Updating apps drain battery? Test in Progress
ltolman1
Contributor - Level 1

Let me tell you all that I'm very very picky when it comes to Battery usage and such.  So much that when I first got the Galaxy S4 I made it survive 32hrs + on 1 charge.  At any rate heres my other stats:

I have spare batteries; so thats not the issue.  When I get ready to leave for work, the time is roughly 6:45am; and I switch batteries (full charge) I will have the phone on mute (cause of work) and depending what I do on my break determines if I use my device then or not.  Lunch hour is roughly 10am (thats just me, sorry LOL) so by 11:15am my battery should be roughly 88%. On lunch hour I will use Twitter, Internet, Facebook, maybe weather, texting etc.  So it gets used!!  And like I said when my lunch hour is up I am always left with 88% battery life.  I usually work til 3pm so when I get off about 3pm my battery is roughly 78% (almost always!!!)

78% that I have remaning from 3pm + after putting a 100% charge battery at 6:45am

Now heres the point of my subject line.  I can do a reformat and it will download all applications I've had previously.  I disable all apps that I dont need and make sure to also to clear cache/clear data and force stopping prior to turning off the app.  Afterwards I do have a Task Killer I've relied on for  months and months now and I go thru and check off everything....I only keep 4 running Apps on at all times...the ones that I do not want my cell phone to kill.

Anyways just as long as theres no new app updates I'll have my consistent battery % the same almost every time.  When there is an update I usually just hit "update"...let it install...my virus scan still checks and it usually says clean...and I go back into the Task Killer and re enable it...so I know thats not the issue.

But like I said; after a reformat and I update apps the battery starts to lose % right away....so for instance if:  .....I Formatted on Monday and by Friday I've updated 10 apps during the week; I might walk away from work at 74% instead of my 78%

Trust me on this.

Reason why I titled this "test in progress" is because I'm gonna reformat my device again (factory restore, erasing everything setting it back to factory settings as if a new device) and when theres an update to an app....I'm gonna...clear cache, clear data, force stop, un install and download the latest version (for 90% of my apps at least) and I'm gonna see if there is a big change...meaning when I update 10 apps doing the un install/re install method I will post my findings.

I'm not no Android OS expert yet but what I'm wondering if some of the installation files are leftover and causing a battery drain-age...an un install and re install doesnt have leftovers.

But definitely and seriously baffles me on how I can have X amount of downloaded apps after a factory restore....dont do any updates to any apps and see that my % on battery stays the same for over a week...and then when I update any apps....I noticed a battery % drop

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Re: Updating apps drain battery? Test in Progress
Klue
Master - Level 1

It takes battery power to update apps, wouldn't you think there would be a batttery % dropoff. Correct me if I am wrong but when you  reformat your phone and reinstall all the apps don't all the previously installed updates to those apps have to be reinstalled? thereby taking longer to update thereby using more power.  Isn't it the same thing as reinstalling a fresh version of Windows 7 on a computer and you have to download all the Microsoft updates.

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Re: Updating apps drain battery? Test in Progress
tikibar1
Community Leader
Community Leader
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Re: Updating apps drain battery? Test in Progress
Not applicable

Klue wrote:

It takes battery power to update apps, wouldn't you think there would be a batttery % dropoff. Correct me if I am wrong but when you  reformat your phone and reinstall all the apps don't all the previously installed updates to those apps have to be reinstalled? thereby taking longer to update thereby using more power.  Isn't it the same thing as reinstalling a fresh version of Windows 7 on a computer and you have to download all the Microsoft updates.

Yep not only is he re-downloading the apps but all the updates. Also I'm not sure it wise to be constantly reformatting your phone. And I though it would be common sense that downloading apps and updates would use battery. Doing ANYTHING on your phone will use battery.

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Re: Updating apps drain battery? Test in Progress
ltolman1
Contributor - Level 1

Well here is what I was trying to say:

Lets say Monday I formatted device and downloaded all 40 applications.

Tuesday around 11:30am my battery is pristine at 88% from lunch

Wednesday around 11:30am my battery still pristine at 88% from lunch

Thursday......same but Thursday night I update 9 applications; again I open market and click app and choose update....it basically downloads and re installs but probably leaves remnants....after re adding those 9 apps to my task killer...on

Friday at 11:30am now my battery is like 83-84%; and when Im' off work its like 72% or so (instead of 88/78)

Saturday.....same

Sunday......same

But what I am thinking.......when theres an update...if I un install the app and then download latest....I believe my % doesnt drop compared to updating

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Re: Updating apps drain battery? Test in Progress
Klue
Master - Level 1

Is it just me, as I do not understand what he just posted.

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Re: Updating apps drain battery? Test in Progress
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

You're worried about a extra percentage drop of 5% over several hours?

And here I'm more interested in a drop of 15 to 20% or more over the space of an hour. Because that's one of the issues that I have dealt with on one of my devices in the past.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Updating apps drain battery? Test in Progress
Dave-in-Decatur
Specialist - Level 2

We all use our phones in our own particular ways, and I'm totally in favor of that.... But.... Let me just gently inquire whether frequently reformatting the phone and downloading and updating apps, and giving such detailed concern to a variation of 5% or so in battery charge, might not be using up more time and other personal resources than it's really worth. For myself, I know I do sometimes need to take a step back and say, "Is this really benefiting me?" E.g., hanging out in forums all day long!