Almost every Android smartphone user now uses the app, and you just need a Google Account to get started with the navigation tool. Over the years, Google Maps has also improved a lot. Now Google Maps allows you to check the air quality index, share location information, share, and bookmark important locations, etc. Unfortunately, while the app is pretty useful, it has a bad image of draining Android’s battery life. Even when you’re not actively using Google Maps, some of its processes still run in the background, draining your battery life. If you are dealing with a battery drainage Google Maps problem, continue reading the article.
10 Methods to Fix Google Maps Draining Battery on Android
There are many solutions to stop Google Maps from draining your phone’s battery life. Some of the solutions are complicated but will get you better results. Here’s how to fix Google Maps battery drainage on Android.
1. Restart your Android smartphone
Restarting will close all tasks running in the background and will eliminate the bug that may be draining the battery life. So, before trying anything else, restart your Android smartphone and use Google Maps for a while. Then, if the battery drainage issue is still evident, follow the next methods.
2. Turn off the Location Services
The first thing you can do to prevent Maps from draining your Android’s battery is to turn off the Location services. When the GPS is off, Maps won’t be able to run many of its processes in the background, which may fix the battery drainage issue. It’s easy to turn off the Location services on Android smartphones. For that, follow the steps we have shared below.
Open the Android App drawer and select the Settings app.
When the Settings app opens, tap on the Location.
3. On the Location screen, turn off the toggle for ‘Location‘.
That’s it! This will immediately turn off the location services on your Android smartphone. This will drastically reduce the battery drainage problem.
3. Allow Location Access only while using the App
If you are using the latest version of Android, you can turn on location access only while you actively use the app. This feature is useful and can significantly reduce battery consumption. Here’s what you need to do.
Open the Android App drawer and select the Settings app.
When the Settings app opens, tap on the Apps.
On the Apps screen, tap on App Management.
Now search for Google Maps and tap on it.
On the App Info screen for Maps, tap on ‘Permissions‘.
Now tap on the Location.
On the Location access for this app, select ‘Allow only while using the app‘
That’s it! Now close the Settings app. This will allow location access only while using the Google Maps app.
4. Turn on Maps Dark Mode
Google Maps has a dark mode that reduces battery drainage and alleviates eye strain. If you are still facing Google Maps battery drain Android issue, it’s time to turn on Dark Mode.
Open the Maps app and tap on your profile picture, as I have marked in the screenshot.
On the Google Maps menu, select Settings.
On the Settings screen, tap on the Theme.
You will now see a Theme prompt; select ‘Always in dark theme‘.
That’s it! This will immediately enable the dark theme on your Google Maps app.
5. Disable Background data usage for Google Maps
As we all know, even when you don’t actively use Google Maps, it uses your internet silently to provide you with certain features. So, if you want to reduce battery usage, it’s best to disable the background data usage for Google Maps.
Open the Android App drawer and select the Settings app.
When the Settings app opens, tap on the Apps.
On the Apps screen, tap on App Management.
Now search for Google Maps and tap on it.
On the next screen, tap on Data Usage.
disable the toggle for ‘Background data‘ on the Data Usage screen.
That’s it! This is how you can disable background data usage for the Google Maps app on Android.
6. Enable Battery Saving Mode
Every Android smartphone has a power saver mode that gives a few more hours of battery life. If you have followed all methods until now and the battery drainage issue related to Google Maps is still not fixed, you can try enabling the battery-saving mode. Enabling the battery-saver mode will restrict certain background processes and Android features but will reduce the battery drainage problem. Here’s how to enable battery saver on Android.
Open the Settings app on your Android and select ‘Battery‘.
On the battery screen, tap on the Power Saving Mode.
On the next screen, turn on the toggle for ‘Power saving mode‘.
That’s it! This will enable the battery-saving mode on your Android smartphone. You will also find an option to turn on/off the battery saver on the notification panel.
7. Reduce the screen refresh rate
Reducing the screen refresh rate is another reliable option to reduce battery consumption on Android. A screen refresh rate as high as 120Hz can impact your phone’s battery life; hence, you can set it to 60 or 90Hz.
Select the ‘Settings‘ app. Next, open your Android app drawer.
On Settings, tap on Display & Brightness.
On the Display & brightness, tap on the Screen refresh rate.
On the next screen, select ‘Standard‘
That’s it! You can reduce the screen refresh rate to maximize your phone’s battery life.
8. Update your Android smartphone
Who knows, maybe the battery drain issue is linked to a bug in your operating system. You can update your Android version to the latest to avoid all possible problems.
- Open the Settings app on your smartphone and select ‘About device‘.
- On the About device, check for the system updates. If any updates are available, install them on your smartphone. After the update, the battery drain issue while using Google Maps will be fixed.
9. Reinstall the Google Maps app
Reinstallation is the only remaining option to fix Google Maps’ draining battery on Android issue. Sometimes, performing a fresh app installation rules out battery drainage or high memory usage problems on Android. So, long press on the Maps app icon on your home screen and select ‘Uninstall’. Once uninstalled, install Google Maps again.
10. Start using Maps alternatives or Offline Navigation apps
Switching to offline navigation apps is the best option if you are a frequent traveler and often deal with low battery problems. Many Google Maps alternatives on the Google Play Store allow you to download maps for offline usage. Even Google Maps has a feature for downloading maps for offline viewing. So, check out the best offline GPS navigation apps to discover all available options. Also Read: How to Track Android Device and Find it on Google Maps Google Maps draining battery life on Android can be problematic, but the shared methods will help you overcome the problem. To make full use of Google Maps and to rule out problems, make it a habit to install the updates timely.
