Samsung Galaxy S3 Mega Battery Drain(please read)

[paintdrinkingpete]

I've tried steps 1-12. Android System use still at 50%. I 'force stopped' just about everything Google. Android System use is now at 6%! I'm not sure how long 'force stopping' all these apps. will last. But right now I'm happy with the 6% usage!

Android system at 50% *can* be normal, depending on the context. In order to evaluate whether it's normal or not, at the very lease we'd need to know (1) the rate of discharge of the battery %/hr, (2) what other apps are showing up in the battery log during the same period, (3) screen time during that period, and (4) network conditions, such as wifi, 3G, 4G, strong signal, weak signal, etc.

gNow isn't really that big a battery hog. For Android System issues, read this thread: http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...android-system-eating-your-battery-check.html

Honestly, it can really depend on your environment and how you use it. I spend all day at work in an internal office with pretty crappy cell reception and absolutely no GPS line-of-sight, and I find that when I leave GNow enabled my battery drains a good 20-30% during my work day than it does when I leave it turned off...so that's what I do, leave it turned off.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

Android system at 50% *can* be normal, depending on the context. In order to evaluate whether it's normal or not, at the very lease we'd need to know (1) the rate of discharge of the battery %/hr, (2) what other apps are showing up in the battery log during the same period, (3) screen time during that period, and (4) network conditions, such as wifi, 3G, 4G, strong signal, weak signal, etc.

Honestly, it can really depend on your environment and how you use it. I spend all day at work in an internal office with pretty crappy cell reception and absolutely no GPS line-of-sight, and I find that when I leave GNow enabled my battery drains a good 20-30% during my work day than it does when I leave it turned off...so that's what I do, leave it turned off.

But that's not really a gNow issue, as much as it is a lousy signal issue. Weak signal / poor reception is the biggest battery hog. gNow really doesn't turn the GPS on all that often, and not for very long at a time (although it does depend somewhat on what cards you have enabled).

 

[catborg]

I had a battery drain problem as well in the past...and it seemed to have stemmed from a problem where my phone would constantly check for media files. Perhaps your problem is similar? I forget exactly what the issue was.... What is the biggest source of battery drain on your phone? Go to the battery menu to check.

 

[hawks25]

But that's not really a gNow issue, as much as it is a lousy signal issue. Weak signal / poor reception is the biggest battery hog. gNow really doesn't turn the GPS on all that often, and not for very long at a time (although it does depend somewhat on what cards you have enabled).

This is the part that kills me. Whenever the phone has lousy cell or GPS signal, it seems to actually increase pings to the network/satellites. Which in turn creates a vicious circle of battery drain. My battery life isn't all that bad, but it is irritating when I have low signal that my battery goes to the dogs.

The phone can sense so many other different algorithms, you would think it would know that when signal is low, it should decrease the number of pings and then return to normal when the signal returns to normal.

 

[Benjamin Christensen]

I couldn't figure out which app drained my battery, but after removing a defect sd card, things were back to normal. I have Google+ running so it might very well be that one...

 

[meyerweb#CB]

I couldn't figure out which app drained my battery, but after removing a defect sd card, things were back to normal. I have Google+ running so it might very well be that one...

Defective SD cards, or corrupted files on the card, are a fairly common cause of high battery drain. Android periodically (on every boot, but at other times, too) scans both the internal and external card looking for new or removed media files. If it can't read the card, it will sit there and churn forever, trying to read it. Google really should build a time-out and a user-error-message into the OS when that happens, but at the moment it will kill your battery.

 

[seanskiT1]

I couldn't figure out which app drained my battery, but after removing a defect sd card, things were back to normal. I have Google+ running so it might very well be that one...

Along with what meyerweb said, if it is an app, go to the playstore an dl wakelock detector. It will show which apps are draining the battery. I've used it a couple of times.

sent from my GS3 running Wicked

 

[Tech39]

Disable the Samsung Push Service, it's a battery killer.

 

[Immortal Cappy]

Once i unmounted my sd card the battery drain stopped.
The Media Download icon went away and everything is fine.
Getting a new sd card today and fingers crossed that solves the issue completely.

 

[Thrillhouse617]

Once i unmounted my sd card the battery drain stopped.
The Media Download icon went away and everything is fine.
Getting a new sd card today and fingers crossed that solves the issue completely.

Do you have duplicate directory names on the sd card and the internal phone? See this post I made:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sp...7-media-server-battery-drain-my-solution.html

 

[redfishblufish]

Samsung Galaxy - Just recently I've started having issues with the battery running down - in minutes! to 3% ..... or dead. Shuts down and then I try to turn it on and it shuts down again - or I may see a pop up that says to plug in to coninue. I'm trying to determine who or what the cause is and it seems to be Facebook and or the connection. I'm at the summer cottage which is a bit remote ... strength or signal is a concern and the available 4G network - they (Telus) says it is but I've heard it's maybe 3G. So knowing that, for the last few few weeks I'll be trying to get into or post to FB and it'll hang and take forever (2 or 3 minutues and then shut down - turn the phone back on and the battery's gone - from 60, 70 80% to 5% or less! Today it happened and I turned the phone off - kayaked around for 2 1/2 hours - when I turned the phone back on it said 71% charge ... crazy thing, so is it the phone, the battery... or posessed. I talked to a friend across the lake and she said the same thing (iPhone) running down quickly, is it the new FB update? I haven't updated any apps ... so I'm wangfangled - Thoughts?

