Launcher app battery usage

ctOS

Hey guys, just installed GrapheneOS and know next to nothing about software and hardware (although the install guide was extremely easy and painless to follow).

I noticed my battery draining somewhat quickly so I went ahead and disabled alot of the background data usage from occuring, and I was wondering what exactly does the launcher app do, and can I safely disable background data on it? Battery details are as follows:

Launcher 20%
Screen time: 12 min
Background: 2Hr 30 mins

SetupWizard 8%

Any help is appreciated, and if there is somewhere I can go to learn about this stuff that would be pretty cool too. Thanks.

Eagle_Owl

ctOS
Hi ctOS,

congratulations and welcome to this great forum! ;-)

Good question, which I had also as new GOS user 2,5 years ago.
My experience since then with disabled background data for the Launcher app: all fine, no problems at all.
Not 20%, but 2%. Sounds much better, right? :-)

And for the most other apps I have also disabled background data.

Tip for all users:
Do not only look at the setting for 'Battery using of the app' (Optimised or Unlimited).
You can save much battery by setting the 'Unlimited Use of mobile data' wisely (switch on or off)!

Only Messengers and Mail apps or other apps who use push notifications really need the 'Unlimited' thing.
But if your app uses a push service like FCM by Google or UnifiedPush, then you don't need 'Unlimited' in that app.
Then e.g. for Molly app it's okay to set 'Battery using of the app': Optimised
and 'Unlimited Use of mobile data': switch off.

Because then you set the 'Unlimited' thing for FCM (Google Play Services, not Play Store) or if you prefer UnifiedPush, then you give your installed distribution app, e.g. ntfy or Sunup the permission for 'Unlimited' use.
This is very effective, because these mentioned little distribution apps need no display time, they are active only for a few seconds a day or every hour, if you are a very busy person receiving plenty messages. :-)

ctOS

Eagle_Owl Thank you for the response, do you have any other settings recommendations or tips? I think it's fascinating looking through everything even if I dont fully understand what it means or does.

Gunnerzaurus

Eagle_Owl Thank you so much for this insight, as a new user this was extremely helpful ♥️

Eagle_Owl

ctOS
Yes, but instead of writing here a 'book' with tips I will answer well asked questions about concrete problems or something like that.

This is the way all forum members do that; it's the best way to do it.

A general tip I can give:
As new user of GrapheneOS don't try to change too much in a short time.
Use your Pixel phone, visit this wonderful forum on a regular basis and look, what others have asked.
If that's not enough or too boring for you, check out some videos on YouTube about GrapheneOS.
If something is unclear, come back here and see if anyone has written anything about it. If not, ask your question and let us help you. ;-)

ctOS

Eagle_Owl I really do appreciate that. I've been researching so much and am currently watching a video on sandboxing lol. I originally tried to have lots of profiles for each different aspect of my life but in the end I ended up going back to the admin profile.

I think I'll set up a profile or 2 that is dependent on google services so I can still use apps that require them, like banking and proton mail. It's been a fun journey over this past week and whenever I'm in a position to be able to financially contribute to the project I absolutely will. Not only is it crazy that something like this exists for free, but that it was relatively easy for me to get started with having minimal understanding of this stuff is a miracle.

Anyway thanks for the response and I would definitely read a book-sized post about graphene. 👌

Eagle_Owl

ctOS I originally tried to have lots of profiles for each different aspect of my life but in the end I ended up going back to the admin profile.

I think I'll set up a profile or 2 that is dependent on google services so I can still use apps that require them, like banking and proton mail.

Me too, have some experience with it and I ended up using only the owner profile on two of three Pixel phones.
I don't use Google Services on them.

Only on my Pixel 8 Pro I have a second profile and only there I have installed Google Services to obtain a few apps which need Google Services or can only be obtained at Google Play, because I have purchased them and want to be sure to get updates without malicious code or maybe I want a beta version of such an app…

Tip for having Google Services on a second profile only to obtain apps, which can run w/o Google Services:
Not everyone knows, there is only one place on your Android device, where all installed apps are stored!
Regardless of whether you download and install an app from the owner profile or any other profile, it is never stored multiple times or in multiple locations. However, a link is created in profiles other than the owner profile, which makes it appear as if there is a separately installed copy in each profile.
–And this is the trick to use apps in the owner profile, which do not need Google Services, but can be obtained only via Google Play.

If you switch to your second profile with Google Services installed, on a regular basis, let's say 1–2 times a week to check for updates, but then every time end the session, it needs no energy in the background and Google can not spy on you all the time. ;-)
But you have access to all apps which you can't get for free on GitHub or via Obtainium app. :-)

BTW: If you can manage it, then try to use e-mail without notification…
Better use time management: only check for new e-mails at certain times and work through them then.
This distracts less from your actual work and even saves battery power. :-)