# WiFi scan interval change, battery saver?



## aklee987 (Oct 3, 2011)

I never use WiFi, always cell data. However, some apps (Navigation) want your WiFi to be on to help with GPS.

I edited my build.prop and changed my WiFi scan interval to 30,000 seconds, which is just over 8 hours. I'm assuming this will allow me to keep my WiFi on, yet not waste as much battery?

Am I right? Am I wrong? Am I crazy? Any thoughts?


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## lostnuke (Jul 15, 2011)

If you have all of your favorite WiFi spots saved already and are not interested in new ones. Then. Yes. This will save battery.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus


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## Joesyr (Feb 7, 2012)

I believe the reason that message pops up is because google compiles info about publicly visible wifi networks. I think there was a little tiff in the media a while back about google not being entirely clear about the nature of this info and paranoid folks didn't like the idea of their SSIDs being on file somewhere. So if your GPS is reporting your location accurate to within a block, but your wifi is picking up a strong signal from "MCDONALDS WIFI", navigation would assume you're right outside of a McDonalds.

So by disabling the scan, you appease the message but disable the fuctionality. You might as well just keep wifi off and dismiss the message.

In my opinion GPS is accurate enough as it is and I don't really value the wifi boost. Maybe they implement it in their new Indoor feature, if you're big on mall walking and getting directions on your phone


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## aklee987 (Oct 3, 2011)

lostnuke said:


> I believe the reason that message pops up is because google compiles info about publicly visible wifi networks. I think there was a little tiff in the media a while back about google not being entirely clear about the nature of this info and paranoid folks didn't like the idea of their SSIDs being on file somewhere. So if your GPS is reporting your location accurate to within a block, but your wifi is picking up a strong signal from "MCDONALDS WIFI", navigation would assume you're right outside of a McDonalds.
> 
> So by disabling the scan, you appease the message but disable the fuctionality. You might as well just keep wifi off and dismiss the message.
> 
> In my opinion GPS is accurate enough as it is and I don't really value the wifi boost. Maybe they implement it in their new Indoor feature, if you're big on mall walking and getting directions on your phone


So, basically, by increasing my scan interval, I'm not getting any better GPS "signal" than I would with WiFi off? I know "signal" isn't the correct terminology, but you know what I mean. Correct? Incorrect?


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## Joesyr (Feb 7, 2012)

aklee987 said:


> So, basically, by increasing my scan interval, I'm not getting any better GPS "signal" than I would with WiFi off? I know "signal" isn't the correct terminology, but you know what I mean. Correct? Incorrect?


Based on how I think the feature works, yes. Depending on how it's written, I think it's possible you could actually be wasting more resources, if the program is expecting data that it never gets.


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## Detonation (Jul 25, 2011)

I always assumed Wifi just helped with narrowing down your location when GPS couldn't get a closer lock. I believe google has a known Wifi Access Point database with locations, and maps might even use the IP address of wifi networks near you to get an idea on your location (complete guess on that though). Either way, "disabling" your scan would effectively render those features useless, and if any thing, might be worse like stated above.


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

Wifi is quicker at determining your location than gps. That is all. Wifi locating, uses googles servers to check for known wifi networks, that already have a location set. Setting your wifi scan interval to some crazy interval, won't do anything for you. It just won't notify you that you should turn on wifi. If it's only checking your wifi every 8 hours, it cannot use any wifi around to determine your location, because it won't check for 8 hours. If you don't use wifi, you should turn it off. Even though it is only 'checking' for networks every 8 hours, your wifi radio is still powered on, using battery. Just check the box that says don't remind you, or whatever it is, that way it won't even check for wifi networks, before having to default to gps, like it is doing now.


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## eyepopper (Jul 4, 2012)

Wouldn't this be a demand WiFi scan by the Google maps app? So it would automatically check wifi when you open maps but not while maps is inactive much like GPS is is allways on but not used unless a demand is made...


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