Problems with latest update of Google Play Services

thor

Has anyone got Google Play Service version 9.2.56(038-124593566) running on their android system and not having battery drain issues?
A couple of weeks ago my battery started to run down in a matter of hours rather than days of light use and I thought there might be a problem the battery. When I checked this out online I started to see lots of complaints about version 9.2.56 ( the latest update of google play service) causing excessive battery use. It frequently uses 60% or more on my htc m8 so I have no doubt this is the case.
There are lots of tips to minimise the problem but so far I have not come across any long term cures.
I was wondering if there was anyone else in this forum experiencing similar difficulties with google play service?

Alter_ego

I have the same version, haven't noticed a problem.

shaun_from_Africa

Is it possible to roll back an update to a previous version on an android device?
If not, how about removing the app totally and then install an old version. There are a few websites giving the APK files for these, eg:
https://google-play-services.en.uptodown.com/android/old
(but I've not idea how safe or trustworthy they are so it would be worth doing some investigation first)

Another option might be to back up all of your data then revert the unit back to factory settings.
Once this has been done, make sure that it's not set to automatic updates, instead of which, do this manually by choosing which apps you want to update and leave Google play alone.

[Deleted User]

Are you sure there are no updates my version is 9.2.56(438-124593566), is your device on Lollipop or Marshmallow?

As above either do a factory reset or go to Play Services uninstall updates and then let it update itself(this can help fix problems)

thor

I have to admit that I had not seen any reason to update hence my phone is still running on kitkat. I have had my m8 for nearly two years and it is only now that it has started to burn up the battery.
Even now I would prefer to avoid updating if possible as it appears people with the lastest version of android are still getting this problem so it might not make a difference.
There is no option to roll back and the buttons to stop or uninstall are all greyed out. A factory reset would only offer a temporary reprieve as there google play services on my phone updated automatically and again there is no option to prevent this happening.
I probably will see what happens by updating everything but I'm going to give htc support live chat a bash when they come back online to see what they have to say( hopefully more than the usual turn on/off, hard reset, update to latest software etc)

bod1467

I have the same version as OP describes (on Lollipop) ... no obvious battery drain issues here. Play Services don't even feature in the list of items on the Battery page in Settings.

martinthebandit

thor wrote: »

I have to admit that I had not seen any reason to update hence my phone is still running on kitkat. I have had my m8 for nearly two years and it is only now that it has started to burn up the battery.
Even now I would prefer to avoid updating if possible as it appears people with the lastest version of android are still getting this problem so it might not make a difference.
There is no option to roll back and the buttons to stop or uninstall are all greyed out. A factory reset would only offer a temporary reprieve as there google play services on my phone updated automatically and again there is no option to prevent this happening.
I probably will see what happens by updating everything but I'm going to give htc support live chat a bash when they come back online to see what they have to say( hopefully more than the usual turn on/off, hard reset, update to latest software etc)

So you are running an old version of android which you don't update?

If you were doing the same with a PC what would you be thinking the problem might be?

You need to keep things as up to date as possible.

[Deleted User]

I would update, you get the latest security patches and better performance(your experience may differ )

RumRat

If it's an HTC problem then they will fix it via updates, if they are going to fix it.
No Google play battery problems on Samsung, so not Play specific, I would guess.
Of course a two year old battery may start to have problems as well.

Franko101

FWIW I've had the same problem with a Samsung Galaxy S2, running Android 4.0.4. Battery got very hot, draining in only few hours. Tried a new battery, but that was the same. Then found all the threads online and confirmed that Google Play Services (GPS) 9.2.56 was showing as using most of the battery power.

Fix for me was just to Uninstall GPS. That didn't break anything I've noticed, and battery then ran cool with normal charge duration. GPS does reinstall itself but no more than once in a day or two. I don't even have to check for it – if I pick up the phone and it's hot, I know it's back, so I go to Applications and uninstall it again; 15 second job.

If it were only old Samsungs with the problem I'd say the chance of a patch to GPS 9.2.56 was low, but it seems to be much more widespread, so we'll see.

thor

martinthebandit wrote: »

So you are running an old version of android which you don't update?

If you were doing the same with a PC what would you be thinking the problem might be?

You need to keep things as up to date as possible.

I do update but only when necessary. I go by the saying 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' and having owned computers for over 20 years it has never been a problem for me. I install the latest op system each time I get a new pc.
In this instance, like Franko101, I really think that quite a few people have been hit by this problem(including those with the lastest software). To see this just google 'Google Play Service 9.2.56'. Whether this will warrent a patch being issued is another question.