Using GPS is a standard practice on mobile phones to guide through new areas or communicate your current position. Your phone’s battery can decrease rapidly since GPS relies on satellite interactions and access to the internet for mapping uses. Without attention to detail even a short excursion can drain your phone’s battery. Luckily you can implement different methods to decrease power consumption with GPS.
Constant satellite location monitoring causes GPS to use up battery unexpectedly
The primary cause for the rapid depletion of battery life with GPS is its ongoing process of locating you through satellites. Applications including Google Maps and Waze rely on an internet link to automatically update maps in real-time raising power consumption. By implementing a few tweaks you can ensure GPS does not overuse battery throughout long travels.
Methods to Lower GPS Battery Use
1. Turn Off GPS When Not in Use
Turning off GPS saves battery and is the best method to do so when you’re not using it. Numerous applications maintain GPS functionality even when you are not engaged. If you switch off GPS you avoid unneeded battery consumption. Keep in mind that apps such as Google Maps or Pokémon GO might not work properly without GPS turned on.
2. Investigate the apps that access your GPS.
Various apps utilize GPS in excess and sap battery despite your lack of awareness. You can find out which applications are using your location by visiting the Permission Manager available in your phone’s settings. Visit the GPS area to identify which applications access it. Remove permissions from apps you think don’t need precise location data to help save battery power.
3. Enable GPS functionality just for apps that are in operation.
Instead of completely disabling an app’s GPS feature you can allow it to function only during use. You will find this setting in the majority of apps in the Always allowed part of your Location settings. If you opt for “Allow only while using the app,” you make certain that GPS will not operate pointlessly in the background.
4. Use Offline Maps
Using maps when you are not connected can effectively lower the battery consumption of GPS. With applications like Google Maps and Waze you can save map territories for offline usage to decrease the necessity for ongoing internet connectivity during travel. To use this feature:
- Enter Google Maps and touch the icon representing your profile.
- Go to Offline Maps.
- Pick the location you wish to have offline. After downloading the maps the GPS will consume much less battery because the app will not need to regularly fetch new data.
Final Thoughts
While GPS serves many purposes it can easily use up your phone battery if not controlled carefully. Using offline maps and controlling app permissions along with turning off GPS when unneeded will greatly increase your phone’s battery longevity. These straightforward hacks ensure you are reachable and aware while preserving your battery power.