Android System Usage % Hugh.

[Stwutter]

Hi,

I have the S7 Edge on O2 in the UK.

For the past 3 weeks, my android system usage % has consistently been higher than screen. Usually it accounts for 30-40% of the my daily usage. The days of getting 20+hrs with 4+hrs of SOT have gone, and now it's more like 12-14hrs with 3hrs if I'm lucky.

I've pretty much tried everything. I've disabled GPS, back ups, auto updates, unistalled pretty much every app I have, cleared the app cache and the cache partition about 30 times, flashed older ROMs, both from other countries and UK - both my own carrier and others. I've taken everything off my SD card, formatted it, and put it back on. I've left my SD card out for days too. Disabled WiFi, Bluetooth, unpaired my Huawei watch blah blah blah. Nothing has changed it. To be honest, even if any of the above had worked, I'd be miffed as I had everything on before and still got great battery life.

Anyone else had a similar issue, or know of anything actually worthwhile that I've yet to try?

My last punt is the flash the latest O2 firmware again in case there's been an update in the meantime that may have been pushed, but I'm not holding my breath. Failing that, I'm gonna ditch this and get something that, even if it has a lower battery life expectancy under normal usage, may actually have screen on time at the top. I'm fed up having a £700 phone that can no longer get me past 7pm.

Cheers.

 

[Stwutter]

Title: 'High' (obvs). Oops

 

[chanchan05]

Sounds like something is preventing your phone from dozing. Anyway, as you've already used varying ROMs with no success, seems like something deeper than software. Flashing older ROM should have erased any software error the new update should have brought. Consideration of a hardware issue could be made.

 

[Stwutter]

Sounds like something is preventing your phone from dozing. Anyway, as you've already used varying ROMs with no success, seems like something deeper than software. Flashing older ROM should have erased any software error the new update should have brought. Consideration of a hardware issue could be made.

Thanks.

Well, I decided to have one last scoot through every setting I could find a couple of hours ago (having used 20% battery, with Android System at 47%, Screen at 24% and Android OS not far behind on 19%...). Randomly, I spotted 'Smart Network Switch' was on. I think I switched this on a few weeks ago, as the WiFi in my office isn't the best, and when I go out of the room, it then switches nicely to 4G and gave me a notification to say it had done so. Switched it off.

1 1/2 hrs in, 7% down, 63% screen, 32% Android System.

Early days, but maybe I've finally nailed it. If it is what was causing the issue, on the face of it it's counter-intuitive - you'd assume getting rid of a poor Wifi signal quickly and switching to a stronger connection as opposed to trying to latch on still would aid battery - but then, Android doesn't always work in that way, as we know...

I guess I'm not surprised this hasn't come up in my many searches - it's probably not something Joe Average knows exists, let alone looks for and enables.

 

[chanchan05]

It's actually normally disabled by default.

Also I forgot to mention that Google Backup has a bug since last June that it eats up battery when active. You may want to turn it off if you haven't.

 

[blessedred]

Hi,

I have the S7 Edge on O2 in the UK.

For the past 3 weeks, my android system usage % has consistently been higher than screen. Usually it accounts for 30-40% of the my daily usage. The days of getting 20+hrs with 4+hrs of SOT have gone, and now it's more like 12-14hrs with 3hrs if I'm lucky.

I've pretty much tried everything. I've disabled GPS, back ups, auto updates, unistalled pretty much every app I have, cleared the app cache and the cache partition about 30 times, flashed older ROMs, both from other countries and UK - both my own carrier and others. I've taken everything off my SD card, formatted it, and put it back on. I've left my SD card out for days too. Disabled WiFi, Bluetooth, unpaired my Huawei watch blah blah blah. Nothing has changed it. To be honest, even if any of the above had worked, I'd be miffed as I had everything on before and still got great battery life.

Anyone else had a similar issue, or know of anything actually worthwhile that I've yet to try?

My last punt is the flash the latest O2 firmware again in case there's been an update in the meantime that may have been pushed, but I'm not holding my breath. Failing that, I'm gonna ditch this and get something that, even if it has a lower battery life expectancy under normal usage, may actually have screen on time at the top. I'm fed up having a £700 phone that can no longer get me past 7pm.

Cheers.

What security patch are you on? August Security Patch screwed over my battery along with many others. It's probably that. If you want your battery back to normal you'd might want to revert back to a previous security patch.

 

[Stwutter]

What security patch are you on? August Security Patch screwed over my battery along with many others. It's probably that. If you want your battery back to normal you'd might want to revert back to a previous security patch.

I thought that may have something to do with it also - how do you revert back to a previous patch, or is it a case of flashing a full previous ROM? I've done that - do you just do that and then refuse any updates? I thought they eventually forced them through anyway?

EDIT: Actually just seen that there's firmware now available with the Sept. 1 security patch, so may try that tonight.

Over the last couple of hours Android System has reverted to being double SOT again anyway.

