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Help Mobile data toggle w/ screen timeout?

dongemus

dongemus

Well-Known Member
I know there are ways to toggle wifi with screen timeout. I use llama to do that now.

I recently noticed that I get 30+ hours of battery life if I toggle mobile data off every time I slide my phone in my pocket. Luckily Sense 4.1 has a handy toggle, but I was hoping there was some way to automate this with screen timeout. I couldn't find a way in llama. Does anyone know of a way to do this?
 
I use an app called Tasker to limit my mobile data usage. I think that what seems to kill a battery the most are apps trying to get a data connection when there isn't one there or it is very poor. The struggle seems to eat up the battery.

I have my mobile data turned off as a standard setting, then I get Tasker to turn data on once an hour (unless I am connected to WiFi), it then synchronises my apps and turns off mobile data again after three minutes.

My WiFi is only turned on when my car Bluetooth disconnects. It stays on for 5 minutes to see if it can connect to home or work, then turns off again. I used to have it keep checking every so often, but this seemed pointless when I am away from home and work and no WiFi present and it also drained the battery.

As another battery saver, I have set the wallpaper to plain black, so that the amoled screen has no areas to light up apart from the widgets.

I can now get my battery to last between 2 to 2.5 days, with medium to light usage
 
No I use Tasker to do it. This app has the ability to turn mobile data on or off and to activate synchronisation. Tasker has been around for about three years and is an app that allows you to configure your phone to do what you want when you want it. You set up a situation, then tell the phone what you want it to do in that situation

There is a Tasker sub-forum in Android Applications on this forum if you want to know more about it
Tasker - Android Forums

So Tasker turns off the data, then turns it on once an hour for just three minutes, then turns it back off again. This lets me get emails and update news apps, etc. every hour and at the same time denying apps access to mobile data until I want them to get it, which saves battery usage.

When I am on WiFi either at home or in the office I don't care, because I have a charger at both places if I need it and it is not much of a battery drain because the phone can connect through the WiFi, so it is a fast connection and therefore only used for a short period of time.

I also have other profiles I use in Tasker that I use when the battery is getting low. When the battery goes below 40%, mobile data is left off and the screen brightness is reduced. At 25% it basically turns everything off except for phone calls, the screen is dimmed even more and it rings an alarm to warn me. At 15% it turns the phone off to save some charge for an emergency phone call.
 
I am somewhat familiar with tasker, but it's $6.49. Llama does almost everything I need for free.

What I was asking was what about when your not around wifi. Do you have to manually toggle on mobile data then, or is there a way to make it automatically toggle on when you turn the screen on, open chrome, etc.?
 
I hate to say it, but you can use Tasker for that as well. Set up a profile that says when the display is turned on, start mobile data

I don't do that though, instead I set up a profile that says when I open an app like Chrome, turn on mobile data, wait 2 seconds (to let it connect) then start the app. When I close the app, I get it to turn off mobile data again, so I only use data when I need it for an app.

I do the same with the sat nav, when I start the app, turn on GPS, wait 3 seconds then start the app. When I close the app it turns off the GPS again to save battery.

I agree it is expensive compared to other apps, but I have had Tasker now for about 2.5 years and I have never regretted buying it. It has replaced so many apps it has been worth it and it has made my smart phone, a real smart phone. The only trouble is that some of the newer things it can do are beyond me and as I work long hours, I don't have the time to play and find out how to do the newer things.

Some of the things I get it doing are:
  • Reading my texts out loud to me when I am driving
  • Checking my Google calendar and automatically putting my phone into silent when I have a meeting and then back onto loud at the end of the meeting. But, allowing calls from certain people to still ring.
  • When the phone is in silent, sending a text to people to let them know that the phone is in silent and that I won't know they have contacted me (this is still WIP)
  • Replying to texts when driving with an automated text to tell people I am driving and will get back to them later - but, when I first started doing that, I got a mouthful off the other half for texting while I was driving ;)
  • Putting my phone into silent when I get into certain hospital car parks and turning it on again when I leave

As well as some other things and those I have mentioned earlier

What I am trying to say is that I agree it is expensive, but it seems nearly limitless in what it can do and reading their forum, even more so now.

Just for clarity, I have nothing to do with Tasker, I am just a happy user.
 
Well, I think you have me sold! These are the missing features I was looking for. I think I will just skip a latte or two and drop the $6.50. Like you said, I think over the years it is worth much more.

P.S. Thanks for taking the time to explain everything
 
I don't think you will regret it, but be ready for a steep learning curve, but it is very logical once you understand it.

When I started using it, the worst thing I found was the time I spent trying to think of other things I could do with my phone or get my phone to do :D

PM me if you want when you get it and I will help you as much as I can or if not, you will find the people on the Tasker forum are always willing to help. The later stuff, as I said, I am struggling with though.

I have also noticed some of the more senior users on the Tasker forum, are also members of this forum, so there are people here as well who understand some of the more advanced stuff. You will probably find them in the Tasker sub-forum on this site.

P.S. Glad I could help
 
I would very much like to back up the tasker suggestion. Great app, well worth the price. And like Blue Thunder said the Tasker forum here has a number of experienced users that can help you out with it. ;)
 
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