Help WiFi automatic connection app

[CharlesLewis]

Is there an app that would automatically turn off WiFi when I leave home and then turn it back when I return? I have been turning off WiFi manually when I leave to get better battery life when my phone is searching for a non-existent network

 

[mikedt]

Is there an app that would automatically turn off WiFi when I leave home and then turn it back when I return? I have been turning off WiFi manually when I leave to get better battery life when my phone is searching for a non-existent network

AFAIK, a phone isn't actually searching for the network, rather it's just listening, waiting for your home network broadcasting its SSID to come into range, same with any other networks known to the device. I just leave WiFi on, and find it doesn't drain the battery at all.

You probably could do something with Tasker maybe, but wouldn't that be draining the battery by constantly running location services, like GPS, with the phone trying to determine if it's at your home or not.

 

[CharlesLewis]

But if WiFi is on, isn't it checking for WiFi networks? I get notifications when I'm out and come into an area where WiFi is available if I have Wi-Fi on.

Not positive about the effect, but I've noticed when I'm out and about for a long period of time in an area where there is a weak connection that comes and goes, I seem to get a larger drop in battery. If I remember to turn WiFi off, I get better battery life.

 

[Slug]

You probably could do something with Tasker maybe, but wouldn't that be draining the battery by constantly running location services, like GPS, with the phone trying to determine if it's at your home or not.

There's probably a ready-made profile available from the Tasker Wiki.

In the past I used one of the Advanced profiles as a basis for a profile that disabled wifi when out of range of my home AP, after which cell triangulation was used to determine when I was in range of known APs, at which point wifi was re-enabled to connect to those AP.

If you're agreeable, this question would be ideally moved to our Tasker sub-forum.