Google Play Services is essential—it handles your phone’s sensors, radios (like Bluetooth and GPS), and more. However, its constant GPS usage can become an issue. Here’s my journey to address the never-ending green GPS indicator and its impact on battery life.
### The GPS Notification Mystery??
Initially, I thought the persistent green GPS icon was a handy shortcut to see which apps and system processes were using GPS. While it does serve that purpose, it’s not supposed to stay on continuously. Much like the green camera icon appears only while the camera is in use, the GPS indicator should disappear when GPS is not active.
However, even with no apps actively using GPS, the indicator persisted—until I toggled GPS off in Quick Settings. This suggested that GPS was running nonstop.
### The Culprit? 🕵️
The main offender? You guessed it—**Google Play Services**. It was consistently using GPS, as shown by its frequent activity in the usage logs (always listed as used “0 minutes ago”).
### The Fix
Here’s what worked for me:
1. **Uninstall Google Play Services Updates**
Navigate to Google Play Services via your phone's app settings under “System Apps” (you won’t find it by searching in the app store). From there, uninstall the updates.
2. **Revert from Beta to Stock Version**
Uninstall any updates with Gooogle Play Services. If you’re on the beta version of Google Play Services (like I was), uninstall it. Once reverted, the stock version may prompt you to install an update—go ahead and do so.
*Pro Tip: Use the direct link below to locate Google Play Services in your system apps.*
### **Important Disclaimer :warning:**
Switching Google Play Services versions (i.e., uninstalling updates), can disrupt connectivity with paired devices. For instance, my Galaxy Watch Ultra wouldn’t reconnect to my phone through the wearable app after the change. I had to reset the watch completely, which wiped my settings and tile layouts. While I could restore a backup, it didn’t capture everything, so I had to manually reconfigure my watch.
### The Results
Despite the time and effort, the results were worth it:
- The green GPS indicator now appears only when GPS is actively in use.
- Google Play Services no longer taps GPS constantly; its usage stats now reflect actual activity intervals.
- Battery life has improved significantly!
- Resetting my Galaxy Watch Ultra also enhanced its functionality and connection with my phone.
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If you’re considering this fix, take note of the disclaimer above. It’s time-consuming, but for me, the improvements in battery performance and device functionality made it worthwhile.😊
