldguy on March 21, 2013, 07:24:27 PM
Hi Guys I'm new here:-)
I have a nexus 7 and I leave my WiFi and GPS on. I have no problems with battery drain and my 3G doesn't use anything because I usually have it turned off. I'm new at this so please excuse me if my terminology isn't correct.
I will try to post a screen shot of what is running all the time.
Sorry, I didn't know how to post a screen shot.


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Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: killstr3ak on March 22, 2013, 09:56:45 PM
Do you have any ideas on what app that uses GPS could be running?

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My guess would maybe be a weather app.  Do you have a weather widget that may be constantly updating/refreshing that may be constantly accessing your GPS?
Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: S.Prime on March 23, 2013, 04:23:36 AM
To expand on Matt's suggestion, in our current Android version, go to Apps/Google Settings and check the settings under Location, Maps and Latitude, and Apps that use Google+ and remove any tracking and see if your battery life improves. I don't have any battery problem and do not allow any Google tracking.

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Title: Re: Battery drain - this is why I leave gps off
Post by: REMilk on March 27, 2013, 10:53:39 AM
My experience is that the Facebook app is a culprit for keeping the GPS running.

When I start the Facebook app on my NEXUS 7 (or Droid 3), the GPS also starts up.  If you do NOT press the home key when you are finished with Facebook, the GPS continues to run and run and run.