Moto 360, Android Wear, Blocking Apps (or NOT), and Battery Drain (Google Maps)

[Funkpod]

Okay, this weekend, on a Friday, I drove to DC. As soon as navigation started on my Nexus 6, my watch started to display the navigation notifications. I quickly blocked the app, as I didn't want the 3+ hours of navigation to drain my watch.

2.5 hours into the trip, I look at my watch's battery, and it's down to 30%!!! I started the trip at about 90%. Not happy, very scared about running out of power. Figure out it's a bug, or whatever, and I factory reset that night.

During the weekend, while I'm in DC, I notice that it is not the normal battery life, despite a factory reset Friday night.

On the way home, Sunday, I noticed a huge drain as well. Not wanting to lose any more power, I turn it on AIRPLANE MODE when at 47%.

HERE'S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING.

I get a notification that says something like "Maps Navigation App stopped." I don't remember the exact phrasing.
However, this leads me to believe that I was experiencing the battery drain because while I was blocking the Maps app, it was still running on my watch! What's up with that? I thought it totally stopped the app.

Am I correct? Does a blocked app still run while the watch despite being blocked?

IF so... how do I "fix" this? Is that possible?

Or, was something else draining my battery?

 

[itguyjax8430]

Okay, this weekend, on a Friday, I drove to DC. As soon as navigation started on my Nexus 6, my watch started to display the navigation notifications. I quickly blocked the app, as I didn't want the 3+ hours of navigation to drain my watch.

2.5 hours into the trip, I look at my watch's battery, and it's down to 30%!!! I started the trip at about 90%. Not happy, very scared about running out of power. Figure out it's a bug, or whatever, and I factory reset that night.

During the weekend, while I'm in DC, I notice that it is not the normal battery life, despite a factory reset Friday night.

On the way home, Sunday, I noticed a huge drain as well. Not wanting to lose any more power, I turn it on AIRPLANE MODE when at 47%.

HERE'S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING.

I get a notification that says something like "Maps Navigation App stopped." I don't remember the exact phrasing.
However, this leads me to believe that I was experiencing the battery drain because while I was blocking the Maps app, it was still running on my watch! What's up with that? I thought it totally stopped the app.

Am I correct? Does a blocked app still run while the watch despite being blocked?

IF so... how do I "fix" this? Is that possible?

Or, was something else draining my battery?

Could have been Google Fit trying to track your progress via GPS?

 

[Funkpod]

Could have been Google Fit trying to track your progress via GPS?

Maybe... but my battery doesn't normally drain like that, that's the problem. What do you think?

 

[itguyjax8430]

You can try blocking all apps and then start adding them back slowly. It might be time consuming but it would be a process of elimination and you might find the app that is responsible.

 

[Funkpod]

You can try blocking all apps and then start adding them back slowly. It might be time consuming but it would be a process of elimination and you might find the app that is responsible.

okay. Is it possible that Maps is running in the background and simply not displaying a notification?

 

[itguyjax8430]

okay. Is it possible that Maps is running in the background and simply not displaying a notification?

I wouldn't think so, you could go in to the Android wear manager, hit the gear up top and hit re sync apps. Maybe maps didn't get the message.

 

[Funkpod]

I wouldn't think so, you could go in to the Android wear manager, hit the gear up top and hit re sync apps. Maybe maps didn't get the message.

I'll try that. In the meantime, if you want, you could try some navigation and see if that drains your battery on your watch...


This bears further investigation, though. Cuz maps wasn't showing up on the watch.

 

[Deleted member 1199367]

Facing similar issues with my Moto 360 and Moto X 2 here - seeing a 30% drain in my 1 hour commute with the watch in cinema (theater) mode.
/subscribe

 

[Funkpod]

Facing similar issues with my Moto 360 and Moto X 2 here - seeing a 30% drain in my 1 hour commute with the watch in cinema (theater) mode.
/subscribe

Are you tracking your commute or using the GPS on the phone? Using Maps or anything like that?

 

[Deleted member 1199367]

Are you tracking your commute or using the GPS on the phone? Using Maps or anything like that?

Maps and Google Music on the phone while driving. Android Wear shows as the major consumer of battery on the watch.

This is the same pattern of use I've followed for a while; the battery drain only appeared with the last Android Wear app update.

 

[Funkpod]

Maps and Google Music on the phone while driving. Android Wear shows as the major consumer of battery on the watch.

This is the same pattern of use I've followed for a while; the battery drain only appeared with the last Android Wear app update.

interesting. Do you have the Maps notification enabled or muted on your watch?

Maybe Tomorrow try NOT using Google Maps while commuting, and see if the drain is still there on your watch.

 

[Deleted member 1199367]

interesting. Do you have the Maps notification enabled or muted on your watch?

Maybe Tomorrow try NOT using Google Maps while commuting, and see if the drain is still there on your watch.

And it's Maps:

Normal (Cinema mode):
- 30% battery in 1 hour
- Android Wear shows 11%
- Maps shows 1%

With Maps Notifications stopped in Android Wear (Cinema mode):
- 18% battery in 1 hour
- AndroidWear shows 7%
- Bluetooth shows 8%

With Maps off (Cinema mode):
- 3% battery in 1 hour

So blocking the app via Android Wear is not effective.

 

[Funkpod]

So...... That really stinks.

 

[Deleted member 1199367]

I'm hoping that this behaviour is down to a poorly qa'd Android Wear update - the last update was when it all started.

 

[Funkpod]

I'm hoping that this behaviour is down to a poorly qa'd Android Wear update - the last update was when it all started.

You would know better than I would, I don't typically drive long hours on the road. Hopefully it's the Wear update, and it gets fixed soon, then.

 

[Funkpod]

Anybody else? Used navigation for 30 minutes and even though my Maps app was blocked on my watch, my watch battery drained like crazy.

 

[Penguwin]

I took a 2 hour trip (each way) this weekend using navigation on my Asus ZenWatch and noticed this issue as well. Dramatic battery drainage on the watch, however I *did* have the navigation updates going to my watch... So not very useful information, I know.

 

[John Wenner]

I just purchased a MOTO 360 this weekend and today was my first day really using it. I'm down to 8% after 6 hours. Not sure what is killing my battery? I loked at the Watch Battery in Android Wear and it only adds up to like 30%, with Android Wear at 9% and some Android Icon at 9%. The rest is minimal.

I do listen to music at work, should I block Play Music?

 

[Funkpod]

I took a 2 hour trip (each way) this weekend using navigation on my Asus ZenWatch and noticed this issue as well. Dramatic battery drainage on the watch, however I *did* have the navigation updates going to my watch... So not very useful information, I know.

It doesn't surprise me that navigation drains it. The key is what is happening when the app is blocked. If you can, can you try and have the app blocked and see if ti's a moto360 problem, or an android wear problem.

Thanks!

 

[Funkpod]

HMm.... i have never noticed a significant decrease due to play music, but I don't usually listen to play music for more than a half hour at a time. Try it, see what happens. On a typical day, i get through the whole day, using AMbient Display, and still have at least 20% at the end of the day before bed.