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Help GPS on option

N

NAYo2002

Well-Known Member
Based on what I've been reading, leaving GPS on won't drain more battery. It's just merely allowing apps to use the GPS.

That said, if you have GPS on and have apps that use GPS, you will drain more battery. I want to leave my GPS on for "Where's my Droid."

My question is this: how do I make it so that apps (weather widget, etc.) only use network location and not GPS? Is there a way to block all apps except those I choose from using GPS ?
 
From what I have read apps used to be able to specifically turn your GPS on if they were designed to... i.e. Mobile Defense. However Google locked it down to protect battery life and/or privacy and made it a user intervention action required. I may be wrong... Hope you get your answer.
 
Yea they were. I see no harm in leaving GPS on if I can control which apps use it though. Hope there's a way.
 
A lot of apps have the option in their settings to use GPS satellite or use network location. Just uncheck GPS or select network location, if available.
 
Is anyone having trouble with the GPS actually locking into the satellites? Since 2.2, I seem to only get "Searching for GPS", even with an open view to the sky. Used to lock on in seconds, even in a moving car.

Does anyone know what the problem could be?
 
jr461 said:
Is anyone having trouble with the GPS actually locking into the satellites? Since 2.2, I seem to only get "Searching for GPS", even with an open view to the sky. Used to lock on in seconds, even in a moving car.

Does anyone know what the problem could be?
Click to expand...

That's strange, do you have Google location services enabled. Mine seem to be super quick in getting GPS signal (way faster than my Tom Tom,) I suspect Google use cell towers to get a general idea of where my phone is before getting satellite signals.

My phone came with 2.2 from the factory though. Tried doing a factory restart after your update?
 
Back to the topic: HTC clock/weather widget description states it uses GPS. However, after many updates, I never once saw the "GPS active" indicator goes on. I assume it uses the network only, and when out of the range of network it shouldnt have internet anyway so when would it use GPS?
 
Rather than start a new thread, I thought I'd use this one because I have a question similar to that of the original poster: Does leaving GPS on cause significant battery drain if GPS isn't being utilized by an app? As I understand it, GPS is only being used utilized if the GPS icon is visible in the notification bar, correct? That would lead me to assume that if the GPS icon isn't visible then GPS isn't being utilized, so it's not actively draining the battery by being constantly connected to a GPS satellite.

Like the OP, I'd like to keep GPS on in order to use Where's My Droid, and PREY. I'll be going on vacation soon and I'd like to use those apps to find my phone if it's lost or stolen.
 
dbrits said:
Rather than start a new thread, I thought I'd use this one because I have a question similar to that of the original poster: Does leaving GPS on cause significant battery drain if GPS isn't being utilized by an app? As I understand it, GPS is only being used utilized if the GPS icon is visible in the notification bar, correct? That would lead me to assume that if the GPS icon isn't visible then GPS isn't being utilized, so it's not actively draining the battery by being constantly connected to a GPS satellite.

Like the OP, I'd like to keep GPS on in order to use Where's My Droid, and PREY. I'll be going on vacation soon and I'd like to use those apps to find my phone if it's lost or stolen.
Click to expand...


Correct. The gps only uses power when an app calls for a location fix.
 
I can't get weather widget to work. I'm in a city 200 miles from my house but it still shows the same city. It seems stuck and even though it shows the same it's not the city I live. Any help?
 
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