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GPS automatic on/off with google maps

Please forgive me if there is a topic on this matter, but I didn't find it.
In order to save baterry juice, I'm looking for an app which switch on automatically the GPS (and all its options) when I open Googlemaps (or another map/GPS app) and then switch off the GPS when Google maps goes off (for me Google maps shut down automatically with TaskPanel killer list when my mobile go sleep).
Do you know such an app?
Thanks in advance.

oavon said:
Please forgive me if there is a topic on this matter, but I didn't find it.
In order to save baterry juice, I'm looking for an app which switch on automatically the GPS (and all its options) when I open Googlemaps (or another map/GPS app) and then switch off the GPS when Google maps goes off (for me Google maps shut down automatically with TaskPanel killer list when my mobile go sleep).
Do you know such an app?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Such app is named: Android OS.
I don't understand, why do you want to do everything on your own, if Android already does these things for you and does them much, much better, than you could? Why do you people install all these task killers and other apps, which will probably degrade your battery life and cause some issues?

oavon said:
Please forgive me if there is a topic on this matter, but I didn't find it.
In order to save baterry juice, I'm looking for an app which switch on automatically the GPS (and all its options) when I open Googlemaps (or another map/GPS app) and then switch off the GPS when Google maps goes off (for me Google maps shut down automatically with TaskPanel killer list when my mobile go sleep).
Do you know such an app?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For switch on/off gps on enter googlemaps, and others you can use Locale and one or two plug-ins for do that.

The GPS only takes power when it is in use. What you are asking for isn't needed. Turning off the GPS will just stop programs from being able to use it.
So leave GPS turned on, and it will only use power when a program asks for it. It will only ACTUALLY be on when you load google maps.

I believe there's a power widget that can help you. It comes with the Nexus, at least, but can probably be found here or on the market.

Clarkster said:
So leave GPS turned on, and it will only use power when a program asks for it. It will only ACTUALLY be on when you load google maps.
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That's true only if Google Maps is your only program interested in your current location.
In all other cases it perfectly makes sense to disable GPS as long as you don't want it to be used.
Tasker (http://tasker.dinglisch.net/) is another program that's perfect for this kind of task. IMHO far better than Locale.

Thanks a lot for all your answers, I understand better know how android works.
So I will let the GPS option ON, with no worry for the battery.
I will set taskpanel to Kill maps (and my citybike app) when the mobile goes sleep.
And will try tasker, sounds nice.

oavon said:
Thanks a lot for all your answers, I understand better know how android works.
So I will let the GPS option ON, with no worry for the battery.
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Click to collapse
Same for task killing. As I said before, Android does these things for you, you don't have to worry about them. You could have some game running in a background and this will have no impact on your battery or UI smoothness. But killing all tasks will probably cut down your battery life.
One exception is when some app is bugged and it eats CPU power without any reason. But I don't think it is common.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but some of the information here is not very accurate. At least not for everyone.
It appears to be true that there is not much battery disadvantage when you leave the GPS on (I'm currently working up a big semi-scientific review of this). I also use Latitude, though. Latitude itself also will not use too much battery power. When the two are combined, however, they can kill your battery. I'm talking 50% power drain over 2 hours as opposed to 4% over 2 hours.
I would like to leave Latitude on and have GPS when I need it. Therefore I am going to use tasker to shut off the GPS except for the apps that need it. The network location that Android provides in the meantime is good enough for Latitude.
Until Latitude does a better job of managing the GPS connection I don't see another alternative.

gthing said:
It appears to be true that there is not much battery disadvantage when you leave the GPS on
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There is *no* such disadvantage, cause GPS is turned off anyway.
gthing said:
Latitude itself also will not use too much battery power. When the two are combined, however, they can kill your battery.
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Click to collapse
Hmm.. Latitude doesn't use GPS for me :-/
EDIT:
And you don't have to do tests: if there is GPS icon in notification bar, then your battery is drained for sure. If there isn't, then everything is ok. It's very simple.

oavon said:
Please forgive me if there is a topic on this matter, but I didn't find it.
In order to save baterry juice, I'm looking for an app which switch on automatically the GPS (and all its options) when I open Googlemaps (or another map/GPS app) and then switch off the GPS when Google maps goes off (for me Google maps shut down automatically with TaskPanel killer list when my mobile go sleep).
Do you know such an app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use the "Auto-Enable GPS for Maps" application, which switches both WiFi and GPS on when you launch Maps, Navigation, Local or Latitude, and restores them to their old state (e.g. switched off) when you quit these apps.
Google Play Store link: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.duniti.mapsgps

Maps in background loses lock?

After a week or so with the Captivate, one thing that bugs me is that when putting google maps in the background by pressing the home key-in other words, trying to multitask...it stops the gps. When going back to maps it has to regain a lock again..no small task for the captivate. Is there any way to "force" the app not to hibernate when in the background? This also happens if the backlight goes out. Very poor rendition of multitasking, unless I'm missing something

It is done so to conserv battery power. It is by design of GMaps. Keep a satellite lock consumes a lot of juice. Since you're not even look at the map when it is in the background or screen turns off, why waste your battery juice?
Some apps, like Google's My Track app will keep satellite lock on when it is recording your track even if you put the app to background or turn the screen off. That makes sense.
If the GPS on Captivate works properly, it should take no more than 10 seconds to re-accquire the lock. No big deal for other normal working Android phones.

