Brand new SG S4 Mini with huge battery drain problem.

[illuSC2]

Hello folks,


I just bought a brand new Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (last week) but I am kinda really oldschool about new phone technologies so I was kind of lost at the beginning. So basically, once I got it, I just turned it on and let the instructions do the things for me as I am totally unfamiliar with smartphones. The phone did a lot of updates once turned on for the first time, I guess that was normal. Once they were completed, I started to understand a little bit how the phone works etc. I've so far downloaded only 2 applications by my own (Snapchat and Duel Quiz) which is not that much. I usually do not use internet on my phone because my phone subscription doesn't give me that much access to internet, so when I use it, it's only on my WiFi (which is not that often). So with that said, to summarize, I have only 2 applications so far that I use only when I am on my WiFi network (maybe 2 hours a day maximum), I never browse internet, I do not use facebook or any other social network.

Now that you guys are familiar with my situation, I will explain the problem.

Yesterday, my phone almost ran out of battery, so I put it on charge and was fully charged around 10.30 pm, I didnt use my phone once and when I wanted to check time on my phone around 2 am I noticed that my phone had only 20% battery left. Needless to say that I was kinda surprised that my battery dropped 80% in 3h30. So I just checked a little bit on my phone what could have caused that problem, I didnt spot anything special (tho I might have skipped something since I am unfamiliar with smartphones). While I was checking the problem on my phone (not even 15mins of use), my battery dropped from 20% to 5% and then I had to turned it off to avoid damaging the battery. I did some researches on internet, especially about how to check the battery usage. I noticed in my battery usage that there is a thing called "Server Media" that runs around 80% (while my screen is not even higher than 8%), I guess my problem comes from here, but I have absolutely no clue what is this "Server Media" thing and how to solve this issue. During my researches, I've come several times across an application called WakeLock Detector that can help me to detect what is causing this tremendous battery drain. I've just installed it and I will wait 1-2 hours to check the app again.

To summarize, my phone is 1 week old, I have installed only 2 apps by myself (Duel Quiz and Snapchat), I use them 2-3 hours a day maximum, I never browse internet nor facebook or any other social network. I basically use my phone only to check time, and send messages. In the other hand, my phone did a lot of updates by itself, being unfamiliar with smartphones I dont really know if I did something bad or not. But my battery dropped from 100% to 20% in 3h30 (without using my phone at all) and dropped from 20% to 5% in 15 mins (while using it to solve the battery issue).

I hope I explained my problem quite fine, let me know if there is something you need to know in order to help me solving this issue. I am sorry if it's not really clear, but I am really bad at new technologies and I hope that the issue is something stupid and not a faulty battery or something worse that I could have done on my phone unintentionally.

I really appreciate the help you could provide me.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Hello folks,


I just bought a brand new Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (last week) but I am kinda really oldschool about new phone technologies so I was kind of lost at the beginning. So basically, once I got it, I just turned it on and let the instructions do the things for me as I am totally unfamiliar with smartphones. The phone did a lot of updates once turned on for the first time, I guess that was normal. Once they were completed, I started to understand a little bit how the phone works etc. I've so far downloaded only 2 applications by my own (Snapchat and Duel Quiz) which is not that much. I usually do not use internet on my phone because my phone subscription doesn't give me that much access to internet, so when I use it, it's only on my WiFi (which is not that often). So with that said, to summarize, I have only 2 applications so far that I use only when I am on my WiFi network (maybe 2 hours a day maximum), I never browse internet, I do not use facebook or any other social network.

Now that you guys are familiar with my situation, I will explain the problem.

Yesterday, my phone almost ran out of battery, so I put it on charge and was fully charged around 10.30 pm, I didnt use my phone once and when I wanted to check time on my phone around 2 am I noticed that my phone had only 20% battery left. Needless to say that I was kinda surprised that my battery dropped 80% in 3h30. So I just checked a little bit on my phone what could have caused that problem, I didnt spot anything special (tho I might have skipped something since I am unfamiliar with smartphones). While I was checking the problem on my phone (not even 15mins of use), my battery dropped from 20% to 5% and then I had to turned it off to avoid damaging the battery. I did some researches on internet, especially about how to check the battery usage. I noticed in my battery usage that there is a thing called "Server Media" that runs around 80% (while my screen is not even higher than 8%), I guess my problem comes from here, but I have absolutely no clue what is this "Server Media" thing and how to solve this issue. During my researches, I've come several times across an application called WakeLock Detector that can help me to detect what is causing this tremendous battery drain. I've just installed it and I will wait 1-2 hours to check the app again.

