On android devices it was always possible to switch localisation services and GPS separately.
You could keep localisation services turned on (with wifi and phone) and turn off GPS to spare battery.
Now with android pie and new smasung settings it is all or nothing as there is onlys one setting :
I can turn on localisation and it turns on GPS
But if you turn it off, it disables everykind of localisation : GPS but also wiifi ...
Has anyone noticed this and is there a workaround ?
I'm not a fan of the always enabled GPS
I really do not like this at all. I have typically always kept GPS off as far back as Jellybean, favoring Locations battery saving mode, unless I needed navigation or something like that. GPS is power hungry and there's no reason to have to have it always enabled. I know Pie is supposed to help with battery usage and I honestly can't judge whether or not it really does yet as this is day two for me.
Pie is supposed to prevent apps from accessing sensors in the background but I've read that this doesn't apply to GPS so this whole thing is probably part of a marketing thing giving Google as well as app devs the ability to monetize ads based on specific location of us the users. Location is frequently wrong about where I am anyway, showing me a street over and even though I have WiFi and Bluetooth scanning enabled. As a result, my Safe Unlock no longer works when I'm home (only location I have enabled) which sucks. With Oreo I saw this somewhat often and only after I had been home for a while would the Safe Unlock work properly and I accepted this as a consequence of having Location in battery saving mode but now I'm not sure. I just no that with Pie, so far, Safe Unlock hasn't functioned once. My designated home WiFi that I'm on as I type should cause Safe Unlock to do it's thing but it's not. Maybe Location or Safe Unlock are broken. I have seen reports of both regarding Pie so I can't blame it in Samsung. I guess I'll have to try to figure out which of these features is broken.
I'm not sure if this is related to the Location issue but I also noticed that Samsung+ is not working for me. When I first tried to open it I got a notification that I need to have location enabled, I agreed (it was anyway), then I was shown a red screen with error or format codes that force closed faster than I could decipher it. This could be related or could have been broken in an update. Other than for ad purposes, and I don't recall seeing any other than Samsung ads in the Samsung app, I don't know why Samsung+ needs to access location services as it only works in the US and the network tells the app I'm in the US as well as the tower I'm accessing. I suppose it's another attempt to collect user info related to WiFi, Mac address and Bluetooth. I only got the "enable location" request the first couple of times I tried opening the app but the red error screen and FC both still occur. I tried to get a screenshot but I could only manage about half of the screen before it FC'd. I attached the partial pic. It's the bottom half of the screen. When it closes, the app window seems to slide up like when you close apps in the recents view. This brings up another complaint...Screenshot is slow to respond so events like this are next to impossible to capture. I'll have to get a camera out and try.
dronarg said:
On android devices it was always possible to switch localisation services and GPS separately.
You could keep localisation services turned on (with wifi and phone) and turn off GPS to spare battery.
Now with android pie and new smasung settings it is all or nothing as there is onlys one setting :
I can turn on localisation and it turns on GPS
But if you turn it off, it disables everykind of localisation : GPS but also wiifi ...
Has anyone noticed this and is there a workaround ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I noticed this. I use 'Tasker' app as a workaround. I set Location Mode to High Accuracy when using Navigation apps, and set to Battery Saving after closing the Navigation app. You can also just create a widget on home screen to toggle Location Mode to High Accuracy or Battery Saving.
I confirmed this setting by using 'Power Toggles' app widget. When the GPS toggle in widget is highlighted, it means on High Accuracy mode, if not highlighted it's on Battery Saving mode.
dronarg said:
On android devices it was always possible to switch localisation services and GPS separately.
You could keep localisation services turned on (with wifi and phone) and turn off GPS to spare battery.
Now with android pie and new smasung settings it is all or nothing as there is onlys one setting :
I can turn on localisation and it turns on GPS
But if you turn it off, it disables everykind of localisation : GPS but also wiifi ...
Has anyone noticed this and is there a workaround ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have yet to notice any adverse battery performance since I've been on pie and I've been on it since the start of the official betas. I was annoyed at first because I had always used battery save mode but really it's been a non issue for me.
Related
Hello!
I just bought a HTC Desire (was using an iPhone 3G until a few days ago).
I haven't rooted (yet?), so I'm running stock 2.1. Didn't install any task manager.
I have a few questions I couldn't find answers to...hope you'll help me!
Maybe they are just differences between Android and IOS, everything is so different from the iPhone...
1. Why doesn't wifi turn off when I turn off the screen? The only option I found is to turn it off after 15 min (I don't see the point).
