Best way to toggle bluetooth?

[lachdanan]

Hi,

Can you please recommend me the fastest way to toggle bluetooth? I want to use it when I am in the gym with my bluetooth earphone but it's buried in the settings. I searched for bluetooth toggles in the store and installed some, but I am unsure whether I should use one of these in the home screen, add something to the lock screen (possible?), or use those auto bluetooth apps?

I assume leaving bluetooth on all the time consumes a lot of battery? I imagine those auto bluetooth apps also constantly have to check for a bluetooth signal, so it should consume close to having bluetooth on?

Reason I am asking this is because since you guys know more about all the ways to do this, maybe there is a quick option for these in Apex, or Nova launchers, or another way to do this as efficiently as possible?

It would be cool if I could for example add a toggle in the top status bar (Not sure what it's called, notification bar?) where I could drag it down and turn it on and off. I know some apps like skype show up there, so if I had the ability to do it there, I think it would be the best option for me.


Thanks in advance

 

[dmack0706]

On any screen put 2 fingers on top part of screen and slide down. Most settings are right there.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Ryandroid86]

Hi,

Can you please recommend me the fastest way to toggle bluetooth? I want to use it when I am in the gym with my bluetooth earphone but it's buried in the settings. I searched for bluetooth toggles in the store and installed some, but I am unsure whether I should use one of these in the home screen, add something to the lock screen (possible?), or use those auto bluetooth apps?

I assume leaving bluetooth on all the time consumes a lot of battery? I imagine those auto bluetooth apps also constantly have to check for a bluetooth signal, so it should consume close to having bluetooth on?

Reason I am asking this is because since you guys know more about all the ways to do this, maybe there is a quick option for these in Apex, or Nova launchers, or another way to do this as efficiently as possible?

It would be cool if I could for example add a toggle in the top status bar (Not sure what it's called, notification bar?) where I could drag it down and turn it on and off. I know some apps like skype show up there, so if I had the ability to do it there, I think it would be the best option for me.


Thanks in advance

For me. I use the Power Widget. It comes stock with every Android device I believe. You just put it on any home screen.
Or you could get this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.j4velin.notificationToggle

 

[garublador]

On any screen put 2 fingers on top part of screen and slide down. Most settings are right there.

Posted via Android Central App

I don't have a One, but you can usually rearrange the icons so that the Bluetooth toggle is right there when you use one finger to open the notification shade, too. Some sort of toggle widget will work, too. Getting it on the lock screen might be a bit of work, but it seems like something WidgetLocker could do. I haven't used it so I don't know for sure.

If you want to get super automated, you can use something like Llama or Tasker to automatically turn it on and off when you're at the gym and off when you leave. You just have to figure out how to let you phone automatically know you're at the gym. If there's some WiFi access point you connect to at the gym it will most likely save you some battery because it's a feature you're already using. If you need to use some sort of location based method of figuring out if you're at the gym then whether or not it will save battery will depend on how you trigger it and what else you have running. Bluetooth itself might take less battery than some app that has to monitor where you are. If you're already using apps like that then it might save you battery, but if you aren't then they might not. It's my impression that Bluetooth doesn't take a lot of battery when idle, but I don't have mine on (nothing to connect to), so I can't say for sure.

 

[lachdanan]

Thanks guys, I tried the 2 finger thing, it didn't work. I tried it on the lock screen, home screen but the screen doesn't come down, I see it moving a little though. Not sure if I have to install an app for this?

That notification app is exactly what I wanted, thanks for solving my problem

I installed power toggles, looks even better

Thanks garublador. Power toggles is good enough for me. But out of curiosity, if you have 3G and you use one of those apps, then they basically do stuff when you are at a certain proximity to a certain location? You define that position using the GPS, like "I am in the gym now"?

I can see it using more battery, and I don't need that much automation, but just wondering

 

[pgood4]

Two finger only works if you're already on 4.2.2.

 

[garublador]

Thanks garublador. Power toggles is good enough for me. But out of curiosity, if you have 3G and you use one of those apps, then they basically do stuff when you are at a certain proximity to a certain location? You define that position using the GPS, like "I am in the gym now"?

