Why does GPS consume so much mobile battery and how to avoid it?

The devices that currently exist are very advanced but they do not have the total capacity in their battery to contain as much information as that of GPS, basically because their signals come directly from satellites, which record your location in real time.

This means that the mobile has a lot of battery demand, because the information that reaches it is very accurate and has a considerable load of information, which causes the battery to drop by 18% in the case of a device A new mobile, on the other hand, if it is a mobile from 2017, for example, the battery will consume up to 60%.

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What google services have GPS?

Google is the newest tool. The GPS along with the play store applications are continuously synchronized to know what our movements have been in order to have your preferences, tastes, and places visited at your fingertips, in order to fill you with information so that you can enjoy much more.

This also consumes a lot of battery, although many people do not give it the importance, however for those who pay attention to this, there are applications that have the option to activate the GPS automatically , they make your device demand more battery without you noticing, we leave you some here:

Google maps

Currently, Google focuses a lot on the location of people, in order to achieve accurate recommendations for you. What this application seeks is that you get the location of any site in real time without getting lost.

Waze

This is not as well known as the previous one, however, in design and functionality, users assure that it is much better than the first, because apart from showing you directions that make you arrive much faster at your destination, it also offers you the option of see the traffic you will have on that journey.

Here weGo

The competition of the previous two is definitely this, because it presents the same thing, a good design, it gives you shortcuts, it shows you the traffic, but they added that you can order a taxi from the same app.

It also shows you if the road has many curves or if there are many climbs.

Copilot

It is used mainly in European countries, it is not as widely used because it must be paid to have it, but they give you a 7-day trial so you can try it.

Advantages of having GPS active

If you are a person who is constantly looking for new places, downloading a GPS would be the best for you.
If you go out and do not have a specific address, this can help you.
If traffic bothers you, it offers you a precise exit .
You will not get lost when driving or going out on the street.
You can look for different ways to get to the same place.
If the site you arrive at is closed, this indicates similar places in other nearby areas .
It shows you the time it will take to get to your desired place.

Disadvantages of having GPS active

It consumes the battery of your mobile device considerably.
If you don’t have a mobile device, you simply don’t have the address.
If you lose the data signal of your device, it automatically stops indicating the address.
If you are not totally sure of the name of the place you want to go, it can take you to another place very easily.
Sometimes the roads it shows are much longer than the places with traffic you commonly travel.
If you do not know how to deactivate the applications that need GPS, you will have to constantly charge your mobile battery.
Although it shows you the time when you go to your destination, these times are not always met.

How to prevent your GPS from consuming so much battery?

Simple, you should see in your options bar if it is activated, if it is, deactivate it, or you can do the following:

Check in all apps the options that have GPS active and deactivate them.
Enter the play store and enter settings, the location panel and deactivate the GPS so that it does not activate automatically but when you want to use it yourself you will have the option to activate it and thus take advantage of your battery.

Optimizing GPS Battery Usage

While GPS is essential for many tasks, there are ways to optimize its usage to minimize battery drain:

Use GPS Only When Needed: Disable GPS when not actively using navigation or location-based applications. You can manually enable it when required.
Switch to Battery Saving Mode: Most smartphones offer a battery-saving mode that allows you to limit background processes and reduce GPS usage when the screen is off.
Use Assisted GPS: Assisted GPS (A-GPS) utilizes cellular and Wi-Fi network data in addition to satellite signals, reducing the time required to establish a GPS lock and minimizing battery drain.
Reduce Location Updates: Some apps offer options to tailor the frequency of location updates. If accurate real-time tracking is not crucial, consider reducing the update frequency to save battery power.
Limit Background App Refresh: Disable or configure background refresh settings for apps that regularly access location data. This prevents unnecessary GPS usage when the app is not actively in use.
Enable Wi-Fi for GPS: Turning on Wi-Fi while using GPS can aid in faster and more accurate location fixes, as it utilizes known Wi-Fi access points for positioning.

Conclusion

GPS undoubtedly plays a crucial role in our modern lives. However, its continuous use can lead to significant battery drain on mobile devices. By understanding the reasons behind this power consumption and implementing optimization techniques, users can strike a balance between utilizing GPS functionality and preserving battery life. So, the next time you find your mobile battery draining quickly while using GPS, remember these tips to help prolong your device’s battery power.