Battery Statistics Accessibility on 4.4 is Now Much More Restrictive

[jhawkkw]

With the latest update to GSam Battery Monitor, it has been revealed that Google is now blocking non-system level applications from accessing the battery stats of a device. To get around this problem, it is required, at this timing of this post, for your device to be rooted in order to install an add-on to the system level that the main app accesses in order to obtain the stats.

What are the thoughts of the community on this curious move by Google?

 

[Rukbat]

I can't express my thoughts on the subject here. But they ARE doing it to us again, aren't they? Android is becoming about as OSS as Windows.

 

[Hadron]

Simply silly. Cannot actually see any good reason for doing this.

 

[EarlyMon]

This is crazy.

 

[DonB]

Here we go again, why do they feel they have to have the control, absolutely no purpose is doing this.

 

[palmtree5]

Makes no sense to me why they would do something like this...

 

[jhawkkw]

Agreed, this is very perplexing. What harm can come from accessing battery stats.

 

[Omar Days]

Very annoying. Installed BetterBatteryStats to find it's pretty much completely useless now.

Google should come up with their own battery stat app if they aren't going to let un-rooted users use battery apps

 

[Rxpert83]

Agreed, this is very perplexing. What harm can come from accessing battery stats.

Because location services is killing us on 4.4??

 

[Digital Controller]

This is really strange, I wonder if enough devs will complain about this to get google to change their minds... I hope because there is really no reason why they should do this.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Anybody try it with Battery Widget Reborn? I love the info that app gives me.

 

[Digital Controller]

Anybody try it with Battery Widget Reborn? I love the info that app gives me.

If it's anything like the other ones, then it probably won't work on 4.4, unrooted.

 

[codesplice]

I don't believe BWR provides wakelock information, which I think is the primary issue with 4.4.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Wavelock? What's Wavelock codesplice? I'm just a user you know. :dontknow:

 

[codesplice]

Wavelock? What's Wavelock codesplice? I'm just a user you know. :dontknow:

Essentially a wakelock occurs whenever an application (or system component) prevents the phone from going to sleep (that is, taking the CPU completely offline). Android Basics 101: Understanding Wakelocks

 

[dontpanicbobby]

That doesn't really apply to my Note 3 but I'll keep an eye out for that issue when I ever get KitKat.

 

[Hadron]

That doesn't really apply to my Note 3 but I'll keep an eye out for that issue when I ever get KitKat.

It doesn't apply at the moment, but if you install an app which holds the phone awake...

 

[Trooper]

I think it's ridiculous. Especially because I'm running Android 4.4 on my moto X.

 

[Davdi]

4.4 on my N7. Tis not an issue for me at the moment. However....

 

[funkylogik]

Gsam works on rooted kitkat with the help of a companion app that acts as a "priviledged" app or something.... idk. It works anyway.
Id love to know googles reasoning behind this.
On the gsam play store description theres a link to a place to complain about it :thumbup:
EDIT i really should have read the OP.
Sorry mate :beer::beer:

It wouldnt be so bad if google had revamped the native stats with 4.4

 

[Gmash]

Will Google neuter the data usage stats next so we can't tell what is phoning home to the mothership?

 

[funkylogik]

I could live with that if/when they give us free data