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All I can say is that it's definitely a bug in the Google app. It must leave a process running in the background, causing this problem.

No, it's just what iOS displays when the super low power location mode described below is enbled by an app or apps.

If I have the Google app completely closed, why would it be still tracking me (a purple arrow in Location Services). Suppose it found me at a particular location, how or why would it notify me of anything if the app is closed? Is there any utility to it tracking you when it can't possibly give you location based feedback (or can it)?

Sure, a large enough location change could trigger it.

Here, I just posted this on another forum. It explains everything.

Starting the Significant-Change Location Service

In iOS 4.0 and later, you can use the significant-change location service to receive location events. This service offers a significant power savings and provides accuracy that is good enough for most apps. It uses the device’s cellular radio to determine the user’s location and report changes in that location, allowing the system to manage power usage much more aggressively than it could otherwise. This service is also capable of waking up an app that is currently suspended or not running in order to deliver new location data.

- Location Awareness Programming - Apple iOS SDK

Basically, the OS itself watches for a cell id change, which takes almost no extra power to do.
 
If I have the Google app completely closed, why would it be still tracking me (a purple arrow in Location Services). Suppose it found me at a particular location, how or why would it notify me of anything if the app is closed? Is there any utility to it tracking you when it can't possibly give you location based feedback (or can it)?



Well, at least your admitting it. I'll give you points for that. But either way, poor battery life in other phones in no possible way makes my iPhone 5 battery life any better than it actually is.
Just because a typical road car can't go 150 MPH doesn't mean it has poor speed performance, right? It has the performance that is typical for a car of its type. At the time that iPhone 5 was released, was its battery performance actually poor compared to what was typically out there (not one or two specialized or fairly different phones) and what was fairly usual for smartphones at the time overall, especially ones that would support everything that the iPhone 5 supports (and not many still do)?
 
Tried Google now for 2 x days-
have noticed a significant battery drain compared to previously.
My day generally consists of being very mobile in a vehicle.
To be honest the app has offered me nothing different or functions that i really need, other than me trying the app to see what it was like.
So in general-bye bye Google now.
 
Tried Google now for 2 x days-
have noticed a significant battery drain compared to previously.
My day generally consists of being very mobile in a vehicle.
To be honest the app has offered me nothing different or functions that i really need, other than me trying the app to see what it was like.
So in general-bye bye Google now.

I would agree. I notice no change in battery duration when I spend the day in a large complex. However, if I am on the road for large portions of the day, covering significant distance, I notice much less duration. :apple:
 
Google has been tracking our emails, search results, video/music preferences and now it wants our location too. It's just a cover up to know where we are 24/7. Something constantly running in the bg will def affect battery life one way or another.
 
i would think that If you're a user who makes constant use of things like location based reminders or often access apps that use location services then you probably won't notice much, if any additional drain.

If you're a user who rarely makes use of location services, there could be a notable drain on battery life.

Based on my little theory, it's entirely possible for this same app to have a varying degree of drain depending on your usage patter for other things.
 
What is "significant location change" in the API? 100m? 1km? 10km? Any change of cell tower (which will be quite frequent in urban area)?
 
The first thing people need to realize, is that Google is using Apple approved APIs. They aren't doing anything with the phone that Apple didn't intend.

For that reason, I'm glad that Apple puts the little arrow in the menubar. I noticed Google Maps seemed to keep location services alive even when it wasn't navigating-- but it does go away when the app is terminated.

I've not used Google Now, but I'm having a hard time understanding why people would want to use a service that gives you location specific information before you know you need it, and then complain that it's constantly checking its location...

I wonder how much of this is because Google Now is a new toy that people keep fiddling with and drawing power from use rather than background. I haven't seen much in the way of scientific testing in the comments so far.
Turned on Google Now. Left home, listening to tunes. Went from full charge to half charge in 3 hours. Turned off Google Now. Still playing tunes. Went from half charge to quarter charge in 5 hours. I don't know what Google calls "significant battery impact" but I know what I call "significant battery impact".
Are you sure the scale is linear? Nothing else changed? No large emails, no change in cell tower strength, no change in temperature, no turning on the display to see what Google Now is doing?

...
I've had Dark Sky using location services 24/7 for months (it warns me when it's about to rain via Push notification) and have never noticed any battery dropoff. There must be some, but trivial in my experience.

I do wish the Location Services arrow in the status bar would distinguish between this kind of always-on locating vs. an app that is "using it right now in the foreground" (or however you'd say it). As it stands, the icon is meaningless for me, and I used to appreciate knowing when an app was locating me. (You can still look in Settings for a list of all apps tracking you now, and in the past 24 hours.) Maybe just add an option in Settings to "mute" the status icon for certain apps, allowing it to again have meaning for lesser-used apps. Or have an outlined vs. solid arrow. Something. iOS 7?
I've had the same experience with OmniFocus. Doesn't seem to have much impact-- low power Location Services was a big selling point a few revs back, as I recall.

Some subtle change to the icon is fine as long as it remains clearly visible for all uses of Location Services. That little arrow has caught more than one app using my location at times I wouldn't expect it to...
 
Hmm, that strange. It may be due to limitations for third party apps on iOS. It doesn't drain much battery at all on my galaxy nexus.
 
