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Entune Battery Usage (iPhone 5)

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by virtualy, Sep 24, 2014.

  1. virtualy

    virtualy Junior Member

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    I just upgraded the IOS on my iPhone 5 today. One of the new features of IOS 8 is a battery monitor. It will show how much battery is being used by each app. I had noticed some time ago that my iPhone battery was becoming depleted much more quickly than usual but I wasn't sure when this had begun. The new battery monitor seems to have answered that question.

    It's Entune. During 10 hours of mostly standby today, the iPhone battery capacity dropped to ~60%. In checking battery use by individual apps I found that Entune comprised 49% of the battery usage. The next hungriest app was Home & Lock Screen at 8%.

    The problem here is that I need Entune in order to use Pandora, which is how I listen to music. There is no capability to disable background refresh for the app which means I have no way to control Entune's glutinous battery use. Other than to turn it off. But then I'd need to turn it back on when I want to listen to tunes while driving. Then turn it off when I arrive. Then on...


    I started disliking Entune almost immediately after purchasing my PiP this summer. It is needlessly convoluted, finicky, and very, very slow. Do they not have capable software engineers in Japan? Is there a way to lodge a complaint with Toyota about this flawed piece of... software?
     
    #1 virtualy, Sep 24, 2014
  2. Barbara R

    Barbara R Junior Member

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    Entune shows as using 4% on my iOS 8 phone. Not sure if that helps you.... I have a basic PIP and have to plug it in to a USB port in the car to use Entune and other apps. Also not sure if that info helps you either. In any case, you might be better off using Pandora straight on your phone and streaming it to your speakers without using Entune at all.
     
    #2 Barbara R, Sep 24, 2014
  3. iluvmacs

    iluvmacs Member

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    Am I correct in that you are using the Bluetooth tethering to stream Pandora over Entune in your PiP Advanced?
    I would posit that iOS 8 is "hiding" the real answer from you on the battery usage. It's not really the Entune app. It's the constant wireless activity (partly the Bluetooth, probably more so the cellular data connection constantly streaming Pandora data). Since that wireless usage is associated with the app, it's "assigned" to that app. You don't have many options unless you want to plug it in to USB every time you are in the car (at least on longer trips). It's a simple fact of you asking your phone to consume a lot of energy for what you want it to do.
     
    #3 iluvmacs, Sep 24, 2014
  4. virtualy

    virtualy Junior Member

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    Thanks for the quick replies.

    Barbara, if you're showing only 4%, I need to look into this more deeply. Though using Pandora on the iPhone to stream to the audio system might help with battery life and lower my frustration levels (not having to wait for Entune to check for updates and load Pandora - every single time), I am constantly liking and disliking songs to fine tune my "stations" and that would be a distracting chore on the phone.

    You may be on to something, iluvmacs. It will be easy enough to check your hypothesis of hidden usage via Bluetooth and cellular data acquisition. I just turned off Bluetooth. I'll drive w/o music for awhile. Time will tell. However, plugging the phone into the USB has, thus far, always "broken" the Entune/audio connection. It took me a frustrating 2 weeks to discover this when I first received the vehicle, trying to get all the whiz-bang features of my new car functioning.
     
    #4 virtualy, Sep 24, 2014
  5. Barbara R

    Barbara R Junior Member

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    Or just use a cable. That's what I do (I have to on the basic). I use a cable and Entune and then Pandora works fine and no battery issues plus my phone is always charged!
     
    #5 Barbara R, Sep 24, 2014
  6. virtualy

    virtualy Junior Member

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    Not really an option.
     
    #6 virtualy, Sep 24, 2014
  7. SAronian

    SAronian Active Member

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    I did an experiment to add some additional information to the discussion. I don't usually use the Entune App, but drove to work this morning with it active for the 35 minute drive. Playing Pandora from the Entune App screen over Bluetooth, unfeathered. This is with iOS 8.0.2 on an iPhone 6. The battery went from 100% to 97% and the Battery usage percentage showed 6%.

    I agree with "iluvmacs" description of what is most likely drawing all the power, but in my quick test it wasn't that bad.

    BTW - Leaving the Entune app active but not used in the background showed only 1% battery usage after 5 hours.
     
    #7 SAronian, Sep 26, 2014
  8. Barbara R

    Barbara R Junior Member

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    Re: "plugging the phone into the USB has, thus far, always "broken" the Entune/audio connection"

    If you are using the cable, be sure you don't Enable Internet in the car's BT setup for the phone. So I use BT for phone and music but NOT Internet. That is actually stated in the manual - apparently it's an iPhone thing. Again, I'm not sure that's true for Advanced. With the cable and that setup Apps/Pandora etc. works as expected.
     
    #8 Barbara R, Sep 26, 2014
  9. virtualy

    virtualy Junior Member

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    I agree with iluvmacs as well. In fact, to test his hypothesis I turned off BT but left Entune running. The proportion of battery used by Entune dropped to 3%.

    I went back to my usual behavior this AM (BT and Entunes on). Just checked. After 4.5 hours, battery is at 81%, of which Entune has used 50%. iPhone 5 running iOS 8.

    I'll look into the BT/Internet thing, Barbara.

    Thanks.
     
    #9 virtualy, Sep 26, 2014
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