 

[blessedred]

I thought that may have something to do with it also - how do you revert back to a previous patch, or is it a case of flashing a full previous ROM? I've done that - do you just do that and then refuse any updates? I thought they eventually forced them through anyway?

EDIT: Actually just seen that there's firmware now available with the Sept. 1 security patch, so may try that tonight.

Over the last couple of hours Android System has reverted to being double SOT again anyway.

Tell me how the September Security Patch is for you in a day or 2. Android System was never this high before. And yeah you would flash a previous version I would assume.

 

[Stwutter]

Tell me how the September Security Patch is for you in a day or 2. Android System was never this high before. And yeah you would flash a previous version I would assume.

Yep. Will do.

 

[Stwutter]

Tell me how the September Security Patch is for you in a day or 2. Android System was never this high before. And yeah you would flash a previous version I would assume.

Flashed the Sept ROM about 14 hrs ago. Exactly the same, sadly.

Gonna give it most of today until late PM, and if it doesn't change I'm gonna trade it in and get the HTC 10. I'm only gonna flash so many ROMs and spend so long changing all sorts of settings. It'll be at a stage soon where it's a full month of comparatively naff battery life. Regardless of it still being 'OK', I didn't invest in a £700 phone for 'OK', and spending half my waking hours trying to get it back to where it was.

Obvs I'll let you know if anything improves over the day, but I wouldn't hold your breath. Maybe Samsung wasn't the right move in the first place.

 

[PeterKelly]

Because I've recently had battery drain problems I've been trying to get to the bottom of it and have a question to ask that might help.

Have you checked the power used, rather than the percentage? In my case, if I add up all of the power it works out that I'm only getting a capacity equivalent to around 600mAh, instead of 3600mAh. Consequently, my phone runs flat before the end of the day!

I'm interested to see how the figures add up for other sufferers of 'battery drain'.

 

[anon(632115)]

Try this app https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...?id=com.yirgalab.dzzz&hl=en_GB&token=3lBqrkTU
It vastly improved my battery life on my Edge. The built-in Doze function doesn't work if you are moving around. This app gives you better control

 

[chanchan05]

Try this app https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...?id=com.yirgalab.dzzz&hl=en_GB&token=2zd3ux9p
It vastly improved my battery life on my Edge. The built-in Doze function doesn't work if you are moving around. This app gives you better control

Actually Greenify works better for Doze and Doze on the go.

 

[Nodnerb]

I didn't read all the replies, but what it was for me is having "keep wifi on while asleep" enabled. I was getting anywhere from 30-50% used from android system. As soon as I disabled wifi on while sleeping a few months ago I consistently get android system at about 15%.

 

[JeromeM]

I didn't read all the replies, but what it was for me is having "keep wifi on while asleep" enabled. I was getting anywhere from 30-50% used from android system. As soon as I disabled wifi on while sleeping a few months ago I consistently get android system at about 15%.

Just checked and this was on for me and actually says "increases battery consumption" so I switched it to "while charging" will see if it makes a difference.

 

[Dukins]

I didn't read all the replies, but what it was for me is having "keep wifi on while asleep" enabled. I was getting anywhere from 30-50% used from android system. As soon as I disabled wifi on while sleeping a few months ago I consistently get android system at about 15%.

Yeah but any background notifications eats up your data while asleep if not on wifi? Hope that makes sense.

 

[chanchan05]

Yeah but any background notifications eats up your data while asleep if not on wifi? Hope that makes sense.

Unless you turn off data or have Background data set to off. Plus once Doze kicks in, it should limit your data as well.

 

[Nodnerb]

Yes but I have most notifications off. 90% of them are useless and annoying. Either way unless you have a very low data plan it's virtually nothing. I have a 3Gig shared plan and don't think I've ever used even a quarter of it. Not an issue for me anyway. Wifi on while asleep is a relatively new feature to stock android as far as I know. Everyone got by without it before. I keep an eye on my data usage after the change and it was indecernable from my usage with wifi while sleeping was enabled.

 

[Andyvalver]

I have this same issue at the moment. Android OS and system both taking up more of my battery than they should be. They account for a 3rd of my whole battery usage which was not the case a while back. It's very frustrating that Google have done something to mess it up. My phone has a hefty 3600mah battery that should last ages but sometimes it barely makes the day now. It's unacceptable.

 

[Stwutter]

As I was OP, thought I'd add an update.

I have seen a video recently from a US You Tuber who has just gotten his replacement Note 7, and he's having Android System issues also.

I'm not saying that these things are connected, but, whatever updates O2 have splashed out post the Note 7 Furore messed my battery up.

Regardless, I gave up - I can only flash so many ROMs. do so many restarts, delete so many apps, before I'm spending 75% of my time trying to remedy the battery issue on a phone that's supposed to be (and once was, in my case) one of the best on the market... sold the S7 Edge (100% convinced myself it's network/carrier based as opposed to the phone) and got the HTC 10 - much happier bunny now.