Battery usage and Facebook

Alanstrainor

Okay, so I'm having a strange issue on my Smart Ultra 6 running 5.0.1.

It started with the Facebook app using a crazy amount of battery. It would gobble up 20% or more (far more than the screen) when idle. I had all notifications and such turned off but this didn't help. I tried clearing cache, re-installing etc and still had the same result.

Then I decided to try a couple of browsers and just use the mobile site. I use firefox as my main browser which has phony installed to bring up the desktop site by default, so I installed Opera & Opera Mini and found that when using the mobile facebook site my battery usage was nuts too. I also tried Chrome and Dolphin Browser with the same result.

I then installed Tinfoil for facebook, which is a standalone app which only shows the mobile site, but once again the same issue. Battery usage when idle is bonkers.

If I don't use the site/app at all my battery goes back to normal and I get a full 2 days out of it.

I don't use facebook all that much throughout the day, but I'll look every couple of hours or so. Is there any solution to this? Anyone else seeing similar?

Kenny Logins

There was a post on Facebook recently that said if you like and share this post they can divert a small percentage of your battery power to help power a field hospital in a refugee camp somewhere. Could that be it?

ThisRegard

Simple solution is don't use the app, use the site instead. I removed it a couple of years ago due to the same issue, seems like it's persistent.

Kenny Logins wrote: »

There was a post on Facebook recently that said if you like and share this post they can divert a small percentage of your battery power to help power a field hospital in a refugee camp somewhere. Could that be it?

Seriously?

pfurey101

Kenny Logins wrote: »

There was a post on Facebook recently that said if you like and share this post they can divert a small percentage of your battery power to help power a field hospital in a refugee camp somewhere. Could that be it?

You are mixing that up with the plane loads of LIKEs that were air dropped to remote hospitals in the Middle East These LIKEs fed 4,000 for 2 weeks.

Professey Chin

ThisRegard wrote: »

Simple solution is don't use the app, use the site instead. I removed it a couple of years ago due to the same issue, seems like it's persistent.

Its the site itself causing problems too. Not just the app.

I saw something a while ago about facebook putting in stuff for that chrome custom tab functionality. Wonder if thats causing some overheads

Kenny Logins

ThisRegard wrote: »

Seriously?

Seriously?

ThisRegard

Professey Chin wrote: »

Its the site itself causing problems too. Not just the app.

I saw something a while ago about facebook putting in stuff for that chrome custom tab functionality. Wonder if thats causing some overheads

Yes, you're right, I missed that, I thought he said he was using that Tinfoil to view the site.

When using the site you're asked (on Chrome anyway) if you want to allow the Facebook site to display notifications. I wonder if the OP allowed this which might contribute towards the problem ?

ThisRegard

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Seriously?

Seriously, there's some dumb ass people out there with a particular attraction to Facebook that I wouldn't put anything past them.

GBX

You could try the Facebook lite app ?

Alanstrainor

Yeah, I've tried removing the facebook app, and just using Chrome which saw similar results. Then I stopped using Chrome and used other browsers and saw similar results again. (Opera, Opera Mini & Dolphin Browser). And then installed Tinfoil for facebook, which initially seemed to work, but last night when not in use the app has used 20% of the battery, the next highest on the list is the screen at 2%. Which is nuts!

It just seems bizarre to me that all these apps/browsers have the same issue. When not using Facebook at all everything goes back to normal and I once again get 2 day battery life. It's just annoying having a device with such a good battery being killed by one site.

beauf

Alanstrainor wrote: »

... It's just annoying having a device with such a good battery being killed by one site.

There seems an obvious solution....

Alanstrainor

beauf wrote: »

There seems an obvious solution....

That's not really a solution though...

How about an app that automatically kills an app when it goes into the background? I have not rooted this device however.

beauf

I don't really follow why the website would have the same issues as the app though.

deco nate

Wasn't there a way to stop fb from checking for updates before, ie only check every 12 hours as opposed to full on? I can't see it in app anymore.
Maybe this is causing it?

Alanstrainor

beauf wrote: »

I don't really follow why the website would have the same issues as the app though.

Me neither. That really doesn't make sense to me, however testing the device without the app installed and only using a browser shows the same results. And not using Facebook at all returns everything to normal (with similar on screen time). Very odd.

Is there a way to get tasker to kill hibernating apps? I might see if I can put something together.

Alanstrainor

Just an update on this. I installed ghostery browser and it solved my issue. No runaway battery usage when the app is open. Cheers for the help.