These seven steps will optimize battery life within your Ride With GPS mobile app, enabling you to get the most out of your mobile navigation and significantly extend the range of your device. This simple overview of battery-saving tips was compiled from years of experience and feedback from our users.
Upgraded members will unlock even more features in the mobile app like Turn-by-Turn Voice Navigation, Mobile Route Planning, Live Logging, and Offline Maps.
Everything applies universally across iPhone and Android devices:
- Use Offline Maps
- Keep the Screen Off
- Use Airplane Mode
- Turn Off Live Logging
- Turn Off Bluetooth
- Power on the Go
- Disable Power-Saving Apps
Configure the Ride With GPS mobile app using the following steps to maximize your ride experience and extend the life of your battery. Streamline your settings within the Ride with GPS app to consume less power and avoid excessive battery drain.
USE OFFLINE MAPS
Before starting your ride, use the Offline Maps feature to download the entire route and associated map tiling within the app for consistent, reliable use without cell signal. This allows you to reference the entirety of your route and track your progress in airplane mode, significantly extending the range of your battery.
KEEP THE SCREEN OFF
If you want the most bang for your power-saving buck, keep your screen off as much as possible. Regardless of which GPS platform you run on which device, your mobile screen will be the most significant power drain on your device.
You can still navigate via turn-by-turn voice navigation. With your app in Handlebar Mode, the turn-by-turn function will simply activate the screen long enough to read the cues over the lock-screen, returning to sleep mode immediately afterward.
USE AIRPLANE MODE
Toggle your phone into airplane mode, particularly in remote areas. While riding through remote, rural locations, your phone expends a disproportionate amount of power attempting connect to cellular networks though none may be available. This ends up draining batteries extremely quickly.
Keep your phone in Airplane mode when no connection is required. This will prevent ALL your apps from trying to connect to the network and depleting battery life the background.
TURN OFF LIVE LOGGING
Live Logging is a great feature that allows friends and family to track your ride progress and current location, but it does impact battery life. Disable Live Logging in remote areas where you may not have reliable cell signal. Each time the app broadcasts your Live Log and has to search for a network, your battery range takes a hit. Live Logging works much more efficiently in dense, urban areas with consistent access to cellular networks.
TURN OFF BLUETOOTH
Although Bluetooth devices are generally very low energy usage, transmitting to speakers and headphones still consumes a marginal amount of power, so in terms of optimizing the app for power efficiency, we recommend disabling Bluetooth. This includes using NFC for Android devices or Wifi.
POWER ON THE GO
There is a wide range of external battery packs on the market designed to recharge your device on the go. We recommend at the very least, investing in a battery pack that is able to deliver a full charge, preferably more if you are on a multi-day tour or foresee limited access to power.
Some riders also use dynamo hubs from Shimano, Schmidt, or Precision Shutter along with a USB adapter to charge their phones while they pedal. This solution works on those long rides with more consistent speeds rather than the casual ride with a lot of stop and go.
DISABLE BATTERY SAVING APPS
It may seem counterintuitive, but switch your phone’s Battery Save mode to the off position. Disabling third party power saving apps will allow the Ride with GPS app to function as designed, maximizing tracking accuracy and optimizing runtime.