This Pokemon GO battery saver tip might save you from the charge drain
For precious extra minutes chasing Pidgeys.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Pokémon GO is delighting pedestrians the world over, but given all the map usage, augmented reality and lack of run-in-background mode, it can be a huge battery drain.
The app's 'Battery saver' mode doesn't seem to make much difference, but a simple hack is spreading that might help a little. Pokémon GO uses Google Maps API, so, in theory, making the area of map you most frequently visit offline should reduce the amount of time the app has to talk to Google Maps and thus boost your battery life and make the game run more smoothly.
Here are the simple steps:
1. Open Google Maps
2. Go to Settings
3. Go to Offline Area
4. Tap the + sign
5. Choose your area
This should stop the map from needing to refresh. Several users who have done this have noted a small increase in battery life. We’ve reached out to Pokémon GO develop Niantic for confirmation on whether, and to what extent, it helps.
Read more: Pokemon GO: Multiplayer trading is coming, developer teases
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments