Koyote

Finally got my Edge 530 set up the way I want it, and it automatically connects to the Garmin Connect app when I turn it on for a ride - which is great, as text msgs and phone call notifications come through on the computer screen. But I am noticing that my iPhone battery drains about 10% per hour, mostly from the Connect app running in the background. I turned off location services for the app, but left background app refresh turned on, and same result.

Do others see this phone battery drain, or am I doing something wrong? Seems like this would make long rides (during which I might use my phone for photos and such) a bit dicey. And before someone asks, I am NOT using Garmin Live Track.

Any input appreciated!

Steve B.

Check that the backlight isn’t set to always on. Don’t stay on the map screen, that takes more processing and battery.

The connect app (Garmin Connect Mobile, or GCM) isn’t on the device, it’s on the phone only. The device will use low powered BlueTooth to maintain a connection to GCM for notifications. Thus having LiveTrack on won’t matter if BLE is running as it’s always checking the phone for data.

The 30 series - 530/830/1030 all are rated at 20 hrs. My 2 year old 1030 gets 4-5% battery used per hr. currently. Navigation takes more battery.

Iride01 

Just to be clear.... it's the phone that is having the big battery drain when connected?

If you are using the Garmin app on your phone, that will be the culprit likely. Call Garmin support and see what they say. They likely have already dealt with other's on this if it is the Garmin app on the iPhone.

Do iPhones have an app or utility that lets you know how much battery the other apps and things on your phone are using?

Koyote

That’s correct – the battery drain is on the phone, as I wrote in my original post.

I have looked at my battery’s usage stats, and the drain is coming from the Connect app. I suppose I can call Garmin support - it’ll be the fourth bloody time since I got this computer two weeks ago. What an absolutely awful user interface experience.

Iride01 

Well if Garmin doesn't have anything to help, then try disabling certain features in the phone app and maybe you can narrow it down. Hopefully it is something you really don't care about.

Have you had the 530 for a while and have a lot of rides on it? If you just started using the app, then maybe it's sending all those stored ride to the Garmin Connect website. So maybe it's just a temporary thing. Does the phone app also have the ability to update maps and stuff on your device? That too might be battery drain.

Steve B.

Thank you, missed that.

Steve B.

@OP, sorry I missed you stating the iPhone problem.

I have an iPhone 8 on the most recent OS, haven’t noticed any unusual battery issues but haven’t been paying attention either. My practice is to verify that Connect is running before I power up my 1030, so that LiveTrack will (hopefully) work, which is about 80% of the time. I get notifications as well and I know the weather widget gets updates thru BT and the phone, so that’s generally running as well. My phone is set to allow automatic updates of apps, so likely my version of Connect is current.

I’ll pay attention tomorrow, I’m doing a 2 to 2-1/2 hr ride.

sdmc530

I never had this issue at the rate your having. It did bring down the battery more but not 10% an hour.....something is defiantly not correct. I had a 500, then a 520, not a 1030. Only the 520 and my new 1030 were live connected to my phone. I will say however my newer iPhone does better than my old 6 year old version...…

Check with garmin, either call or do the live chat. They have good CS if you DONT do the email exchange…..

Koyote

Steve, thanks, I'd love to hear how much your phone battery drops during the ride. Thanks!

Seattle Forrest

Have you had Bluetooth on before this or did you turn it on to work with the Garmin?

I'm using Android so I don't know how relevant my experience is to you, but my battery doesn't drain like that. It's mostly the screen that drains mine, or being out of range (of a cell tower).

Have you tried stopping the Connect app? I'm guessing it won't be able to forward texts that way, but I've never used iOS.

You should be able to ride for several hours, take as many pictures as you want, use the maps on the phone, etc. You can carry a battery pack for your phone and even charge it in a jersey pocket while you ride, but you shouldn't have to.

Steve B.

I was at 100% this morning, am at 97% right now, did a 2-1/2 hr. ride, navigating the entire way, Live Track working.

blazin

I have my iPhone 11 connected to my Garmin fenix 6 all day. This evening, the phone reports Connect accounting for 1% of battery activity. I can’t think of a reason why an Edge would result In different usage. Perhaps try restarting the phone and/or deleting and reinstalling Connect.

Koyote

Steve, that's a good data point. Thanks!

Before this morning's ride, I spoke with a Garmin CS person, who had no idea what is going on and wanted to "open a ticket." I declined. After all of the hassles with this thing so far, either this issue gets sorted out without escalation, or it gets returned for a Wahoo.

Then I went for a ride, and tried turning off the Connect App's cellular data, and after two hours my phone battery was down 8%...So, that's an improvement, but still not as good as your result. I did lose accurate (updated) weather data on the home screen, but I can live with that. Still not sure if I am okay with this app draining my battery at all, though.

Carbonfiberboy 

My system for Garmin use is to load a RidewithGPS route and leave my phone alone. The Garmin battery lasts a long time and I don't have to fool with anything, just ride my bike and follow the turn directions. If I want radar and I have cell service, I can stop and look.If I don't need directions, that's even easier.

Steve B.