I can see it using more battery, and I don't need that much automation, but just wondering

Yep. With the built in location based profiles in Tasker you tell it a point on a map and then give it a radius. You can say whether you want "Net only" (uses cell towers) or GPS, which is very battery intensive. With AutoLocation (an additional plug-in) it uses Google's location API which is much more accurate and uses less battery. I believe it piggy-backs off of the locations Google Now collects so if you're using that already then it seems to use negligably more battery by using it. In that one you do something similar where you set up "geofences" with a location and a radius. Another thing that's nice about it is you can toggle the location checking on and off. So if you're at home or work and connected to a WiFi router you can turn it off and save battery because you have another way to figure out where you are.

Just to give you an idea of the approximate battery drain, on my Galaxy S4 I have all of the Google Now cards active, location history on, I've had the geofences on for 7 hours, my phone has been off the charger for 9 hours, I've had my screen on for 39 minutes and I'm at 77% battery. If I subtract the battery my battery monitor says my screen has used, it comes out to my phone using about 2% per hour while idle. I have WiFi on all of the time and Bluetooth and NFC off all of the time. I have it synching my Google Keep and Gmail every 15 minutes and everything else once an hour.

I forgot about this before, but Tasker also has a "WiFi near" context where it checks to see if it can see a specific WiFi hotspot, even if it isn't connected. The resolution on it is pretty terrible as it takes 5 or so minutes to register you as being near or away from a specific router, so I don't use it. It might work for your situation if there's a time between when you get to the gym and when you care about Bluetooth being on, though. If you're OK with the power toggles then I see no reason to switch, though.

There are lots of interesting combinations you can come up with for triggering things in Tasker, too. You can use it to check to see if you're connected to a specific Bluetooth device or not. If you have some sort of Bluetooth device in your car you pair with then you can know whether or not you're in the car. You can have the phone do something special if you're in the car (say start playing music) or something else if you're also plugged into power at the same time (start navigation) or do something when you leave your car (remember your GPS location so you don't forget where you parked).

I actually forgot one other option you have that doesn't require Tasker, NFC. You can get NFC tags and an app that will allow you to change settings just by unlocking your phone and putting it near a tag. Of course that requires NFC to be on, so you'd have to figure out how much battery it uses (my guess would be very little as it only seems to work when the phone is unlocked).

The most practical, creative ways to use NFC with your Android device | How To - CNET

So you could have a tag in your gym locker or on our bag or something that automatically sets your phone in "gym mode" just by unlocking your phone and putting it near the tag. Most of the time you can have it switch your phone back if you scan it a second time. You can do the same for just about any other location or situation you're in.

If you want to get way crazy you can combine them with Tasker so that one tag can do many different things depending on where you are, what you're doing or what you're connected to. One tag on your key chain could toggle on or off "Gym mode" at the gym, "Work mode" at work and then text your significant other your location and speed if you scan it in your car. Or you can take that last one another step further and have a tablet sitting at home that shows your location on a map if you trigger it by voice, NFC tag, location, by tapping a widget or any other crazy context or event you can come up with.

 

[lachdanan]

Thanks alot guys. Thanks garublador for the detailed answer, I understand it much better now

Btw how do I update to 4.2.2? I thought all these updates are automatic? I mean I get notifications that it updated, facebook, google chrome, etc. But the OS update, I have to do manually?

 

[garublador]

Btw how do I update to 4.2.2? I thought all these updates are automatic? I mean I get notifications that it updated, facebook, google chrome, etc. But the OS update, I have to do manually?

Generally you have to wait for it to be rolled out to you through an over the air (OTA) update. There may be ways to get it quicker once it's released, but that's how most do it. IIRC, the Verizon One came with 4.2.2 but the other versions, other than the GE, are still on 4.1.2.

 

[lachdanan]

Thanks alot, I will wait then

 

[dmack0706]

Sorry didn't know 4.1 couldn't double finger swipe. But when you get it you won't use anything else. Pull down and hit desired setting and only hit back button once and your back to what you we're doing. Should be mid September everybody should have 4.3

Posted via Android Central App

 

[lachdanan]

lol np, when I couldn't do it, I thought I was doing something stupid Glad that they are making this kind of improvements.

 

[elgabo]

I use https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ls?id=org.myklos.btautoconnect&token=ugdgE43b

Try

And have tasker plug-in

Enviado desde mi HTC One usando Tapatalk 4

 

[jfs101]

Why not just drop the bluetooth toggle widget in one of your home screens? Sorry for not reading all the post, but they are too long!

Posted via Android Central App