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Samsung S6 Software update causing battery drain

I recently had a software update on my Samsung S6, since then my phone has been running terrible with very short battery life. Android OS and Android System are consistently my two highest battery usage applications now, by a wide margin. The phone uses battery even when just sitting there and not being used. There is also considerable lag switching between applications and I have had google play and google framework crash several times, even when google play has not been open. Any possible solutions would be welcomed.

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Verizon_Support

I rely on my phone to last me throughout the day and can understand your need for a lasting battery, MICMON51. Let’s check the device further to see what’s going on. Since the update, have you checked to make sure all apps are up to date? Have you also powered the device off and back on? Any damage to the phone?

DanielleR_VZW

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Verizon_Support

MICMON51, software updates are suppose to enhance your experience. Sometimes they need a little help successfully downloading. Not to worry we are here to provide assistance. In this case I would recommend that you complete a full factory data reset. This will allow the software to update correctly and bring about normal functions back to your phone. Follow the link for instructions: http://vz.to/2cmCwVs

RalphT_VZW
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PHINYE67

Having the same problem. It's the 6.0.1 update and not any apps.

I have very few apps and ones I do have been there for months. Update happens and suddenly blazing hot CPU and rapid battery drain for no reason.

This morning 2 hours out of the charger and it's at 50%, All I did was turn on blue tooth to connect with car. No other apps used. I didn't even check email. Power profile consistently shows Android as the top battery drain.

Maybe there's a way to roll back the phone to an earlier version of Android.

Verizon_Support

We appreciate your feedback. Although there is not a way to revert to the previous version, Samsung recommends using this Upgrade Assistant Tool http://vz.to/1iarxob.

Once this has been done, please let us know how the battery life is.

TamaraH_VZW
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MICMON51

I used the Upgrade Assistant Tool that was recommended this weekend. The battery life does seemed improved so far although it has only been one day. The Android OS is still the second highest battery usage application and Cell Standby is also higher usage component (10%) than I remember before the software upgrade. I will see if this has resolved the battery life issues over the next few days.

Verizon_Support

Thanks for trying that, and I'm glad you're noticing a difference, MICMON51. Please do keep us posted.

VanessaS_VZW
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MiniWizard

Folks (I know the answer),

From a credentials perspective, I have been a software engineer at the kernel level for many operations, but not Android or Linux. However, the problem isolation skills apply and here is what I have found. On the Galaxy S6 that my wife has, she noticed massive battery draining to occur after software updates beginning with the June time frame update of Android and continuing with every update that followed. This is when they removed the requirement to have your phone charging during the update.

The time of the drain varies from 1.5 to 3 days depending on the size of the update. The "optimizing" descriptions and everything else claimed to be the source of the problem does not align with my actual findings. While we all know that radio usage drains the battery, there are some operations that you cannot see on your phone. Here is the real story.

The update that you see takes around 10-20 minutes and reboots your phone a couple of times. When the message appears stating that the update is complete, it is what we call a "white lie". That is just the beginning of the update. I spent 3 hours on the phone with the lead technical person and they did not know what I am about to explain.

After the "Update Complete" the drain on the phone battery will occur at a rate of about 8% per hour and continue until the background update completes. I suspected and confirmed that this background update was sending the update files through an "over the air" channel, not the data channel nor the WiFi. How did I figure this out? When the battery was draining, we turned off all of the radios (airplane mode) for about 30 minutes. The battery draining ceased. When we turned the network (voice) radio back on without data mode enabled, the battery drain began again. The update finished after about 2 days for this past weekend's update. The "update complete" message needs to include a message that states, "Expect heavy battery usage to occur for the next 1-3 days to complete additional update operations. Plan to charge your phone continuously during this period of time."

From what I hear the same issues occur with all Android and iOS phones. I do not know about the Blackberry, but I suspect it does as well.

Welcome back to the days of a hardline for 2 days every few months. Plan accordingly.

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