To summarize, my phone is 1 week old, I have installed only 2 apps by myself (Duel Quiz and Snapchat), I use them 2-3 hours a day maximum, I never browse internet nor facebook or any other social network. I basically use my phone only to check time, and send messages. In the other hand, my phone did a lot of updates by itself, being unfamiliar with smartphones I dont really know if I did something bad or not. But my battery dropped from 100% to 20% in 3h30 (without using my phone at all) and dropped from 20% to 5% in 15 mins (while using it to solve the battery issue).

I hope I explained my problem quite fine, let me know if there is something you need to know in order to help me solving this issue. I am sorry if it's not really clear, but I am really bad at new technologies and I hope that the issue is something stupid and not a faulty battery or something worse that I could have done on my phone unintentionally.

I really appreciate the help you could provide me.

Thanks a lot.

Welcome to the forums!
Could you post screenshots of your battery stats, please? To take a screenshot, hold home and power at the same time. I will show the screenshots to provide.

 

[Golfdriver97]

To take one of the graph, click on it, then take the screenshot.

From an SOKP Nexus 5

 

[osvanberg]

Server media is used for the software to scan for media files, eg when you have added alot of new moves or mp3 etc this process will be high due to the fact of the phone finding the files.

I recommend GSAM battery monitor app from play store. It's very easy to understand and is very good at locating battery issues.

The server media process can also freak out and behave wrongly if you have added a corrupt external sdcard to the phone. If you have an external sdcard, remove it - evaluate. If better, then try to reformat the sdcard within the phones software and then add the files again - evaluate.

I can inform you that when the S4mini worked as it should, as mine does, the battery life is fenomenal!! I always have wifi, gps, mobile data and location On, all the time. And I use the phone very much every day for surfing and forum reading/writing, and I get 5-7 hours of screen time every day! And when just laying on the table not in use in sleep mode, it just drain about maximum 0.8% per hour. So something is of course wrong with your setup!

I'm on stock FW 4.2.2.

The only thing I have done is that I have deactivated about 15 bloat apps that came with the phone that I never use.

Skickat fr?n min GT-I9195 via Tapatalk

 

[Tanase Liviu]

After the bloatware removal you`ve had any more battery drainage ?! I`m very dissapointed about this phone and the heating , battery draining also is very much of an issue !(stupid Samsung)

 

[Frankster Bowl]

thank you for the tip with the external sd card. I have removed it now and will see if the battery will last any longer.
I have not reformated the sd card after i put it in the new galaxy mini. I will if it helps to save battery drainage.
cheers,
Frank

 

[axllebeer]

Seems insane. I'd swap it out for a new one. I was having a very bad battery drain during normal usage. I reset calendar sync and then activated development mode then turned off all animations. Battery life is great now. Not a solution for you it seems but my usage went from about 4 hrs to closer to 8 or 9 in low coverage.

Sent from my Sprint Tab 3

 

[teeone]

i have a samsung s4 mini and i get about 6 - 8 hours of heavy use out of the phone - in this time i will be using the cam internet uploading to instagram facebook etc surfing the web using google now and using spotify on and off wi fi etc gps etc.

if this good? or bad? ive never really not used it to see how long i get. i will update soon with the screen shot of tommoros usage. also i allways sitch my phone off to take a charge.

 

[twizar]

I still find this phone good enough for 2015, but the battery life went down over the last two years of use.
I just bought a Zerolemon 5100mAh battery and it gives me almost 3 times the battery life. From 3 hours of screen on time with the original battery, I get now 8 hours and 2 to 3 days of heavy use.
If you want more informations about it, I made a youtube video: "Zerolemon 5100mAh Extended Battery for Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini - unboxing and first impressions"
Feel free to ask anything about it in the video comments section.

 

[Aliebaba99]

Me and my friend have this same phone, but mine does run out of battery way quiker than his, and we use it about the same time, I have GPS and location always turned off, I have saving modus always on, but still my phone runs out quit quikly. Have you gotten any ideas about whats wrong with my phone?

 

[wizzyweasel]

Hi.....Just thought i would share my recent findings.....i did a Factory Data Reset on my mobile...then once i had downloaded the apps i generally use.....i DID NOT download the Facebook APP.....instead i went on Facebook through my search engine to the desktop site, went to my internet settings button in top left corner generally and selected add to desktop....this puts a FB icon on your desktop which directs you to fb online rather than have the app...plus the MESSENGER APP isnt required either on the desktop site so your saving 2 spaces.
this has made an incredible difference to my battery life...please try.

 

[Patricia McKinney]

Call your provider and ask them to send a new battery at no charge. Look in you apps to find one for your battery and possibly it will tell you what problems it solves before you download. I have the S4 Mini and it drops calls, changes screens, reminders don't alert me etc etc etc and my provider can't rear
There is also a Samsung app to call them and they can go into your phone, with your permission, to fix problems
Hope this helps.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Patricia McKinney]

If you can't get problems resolved soon, I suggest you buy a different phone SOON. I plan on getting a used Apple iphone.

Posted via the Android Central App