Turned on Google Now. Left home, listening to tunes. Went from full charge to half charge in 3 hours. Turned off Google Now. Still playing tunes. Went from half charge to quarter charge in 5 hours. I don't know what Google calls "significant battery impact" but I know what I call "significant battery impact".

Google employee probably was talking in terms of Android phone batteries terms. Those are on average much bigger than that of iPhone. Apparently, insignificant drain for Android phone's battery represents a big problem for iPhone.
 
Something constantly running in the bg will def affect battery life one way or another.

iOS is always running in the background monitoring cell sites and wifi hotspots. In the case of the Google Search app, iOS just notifies the apps of these changes. That would hardly cause drain. If it does then it is likely in the core iOS location services themselves.
 
Steve Jobs: You're holding it wrong. (2010)
Google: Google Now does not drain battery. (2013)
;)
 
Basically, the OS itself watches for a cell id change, which takes almost no extra power to do.
I notice no change in battery duration when I spend the day in a large complex. However, if I am on the road for large portions of the day, covering significant distance, I notice much less duration.

This combination could explain the difference: every time the cell id changes, iOS gets a new position fix to figure out where it went to. If you're blowing by a cell tower a minute, that'll have more impact than staying in range of the same tower.
 
This post is comical.

The entire purpose of Google Now is for it to be continuously location-aware so it can alert you with location-relevant information. If you lock the screen, put the phone in your pocket, and the app ceases to be location-aware after a period of time, the app ceases to function the way it was intended to function.

If people don't like the app being constantly location-aware, they can easily turn the Google Now portion off and just use the Google search app the way they always have.

Comical? I don't see anyone laughing... specially those who have problems because their phone is out of power sooner than expected.
Find My Friends also checks your location, but doesn't drain the battery as much.
The app needs to be tweaked to perform better. No need to keep track if I moved an inch or a foot away from my previous location.

----------

No, it's just what iOS displays when the super low power location mode described below is enbled by an app or apps.



Sure, a large enough location change could trigger it.

Here, I just posted this on another forum. It explains everything.



Basically, the OS itself watches for a cell id change, which takes almost no extra power to do.

And you really believe it works as efficient? Just try enabling Automatic Time Zone, and you'll see your battery go much faster.

----------

This combination could explain the difference: every time the cell id changes, iOS gets a new position fix to figure out where it went to. If you're blowing by a cell tower a minute, that'll have more impact than staying in range of the same tower.

Makes sense.
Also, turn off WiFi when on the road to improve battery life by a lot.

----------

Google: Google Now does not drain battery. (2013)
;)

Not Now while it's charging. Wait until tomorrow when you go on the road, and you'll see... :D
 
Battery Drainage Noticed

I have noticed a higher drain than normal with using Google on my iPhone 5, but not on my iPad 3.

I turned google location service off on my phone this morning and my battery usage is back to normal.
 
this is also why apple tends to hide some stuff from their customers, because the more they are aware of (like the location icon) the more Apple customers come up with uninformed answers to explain it.

ftfy :)
 
Comical? I don't see anyone laughing... specially those who have problems because their phone is out of power sooner than expected.
Find My Friends also checks your location, but doesn't drain the battery as much.
The app needs to be tweaked to perform better. No need to keep track if I moved an inch or a foot away from my previous location.

My point is, the app is behaving as its developers intended. Use Glympse or any other app that constantly pings your location and you'll see the same or very similar battery usage -- especially when the phone is in a poor signal area.

If people don't like the way the app works, they don't have to use it. If Google decides to change how it works so it only pings one's location once every x minutes, they're free to do that; but right now they've written their app to be constantly location aware and that's their prerogative.
 
Comical? I don't see anyone laughing...

I'm laughing. It's like everyone complaining has absolutely no idea what Google Now actually does

No need to keep track if I moved an inch or a foot away from my previous location.

Did you even read the article? The app isn't hitting the GPS, so it has no idea if you've moved an inch or a foot. All it knows it which cell tower you're on, or what WiFi you're near, and neither of those are going to give inches/foot accuracy :rolleyes:

But yes, the app does need to constantly track you, ESPECIALLY when you're barely moving. That's the whole point of the app. It's monitoring you so that it can give you information before you know you need it
 
Just because you're using Significant Change...

The mere fact that you're using the Significant Change location service does not mean you're automagically going to use less power. You need to do some other stuff as well.

In fact, it's in the docs:

http://developer.apple.com/library/....html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40009497-CH2-SW17

So the google guy may be right and wrong at the same time, something that happens often in the technology world.
 
I'm laughing. It's like everyone complaining has absolutely no idea what Google Now actually does



Did you even read the article? The app isn't hitting the GPS, so it has no idea if you've moved an inch or a foot. All it knows it which cell tower you're on, or what WiFi you're near, and neither of those are going to give inches/foot accuracy :rolleyes:

But yes, the app does need to constantly track you, ESPECIALLY when you're barely moving. That's the whole point of the app. It's monitoring you so that it can give you information before you know you need it

I think you majorly contradicted yourself in this post. Of course it knows where you are...based on Wifi/cell tower info. Otherwise what's the point??
 
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