Samsung Galaxy S3 Mega Battery Drain(please read)

Michelle Armstrong1

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I have a Samsung GS3 4G ? GT-i9305T. About a week ago after a software update to Android 4.1.2, my battery started draining in 8 hours instead of 24. A check on battery usage showed Google+ to be the culprit, but uninstalling, disabling all sorts of syncing etc etc, as well a complete factory reset, failed to change anything. I wasn?t even signed in on Google+. Using an app called Wakelock Detector, I found, more specifically, the Camera Monitor for Google+ to be the culprit. Today i found another thread as per link below that suggested the problem was due to a problem with my SD card. I had noticed it mounting and unmounting, but did not connect it with my battery drain problems. It seems that even if the Google+ app is not logged in, the camera monitor in the app sees that the SD card has mounted and it thinks the media has changed. This then causes G+ to rescan photos to check if anything needs autouploading??.this happens even if you?re not using autoupload, it would seem.
https://productforums.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/mobile/7f0Ui1zdv90

I have since reformatted my SD card and Google+ has completely stopped using battery. YAY! Hope this solves your problem too.
 

Yankee Duncan

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This is real ridiculous with the smartphones. My s3 after the update takes 5 plus hrs to charge. Come on Samsung I really would like to enjoy my phone. Any suggestions to the slow charging & fast battery drain?
 

GSP2013

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I had the same problem, but seemingly found a solution:
Step 1: Power off your phone.
Step 2: Carefully open the back cover.
Step 3: Remove the battery.
Step 4: Re-insert the battery. Make sure it's tightly placed.
Step 5: Put the back cover back on.
Problem solved!


What seems to have worked is a factory reset. I would recommend not installing any apps from the app store, since it seems this battery drain problem is a software or operating system issue.
 
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meyerweb#CB

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And if that doesn't work, the best advice I can give is, unfortunately, to back up everything you can and do a factory reset.

This isn't a Samsung issue, it's an Android issue. Read the forums for any phone here and you'll see the same thing. Sometimes OTA's don't go well. Trying to update the OS with a bunch of customizations, configurations, and running apps can cause problems. A factory reset will take care of them probably 00% of the time.
 

digital909

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I'm sorry but I disagree. The problem is not the OTA update but a wakelock issue that will not, it seems, be fixed by a factory reset. Telling someone to erase everything on their phone will not fix this - I know you are trying to help, but it's bad advice in this case! In fact, I have never resolved problems by doing this!
 

meyerweb#CB

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And you know this how?

Not to be critical, but with one post I have to wonder how much research you've put into this. There are a great many examples of the OTA causing this problem, and a factory reset fixing it. Go search the S3 forums before dismissing this out of hand. I don't generally suggest a factory reset as the first answer, but when multiple other avenues have been tried, and especially when the problem begins immediately after an OTA, a factory reset is often the only recourse. Let me repeat: there are hundreds, many hundreds, of examples in A|C forums (not just the S3) where problems began after an OTA, and a factory reset fixed them. Unfortunately, Android's OTA process is somewhat flawed, especially when the update is being applied to a phone with many applications, and much customization. In the end, you're entitled to your own beliefs, but not your own facts. And the facts support the advice given.

It's the reason why a full wipe is generally recommended for rooted devices when flashing ROMs, A major OTA is often not much less intrusive than flashing a complete ROM.

As for wakelocks, yes, sometimes they are the cause. And since wakelocks are typically caused by an application error, a factory reset will generally resolve those, too.
 

morrisonr

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I was having the same issue. Battery charge would last less than 12 hours. After reading all of things to do to solve this, I found that powering my phone off and then powering it back on solved the problem. I can now go three days before recharging and I use the phone all of the time with a number of apps running.
 

rs7jr

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As for wakelocks, yes, sometimes they are the cause. And since wakelocks are typically caused by an application error, a factory reset will generally resolve those, too.

+1. I actually thought it was routine to factory reset or flash a new rom if a wakelock issue exists after wiping cache, dalvik and fixing permissions.

On another note, if anyone decides to factory reset and update to md4, this is the kind of battery life you will see....

Over 24hrs without a charge, over 4hrs screen time, a few hours of Pandora and Wi-Fi on the whole time. See screenies...

uploadfromtaptalk1367016527949.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1367016544940.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1367016579306.jpg



Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
 

meyerweb#CB

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mutant, there are 27 posts in this thread before yours, and many suggestions. Exactly what issue are you having, and have you tried any of the suggestions already made in this thread?
 

Arkdom

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Since JB upgrade I have drain related to exchange. Exchange wouldbbe constantly on and not stop causing phone to heat and major drain. I have uninstalled eas account, deleted data, reinstalled. Since then drain issue much better however I still intermittently have this issue and it is unpredictable when it will happen. Google blames samsungs exchange protocol and samsung has not said anything.
Anyone have luck with this issue? Would factory reset resolve this issue? I am waiting for 4.1.2 (currently 4.1.1) hoping for a resolution.
 

meyerweb#CB

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A factory reset may very well resolve this. It usually fixes problems after upgrades. But before that, try a couple of other things.