2. I turned off every autosync in every possible setting/app. (turned it off in all apps such as Newsrob, etc). When I'm out I continue to see the HSDPA icon with blinking arrows, as if something was transferring data. I only have the Astrid todo widget and battery snap. no weather, no mail, nothing else.
3. Do I have to switch off wifi and gps using the power widget? If so, why? On the iPhone if you don't use them they won't drain the battery...if I don't open Maps, why would I want to turn off GPS? Isn't it off by default?
4. Sometimes when I receive a text message and I read it, the 'Messages' icon displays a little '1' for a while, then disappears (don't know exactly when).
5. Since I turned off autosync, I have to open mail, press menu, hit refresh to check if I have new mail. I checked the 'Refresh on open' in the default mail app (not gmail). This works, but once the app is in the background and I switch to it, it won't count as a new 'open', so it won't check for new mail and I have to go through 2 additional keypresses. Frustrating, since mail is my most used app. This happens in both mail apps.
6. Is there a way to enable the clockwise landscape rotation?
7. Is there a way to enable a gesture to perform the 'back' action on the browser via the touchscreen? Maybe I need to get used to it, but for now I really don't like to hit the physical 'back' button.
8. The compass works randomly. Sometimes, using Maps, it's perfectly smooth and accurate. Then I close maps, open it again (i.e. switch to it, since it's in background) and it's a mess, doesn't work with the phone on a flat surface but moves if I hold it up vertically. Weird. Also, do I need gps activated to use it?
9. The auto-brightness is way too bright indoors, way too dim outdoors. I tried to trust it for a few days, but always end up going to the power widget and activate the lowest setting while indoor and the highest while outdoors. Any fixes for it?
Quite a long post, I'm sorry...
Thank you, this forum already helped me figure out a lot of stuff
I haven't had my desire long but here's my n00b point of view...
1. So your listening to streaming music the screen goes off your wifi goes off too personally i just leave wifi on unless i'm on holiday.
2. I have never turned off any auto sync options, If you want to be sure of not incurring extra charges, untick data roaming in mobile network settings.
3. My gps is set to off, If i use maps it switches on unless my desire is magical
4. I have had the 1 stick around before too, I have seen an answer to this before but i have forgotten where.
5. you could use the sync widget, or get a task killer to force close the mail app.
6.
7. Dolphin browser has gestures
8. Its been a while since i used the compass because i know where i am i believe a message popped up about enabling gps otherwise it would use the network to determine position or some such thing.
9.
6. enable rotation in settings/display
9. the auto brightness works off the light sensor so no, i have no problem with it tho works fine for me
1. In Advance Settings of my WiFi I found a sleep policy with 3 options:
a) After 15min. b) Never when plugged in. c) Never. I think that 15th minutes is fine, It wont drain so much power.
2. You could use a program like APNDroid to disable mobile internet, there is a widget for faster ON/OFF switch.
3. In Android programs can't change GPS status and you have to turn off/on manually. But for my personal option if the GPS is turned on it won't drain power if you not using it.
4. It bugs me too, It was the same on Windows Mobile.
5. I don't use mail programs on Desire and I'm sorry that I can't help you.
6. Not found my me - asking same question ?
7. Dolphin browser .
8. For me is working fine, but I don't lose myself often
9. I'm using manually brightness settings, but in sunny days AMOLED screen makes me crazy.
6. For this one you need a custom rom as the default rom only allows anti-clockwise rotation I believe
9. The Auto Brightness is rubbish, The power widget is your best and fastest option, Give Extended Controls a look if you dont want a full 1x4 widget bar
This is driving me up the wall.
For navigation apps I need "high accuracy," which uses GPS.
Maybe "Maps," too.
Pretty much nothing else needs that resolution. Weather apps & etc. are probably good enough just using the cell network triangulation.
But now I can only turn on "location" from the drop-down menu in the notification bar. If I want to turn on and off GPS, I have to go into Settings.
Am I doing something wrong? Or am I just nuts? If I leave it on "high accuracy," my phone sits at "seeking GPS" (or something like that) all the time when I'm inside.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks.
JaimeZX said:
This is driving me up the wall.
For navigation apps I need "high accuracy," which uses GPS.
Maybe "Maps," too.
Pretty much nothing else needs that resolution. Weather apps & etc. are probably good enough just using the cell network triangulation.
But now I can only turn on "location" from the drop-down menu in the notification bar. If I want to turn on and off GPS, I have to go into Settings.
