Develop Bugs

[Q] Samsung Epic - Battery drain is horrible! How can I fix this.

Please help....
I have read many threads about this, but I don't understand any of them. My battery life is horrible, I am only using it for the occasional phone call, texting and checking my email. It's very frustrating because when I need to use it, the battery is dead (or almost dead and I can't use the camera).
I don't understand all the lingo on here about what version "this" and "that" everyone is using. Downloading certain apps to fix this.....
I'm not very techy and just use my phone for basic things.
PLEASE HELP!!!!

Suggestions:
Turn off bluetooth until you need it, then turn off when done.
Turn off GPS until you need it, then turn off when done.
Turn screen brightness to automatic or lowest setting (your preference).
Turn off 4G receiver if you are out of range or just don't have 4G coverage in your area.
Turn off synchronization if you don't care for email, Facebook, Twitter, etc updates. (Not really necessary if your update interval isn't set for short intervals.)
Utilize Wifi as much as possible, if that is an option available to you. BUT turn it off when you know you will be out of range for a good bit of time.
Toggle Airplane mode after each phone reboot. (Stupid bug)
Utilize the TouchWiz program manager (long press on home screen and under Samsung widgets).
Kill the OmaDrmConfigService process via Settings > Applications > Running Services. (This appears again with each phone reboot, unless you find a process killer application in the market.)
If you use Wifi a good bit, it's a good idea to set your Wifi sleep policy to "Never". You can access this via Settings > Wireless & Networks > Wifi Settings: Press menu and select Advanced > Wifi Sleep Policy. Setting to never will not revert back to 3G when you turn off your phone's display as long as wifi is still turned on and within that connected wifi signal range.
If you still get **** battery life, then you can download Spare Parts or BatteryHistory from the market. BatteryHistory is a ripped out piece from Spare Parts, which is really all you need to diagnose your issue.
OR if you don't want to install anything you can key in via the dialer: *#4636*1111# to get to the same menu that both programs above display. (The menu is labeled Battery History.)
From another battery thread that pertains to the two aforementioned programs:
musclehead84 said:
What you do is when you notice that it's doubled on the top drop down box that says "other usage" click on that and change it to "partial wake usage" and anything listed under there is keeping your phone awake. See what is continually running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope the above helps you out.
Cheers.

Dont ask me to explain this just try it. Use astro and delete the android folder at the root of your sd card and reboot
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Did deleting the android folder work or anyone else? I'm trying to see how that can help but if it does good find.

I have no ideawhy but after flashing a few times testing themes on dk28 my battery tanks and my gallery gets slow. The album thumb folder inside there is what fixes the gallery so I usually delete it but I got lazy and deleted my whole folder since it regenerates on boot and my battery came back. Ben deleting it since lol but I flash a lot
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

dreamsforgotten said:
I have no ideawhy but after flashing a few times testing themes on dk28 my battery tanks and my gallery gets slow. The album thumb folder inside there is what fixes the gallery so I usually delete it but I got lazy and deleted my whole folder since it regenerates on boot and my battery came back. Ben deleting it since lol but I flash a lot
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not certain how it helped your battery issue, but good to have that knowledge. I sifted through my folder and only saw cache files for what looked like thumbnails.

nikon120 said:
Not certain how it helped your battery issue, but good to have that knowledge. I sifted through my folder and only saw cache files for what looked like thumbnails.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's all that's in there that's why I said dont ask me why. I would have posted when I found it but I knew I would get flamed so either it works for you or it dont. It doesn't make since but it works for me
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

http://androidforums.com/epic-4g-tips-tricks/245915-epic-4g-battery-life-extension-another-thread.html

Try this:
-Toggle airplane mode every time you reboot. You probably have a "time without signal" of over 50% if you look in settings. Toggling airplane mode resets the radio and so it doesn't keep looking for signal unnecessarily which kills battery
-Gps on doesn't drain battery, only when its being used by an app
-Turn off background data and auto sync. If you don't have facebook/twitter widgets or care about email push notifications then save some power and switch it off.
-Check for apps that aren't letting the phone sleep. Download "spare parts" and it should show you.
-I'm guessing you have the updated Facebook app with chat. I would suggest going offline in chat because it doesn't let the phone sleep and will drain your battery really fast.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

wtf is up with the horrible battery life of this phone? i got it and it is EXTREMELY worse than my Hero ever was. I have had this phone less than a week and I already want to return because of the battery life.
i dont use 4g at all, wifi is only enabled when i need to, gps is enabled but i figured i always had it enabled on the hero and was just fine, my screen brightness is always set at automatic brightness, i dont use bluetooth...
i am stumped.
please help before i destroy this thing

Jonesin 4 The Rush said:
wtf is up with the horrible battery life of this phone? i got it and it is EXTREMELY worse than my Hero ever was. I have had this phone less than a week and I already want to return because of the battery life.
i dont use 4g at all, wifi is only enabled when i need to, gps is enabled but i figured i always had it enabled on the hero and was just fine, my screen brightness is always set at automatic brightness, i dont use bluetooth...
i am stumped.
please help before i destroy this thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol gps kills it on this phone the roms greatly improve it
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

dreamsforgotten said:
Lol gps kills it on this phone the roms greatly improve it
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thx for the advice.
i will try it without gps
also any good advice on any particular rom? i have only had this phone for 6 days and am trying to pinpoint a great rom to use.

