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Help Anyway to toggle GPS when opening maps?

cbreze

cbreze

Android Enthusiast
Was wondering if there is a way to auto toggle on GPS when I open google maps. Then auto toggle off when maps is closed. I've tried a market GPS toggle app that wasn't very reliable. I did not see a smart actions for this. It seems a no brainer. Leaving GPS on all the time drains battery faster in my experience. I need google maps for directions only occasionally, so this would be a great feature. Depending on which home launcher I happen to be using it's not always possible to place the "location" functions button on the screen. It would be so cool and not to mention practical to have GPS activate when google maps is opened. I hope I didn't miss something stupidly obvious, but?? What's everybody else doing?
 
DeadBeginning said:
I personally use tasker for this, and other things. It would be an expensive solution if this is all you want it for though
Click to expand...
Thanks for the response DB. I looked at tasker before without buying and it seemed a tad complicated. I'm going to give it another look. I don't mind a learning curve so much if the pay off is worth it. With all the stellar user reviews it has it sounds like a it's a winner for all it can do. If you don't mind could you post a few of the things you use it for. TIA
 
There is so much you can do.

I use it to set night modes where it suppresses sound and notifications except for certain people.

Setting volumes on an app to app basis.

Similar to the gps idea I use it for automatically rotate.

I don't use it, but you could essentially create your own " juice defender " style app

There is so much it's difficult to list, the Tasker sites has some profiles to look at, or this post is helpful: http://androidforums.com/android-applications/158265-what-tasker-profiles-everyone-using.html
 
I leave teh GPS set to "On" in the settings, and it only operates (turns on) when I open the Map aplication that came with the phone. When I close it, the GPS turns off automaticly.
 
chris4x4 said:
I leave teh GPS set to "On" in the settings, and it only operates (turns on) when I open the Map aplication that came with the phone. When I close it, the GPS turns off automaticly.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that info, but curious which of the 3 GPS options is enabled? Google, stand alone or verizon with the map application your using.
 
DeadBeginning said:
There is so much you can do.

I use it to set night modes where it suppresses sound and notifications except for certain people.

Setting volumes on an app to app basis.

Similar to the gps idea I use it for automatically rotate.

I don't use it, but you could essentially create your own " juice defender " style app

There is so much it's difficult to list, the Tasker sites has some profiles to look at, or this post is helpful: http://androidforums.com/android-applications/158265-what-tasker-profiles-everyone-using.html
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, I went ahead and got the app, but am struggling now with setting stuff up. The wiki is pretty outdated and not much help over all, the help info with in the app itself is definitly not written with the novice in mind. Figuring this out(trial&error)should keep me busy for awhile.
 
cbreze said:
Thanks for that info, but curious which of the 3 GPS options is enabled? Google, stand alone or verizon with the map application your using.
Click to expand...
I just keep the Stand alone one on. I checked my running apps and stuff, and it shows that its not running. When I view the map, it turns on, finds my location, and does its thing. Then, when I close the app, it turns off again. Works pretty good.
 
chris4x4 said:
I just keep the Stand alone one on. I checked my running apps and stuff, and it shows that its not running. When I view the map, it turns on, finds my location, and does its thing. Then, when I close the app, it turns off again. Works pretty good.
Click to expand...
Must be the difference in the maps we're using. I'm on google which is 3rd party, then your using the navigation maps that came with the phone, right? I may have froze that, Gonna check.
EDIT: When I click on "navigation" it takes me to google maps. From there I need to go into location settings and enable stand alone GPS then when I exit out of google maps I have to uncheck the GPS in location settings or it stays on. I'll figure this dang tasker app out if it's the last thing I do. No worries;)
 
cbreze said:
Must be the difference in the maps we're using. I'm on google which is 3rd party, then your using the navigation maps that came with the phone, right? I may have froze that, Gonna check.
EDIT: When I click on "navigation" it takes me to google maps. From there I need to go into location settings and enable stand alone GPS then when I exit out of google maps I have to uncheck the GPS in location settings or it stays on. I'll figure this dang tasker app out if it's the last thing I do. No worries;)
Click to expand...

I'm guessing your phone is rooted? Mine isn't, so that might be the difference.
 
Wouldn't this be a good example of where Smart Actions could be used? They come with Razr, Razr MAXX, and Droid 4. I thought they were made for things like this...
 
clavarnway said:
Wouldn't this be a good example of where Smart Actions could be used? They come with Razr, Razr MAXX, and Droid 4. I thought they were made for things like this...
Click to expand...
Smart actions was the first place I looked, seems so appropriate a function for that feature. In an above post a non-rooted user says he has no issue and this happens automatically. Being rooted is perhaps an issue, although I don't recall this working pre-root for me either. Not a huge issue, just trying to be more efficient.
 
chris4x4 said:
I leave teh GPS set to "On" in the settings, and it only operates (turns on) when I open the Map aplication that came with the phone. When I close it, the GPS turns off automaticly.
Click to expand...

