Same old issue - Battery - with a twist

[janpetras]

The battery drain is incredible. 1% each 10 minutes. Without using the phone.
My battery log says the top 2 using them are Google Maps (40%) and Skype (27%).

I've uninstalled Skype but have no idea what to do about Google Maps - I don't use it, I don't open it, I'm logged out of Latitude, I don't use Places, I have GPS turned off, also I have "Wireless and Network location" turned off. I don't know what else to do. I force close it and it opens again and keeps on going and going. WTF is wrong with it, I used Google Maps with my BlackBerry and I was a happy banana, opening it when I wanted to and just pressing Exit.

Again, I express my opinion: Android is rotten. It needs a damn EXIT button in it's apps. I understand the whole concept of fast multi-tasking etc, but it's NOT WORKING. You either make it to work, without apps going wild and being freaking invulnerable or just make a damn EXIT button that works and I can close the stupid thing.

If force close doesn't work what's next, root the phone and remove it altogether? Reaaaalllyyy nice.

 

[amlothi]

Reboot phone. Then, don't touch Maps. Don't force close it either.

It shouldn't show up in battery usage anymore.

I had an issue a while back with maps showing high battery usage, but it wasn't real. Just a bug in the battery usage reporting.

Skype will use battery if you leave it logged in. The app has an option to logout and exit completely. Then it won't use any.

 

[janpetras]

Did what you said, you were right. Doesn't show up anymore.
Skype.... very disappointed in it. If it could just use push like yahoo messenger.... or maybe it does and something else causes the high usage.

Anyway, right now, I filled my phone with a lot of crap like traffic monitoring apps to monitor OTHER apps, another app to monitor total traffic, another app to monitor battery.... damn.

I just don't know which ones to use or not.
I have no idea whether to use an app like Juice Defender or not, didn't seem to do shit for me. Or a task killer, which I read it is a bad idea but however my phone ran much more smoothly and my battery seemed to last for longer with it...

I just want to run yahoo messenger and gtalk and nothing else. No other apps using data or battery. But it seems if u turn on data, you turn it on for everybody, it's a freaking kilobytefest in there...

I would need an app which forbids other apps from using data when not on Wi-Fi. Specific apps. But then again, there we go another monitoring app.

 

[AngryHatter]

Very true about the battery mis-reporting.
Mine says it's down to 60% and within 5 minutes of plugging it in the charger it's back at 100%.
I doubt it charges that fast.

 

[amlothi]

Anyway, right now, I filled my phone with a lot of crap like traffic monitoring apps to monitor OTHER apps, another app to monitor total traffic, another app to monitor battery.... damn.

Just be aware that, if you have lots of apps "monitoring" in the background, those will all use battery because they are running constantly.

Or a task killer, which I read it is a bad idea but however my phone ran much more smoothly and my battery seemed to last for longer with it...

Yeah, you shouldn't need one unless you are on an older version of Android.

I just want to run yahoo messenger and gtalk and nothing else. No other apps using data or battery. But it seems if u turn on data, you turn it on for everybody, it's a freaking kilobytefest in there...

I would need an app which forbids other apps from using data when not on Wi-Fi. Specific apps. But then again, there we go another monitoring app.

Do you have Auto Sync on? If you don't need other apps to sync, you should turn this off. However, note that the Auto Sync doesn't work for all apps. Some apps ignore that, and have their own settings for sync.

Frankly, if you are using instant messaging, that will require a constant data connection (background data enabled) to work properly. The vast majority of the battery you are using will be 1) screen being on, and 2) maintaining a data connection between your phone and the cell tower at all times.

I wouldn't worry too much about other apps, unless they are syncing very often and using lots of data each time. It's likely they aren't the cause of your battery life woes.



Edit: You seem to be against rooting your phone, but if you do end up rooting it you can install droidwall which allows you to turn off data for all apps, and then create a whitelist of apps which can use either mobile data or wifi or both.