New user here. I was using a Samsung GearFit 2 that I still have but had some issues with, GPS was iffy and Tizen. My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge on AT&T. Now I am not a power user and do not install a lot of apps. The last app i installed was PowerAmp Music Player in September. The battery on my phone is typically around 50 - 60% at the end of day (use is generally from 6:00AM - 10:00PM EST). I have been using the Vivoactive for about 1 week. The first three days I noticed my battery was down to about 20 - 30% by 6:00PM and was getting low battery warnings starting a couple of hours later. I initially thought that it synched when I opened the app and noticed at the bottom it synching with the device, but then I noticed as soon as I opened the app the step count on the device and app were the same. A few days ago I received a brand new phone, OnePlus 3T. When I set it up I only setup my email accounts and the Garmin Connect Mobile, no other apps installed other than stock. Same issue occurred, battery level down to around 10% or lower by end of day. So yesterday I go back to the Galaxy S7 Edge. 0 phone calls and 0 texts for the day. The only thing I used the phone for was checking emails and using the Garmin Connect Mobile. I had two 3.2 mile walks using GPS. By 7:00PM Battery was down to 8%. I do not want to have to turn Bluetooth on and off and am wondering if their is a fix for this that I am not seeing. I checked the app and cannot find a setting to turn synch on/off or an option for manually synching only. Wondering what other people are doing?
I have worked in the tech world for over 10 years, as IT for 9 years of that. I spend a great deal of time paying attention to my daily routine, my electronics, and my mobile battery consumption as you never know when you might need that extra hour on a laptop. I say this to indicate that I have uninstalled and reinstalled nearly all the apps on my Samsung Note 5, and then tested for 2 days of normal work use. I then go in and check on what is consuming the battery life. I do not have a rooted Samsung Note 5, just base ROM, with lots of Google applications and Samsung stuff disabled. I read the news, communication apps, and my use per day is usually about the same regardless of the day due to having other mobile devices around me for any heavy lifting. Since installing the Garmin Connect mobile app (coming from a Microsoft Band 1 on my phone), I noticed that about 10-20% extra battery consumption occurs throughout the day. It doesn't show up under Garmin Connect's app, but instead for me under Android OS. I removed Garmin Connect, worked with my phone for a weekend, back to how it used to be. Added the app again, drains. During my sleep my phone used to drain about 1% per hour. With the Garmin Connect app installed, even with my Vivoactive set to sleep, it drains anywhere between 1.5% - 3% per hour.
I believe that the Bluetooth connection is never allowing the processor to sleep, that Garmin Connect keeps reaching out to the fitness device for whatever checks. I can walk with my garmin connect app out and my watch, and see how my steps are going up in near real time. That's definitely not necessary at all. Let the device remember, and then sync after some downtime. I don't need to be checking my phone and watch at the same time. While sleeping, I believe it's tracking the sleep mechanics in real time as well, thus the drain, instead of storing that information on the watch till after I say I've woken up. Once that happens, sync the results.
This is rather arduous as I greatly enjoy the device, it's been amazing thus far, and I got it on a great deal. Unfortunately the Garmin Connect app has obvious issues and makes my phone far less useful. As of right now, I see few people complaining of the issue (most likely because the increase is not a huge increase for people who haven't optimized their devices) but it is definitely noticeable.
In my experience the cellular data connection is the biggest problem. When you're in places where the connection is intermittent or slow, every sync takes long, or is retried. The phone thus transmits often for more than just a couple of seconds, and the battery drains fast.
As far as I know the default sync-frequency is every 15 minutes or 100 steps during the day, and if data is slow, it really adds up.
The Bluetooth connection between phone and Garmin device is very energy efficient, but the phone's radio communication is not.
There used to be a super-useful switch in the device settings in GCM; "Auto-Upload on/off". You could switch syncing Off most of the day and then On for a while to upload one-time via Wifi. Unfortunately that switch is gone, and according to Garmin it is not going to be returned. I suppose that the True Up feature will not work without frequent syncing, and with the majority of customers apparently being happy with the current arrangement, that makes (business) sense.
There are a couple of partial workarounds, none are complete, easy or convenient though. It would be too much detail to describe them here, please PM me if you would like more information.
Agree Pyrotechnomimus - does appear to drive the Android OS use up - I also was suspecting that when my battery drain started to be much higher (yet the suspect...GC was low...:confused:)
I wish there was a setting for sync interval - it does seem to be almost constant for me as well (I have wifi most places...) - plus when the app is open it will often sync multiple times with in a minute while browsing through app (WTF!)...
I hate to turn off bluetooth on phone...or disable syncing entirely... but the current setup is pretty ridiculous! :mad:
Hello,
I can confirm that this battery drain is issued by GC.
My wife and me are meeting a strong battery drain since several weeks, and I just took care about it now, using BetterBatteryStat app.
