GPS is often used to determine your current location or find a good route toward your destination. The entire system uses three components for it to function. These are the satellites that map out your location, the ground station that receives the data from the satellite and transmits it, and the receiver which is your mobile device that has the GPS app.
Most GPS apps tend to consume a lot of battery power from your mobile phone for function properly. This is one of the reasons why you often hear people saying that you only need to use your GPS in certain situations.
If you want to keep your mobile phone from using up its battery power, learn the reason why GPS apps consume so much phone battery power and how you can help reduce this. Check out this article.
Reasons for High Battery Consumption by GPS Apps
There are a lot of reasons why GPS apps consume high amounts of battery power on your mobile device. One of which is the constant use of the GPS receiver.
Every second that you're using the GPS to determine your location, the app consumes energy from your phone's battery. The more you use the app, the more battery power it consumes.
Since GPS apps need to provide the exact location, it requires a lot of accuracy thus requiring more energy to use from your device. Another main culprit of high battery consumption is the use of display brightness and screen time.
Many users use their GPS apps all the time which not only consumes a lot of battery power in itself but the screen brightness also slowly chips away the battery life of your phone.
What's Happening Behind the Scenes of Your GPS App
Apart from the power requirements to run a GPS app, many GPS apps also use additional sensors and data as well as WiFi and cellular signals.
This means that your mobile phone works double time to meet the demands of the app which means it will require even more power for it to work. Having such tremendous requirements can easily drain your phone's battery life.
Even if you do close the app, it can still run in the background which means it is still consuming a lot of battery. Many GPS apps run in the background to continue tracking your location and updating them as you go.
Learn How to Reduce Battery Consumption in GPS Apps
Now that you know why your GPS app is consuming a lot of battery power, it is time to learn how to reduce its battery consumption without compromising the function of the app.
The very first thing that you should do is adjust the location settings and accuracy of the app. You can either choose to lower the accuracy but not so much that it will point you out to nowhere.
You can lower the accuracy by a few to reduce the app's power requirement. Another good way to do this is to turn off your phone's location services, especially when you're not using your GPS app.
Reduce Background Location Tracking
Knowing that your GPS app continues to track your location even when the app is closed or set in the background, you can reduce its power consumption by disabling background updates.
There is an option on your mobile phone to reduce background app activity to minimize its power consumption. The best way to handle this is to close your unused GPS app and even other apps that might consume a lot of battery power from your phone.
This can help conserve a lot of energy so you can use the app during emergencies.
Manage the Settings
Users can also manage the app settings and limit real-time navigation features on the app. This allows the app to consume less battery power as it does not require constant data to provide you with information.
Another way to save battery through the settings is to disable any unnecessary notifications and alerts coming from the app.
You can disable it through the in-app settings or your phone's main notification settings.
Minimize Screen Brightness
Your phone's screen alone consumes most of the battery power even when no apps are running. When used together with your GPS app, it can take a lot out of your phone.
Try to reduce your screen's brightness and set it to automatic so that it can provide you with enough brightness whenever you need it.
You can also enable battery-saving mode on your phone or use Dark Mode or Night Mode whenever it is possible for you to do so.
Other Ways to Save Battery Life
Apart from tinkering with your app's and phone's settings to help save battery, there are still so many other things that you can do.
First, you can always download and use offline maps to help guide you through uncharted territories.
Many of these offline maps let you download an updated version of the map and you can use them without having to consume data and a lot of battery power on your phone.
If that's not your thing, you can always go back to the traditional way by using a dedicated GPS device.
Using a Power Bank
If you find yourself having to use your GPS app all the time, you can try to conserve as much battery as possible by doing the steps above.
You can also use a power bank or a portable charger to continue providing power to your phone while you're using your GPS app.
It is always important that you keep a backup power supply for your phone especially when you're outdoors.
How to Properly Identify Energy-Efficient GPS Apps
While there are a lot of GPS apps that consume tremendous amounts of power from your phone, there are also energy-efficient GPS apps that you can download.
You can always compare different apps together and see which ones consume a lot of battery. Read reviews to learn more about the app especially if the app has a battery-saving feature in it.
You can also download different apps and test them before you use them. This way, you get to see which ones are effective, especially during emergencies when you're running out of battery power.
Maintaining Your Phone's Battery Health
It is very important that you also maintain your phone's battery health. Constant misuse of your phone can lead to poor battery health. To prevent this from happening, you need to make sure that you update your phone's software.
Each update brings more features that prevent your phone from consuming too much battery power. Monitor how you use your phone and try to limit usage as much as possible. Other apps consume more battery so you need to limit using those apps.
Try to place your phone in a cool dry place especially when you're charging it. Avoid extreme temperatures as they may cause your battery to swell.
Conclusion
GPS apps play an important role in guiding you through different locations. While it has its uses, you should also take good care of your phone, especially its battery, so you can continue to make good use of your GPS app.
Spanish version: ¿Por qué las aplicaciones de GPS consumen tanta energía de la batería del teléfono y cómo reducirlo?
Last updated on May 23rd, 2023 at 05:21 pm
