runaway GPS location... "weather platform" lg bloat

[sswitzer]

My wife's phone used up a bunch of battery this evening, and it turns out it was the LG "weather platform" app. I noticed the location icon was constantly going in the notification bar, and when I looked at location services, I saw that "weather platform" was using a lot of battery.

The app can't be uninstalled or even disabled, but I did a "force stop" on it.

I also switched her location from high-accuracy (gps + network) to batter saver (network only) -- the same as I have on my phone.

Anyways, in case someone else is finding their location icon on a lot more than it should be, this sucker was really sucking the life out of the battery.

Note that the "weather platform" app is just used by the phone when you use the LG weather widget (which we don't... we use Nova, not the LG launcher), and there doesn't appear to be any way to alter the settings of this app (maybe if I switched back to the LG launcher, and then ran the widget? I don't know.)

If I run the "debloater tool" ( http://forums.androidcentral.com/lg-g4/545184-debloater-tool.html ), can I permanently disable this sucker?

 

[anon(782252)]

I have noticed weather platform listed under Location as a high battery abuser lately but I haven't seen any effect on my battery life because of it.

I do run GPS only which I personally consider to be the best combination of battery efficiency without sacrificing function.

 

[sswitzer]

I have noticed weather platform listed under Location as a high battery abuser lately but I haven't seen any effect on my battery life because of it.

I do run GPS only which I personally consider to be the best combination of battery efficiency without sacrificing function.

The bizarre part of it was just how much it was using - GPS was in a constant search for several hours. Some sort of bug in the app. Best to kill it

Also I killed the GPS in case this app starts up again (after all, I wasn't able to actually disable it.)

 

[anon(782252)]

The bizarre part of it was just how much it was using - GPS was in a constant search for several hours. Some sort of bug in the app. Best to kill it

Also I killed the GPS in case this app starts up again (after all, I wasn't able to actually disable it.)

Well isn't the app actually using location and not specifically GPS? So it could still use networks to search unless location is turned off completely.

 

[sswitzer]

Well isn't the app actually using location and not specifically GPS? So it could still use networks to search unless location is turned off completely.

True... but if it's using networks for location won't it be less of a drain than if it uses GPS? (Assuming I'm in good range of networks.)

In this case, looking at gsam, I could see that GPS search was in a constant search state for several hours (which I'd never seen before, but heard of in other threads), and also the weather platform app was showing up as a high-battery location user (which I've never seen before.) Not a definitive diagnosis, but I'd day the two were tied together.

 

[anon(782252)]

True... but if it's using networks for location won't it be less of a drain than if it uses GPS? (Assuming I'm in good range of networks.)

In this case, looking at gsam, I could see that GPS search was in a constant search state for several hours (which I'd never seen before, but heard of in other threads), and also the weather platform app was showing up as a high-battery location user (which I've never seen before.) Not a definitive diagnosis, but I'd day the two were tied together.

Honestly, I'm not sure which is a bigger battery hog. I guess I've just had good luck running GPS only so I've stuck with it.

I'm sure they were tied together. The app ran a little rogue for whatever reason. I noticed it the past couple days under Location as well but today its not there. However, I can't say it being listed caused me to see the location icon pop up anymore than usual and I still got 5 hours SOT yesterday.

 

[anon(782252)]

By the way, have you tried opening the weather app (it's in app drawer named weather) and changing the sync to manual and deleting any cities it has stored?

 

[sswitzer]

Re: runaway GPS location... "weather platform" lg bloat

By the way, have you tried opening the weather app (it's in app drawer named weather) and changing the sync to manual and deleting any cities it has stored?

I'm using nova and I don't see the weather app in the drawer.

I've even tried making a shortcut to the weather platform settings... no go.

I think what happened is that I uninstalled the LG Weather app when I first got the phone, and the Weather Platform app is a hanger-on that I'm stuck with.

 

[greydarrah]

Re: runaway GPS location... "weather platform" lg bloat

I'm using nova and I don't see the weather app in the drawer.

I've even tried making a shortcut to the weather platform settings... no go.

I think what happened is that I uninstalled the LG Weather app when I first got the phone, and the Weather Platform app is a hanger-on that I'm stuck with.

This would definitely suck, but if you really wanted to, you could always save/backup your Nova settings, then do a factory reset, play with the LG Weather settings then put everything back to the way you had it...painful.

 

[JayWill]

Try this. First change back to home launcher. This will give you access to the weather widget. Add the widget to a screen, tap the temperature which opens the App then hit the menu icon at the top right to get to settings. From there you can edit your city list and delete a location based city if it's enabled.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[sswitzer]

Try this. First change back to home launcher. This will give you access to the weather widget. Add the widget to a screen, tap the temperature which opens the App then hit the menu icon at the top right to get to settings. From there you can edit your city list and delete a location based city if it's enabled.

Posted via the Android Central App

Good idea... except that because I uninstalled the Weather app, the widget is not available.

When I go into About Phone -> App Updates, I see the option to download the Weather app. But when I try to do that it tells me that the "Weather only runs in the latest version of Weather Theme. Tap OK to download Weather Theme as well". That's all well and good, but I'm hesitant to gown that rabbit hole, installing more and more LG bloat.

Anyways, it's an interesting challenge

Considering that this is the only real performance issue (the original problem of the Weather Platform infinite-looping my Location GPS), I'd say I'm pretty happy. Also, changing location to Network and force-stopping Weather Platform seems to be a decent, although not ideal, solution.

I'm thinking I'll try out the Debloater tool and disable the Weather Platform package.

 

[bluemoongreg]

I disabled the LG weather service & related apk's using the debloater tool some time back without issue on my VZW device. Still using stock launcher, & NOAA Weather as my weather app/widget.
The debloater is a fantastic little program. And any VZW device is a target-rich environment for it!

 

[GibMcFragger]

Nice find. I just nuked it with Titanium Backup.

 

[KPMcClave]

I disabled the LG weather service & related apk's using the debloater tool some time back without issue on my VZW device. Still using stock launcher, & NOAA Weather as my weather app/widget.
The debloater is a fantastic little program. And any VZW device is a target-rich environment for it!

I did this as well. Also on Verizon, wtih no issues as a result.