 

[Immortal Cappy]

Do you have duplicate directory names on the sd card and the internal phone? See this post I made:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sp...7-media-server-battery-drain-my-solution.html

Thanks thrillhouse (love the name lol simpsons fan) ill check that out and post up results

 

[Irene Wright]

I had this problem . My battery just started to drain . Even when input it on charge it still drained. I bought a new battery and the Same thing happened. I rang the phone company where I got the phone from and they told me to take all my photos and contacts and put them on the pc then put phone back to factory settings .
I did this and fingers crossed it is back to normal.
It all started after an upgrade of an app. Any way the fact that it is back to factory settings it's got rid of the problem.
The only fly in the ointment is putting all my contacts back in but at least all my photos are safe on my pc .
I hope this helps some one

 

[Spartan1337]

Ok, I am glad to see other people having a battery issue as well..but after reading up on all the symptoms and "quick fixes" I think just have a bad battery. Let me explain.
I woke up this morning, pulled my phone off charge and began checking Facebook, Google+, etc. In 12 minutes, my battery drains from %100 to %81. That's insane! My settings says the "culprit" is the screen..but I always have the screen on minimum brightness and dark wallpapers.
I have reached my wits end with this battery issue..no apps will fix it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

Once i unmounted my sd card the battery drain stopped.
The Media Download icon went away and everything is fine.
Getting a new sd card today and fingers crossed that solves the issue completely.

The problem is probably not the card, although that's possible. It's more likely a corrupted file on the card. Before spending money on a new card, I'd suggest copying all the files to your computer, then reformat the SD card in the phone. Use it that way, without any files on it, and see if it works OK. If it does, start copying files back to the card, but do just one folder at a time, then wait a few days. If the problem returns, you know it's a file in that particular folder. Then you can delete that folder, and start copying files over one at a time until the problem returns.

If it's a bad file, and you just copy everything over to a new card, the problem will occur with the new card, too.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

Samsung Galaxy - Just recently I've started having issues with the battery running down - in minutes! to 3% ..... or dead. .....Thoughts?

Dr. Seuss, can you provide a little more detail about your issue? Without real data, all anyone can do is guess (see my sig). Charge the phone to 100% (that's important, not 90%, not 95%, not even 99%), then unplug it and use it until it's down to 50% or less. Then go to Settings / battery, and do a screen capture. Then tap on "Screen" and capture that, as well. Go back to the battery screen and tap on the graph, and capture that screen, as well. Post all three captures here (or start a new thread). That data will give us something to go on in providing suggestions.

You might also find these threads helpful:

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...android-system-eating-your-battery-check.html

http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s3/278622-battery-life-tips-myths.html

If you're on AT&T, check out this thread, too: http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...e-random-heavy-battery-drain-aka-plummet.html

 

[meyerweb#CB]

I had this problem . My battery just started to drain . Even when input it on charge it still drained. I bought a new battery and the Same thing happened. I rang the phone company where I got the phone from and they told me to take all my photos and contacts and put them on the pc then put phone back to factory settings .
I did this and fingers crossed it is back to normal.
It all started after an upgrade of an app. Any way the fact that it is back to factory settings it's got rid of the problem.
The only fly in the ointment is putting all my contacts back in but at least all my photos are safe on my pc .
I hope this helps some one

Irene, a couple of things. If you have further problems after putting all your data back, see my post above to redfishbluefish. Capturing and posting those screen shots will help people help you. Also, if you set your phone up to sync your contacts with Google, you won't need to reenter them all if you ever have to do another reset. Google will save them, and copy them back to your phone. If you need help doing that, start a new thread with that subject line.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

Ok, I am glad to see other people having a battery issue as well..but after reading up on all the symptoms and "quick fixes" I think just have a bad battery. Let me explain.
I woke up this morning, pulled my phone off charge and began checking Facebook, Google+, etc. In 12 minutes, my battery drains from %100 to %81. That's insane! My settings says the "culprit" is the screen..but I always have the screen on minimum brightness and dark wallpapers.
I have reached my wits end with this battery issue..no apps will fix it. Any help would be appreciated.

Spartan, is this a common problem, or did it just happen today? If it's a one-time thing, there may not really be anything wrong. When you first take the phone off the charger, the battery many not really be at 100%, even though the phone says it is. Read this post to understand: Your battery gauge is lying to you (and it's not such a bad thing) - xda-developers So even though the gauge said 100%, it could conceivably been as low as 93%, in which case dropping rapidly to 81% with use might not be an issue.

If this is a continuing problem, see my posts above. Post those screen shots here and we can help diagnose the problem. It could be a bad battery, but it could also be a software or configuration issue.

 

[redfishblufish]

I'm on Telus - (canada) this problem started here at the lake house where there is only 3G network and the worst reception ever. A friend was here for a few days and her iPhone was fine with accessing network. My old phones were a motorolas, never had a problem with reception. Because of these issues everything is off GPS, WIFI, syncing on FB and gmail - I must go in Apps and refresh.

I will be doing a refresh and as it searches (less than a minute) it just suddenly shuts down - turn the unit back on the battery is 3% or connect to charger and it shuts off again, did this on a phone call the other day, had to reboot twice and plug in. One day it happened out on the lake and so i left it off (no battery) - a couple hours I turned in on battery was @ 70% ?? how does that happen ....

At night I put it on flight mode so it doesn't roam or search all night - Signal strength is often -113 dBm 0 asu dBm will rarely drop below -100 asu will vary 3 to 5
Network type UMTS - I have no idea what that means
firmware 2.2.1

Display is eating 75% (right now) idle 14% cell standby 9%

Thanks for looking

 

[gonr]

I had a similar problem. Disabling the Samsung Push Service app fixed it for me. That is a huge battery hog.