My Epic looks pregnant but the battery lasts forever with the extended one

Wifi speed while screen off

So I was streaming music from MOG and all was working well until my screen went off (idle). Music started to pause/buffer and kept doing so every 10 seconds. When I turn the screen back on and stare at it, it won't do it at all and I can see it load full on the seek bar. Only happens when screen goes off and phone goes idle. I'm guessing its something with the CPU throttling maybe? Is there any way I can fix this? I'm connected on WiFi 5G and I have "keep WiFi on during sleep - Always".

This seems to be a pretty common issue (I have it myself, when connecting via WiFi with adb I need to keep my display on) and I've seen two issues on file here and here. I've yet to see a fix for it yet though

Aww crap. Well that sucks. Does it happen on custom roms/kernels?

reyes.jr said:
Aww crap. Well that sucks. Does it happen on custom roms/kernels?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running CM9 nightly with leankernel now. Although it's happened since I've gotten the phone, and I've ran probably half a dozen different ROMs and 3 different kernels, including stock. I vaguely remember reading some posts where people either said there was a fix or they were working on it, though I'm honestly not real sure.

K thanks for the info bro.

reyes.jr said:
So I was streaming music from MOG and all was working well until my screen went off (idle). Music started to pause/buffer and kept doing so every 10 seconds. When I turn the screen back on and stare at it, it won't do it at all and I can see it load full on the seek bar. Only happens when screen goes off and phone goes idle. I'm guessing its something with the CPU throttling maybe? Is there any way I can fix this? I'm connected on WiFi 5G and I have "keep WiFi on during sleep - Always".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am also facing the same issue. Yesterday, I was downloading ARHD 3.0 directly on phone through wi-fi. Surprisingly the progress was 1% completion per minute in screen-off mode. But the moment, I would turn on the screen, the rate became 3-4 times faster. i.e. 3-4% completion per minute.
Deviating from topic, I have seen similar behaviour quite some time back in iPad1.

kizuki.buy said:
I am also facing the same issue. Yesterday, I was downloading ARHD 3.0 directly on phone through wi-fi. Surprisingly the progress was 1% completion per minute in screen-off mode. But the moment, I would turn on the screen, the rate became 3-4 times faster. i.e. 3-4% completion per minute.
Deviating from topic, I have seen similar behaviour quite some time back in iPad1.
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Click to collapse
Well glad to know I'm not in the same boat. Have any of u tried android 4.0.4?

reyes.jr said:
Well glad to know I'm not in the same boat. Have any of u tried android 4.0.4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm on Liquid 1.25 (4.0.4 based ROM) and it still does it. If I run a speed test and turn the screen off, let it finish and check it; it will never go much over 5 Mbit/s. When I run the test with the screen on, I will get 10-20 Mbit/s. This was of course testing on my home WiFi network.
This is pretty annoying because I download anime torrents every week and it's enough of a battery killer already just to download the thing, but now I have to leave the screen on in order for it to even finish in a reasonable amount of time. I've also tried setting the minimum clock speed to 1200 MHz in SetCPU just to see if it was a CPU throttling/bottleneck issue when the screen turns off. But it made no difference . This can't be a hard fix for Google/Devs.

At least with popcorn and franco kernels you can do
echo 1 > /sys/module/bcmdhd/parameters/wifi_pm
to put wifi on high performance mode with screen off. They say this can enable high throughput.

reyes.jr said:
Well glad to know I'm not in the same boat. Have any of u tried android 4.0.4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I am using ARHD 3.0 which is based on 4.0.4
There seem to be definite improvements and it was worth the effort to update.

As far as I know, wifi goes into a low power state with screen off to conserve power/battery life.

My command put it in normal power mode, but kernel must support it

KiNG OMaR said:
As far as I know, wifi goes into a low power state with screen off to conserve power/battery life.
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Click to collapse
oooo, so only on WiFi does this occur? On 4g it doesn't?

This also happen to me.. Happened in 4.0.1 4.0.2 4.0.4 so far I managed to bypass the issue with wifi keep alive its a free app from play store.. You could try and comment if that works for you
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Threre is no need for any custom kernel module. Im on Stock ICS 4.04 and found an easy workaround. Actually this issue is not an android bug, but an issue of streaming apps that aren't proberly coded for honeycomb and ICS.

