Just like Windows 10, Android has its fair share of problems that continue to hamper the experience, no matter which Android version you are using. One of the major problems is the battery drain caused by Google Play Services. As we all know, Google Play Services is an umbrella of many Google services, which is used for far too many things. That includes authenticating a Google account, handling notifications, syncing background processes, communicating between apps, and more. So if you are facing the Google Play Services battery drain issue, here are the best fixes you can try out.
Here, I have mentioned seven methods in great detail to help you fix the Google Play Services battery drain issue on your Android smartphone. You can expand the table below and move to the relevant section with just a click.
- Update Google Play Services
- Move Out of Google Play Services Beta
- Reboot the Device
- Clear Cache
- Turn Off Unnecessary Sync
- Remove Location Permission
- Clear All Data
1. Update Google Play Services
First of all, I would recommend you to update Google Play Services to the latest version. You may have gotten a bad patch which may be wreaking havoc on your smartphone’s battery life.
You can also manually navigate to Settings -> Apps and Notifications -> See all apps. Here, search for “Google Play services” and open the app info page.
Next, scroll down and tap on “Play Store version”. If there is an update available, the app will alert you that “a new version of Google Play Store will be downloaded and installed” on your Android device. After an hour or so, shut down your device and turn it back on. From now on, you will not face the battery drain issue caused due to Google Play Services.
Sometimes, users are not even aware that they are enrolled in the Beta program of Google Play Services. As we all know, beta builds usually have bugs and experimental features that may lead to battery drain issues. So, if you are not into testing new features, moving out of Google Play Services Beta might be the fix. Here is how to go about it.
- If you are enrolled in the Google Play Services beta program, you will find it in the list here. Open the App Details page and tap on “Leave”. That will uninstall the beta package.
3. Reboot the Device
It may sound rudimentary, but sometimes rebooting the device fixes the battery drain issue caused by Google Play Services. Several users have reported that by shutting down the smartphone and turning it back on, the battery life sees an improvement. So I would suggest you try the same trick and check if the issue persists.
If none of the above methods resolved the problem, then you need to clear the cache. Fret not, it won’t delete any of your files or remove your Google account. It will just remove all the temporary/outdated files that Play Services has accumulated for its usage. Once you clear the cache, it will make a fresh copy of data, and that should fix the battery drain issue caused by Google Play Services.
- Alternatively, you can navigate to “Settings -> Apps and Notifications -> See all apps,” and search for “Play services”. Open the app info page.
Users who add multiple Google accounts on their Android smartphone are usually the ones who face this battery drain issue. It’s because too many syncing processes are running in the background, using system resources and draining the battery in the process. Google Play Service handles these processes, which takes a toll on the battery life. So I would suggest you remove the Google account altogether if you don’t use them or turn off sync for accounts you barely use. Here is how you can do it.
- Open Settings and go to Accounts. Here, open the Google account that you don’t use often.
Location permission on Android smartphones is one of the major reasons behind battery drain. You should only grant the location permission to apps that genuinely need it, such as Maps, food delivery apps, etc. Even then, make sure to utilize Android 11’s “Ask Every time” or “Allow only while using the app” privacy features to keep the background location usage in check.
If none of the above methods work for you, you may have to press the red button (not literally) as a final resort. It won’t delete any of your files or do anything like that but will remove your Google account, and you will have to sign in again with your Google account. Apart from that, you will have to set up Play Store, Google Pay, and other Google apps on your Android device. Initially, notifications may also arrive late, so do keep that in mind before moving ahead with this fix.
