Samsung Galaxy S3 battery question

HeidiHeidi

Hoping someone out there might be able to help me.

My S3's battery has in the last week gone to hell - won't even last half a day, with the phone hardly being used at all. I've turned off GPS (wifi left on as I use my home wifi when home). Other than that, the phone is set up exactly as it has been for the last months or more.

This has only happened in the last week - unless I was literally surfing the net for about 8 hours before that, the battery would comfortably last a whole day easily.

I've looked at what (I think) has been draining the battery, and Google+ seems to account for 63% :eek: (Settings, Battery, gives a list of stuff and Google+ is top of it - I've just checked it again, now reading 83% :eek::eek:)

I've never used Google+, I don't want Google+ (especially if it's eating my battery life for breakfast), but I figure I can't get rid of it - seems to be built in. Is there any way I can disable it?

But that's been on the phone for ages, and the battery issue has only started lately.

Is there anything else I can do to see what might be causing this?

a) I'm not AT ALL techie, so while I've heard of factory resets, etc, I haven't the foggiest how to go about it, and I'm afraid I'd lose all my apps and photos etc. I've also no idea how to go about backing everything up (although all my pics are in Picasa, when I tried a while back to delete some from the phone, they disappeared from Picasa as well :eek:).

b) I've had the phone just over a year. Bought in Carphone Warehouse. Is there a chance that it's still under warranty from there or from Samsung? Would warranty even cover the battery?

Any help very much appreciated - like I say, I'm seriously untechy, so any advice in words of one syllable, please

Thanks in advance!!

advertsfox

Ok first off, it's possible Instant Upload (AKA Auto Backup) has been enabled in Google+ - if that is going through all your pictures / videos, it will eat your battery. You can verify this by checking your Auto Upload / Backup folder online, link below:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/search/%23AutoBackup (if this is full of your photos and videos, let me know).

Alternatively, you can disable the application by going to Settings > Apps > All > Google+ > Uninstall Updates, Disable.

That will move it to the bottom of the list and disable it. Let your phone die or go as low as possible, charge it up and use it as normal again to see if it fixes the issue.

HeidiHeidi

advertsfox wrote: »

Ok first off, it's possible Instant Upload (AKA Auto Backup) has been enabled in Google+ - if that is going through all your pictures / videos, it will eat your battery. You can verify this by checking your Auto Upload / Backup folder online, link below:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/search/%23AutoBackup (if this is full of your photos and videos, let me know).

Alternatively, you can disable the application by going to Settings > Apps > All > Google+ > Uninstall Updates, Disable.

That will move it to the bottom of the list and disable it. Let your phone die or go as low as possible, charge it up and use it as normal again to see if it fixes the issue.

Hi there,

thanks for your reply and advice! Sorry I took so long to get back to you.

I tried that link, and it gave me a Google+ page, with a search option. When I searched for an album title from Picasa it came up. Is this what you mean by "full of your photos" above???

I followed the setting instructions for disabling Google+, but instead of "Disable" I got the option to "Force Close". Is this the same thing? I clicked it anyway.... and got a message warning me about possible errors if I did it. When I go to the G+ app, it still appears to be working.

The battery on the phone is nearly gone now (after three charges today, none of them full ones though, although it went from full to nothing between 11am and 4pm with I think two phone calls).

Is it possible that the battery is just crocked? Should this happen after only a bit more than a year?

Thanks again for your suggestions - it'll be interesting tomorrow to see if things have improved after the tweaks, and after a full charge overnight.

Cheers!

advertsfox

When you go to the Google+ page I linked, does is show the contents of your S3's photos and videos you have taken?

No "Force Close" just does exactly as it says on the tin and when you launch it again, it's back open. Have you signed into Google+ in Settings > Accounts > Google - if so, in here untick the options for...

Google+
Google+ Photos

HeidiHeidi

advertsfox wrote: »

When you go to the Google+ page I linked, does is show the contents of your S3's photos and videos you have taken?

No, I have to search for an album for any pics to show.

No "Force Close" just does exactly as it says on the tin and when you launch it again, it's back open. Have you signed into Google+ in Settings > Accounts > Google - if so, in here untick the options for...

Google+
Google+ Photos

I think I've done this.... along the way, I found the auto-backup option, and it's definitely off.

Thanks again for your help, I'll see how things go today - battery symbol still showing full although it was plugged out of the charger a couple of hours ago, so looking good.

I just hope I can find all my pictures when I go looking for them!!!

advertsfox

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Thanks again for your help, I'll see how things go today - battery symbol still showing full although it was plugged out of the charger a couple of hours ago, so looking good.

I just hope I can find all my pictures when I go looking for them!!!

Great and don't worry about your pictures, Google+ has an Auto Backup feature that makes copies in your Google+ albums privately so unless you enabled this, your fine. All your images should still be in your Gallery on your S3.

HeidiHeidi

Well hallelujah, the battery is at 48% since 10am today, with a few calls, a few texts, and a fair bit of internet.

In other words, back to normal.

Thank you soooo much!

I've no idea if it was the tweaking, or which bit of the tweaking, it might have been (I don't really know WHAT I did, apart from that I followed your instructions, tbh!) - maybe the phone was just having a bad few days - but fingers crossed either way that normal service has resumed.

Cheers!!!

(and yes, all my pics are on the phone no problem, it's just the tie-in of Picasa with Google+ - which I'm doing my best to have nothing to do with - that worries me. Must just make sure that everything is put onto the laptop and backed up off that.)

Greenman

Just a thought.

I got this battery a few months really great, 3 days constant use. It is bulkier and heavier but its not a problem to me.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=85017915

Hope this is of help.:P