It's the #!$%#$ WiFi that's causing the drain.

[rcpa]

It's the WiFi hunting for a connection that's causing the battery drain. (Edit: note this is WiFi on, but not connected to a network)

Like many others, I've been trying to decide whether to keep my Thunderbolt because my battery life sucked. I listen to podcasts a lot at work (downloaded the night before), and I don't mind having to plug in at work, but I need the phone to last all day if I'm just out and about, doing moderate browsing and email.

So yesterday, I turned off bluetooth, turned off WiFi, and used my old Droid for my podcasts, just to test for battery life on a typical out and about day. I still did a good bit browsing and watched a few youtube videos and made few calls. After 10 hours, I still had 60% and at 15 hours, I was down to 33% battery. "Yeah!" I thought, "This phone doesn't suck after all".

I've been using the Battery Monitor Widget to graph my battery availability and current draw.

So today, I went to my more typical usage: WiFi on, Bluetooth on, stereo bluetooth headset connected, listening to podcasts that I downloaded last night. In less than an hour, I was down to 80%.

So after a WTF moment, I started trying to figure out what was causing the usage.

I stopped playing my podcast but left WiFi and Bluetooth on, and the headset connected. No change.

I disconnected my headset, but left Bluetooth on. No change.

I turned off bluetooth. No change.

I turned off WiFi. And Viola! the phone started sipping the battery instead of guzzling it. I use WiFi at home, but I don't use it at work, so if WiFi is on while I'm at work, it's always hunting for a connection.

The Battery Monitor Widget allows me to see and graph the current draw from the batter in milliamps. Without WiFi on, and with the phone idle, I typically see 38-40 mA draw with occasional spikes to 120 mA. With WiFi on, but not connected, I'm seeing a constant 270-320 mA draw with occasional spikes to 400-500mA. This kills the battery in no time.

To verify my findings, I tested it with WiFi on for 15 minutes and then WiFi off for 15 minutes, and ran through a couple of cycles of that. Whenever WiFi was on, I got a high current draw, when it was off, it was sipping the battery.

I know that when WiFi is actually connected that it doesn't use much battery. I left my phone unplugged overnight with the WiFi connected (and set at the default of never sleep) and I only dropped 13% in about 12 hours.

 

[phantomog]

I had wifi on all day yesterday. I listened to around 4 hours of XM music through a bluetooth headset. At the end of the work day, I had around 60% battery left. Was messing around with the phone *alot* as well (first day back at work since getting the phone -- setting up work wifi, editing contacts, setting up RSA Securid App). I live in a non-4G area.

 

[rcpa]

But was WiFi connected? Or was it just on.

My issue seems to be with WiFi on, but not connected.

At home, with the WiFi connected, it uses very little battery.

 

[dmcman73]

Go into Settings -> Wireless & Networks -> WiFi settings and un-check "Network notifications", this will disable the WiFi hunting. I did this and it increased battery life for me. I don't need to know when I am in range of WiFi because either I've already connected to my preferred WiFi networks or if I need to connect to one, I already know one exists. Plus, if you go into WiFi settings, you can see if there are WiFi networks in range towards the bottom of the settings page.

 

[FrankXS]

There is nothing new abou WiFi being left on using more battery. It has done so on virtually every smartphone ever produced.

-Frank

 

[ji001]

Go into Settings -> Wireless & Networks -> WiFi settings and un-check "Network notifications", this will disable the WiFi hunting. I did this and it increased battery life for me. I don't need to know when I am in range of WiFi because either I've already connected to my preferred WiFi networks or if I need to connect to one, I already know one exists. Plus, if you go into WiFi settings, you can see if there are WiFi networks in range towards the bottom of the settings page.

doesn't this just disables notifications but the phone still searches for WiFi connections?

 

[66dude]

I'm taking the step to turn off WiFi notification. Hopefully, I can get some increased battery life, too! I really don't want the TB to hunt for open WiFi while I am driving through a city or town.

 

[66dude]

I believe this just disables notifications but the phone still searches for WiFi connections. You just wont get the notice yet as you look down the list you'd still see wifi that are found near by.

Hmmm... if that's the case, then a simple case of remembering to turn off WiFi as I leave work or home would take care of that through a WiFi widget I already have in one of my screens.

