Do you ever turn off location services?

[kimmy s]

I am working on a school project where I use historical location data of an android user to create a visual travel log.

As you might guess the longer the location services is on, the more accurate and recent location data I can get.

I would like to know if leaving location services on is a common thing. I think some people prefer to turn it off to save battery.

What is your preference? Do you ever turn it off?

 

[funkylogik]

Nah I keep it on. My phone battery is pretty good and I like to make the most of Google Now

 

[AZgl1500]

personally, I have never been able to tell that Location Services really effects battery life.

The only time the GPS receiver comes into play, is when an app that needs to know where you are sends a Location Request to the GPS receiver. And, since it is just a receiver, it doesn't really use much power.

Now, a side note that "just might" be beneficial to your school project.

MacroDroid has a feature where it can log all of the cell sites that the phone uses. It sends those logs to the calendar. I use it occasionally myself.
* MacroDroid - Device Automation - Android Apps on Google Play

I found the idea under their Templates Demo section.
Set Trigger to: Service Available
Set Action to:Calendar - Log Event

.

 

[Hadron]

I leave GPS enabled, which only uses power when an app actually uses GPS. I leave wireless location off, Google Location History off, and use root to deny location access to apps which I don't think need it (games, Web browsers, social apps - actually almost everything apart from mapping apps). This is for reasons of privacy rather than power consumption.

It should only be a small drain to leave it on, and as that's probably the default my guess would be that most do.

 

[zuben el genub]

I usually leave GPS on. Weather and astronomy apps use it. Some of the nature apps also use general GPS to display the flora and fauna in a given region.

Other location, except for the carrier tower, off.

 

[kate]

I also leave it on, as far as I can tell it's only used when an app requesting your location is running.

 

[codesplice]

I also leave it on, as far as I can tell it's only used when an app requesting your location is running.

This.

I leave it on so it will be available QUICKLY when an application needs it - but it's not always maintaining a GPS lock or otherwise draining the battery, so it's not really an issue.

 

[lunatic59]

I keep it on as well, but only because I'm too lazy to turn it off.

Google Now and Google Wear make good use of location services (for me).

 

[shahnewaztamim]

personally I keep it off as well because on messenger it shows my location and it bothers me

 

[El Presidente]

I keep it on because if I ever lost my phone, Cerberus wouldn't be able to find it.

 

[funkylogik]

^^I hadn't every thought of that.
Good point mate

 

[AZgl1500]

I keep it on because if I ever lost my phone, Cerberus wouldn't be able to find it.

Actually, programs that locate a lost phone usually have the capability to force the GPS receiver back ON. (Lookout, others like this)

All of them that I have tried will do that. You just have to be aware that if the GPS is in the OFF condition, it is going to take a long time for it to get a fix.

Far better to just leave it on all the time.

 

[Jordan709]

I leave it on, just the wifi mode (not high accuracy).

 

[El Presidente]

Actually, programs that locate a lost phone usually have the capability to force the GPS receiver back ON. (Lookout, others like this)

Interesting. It never used to work like that, you would always have to confirm you wanted to turn location services on and as a consequence, 3rd Party apps weren't able to do so.