You are grossly mistaken. You may see the GPS notification disapear at the top of the phone's screen but check your settings at Location and Security and you will see Standalone GPS is active/on and does not toggle off when you close Maps.
 
chris4x4 said:
I just keep the Stand alone one on. I checked my running apps and stuff, and it shows that its not running. When I view the map, it turns on, finds my location, and does its thing. Then, when I close the app, it turns off again. Works pretty good.
Click to expand...

BillArf said:
You are grossly mistaken. You may see the GPS notification disapear at the top of the phone's screen but check your settings at Location and Security and you will see Standalone GPS is active/on and does not toggle off when you close Maps.
Click to expand...

I agree with both of you. :)

Chris is right in that you can leave the GPS toggle on, and apps that need GPS will use it. If not actively in use by an app, the GPS is not drawing power from the phone. (or if it does it draws so little power that I don't see a difference in turning it off)

Bill is right in that the toggle always remains 'on'. But unless you see the GPS icon in the notifications bar, it's not actively being used.
 
mhotovec said:
I agree with both of you. :)

Chris is right in that you can leave the GPS toggle on, and apps that need GPS will use it. If not actively in use by an app, the GPS is not drawing power from the phone. (or if it does it draws so little power that I don't see a difference in turning it off)

Bill is right in that the toggle always remains 'on'. But unless you see the GPS icon in the notifications bar, it's not actively being used.
Click to expand...

Well, no way would I leave the Standalone GPS toggled on all the time. IF GPS is toggle on and even if not actively being used by an app it is in fact using some power.

I use Smart Action rules to turn on Standalone GPS and turn it off. A couple of examples... when I get in my car and head down the driveway, I have a rule that turns on my Bluetooth when I get to the end of my driveway (location)... now, when my Maxx, Bluetooth connects with my car then automatically the GPS is turned on and WiFi is turned off.
 
I have left the gps turned on for 4 days now. The only time it shows that it's being used is when I'm using navigation or the maps application. I'm not seeing any decrease in battery life leaving it on verses toggling it on when using navigation.
 
BillArf said:
Well, no way would I leave the Standalone GPS toggled on all the time. IF GPS is toggle on and even if not actively being used by an app it is in fact using some power.
Click to expand...

You are just plain wrong here. All that checkbox does is let android turn on the gps and use that if an app calls for a precise location. Thats it. So unless an app calls for a location, there is no effect what so ever.
 
I tried leaving GPS on all the time and saw my battery level drawdown faster. I know it's supposedly not to go down by much but it seemed to be enough to be significant. The reason for my original question and this thread was to hopefully find a toggle option, and automatic if possible. I don't need it more than once in a while(GPS) and don't like the idea of it being toggled on constantly. The GPS toggle on the market is a pos and to unreliable. A smart action would be nice tho. Good info everybody BTW, thanks. Some homescreen launchers allow you to put a settings shortcut on the screen that takes you right to "location settings". On another android device I had it worked well. Wasn't a moto. Almost as good as a straight toggle tho.
 
cbreze said:
I tried leaving GPS on all the time and saw my battery level drawdown faster. I know it's supposedly not to go down by much but it seemed to be enough to be significant. The reason for my original question and this thread was to hopefully find a toggle option, and automatic if possible. I don't need it more than once in a while(GPS) and don't like the idea of it being toggled on constantly. The GPS toggle on the market is a pos and to unreliable. A smart action would be nice tho. Good info everybody BTW, thanks. Some homescreen launchers allow you to put a settings shortcut on the screen that takes you right to "location settings". On another android device I had it worked well. Wasn't a moto. Almost as good as a straight toggle tho.
Click to expand...
There as stock GPS toggle widget. It's listed as "Toggle: widget" in the widgets list. Their is also a GPS toggle on the "Toggle: power control" widget.

And that drain means an app is probably calling for the location more than it needs to.
 
euph_22 said:
You are just plain wrong here. All that checkbox does is let android turn on the gps and use that if an app calls for a precise location. Thats it. So unless an app calls for a location, there is no effect what so ever.
Click to expand...

I have nothing to support my feeling the GPS uses some power if turned on even if it is not actively being used by an app.. I could possibly be mistaken. Do you have anything to support what you are saying. Are you saying no power is used by the GPS if it is toggled on and not actively being used by an app. Are you discounting that an errant app could be accessing GPS unnecessarily and with this in mind it is not a good idea to leave the GPS toggled off unless you specifically want to use it? ............. I'm just trying to get some ideas..
 
euph_22 said:
There as stock GPS toggle widget. It's listed as "Toggle: widget" in the widgets list. Their is also a GPS toggle on the "Toggle: power control" widget.

And that drain means an app is probably calling for the location more than it needs to.
Click to expand...
Thanks euph, I somehow missed seeing that toggle widget for GPS. DOH!:eek:
That seems to work pretty well. This should do what I need with one extra press. Good enough!;)
 
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