Battery Optimization

Settings and tips to reduce battery usage without losing GPS fixes.

Built-in Optimizations

• Stationary detection: Pauses GPS after 60s without movement via tracking profiles or geofence motionless detection, resumes on motion via hardware sensor
• Notification throttling: Max 1 update per 10 seconds, plus 2-meter movement filter
• Batch processing: 50 items per batch, 10 concurrent network requests
• Smart sync: Only syncs when queue has items and network is available
• Battery critical shutdown: Stops tracking below 5% (when unplugged)

Tips

1. Increase GPS interval - 5s to 30s saves significant battery
2. Enable accuracy filtering - Reject poor GPS fixes to avoid unnecessary processing
3. Use batch sync instead of instant - Reduces network usage and wake-ups
4. Create geofences for home/work - Stops recording locations in known zones. Enable Pause when on WiFi to also stop GPS entirely when connected to your home network, or Pause when motionless to stop GPS after sitting still for a set time
5. Enable movement threshold - 10-50m, skip stationary updates
6. Disable battery optimization for Colota in Android settings to prevent the OS from killing the service

Android Battery Settings

For reliable background tracking, configure Android to not restrict Colota:

1. Go to Android Settings > Apps > Colota > Battery
2. Select Unrestricted
3. This prevents Android from killing the foreground service