Also, if you use the Navigation feature of Google Maps, it'll continue tracking you with the screen off.
I usually only use Maps to look for things, then I'll use Navigation if I'm actually using it for directions.

If you have the get position test app in LBSTestMode running in the background first before you run maps, it will keep the GPS locked on. I have a shortcut to open LBSTestMode.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

copilot live is only $5 through the market, it will keep the GPS running in the background, also allows you to download maps per region, so no churning through dataplans... its nice, a little buggy getting it setup... but tracks perfectly on my froyo captivate

Tracker Booster keeps the gps running in the background, as does mytracks and LBStestmode, as was mentioned
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897

Thanks for the quick replies guys. Makes sense I suppose..what is the "get position test app in LBStestmode"? Sorry for the newb question

gps turns off when screen locked

just out of curiosity, is it possible to set the GPS to stay "on/locked" with the screen off? Thats a big complaint i have about using some of the fitness tracking apps that track a route/distance via GPS.

Lucke said:
just out of curiosity, is it possible to set the GPS to stay "on/locked" with the screen off? Thats a big complaint i have about using some of the fitness tracking apps that track a route/distance via GPS.
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I think you can work around that by using the "Get Postion Test" feature in LBSTestMode. Open LBSTestMode and start Get Position Test, then once you have a lock, hit the home button rather than the back button to return to the home screen and start you other app. This will keep Get Postion Test running in the background, and should keep the GPS on/locked. This works for me with mytracks, maps, etc.
You can start LBSTestMode several ways: an app from the market, or use anycut and set a shortcut to the Activity LBSTestMode, or there are different keypad combinations for both 2.1 and 2.2 roms. You should be able to serach these things out on XDA.

Or use tracker booster from the market
Other apps such as nav and tracks also keep gps on when they are in use
Sent telepathically using vulcan mind meld app.

Or you can use the Google's My Track app. It will keep the GPS on while recording tracks.
Ultimately, it is app's responsibility to keep the GPS on.

foxbat121 said:
Or you can use the Google's My Track app. It will keep the GPS on while recording tracks.
Ultimately, it is app's responsibility to keep the GPS on.
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I mentioned that one but tracker booster is really the best solution as it only requests constant gps positioning so it is very light, resource wise
Sent telepathically using vulcan mind meld app.

[REQ] GPS on/off apps

Gingerbread doesn't allow apps to turn on/off GPS anymore (CM still does but it's missing some features for my device that I can't live without). Only system apps can do this these days.
As I use Tasker to automate a lot of stuff this quite sucks. I tried making Tasker a system app but the latest version still refuses to toggle GPS.
Thus my request: Could someone please create 2 tiny apps that just turn GPS on/off that can be moved to system and used by other apps to toggle that setting?

Why do you need to do that?
Just keep gps on, it doesn't do anything while it's not in use by some app. In particular, it doesn't contribute to battery drain while inactive.

some apps use GPS while in background, e.g. Google Maps. So having GPS enabled does drain the battery

XlAfbk said:
some apps use GPS while in background, e.g. Google Maps. So having GPS enabled does drain the battery
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Strange, I don't think I've ever seen that happen. The only time I see the GPS in use indicator on my notification bar is when an app like maps, my tracks etc is in the foreground. Just checked that as soon as I switch away from maps by hitting the home button, the GPS indicator vanishes.
Sent from my COS-DS using XDA App

XlAfbk said:
some apps use GPS while in background, e.g. Google Maps. So having GPS enabled does drain the battery
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Click to collapse
drbobb is right. Having GPS enabled does not mean that the actual hardware is on all the time. It merely means that android will allow apps to use it, at which point the GPS hardware will become active. So having it "ON" is just a permission thing.
If you are worried about GPS background apps (really Maps does that? I will surely test this), then I would highly recommend LBE Privacy Guard. Set the app up in such a way that Maps will need to ask you for permission to switch on GPS hardware. I tried this with the android browser because it uses GPS when you start it at google.com. Works like a charm!

well, it is as it is. this thread is not intended as a discussion thread about whether someone thinks disabling GPS is unneccessary. it's a request for an app that just turns on GPS and quits.

[Q] Tasker and GPS on the charge

Hi --
I am attempting to use Tasker to turn GPS on/off when I start/close the Maps application on the Charge, but Tasker won't do it. It works when I test the tasks in the Tasker app, but not when I actually start/close Google maps. The profile is running when I open maps (the notification window confirms this), but again, Tasker will not toggle GPS on/off. Interestingly, the legal window that pops up and must be agreed to DOES pop up when I start maps, which tells me Tasker is attempting to turn on GPS, but it disappears from the screen before I can click on "agree." Anyone else run into this problem? On a side note, since I brought them up, is there any way to get around the legal agreements that need to be agreed to every time GPS services are turned on/off? God, those are annoying.
Thanks in advance!