The facts are:
My phone is 99% awake, even while screen is off all night long
BBS confirms that the wakelock preventing the CPU to fall in deep sleep is bluedroid_timer
After uninstalling GC, the wakelock does not occur anymore and the phone is in deep sleep the time it would have be "wakelocked"
After reinstalling GC, deep sleep is disappearing completely, the battery drain is back.
I tried to re-installed an old release of GC, wiping cache and Dalvik cache, but nothing helps...
Before this, I had around 2 full days autonomy, now only 8 to 9 hours with roughly the same usage.
When some of you still have this issue, could you please try to check with BetterBatteryStat, in order to confirm or refute my verdict?
Thanks in advance
Hello, I can confirm that this battery drain is issued by GC. My wife and me are meeting a strong battery drain since several weeks, and I just took care about it now, using BetterBatteryStat app. The facts are:
My phone is 99% awake, even while screen is off all night long
BBS confirms that the wakelock preventing the CPU to fall in deep sleep is bluedroid_timer
After uninstalling GC, the wakelock does not occur anymore and the phone is in deep sleep the time it would have be "wakelocked"
After reinstalling GC, deep sleep is disappearing completely, the battery drain is back.
I tried to re-installed an old release of GC, wiping cache and Dalvik cache, but nothing helps... Before this, I had around 2 full days autonomy, now only 8 to 9 hours with roughly the same usage. When some of you still have this issue, could you please try to check with BetterBatteryStat, in order to confirm or refute my verdict? Thanks in advance
I have Samsung Galaxy S4 4.3 stock and Kernel wakelock is Bluetooth_timer that is 90% of the Kernel wakelock. Bluesleep and Msm_serial_hs_dma circa 15 % of total kernel wakelocks. After having removed a lot of apps with bluetooth authorisation I figured that the blueooth wakelock keeping the cpu awake is due to Connect. If I turn off bluetooth the wakelocks stop. I think that matter is linked to the notification sistem. In the last version I found impossibile to receive lost calls and sms so I reverted to 3.11 version that is working fine but wakelocks are there. It's a issue that needs to be fixed !
Unfortunately I'm having same problem with GC Mobile and Vivoactive HR+. I've even changed mobile phone from Xperia Z3c to Motorola Moto g4 plus and then to Samsung S7 and battery drain reaches 7-10% per hour without any use (all with Marshmallow OS).
It's bringing me crazy, and don't know how to disable auto sync or if the problem comes with weather forecast, music control or other features. I've also a 810 and during last year there was not any further problem, but since last July there is no way to wear a mobile for more than 6h without charging it.
Some of my friends own vivosmart HR and they don't notice any problem but using Lollipop.
Hello,
I can confirm that this battery drain is issued by GC.
My wife and me are meeting a strong battery drain since several weeks, and I just took care about it now, using BetterBatteryStat app.
The facts are:
My phone is 99% awake, even while screen is off all night long
BBS confirms that the wakelock preventing the CPU to fall in deep sleep is bluedroid_timer
After uninstalling GC, the wakelock does not occur anymore and the phone is in deep sleep the time it would have be "wakelocked"
After reinstalling GC, deep sleep is disappearing completely, the battery drain is back.
I tried to re-installed an old release of GC, wiping cache and Dalvik cache, but nothing helps...
Before this, I had around 2 full days autonomy, now only 8 to 9 hours with roughly the same usage.
When some of you still have this issue, could you please try to check with BetterBatteryStat, in order to confirm or refute my verdict?
Thanks in advance
I can confirm, using BetterBatteryStats that GC is causing extra battery drain on my phone. (Galaxy S6 Active) It is using about 10% of my battery use when left overnight. I am seeing it in the bluetooth areas like you, but also it seems to keep the phone awake to do weather checks, despite the fact that I have removed the Weather app from the watch. (Vivoactive)
Hello,
I can confirm that this battery drain is issued by GC.
My wife and me are meeting a strong battery drain since several weeks, and I just took care about it now, using BetterBatteryStat app.
The facts are:
My phone is 99% awake, even while screen is off all night long
BBS confirms that the wakelock preventing the CPU to fall in deep sleep is bluedroid_timer
After uninstalling GC, the wakelock does not occur anymore and the phone is in deep sleep the time it would have be "wakelocked"
After reinstalling GC, deep sleep is disappearing completely, the battery drain is back.
I tried to re-installed an old release of GC, wiping cache and Dalvik cache, but nothing helps...
Before this, I had around 2 full days autonomy, now only 8 to 9 hours with roughly the same usage.
When some of you still have this issue, could you please try to check with BetterBatteryStat, in order to confirm or refute my verdict?
Thanks in advance
I have been using BetterBatteryStats as well. Whatever battery usage occurs when idle, GC is using about 10% of it. I'm seeing it wakelocking bluetooth, but also keeping the phone awake for weather updates, despite the fact that I have removed the weather app from the watch. I also tried wiping app cache and wipe cache partition. My phone will do some deep sleeping however, which yours does not seem to be doing.