I follow the assorted bike websites as well as the Garmin 1030 forum and the 2 Garmin FB pages and can say I've never heard this complaint (all that means is you've discovered a new way for a Garmin to not function correctly). I've used 3 different Garmin's as well as a Bolt, had no obvious issues. I would look at user experiences on the Garmin forums for the 530 as well as the responses on DC Rainmakers site for the 530. IMO the 530 is as good a unit as a Wahoo and I prefer the color screens, so would hesitate to dump the Garmin for a Wahooo, especially as you;ve invested time getting it configured. That time spent has to get done allover again with a Wahoo.

I would suspect an issue with the GCM app itself, not the device, thus would literally dump the app and re-install. Don';t do an update, just get rid of it. Then re-do your BlueTooth configuration. It kind of sounds like an over-active data connection between the device and phone, thus the GCM is using a lot of processing and draining the battery.

Here's the Garmin process for re-doing the BT:On the phone and in the GCM app, from the My Day page, select the More tab.

Select Garmin Devices in Garmin Connect Mobile

Select the Edge 1030.

Select the 3 dots on the top right and remove the device.

Remove from Bluetooth settings in your phone settings.

Remove Phone pairing from Edge

1. Go to the Edge 1030 Menu.
   
2. Select Settings.
   
3. Select Connected Features.
   
4. Select Phone.
   
5. Select Pair Smartphone.
   
6. Select Forget this Phone.
   

Turn off the phone Bluetooth.

Turn off your device.

Select the More tab, on the lower right.

Select Settings.

Sign out of Garmin Connect Mobile.

Double tap the Home button on your iPhone (the round button the front) and swipe off all the applications.

Restart the phone:

Once your phone boots up

My addiction - Uninstall and reinstall the mobile app.

Turn on Bluetooth and make sure that location services are on.

Go to Connect app and sign in.

Select, Browse All Compatible Devices.

Select Edge

Select Edge 1030

Put the Edge 1030 into pairing mode.

1. Turn on device.
   
2. Go to the Edge 1030 Menu.
   
3. Select Settings.
   
4. Select Connected Features.
   
5. Select Phone.
   
6. Select Pair Smartphone.
   
7. Select Continue.
   

In Garmin Connect Mobile, follow directions to pair

Koyote

Steve B. , thanks for that advice. I did actually do that a couple days ago - disconnected all of the BT links, deleted and re-installed the app, paired up everything again via BT. Still have the same issues. I even went into my phones settings and shut down everything related to Connect that could cause battery drain: turned off location services, turned off background app refresh, cellular data. And yet, while I am riding, there is still battery drain from the Connect app running in the background - which should not be possible given that I turned off background app refresh.

I'm at a loss here. Very frustrated.

Steve B.

I'd turn on Cellular Data. The app maybe wants to find the mother ship so it can do LiveTrack, Notifications, etc.... Maybe it's constantly searching for that connection, kind of like a cell phone will do when there's no cell service, the battery drains as the device is constantly transmitting to get a connection. Just a thought.

Koyote

Steve, that hadn’t occurred to me, so I will try it. I really appreciate your help!

Will let you know what happens.

Seattle Forrest

Clarification: eye roll is for the rep. What you did is basic enough they can't not have tested it, I'm sure the results are internally documented in the suppot group, and the guy takes calls like yours all day every day. But he's never heard of it before.

Koyote

Yes, and a quick search at a Garmin users' forum confirmed that is is a fairly common problem.

Sad to say it, but I have ordered a Wahoo Roam. We'll see how that works out. They are both from REI, so one will ultimately get returned.

daoswald

My old Samsung Galaxy S6 drained so quickly that it was almost useless on rides. My newer Note 10 lasts seemingly forever.

Yes, Garmin Connect does consume some battery, but not that much. In my case the problem was the phone's battery was getting old and ready to quit.

I ride with two sensors, and all the Connect features except for Live Track. And both my 820 and 1030+ don't cause excessive drain.

I would think it is your phones battery, or some other app.

Koyote

Negative. No other apps were open, and it never happened other than when I was using Garmin Connect. And the phone was practically new.

At any rate, the Garmin had other problems and was returned.

Cyclist0108

The texts still works, and I do this to save battery, etc.

The Garmin Connect app is basically a virus.

Iride01 

Well since this thread began and since it's still popping up with replies.....

I've since gotten a Garmin Edge 530 to replace my very old Edge 500. I don't seem to have any issues with battery drain on the phone. I'm not too particularly happy with the way I have to turn my 530 off to ensure that it is off and not just asleep. I did once go for a ride and it was low on battery by the end of the ride. But I suspected I had left it on and it was only asleep during the time period between rides. I don't know if being asleep means it's not doing anything that drains the battery. I suspect it does do things like check for updates and try to make connections and other things that do drain the battery. But I don't know.

Since it uploads the rides before I'm even in the door. I don't have to connect it to my computer like I did my Edge 500. So I have to remember to connect it regularly for charging to one of the many USB chargers life now demands we have laying around the house. If I haven't ridden in a few days, I'll just hook it up to a high amperage phone charger while I'm getting ready for the ride.

I never bother to look at battery charge indicators on devices. I really feel they only are accurate when the battery is nearly drained. I'd never trust one that said I had more the 50% charge or even 100% charge. I just charge it anyway to put as much back in the battery as is possible before I'm ready to go.

blacknbluebikes 

I don't even think about Garmin Connect until post-ride, then I'm just doing a synch. Takes 30-40 seconds, then I'm looking at workout stats on Garmin Connect on my phone. Just don't boot the app till you're off the bike - can you do that?