Airplane Mode on Jelly Bean ROMs

Has anyone tested airplane mode on any Jelly Bean roms to any extent? I've tried the CM10 Kang, Bugless Beast, AOKP V1, and now CNA and so far on every single one of them, airplane mode doesn't seem to work.
Basically, I keep my phone in airplane mode for 9 hrs straight while I am at work without touching it. I've tried each of these roms on airplane mode AND with the radios on, and on every single one, the battery usage after 9 hrs is within 1-2% in both cases. So for instance, CNA will be at 78% +/- 2% after 9 hrs on my phone, regardless of whether or not I use airplane mode. Changing kernels does not make a difference either.
I can't imagine this can be working properly as before I switched to Jelly Bean, I'd be at 92% after 9 hrs of airplane mode. Something does not seem right...anyone have any insight/ideas/similar experience? Or better yet, does anyone know a JB rom on which airplane mode appears to be working properly?
Thanks!

Are you actually seeing the airplane icon in the top bar when switching?

With the GN, the big battery hog is the screen. Unless you have a weak signal at work where it is constantly searching/dropping the signal, then airplane mode will not save that much battery.

bozzykid said:
With the GN, the big battery hog is the screen. Unless you have a weak signal at work where it is constantly searching/dropping the signal, then airplane mode will not save that much battery.
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Click to collapse
no, its not an issue with the screen, as there is no usage between the time i unplug the phone and the time i get it out at the end of the day...the screen is only on long enough to switch to airplane mode and that's it.
it is def related to jelly bean as under the exact same circumstances, i have lost only about 2-4% of the battery in the same time i am now losing 20-25% of total battery.
and yes, the airplane mode icon IS showing, and if i go to settings, it shows the airplane mode box as checked, the radios arent functioning in that i can't access anything, so airplane mode appears to be working, but something still is not quite right as the battery usage is literally identical whether it is on or off.

Turning your phone off rather than using airplane mode drains 0% of your battery over 9 hours.

speedyink said:
Turning your phone off rather than using airplane mode drains 0% of your battery over 9 hours.
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Click to collapse
i realize that, but its not really the point. the issue is JB battery drain vs ICS in airplane mode. i'm not looking for a work around, but rather am trying to understand the issue.

Not sure on the GN but on the Nexus S the JB kernel has KSM enabled. This feature drains a bit more battery because of the extra CPU cycles to scan through memory etc.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda app-developers app

rasengan82 said:
Not sure on the GN but on the Nexus S the JB kernel has KSM enabled. This feature drains a bit more battery because of the extra CPU cycles to scan through memory etc.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The kernel I am using has KSM but that's not the issue either. Here's the deal...
When I toggle off data and sync, battery will be 91-92% after a full day of work with no screen time. Under the same conditions, airplane mode will leave me at ~76%. That makes me think the phone is still trying to tx/rx/sync when in airplane mode, hence the battery drain. I never tested turning off data and sync in any JB ROMs except my current one (CNA), but I suspect the results would be the same.
Surely this is an easy fix for devs...isnt it? We need airplane mode to also disable sync and/or data then we should be good to go.

Buster Nuts said:
The kernel I am using has KSM but that's not the issue either. Here's the deal...
When I toggle off data and sync, battery will be 91-92% after a full day of work with no screen time. Under the same conditions, airplane mode will leave me at ~76%. That makes me think the phone is still trying to tx/rx/sync when in airplane mode, hence the battery drain. I never tested turning off data and sync in any JB ROMs except my current one (CNA), but I suspect the results would be the same.
Surely this is an easy fix for devs...isnt it? We need airplane mode to also disable sync and/or data then we should be good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use airplane mode everyday and get very little battery drain. Maybe get 1% drop every few hours. It has been the same on stock JB and on CNA. I haven't tried any other Roms.

Works fine on CNA for me. Noticeably less battery consumption when my phone is idle in airplane mode.

I keep airplane mode on for 9 hours a day at work as well. I am on AOKP and lose at most 3% battery.