First, if you haven't rebooted the phone, do that. Actually, shut it off, and then turn it back on. If that doesn't seem to resolve it, try clearing cache, and maybe data, in the mail app.

In settings, go to Application manager, scroll right to the 'All' tab, then find the email app. Tap on that row, tap on clear cache, then force stop the app. Exit settings, and start email again. If the problem continues to happen , do the same thing but clear data this time. You'll have to reenter you account info after that.
 

Arkdom

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Thanks for your input. I have already cleared cache, data etc and re entered the mail account. This had improved the drain since prior to that the drain was constant and now it is intermittent.
When ever exchange starts to constantly run and drain the battery I shut the phone, take out the battery and restart. This usually stops the issue for a while.
I will try a factory reset once I receive the 4.1.2 update.
 

taneity

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I had a major battery drain so I followed the advice given on this thread and did a factory reset as they said theOTA*update may have been the issue. Now my battery drain is fixed but am I now stuck with having android 4.1.1 or can I try updating it again to 4.1.2. A lot of features I liked are no longer available in this version. Are my choices battery drain during sleep mode with power save on and data and wifi off or having the factory android version. Hope someone can help as this is very frustrating. Also read in another thread that 4.1.2 was supposed to be better on battery life. So condfused.
 

meyerweb#CB

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Like I said in your other thread, I've never heard of a factory reset change the OS version. How did you update previously, by OTA or by following the procedure in this thread? If you did it manually, are you rooted and followed post #2, or not-rooted and followed post #1?

When you look at Settings / About device, what are the last three digits of your Build number and Baseband version?
 

seanskiT1

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Like I said in your other thread, I've never heard of a factory reset change the OS version. How did you update previously, by OTA or by following the procedure in this thread? If you did it manually, are you rooted and followed post #2, or not-rooted and followed post #1?

When you look at Settings / About device, what are the last three digits of your Build number and Baseband version?

The only way I know of to change the android version is if your rooted and flash an older ROM that hasn't been updated. I have seen 1 or 2 on XDA that are old and still 4.1.1

Sent from my GS3 sporting Wicked Sensations...
 

taneity

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Sorry think I was incorrect just seemed so different I thought I had changed android versions. I did not root my phone.

Posted via Android Central App
 

tcreason

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Hello, I just upgraded to a galaxy s3 from an iphone 4. Several people have told me I need to keep my data turned off unless I need it because it will constantly be using data automatically. Is this true? I never had an issue like that with the iphone. Help please.
 

meyerweb#CB

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It's not quite that simple, but I bet it's not that much different than the iPhone.

Certain apps require data usage to function. Your email, twitter, facebook, location services, etc. That's true whether you're on an iPhone, an S3 or anything else. You can control, via the settings in each app, how often they sync. The more often they sync (and the more facebook updates, emails, etc. you get), the more data they use. You can set most of these apps to never sync in the background, so they'll only use data when you actually open the app to read email, view facebook, etc. But if you have your email updating every 5 minutes, then yes, you're going to use a lot of data.

Be especially careful with how you manage you location reporting (open the Maps program, and tap menu / settings). If you have the phone checking-in and reporting your location, that can use a lot of data and a lot of battery.

You can limit, by application, the use of background data, by telling certain apps to update only when connected to WiFi. Go to Settings / Data usage. Scroll down below the graph, and you'll see a list of apps that use data. Tap on each application, scroll down, and you can check the box labeled "Restrict Background data." That app will no longer do background data transfers unless connected to WiFi. It will still do foreground data transfers, so if you log into the Facebook app, or your email app, they will sync and use data then.

Since you're new to the S3 and Android, I'd suggest checking out this post: http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...ing-you-wanted-know-about-your-galaxy-s3.html

And this one: http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/137252-apple-users-guide-android.html
 

Ghostnyc

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Hi everyone, I just wanted to share my experience just in case anyone else was going through the same and/or anyone with more knowledge on the subject could provide some feedback. Full disclosure- GS3 is my first android device, coming from Blackberry. Im running stock android 4.1.1 on ATT S3 and typically could get anywhere from 6-8 hours of battery life depending on usage. however after Google updated Google Music and Hangout (which replaced Talk) my battery life took a massive hit. About 2.5 hours on standby and approximately 90 minutes if I read and sent a few emails and read some articles. To be clear this is with battery starting @ 100% and going down to 1%. In one instance I read an article, sent it to some friends and replied to an email about the article and I lost 18% of my battery. When I checked my battery settings SD Card was taking up 43% - in addition overall device performance was noticeably slower. After numerous restarts and a battery pull- the problem persisted. I read on various boards that problem could have been micro sd card. I formatted the card, unmounted and mounted and problem persisted. I reinstalled all the media on the sd card, about 6GB of music on a Sandisk UHC 32GB. Googlemusic did not recognized any of the music, even though I could see the files in file explorer. I uninstalled New Google Music and the problem disappeared. My music showed up in the old version of google music and battery is behaving as it use to, at least for today.

Should I still do a factory reset? Has anyone else noticed any issues after latest google updates? Additionally forget to mention when battery was draining fast and I was attempting to charge it, the battery would get really hot. Hot enough to cause concern.