 

[tjubb]

I've noticed if I have "BEST WIFI PERFORMANCE" enabled under the advanced wifi settings that the battery will drop 50% in about 2 hours. If I disable that I can go 14+ hours under normal use. With the caveat that when I turn the phone on even though it appears wifi is connected it's not. I have to disable wifi and then re-enable it. Kind of a pain and it's hit or miss when I have to do that. I'm wondering if this is a defect or not.

 

[PJnc284]

yeah, unless you're actively using wifi, it should be turned off when you're going to be somewhere without wifi access for an extended period.

 

[Rem]

Yep, I leave "network notification" unchecked and put the wifi toggle widget on my home screen. As others have pointed out, being connected saves a lot of juice but letting it search all the time? Not so much.

 

[Guntherm]

A smiple solution for this for me was to use a program called Auto Wifi. What does it do?

Turns off Wi-fi when I leave my house. Okay really what it does is that known Wi-fi networks based upon cell tower location "I stress no GPS is used at all" but your approx location based upon cell towers (so it doesn't use up extra power). When I leave that area it automatically switches off Wi-fi, and on my way home when I get close to home it switches it back on, so the phone automatically switches back to Wi-fi at home.

this app just works... Awesome...

 

[anonymous239411]

A smiple solution for this for me was to use a program called Auto Wifi. What does it do?

Turns off Wi-fi when I leave my house. Okay really what it does is that known Wi-fi networks based upon cell tower location "I stress no GPS is used at all" but your approx location based upon cell towers (so it doesn't use up extra power). When I leave that area it automatically switches off Wi-fi, and on my way home when I get close to home it switches it back on, so the phone automatically switches back to Wi-fi at home.

this app just works... Awesome...

i noticed that there are several different "auto wifi" apps. What is the developers name?

Thanks!!

 

[Cyber Warrior]

Yes... if you're not using wifi/gps/bluetooth... turn them off. Sense comes with toggle widgets for all of these things or you can use 3rd party apps for toggling..I use Beautiful Widgets toggle.
When home I use wifi..as soon as I leave the house..wifi goes off..and bluetooth goes on..as soon as I leave my car..bluetooth goes off. Same routine everyday.

 

[Guntherm]

Auto Wifi Enabler:

http://market.android.com/details?id=com.martinutils.autowifi&feature=search_result

 

[anonymous239411]

Yes... if you're not using wifi/gps/bluetooth... turn them off. Sense comes with toggle widgets for all of these things or you can use 3rd party apps for toggling..I use Beautiful Widgets toggle.
When home I use wifi..as soon as I leave the house..wifi goes off..and bluetooth goes on..as soon as I leave my car..bluetooth goes off. Same routine everyday.

Does the beautiful widget do that toggle switch automatically? or do you?

 

[rcpa]

There is nothing new abou WiFi being left on using more battery. It has done so on virtually every smartphone ever produced.

-Frank

But I sure didn't expect it to have that much of an impact. I was shocked to discover how much power it drew while not connected, when it uses so little when connected. We're talking a difference between 40 mA and 250+ mA current draw between not on and on but not connected. And this usage doesn't show up on the battery use screen in the settings.

When you read the various "Improve your battery life" articles they list a dozen of things that would cause your phone to use less power, but some of them are on the order of "keeping your car washed to improve gas mileage due to improved aerodynamics".

When you look at the (apparently inaccurate) battery use screen in the settings and it shows WiFi as having a negligible impact, you tend to dismiss it as one of the main culprits and look elsewhere.

 

[trublond]

I used proximity wifi to help manage my wifi connection. Turns it off when there is not a valid connection and retrys it according to how you configure it. Used it on my Droid and now on the TB and it works very well.

 

[Mike_is_Mike]

I had wifi on all day yesterday. I listened to around 4 hours of XM music through a bluetooth headset. At the end of the work day, I had around 60% battery left. Was messing around with the phone *alot* as well (first day back at work since getting the phone -- setting up work wifi, editing contacts, setting up RSA Securid App). I live in a non-4G area.

But were you in a single WiFi spot all day? Or were you in and out?

The battery problem is when the phone is constantly searching for WiFi.

 

[Cyber Warrior]

Does the beautiful widget do that toggle switch automatically? or do you?

Its all me... I'd rather do it myself then have another app running in the background. Its become a routine for me... my phones in my hand 24/7 as it is.. so toggling a widget on the homescreen is not that big of a deal for me.