Buster Nuts said:
i realize that, but its not really the point. the issue is JB battery drain vs ICS in airplane mode. i'm not looking for a work around, but rather am trying to understand the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to be fair. If your putting your phone on airplane mode AND not using the screen..then your not touching it at all and can't get a call or text so its basically off already.
Turning it off seems like a logical course of action.

using airplane mode on paranoidandroid's jelly bean and seems to be working fine (waiting on sim from att )

sluflyer06 said:
to be fair. If your putting your phone on airplane mode AND not using the screen..then your not touching it at all and can't get a call or text so its basically off already.
Turning it off seems like a logical course of action.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, i know... but unfortunately, i'm not as interested in what constitutes logical cell phone usage as i am figuring out why i'm losing battery in airplane mode....lol. slu sucks btw (jk, i graduated from law school there in '08).
very odd that you other guys arent seeing the same issue. i've experienced it on multiple ROMs (one of the CM10 kangs, BB, AOKP v1, and now CNA) with different kernels (JB, franco, and trinity) and did a full wipe on my latest switch to CNA. now i am very confused

Buster Nuts said:
yeah, i know... but unfortunately, i'm not as interested in what constitutes logical cell phone usage as i am figuring out why i'm losing battery in airplane mode....lol. slu sucks btw (jk, i graduated from law school there in '08).
very odd that you other guys arent seeing the same issue. i've experienced it on multiple ROMs (one of the CM10 kangs, BB, AOKP v1, and now CNA) with different kernels (JB, franco, and trinity) and did a full wipe on my latest switch to CNA. now i am very confused
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just havin a bit of fun. I realize what your intentions were and I see why you have concerns, there's something wrong there. Just thought it was curious for someone to leave the phone on in airplane mode with no screen use, when in fact off is the same sort of state but doesn't drain the battery.

CNA for me also. Left JFK today at noon landed in SFO 6 hours later and lost 3% made it a point not to turn screen on at all during the flight. Not that this helps you just thought id mention it ....
G-Nexus Sent

speedyink said:
I was just havin a bit of fun. I realize what your intentions were and I see why you have concerns, there's something wrong there. Just thought it was curious for someone to leave the phone on in airplane mode with no screen use, when in fact off is the same sort of state but doesn't drain the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no really, i completely agree. i wish things like this didnt bother me so much...life would be so much easier...sigh...
guess i'll try rewiping next time i switch roms and see what happens...:fingers-crossed:

[Q] What's best? Wifi Off when screen is off or Wifi on all of the time?

To start off with; i get good battery life; right now I'm at 1 day 3 hours and I have 39% left.
I was wondering however, does setting the Wifi to go off when the screen is off help significantly on the battery? And if so...is there some other negative issue that I'm not aware of if I set it this way?

I'm pretty sure any sort of data connection will use more of your battery than WiFi will. So if you're always around a strong WiFi connection you probably should leave it on at all times.

MdX MaxX said:
I'm pretty sure any sort of data connection will use more of your battery than WiFi will. So if you're always around a strong WiFi connection you probably should leave it on at all times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's one of the things that i was wondering about....thanks.

rpavich said:
To start off with; i get good battery life; right now I'm at 1 day 3 hours and I have 39% left.
I was wondering however, does setting the Wifi to go off when the screen is off help significantly on the battery? And if so...is there some other negative issue that I'm not aware of if I set it this way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how the hell are you getting 1 day 3 hours!?!?!??!?! what are your settings? teeeeeell meeeeeeeee!
thanks.

slicetwo said:
how the hell are you getting 1 day 3 hours!?!?!??!?! what are your settings? teeeeeell meeeeeeeee!
thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh that is funny.
I just do everything everyone else does:
1.) Screen off when not in use
2.) Screen brightness down as much as possible.
3.) Dark theme.
4.) Tasker profiles to turn off wifi when not near my house or work.
5.) Tasker profile to turn off GPS when not actively using certain apps.
6.) Tasker profile to turn off BT when not connected.
I also am probably a light user...the only thing that I do beyond normal phone use is to watch Netflix a slight bit a day and stream Spotify a bit.
I also don't play games except Words with friends.
No FB no locations, no nothing like that.

Wifi off and data off would be most helping when screen off
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

[Q] Wifi never turns off/sleeps T989 CM10 Dec05 nightlym latest BB

I can't say exactly when I noticed this, but it was at least since the CM10 stable, and I've tried a couple nightlies since then. Wifi never seems to turn off according to the battery chart, which I believe because I get somewhat worse battery life now. Had anyone else seen this, or have any suggestions?

Turn off WiFi when not needed. Also, WiFi can save your battery vs a weak signal

LoopDoGG79 said:
Turn off WiFi when not needed. Also, WiFi can save your battery vs a weak signal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm doing that manually now, but that's not a solution to the fact that it never goes into standby mode when not associated with an AP.

did you go into settings--wifi--menu--advanced and select keep wifi on during sleep only when plugged in?

merrygocow said:
did you go into settings--wifi--menu--advanced and select keep wifi on during sleep only when plugged in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. I prefer it to stay on wifi when there's good signal, so I have only use good wifi connections set, but not to put wifi to sleep. Regardless of that, wifi should be in standby mode when not actively associated with an AP, such as when in the car or anywhere you haven't told it to remember the APs around you.