I've always used Quick Settings since the Original Droid. Quick settings was one click on my Maxx when it was on Gingerbread. Now since the ICS you have to go into and check the box every time. Is there an app that can change it by just turning it on? I've looked at a couple different apps, but it seems they all still have to go into and check the box.
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One Click GPS setting
- Thread starter aarong03
- Start date
Here again you need to understand how the GPS "radio" works. When you go into system setting and check all the various services you want to use for GPS this in itself does NOT turn on the actual GPS radio. To show you in real time - go into system settings and select which ones you want to use. Then open either your navigation or maps application and you will see a little icon appear on the task bar. It looks a little bit like a snow flake. When you see this icon appear then your GPS radio is turned on and working. Close the navigation or map application and you will see the icon disappear. Now the GPS radio is turned off. The services you select in system settings are only to tell the GPS radio which ones to use when it is actually turned on by one of the applications that uses GPS. SO go ahead and select them and leave them alone. The GPS radio will turn off and on when needed. :biggrin:
This is 100% true for the standalone GPS. However, when other AGPS location services are in use - Verizon & Google - the GPS icon does not appear on the notification bar. Like the standalone GPS, they only run when an app or process is actively using them, but there's no indication of when they're actually running. Many apps that have location permissions use the AGPS functions, and they'll attempt to determine your location without using the standalone GPS, so you won't have that crosshair icon letting you know they're active. The impact on battery life is minimal because they use very little amounts of background data, and they only run when an app or service actively uses them, but you don't get the notification like you do for standalone GPS. This is probably because the standalone GPS can cause major battery drain if constantly on, while the AGPS services won't.
But I agree that leaving GPS enabled is vastly misunderstood by many users. Unlike WiFi or Bluetooth, which continually scan to find networks/devices, GPS functions only run when an app or service is actively using them. So simply leaving then enabled in the settings won't adversely impact battery life. It's the use of applications and services that access your location that will.
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Ok, that's answer my question. Because I was always thinking that my battery would suffer with it left on. But why with ICS do we need to check these boxes every time? With Ginger Bread I could leave it checked and just turn it off/on through Quick Settings app. But with ICS it's brings me to the check boxes every time I try to turn GPS Off/on through Quick Settings. Maybe I'm missing both your points.
I think jaseman's point was that there's really no need to worry about turning GPS on and off through the quick settings app. Just enable them in the settings and leave them. Unless you're constantly running apps that need to keep a continuous lock on your location, there won't be a major impact on your battery life (and if you do want to run those apps, you'll need the location services enabled anyway). If you leave the location services enabled, they actually only turn on when something you've allowed to use them is active (whether you realize you've allowed them to be used is another issue entirely).
Basically, by enabling location services in the settings, you're not actually turning any portion of the GPS on, you're just giving the phone (along with apps and services you've allowed to access them) permission to turn it on when needed. So, leaving them enabled all the time won't impact your battery life unless there's an app constantly keeping them on. And if that's the case, you'd be better off addressing the issue through the offending app. Neither jaseman's post nor mine addressed your actual question, but rather both posts were just saying that simply leaving location services enabled in the settings won't adversely impact your battery life. It was an off-topic response that was trying to address the root of why one would even turn GPS off.
As for your actual question, if you go to the page for Quick Settings in the Play Store, you'll see that the developers acknowledge that there's a problem with devices on 4.0 and up in the description for the app:
So, if you really like Quick Settings, I'd say give their Settings Extended app a try. Perhaps that will take care of things for you.
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I think jaseman's point was that there's really no need to worry about turning GPS on and off through the quick settings app. Just enable them in the settings and leave them. Unless you're constantly running apps that need to keep a continuous lock on your location, there won't be a major impact on your battery life (and if you do want to run those apps, you'll need the location services enabled anyway). If you leave the location services enabled, they actually only turn on when something you've allowed to use them is active (whether you realize you've allowed them to be used is another issue entirely).
Basically, by enabling location services in the settings, you're not actually turning any portion of the GPS on, you're just giving the phone (along with apps and services you've allowed to access them) permission to turn it on when needed. So, leaving them enabled all the time won't impact your battery life unless there's an app constantly keeping them on. And if that's the case, you'd be better off addressing the issue through the offending app. Neither jaseman's post nor mine addressed your actual question, but rather both posts were just saying that simply leaving location services enabled in the settings won't adversely impact your battery life. It was an off-topic response that was trying to address the root of why one would even turn GPS off.
As for your actual question, if you go to the page for Quick Settings in the Play Store, you'll see that the developers acknowledge that there's a problem with devices on 4.0 and up in the description for the app:
So, if you really like Quick Settings, I'd say give their Settings Extended app a try. Perhaps that will take care of things for you.
Awesome, thanks. I understand it now! Thanks for the help! I will check it out their other app too!