Latest Google Maps draining battery??

[snmemx]

I don't see anyone discussing this yet...if so please excuse the useless thread.

I recently upgraded to whatever the latest version of Google Maps is on my Droid and noticed the past few days when I check Battery usage that it's using the majority of my battery...even though the app isn't open.

Has anyone noticed the latest Google Maps using up your battery even if it's not an open app?

Thanks!

 

[cyrax2768]

I'm not sure but i recently used the Google Maps Navigation for a 3 hour trip i just took and even while I had the phone connected to the car charger when i unplugged the phone when i reached my destination half of my battery was drained. Not too sure why since it was plugged in the whole time.

 

[snmemx]

I'm not sure but i recently used the Google Maps Navigation for a 3 hour trip i just took and even while I had the phone connected to the car charger when i unplugged the phone when i reached my destination half of my battery was drained. Not too sure why since it was plugged in the whole time.

I've got a hunch the latest update has a tweak in it that's constantly looking for a location even when the app isn't running (probably related to Buzz). I typically keep my GPS off to save battery but turned it back on to see if that would resolve the Maps issue. Maybe if the Droid doesn't have to work as hard to find out where it is (GPS vs cell tower triangulation), it'll be happier.

 

[Scribble]

Hrmm...

I've been unplugged for over 19 hours, and maps isn't even on the radar for what's using the battery.

 

[hookbill]

Hrmm...

I've been unplugged for over 19 hours, and maps isn't even on the radar for what's using the battery.

OP, have you checked battery usage? It would show if it's draining more of your battery for GPS. I've had my phone off the charger now and I use Beautiful Widgets which I know uses GPS and I'm not showing any reading of GPS in my battery usage.

 

[snmemx]

Hrmm...

I've been unplugged for over 19 hours, and maps isn't even on the radar for what's using the battery.

OP, have you checked battery usage? It would show if it's draining more of your battery for GPS. I've had my phone off the charger now and I use Beautiful Widgets which I know uses GPS and I'm not showing any reading of GPS in my battery usage.

Yes, that's what triggered the question...for the 2nd day now, I noticed that maps was taking a large % of battery consumption...used Advanced Task Manager to confirm that maps wasn't opened. Finally went into Maps and it was at a setup screen...as if it hadn't been opened since the latest update was downloaded/installed (which it hadn't been opened)...I went through the screen, closed it, killed it (w. ATM) (that was all yesterday) and today I'm still seeing it use a large % of my battery. I've turned on GPS and will leave it be until tomorrow to see if it continues to use the battery. Obviously I'd rather not leave the GPS on b/c that uses battery as well, however I'm really curious what's causing maps to use battery when it's not even running.

 

[authority11]

Hrmm...

I've been unplugged for over 19 hours, and maps isn't even on the radar for what's using the battery.

OP, have you checked battery usage? It would show if it's draining more of your battery for GPS. I've had my phone off the charger now and I use Beautiful Widgets which I know uses GPS and I'm not showing any reading of GPS in my battery usage.

Yes, that's what triggered the question...for the 2nd day now, I noticed that maps was taking a large % of battery consumption...used Advanced Task Manager to confirm that maps wasn't opened. Finally went into Maps and it was at a setup screen...as if it hadn't been opened since the latest update was downloaded/installed (which it hadn't been opened)...I went through the screen, closed it, killed it (w. ATM) (that was all yesterday) and today I'm still seeing it use a large % of my battery. I've turned on GPS and will leave it be until tomorrow to see if it continues to use the battery. Obviously I'd rather not leave the GPS on b/c that uses battery as well, however I'm really curious what's causing maps to use battery when it's not even running.

Do you have the buzz layer being displayed on your maps? My maps was taking up a ton of batter usage % too until I realized that I had left the damn google buzz layer on. Since I turned it off, it is back to normal usage.

 

[snmemx]

OP, have you checked battery usage? It would show if it's draining more of your battery for GPS. I've had my phone off the charger now and I use Beautiful Widgets which I know uses GPS and I'm not showing any reading of GPS in my battery usage.

Yes, that's what triggered the question...for the 2nd day now, I noticed that maps was taking a large % of battery consumption...used Advanced Task Manager to confirm that maps wasn't opened. Finally went into Maps and it was at a setup screen...as if it hadn't been opened since the latest update was downloaded/installed (which it hadn't been opened)...I went through the screen, closed it, killed it (w. ATM) (that was all yesterday) and today I'm still seeing it use a large % of my battery. I've turned on GPS and will leave it be until tomorrow to see if it continues to use the battery. Obviously I'd rather not leave the GPS on b/c that uses battery as well, however I'm really curious what's causing maps to use battery when it's not even running.

Do you have the buzz layer being displayed on your maps? My maps was taking up a ton of batter usage % too until I realized that I had left the damn google buzz layer on. Since I turned it off, it is back to normal usage.

When I first went in (after noticing the drain), it had a message about Buzz and it may have been showing Buzz layers...I'm not sure. I just checked and no layers are displayed...I also used ATM to close Maps. We'll see how it looks tomorrow mid-day.

 

[amjacobs1]

Interesting problem. I did a test where I fully charged my Droid, and did nothing with it for about 3 hours. No non-essential processes were running except a pretty good battery indicator I got off the market. The battery remained at about 100% during that time. I turned on GPS and let it sit there for about 20 minutes. The battery went from 100% to 90% when I checked again. It could have been a coincidence that the 10% loss occurred during that time from or it could have been the GPS. Don't know.

 

[Scribble]

When I first went in (after noticing the drain), it had a message about Buzz and it may have been showing Buzz layers...I'm not sure. I just checked and no layers are displayed...I also used ATM to close Maps. We'll see how it looks tomorrow mid-day.

That probably makes sense... If you've got layers on that are constantly updating it probably turns the GPS on more often to check for what it needs to update.

(Then again, my buzz layer and traffic lay have been on since I upgraded, and still no mention of it on the battery use screen...)

 

[Scribble]

Oh here's a question for the OP...

Do you have it set up so the phone can also use wireless networks to find it's location?

If not, and you're in a location that doesn't get good GPS signal, perhaps the phone is using GPS more often trying to get a fix? (Just a thought.)