Am I doing something wrong? Or am I just nuts? If I leave it on "high accuracy," my phone sits at "seeking GPS" (or something like that) all the time when I'm inside.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was confused about this too when I finally upgraded my Note 2 to KitKat. Previous to KitKat, I think there was another screen that would let you control whether to have Google Location services use wifi network locations and cell data for apps. This gives you a rough estimate of your location, and I guess it was on for me since I was always able to get a rough location of where I was in Google Maps. It was only when I wanted turn-by-turn directions that I had to turn on GPS. After the upgrade, "Location" is the setting that controls all of this. Under this area, there are 3 modes: High accuracy, Power saving, and GPS only. If you want the same functionality as before (assuming you had Google Location Services on), set it to Power saving (You will have to agree to allow other apps to use this info). Then when you want to use GPS for turn-by-turn, open Google maps, find a destination, and start the navigation. You will get prompted the following:
"Turn-by-turn navigation is only available in these location modes:
-High accuracy
-Device only"
It will prompt you to go into Settings and change your mode, first taking you to the Location screen where you will click on "mode" to select one of the other 2 options. I guess when you're finished with using GPS you will have to go back into the Location settings and change it back to Power Saving mode. I think the easiest way to get there is to press and hold the Location button in your drop-down menu.
Having the Location mode off completely will prevent Google Maps (and other apps?) from finding you on the map or your location.
This is how I understand it to be working. Hope that helps.
I have a new verizon Note 4. It's been a great phone with very few problems until recently. I can't turn off the GPS. I'm not talking about GPS running in the background of applications. I'm talking about in the Location settings I can't turn off the GPS. I slide the switch to the off position and it jumps right back to on. There's nothing I can do. I've taken the battery out, force stopped all the applications that access my GPS, and cleared my cache in the safe boot settings. Does anyone know why this is? Under "Locating Method" I can't change it to anything but "GPS only". Power Saving is grayed out and High accuracy will allow me to select it, but when I go back into settings it is back to GPS only. This isn't a huge problem, but it's concerning me that I can't decide when I want to have the GPS network disabled or not to save my battery.
spencerprice said:
I have a new verizon Note 4. It's been a great phone with very few problems until recently. I can't turn off the GPS. I'm not talking about GPS running in the background of applications. I'm talking about in the Location settings I can't turn off the GPS. I slide the switch to the off position and it jumps right back to on. There's nothing I can do. I've taken the battery out, force stopped all the applications that access my GPS, and cleared my cache in the safe boot settings. Does anyone know why this is? Under "Locating Method" I can't change it to anything but "GPS only". Power Saving is grayed out and High accuracy will allow me to select it, but when I go back into settings it is back to GPS only. This isn't a huge problem, but it's concerning me that I can't decide when I want to have the GPS network disabled or not to save my battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may end up having to do a factory reset. You could try downloading a toggle app and use it to try to turn off GPS.
Having just returned to the latest stock firmware after a couple of weeks testing CM12.1, I am finding that even if I turn "Keep scanning on" off in advanced WiFi settings menu, it comes back on by itself. Also, when I check my battery stats, it nearly always seems to show a solid bar for WiFi regardless of whether my WiFi was turned on or not, regardless of whether always scanning is on or off, regardless of whether location is on or off... it seems to have no effect whatever the settings are.
I am also unable to use the Power Saver function. If I try to open it, I get the "Unfortunately power saver has stopped" message. I read that disabling the stock clock or calendar apps causes this problem, so I deliberately didn't do so. Are there any other stock apps that will stop power saver from working if disabled? I guess I may have to enable everything again and then disable one by one checking power saver each time to find the culprit, but that is a huge pain in the behind, so thought I'd ask you guys on xda first
Hi guys, I am using standard (unsecure) lock screen, but recently I often put the phone away when working, so I enabled PIN for unlocking the screen, and some options in Smart Lock settings (face recognition and location)... it works nice, but after only 8 hours of using Google Play Services used 40% of battery... When disabled PIN and Smart Lock, battery usage went down... Did anybody had similar issues? Is it possible they poor job on this part of system? I mean, I understand that for face recognition, camera must turn on for couple of seconds, and I guess for location services, device will refresh location more often then without this enabled, but my GPS is turned off...
Yes those features use more battery. Gps isn't the only location method. Wifi and cell towers are used too.
Battery guru may help. See the playstore.
Beamed in by telepathy.
it's too annoying
worst thing is that I can't set PIN to be requested after 5 minutes (or 3), and to enable lockscreen in the meantime. This way, I keep unlocking phone in my pocket