HA Companion App for Android and battery drain

[ojalaj]

Hi.

I have the latest version of HA Companion App for Android. At home I use the app to check temperatures, light control etc. There are no media/video streams, but I do have embedded map interfaces in Lovelace for location tracking. I don’t access HA via any remote connection (i.e. Nabu Casa) using the app. The main purpose for HA Companion App is to receive notifications, e.g. temperature sensors and provide location tracking from my phone and receive location tracking notifications from my son’s phone.

I’m experiencing quite heavy battery drain with the app, especially at home, and according to the battery usage data for the HA App, GPS is on almost all the time. When not at home, GPS is not used nearly that much and the largest drain is due to HA staying awake.

I have followed this Troubleshooting | Home Assistant Companion Docs to minimize the drain. I have disabled most of the sensors. However, all the high accuracy sensors options are enabled, but I don’t know how to even “check that high accuracy mode is not left enabled all the time”, as instructed in #1. From #2 to #5 are OK, but #6 is a bit unclear. I don’t have any “Allow lists”, but there are like hundreds of options to select from, so how to make sure that I’d select to correct ones?

I have had be careful to not disable something that would disable and/or make the location tracking for my son’s phone less accurate, since there is a true need for it, and therefore I’d appreciate, if somehow could give some hints for this.

Additionally, what is a bit annoying, when I’m not at home, HA App keeps popping up saying it is not responding with options OK, Cancel, Wait. Can this feature be somehow disabled?

[dshokouhi]

@ojalaj

I don’t access HA via any remote connection (i.e. Nabu Casa) using the app. The main purpose for HA Companion App is to receive notifications, e.g. temperature sensors and provide location tracking from my phone and receive location tracking notifications from my son’s phone.

Location tracking and sensors cannot work if the app is unable to send data back home. Only notifications work because those get delivered via firebase.

@ojalaj

However, all the high accuracy sensors options are enabled, but I don’t know how to even “check that high accuracy mode is not left enabled all the time”, as instructed in #1.

Settings > Companion App > Manage Sensors > Background Location > turn off high accuracy mode

Location | Home Assistant Companion Docs

@ojalaj

but #6 is a bit unclear. I don’t have any “Allow lists”, but there are like hundreds of options to select from, so how to make sure that I’d select to correct ones?

Settings > Companion App > Manage Sensors > Notification Sensors and check each sensor and if they are enabled make sure the settings match what was written.

@ojalaj

Additionally, what is a bit annoying, when I’m not at home, HA App keeps popping up saying it is not responding with options OK, Cancel, Wait.

Thats to be expected, your server is inaccessible remotely.

@ojalaj

Can this feature be somehow disabled?

No because your server is not reachable so the error is correct. If you plan on using location tracking then you need remote access.

[ojalaj]

Thank you for the reply. Hmm…I am using Google Maps integration & Location Sharing, which is able to send me HA notifications, when entering/leaving zones. Are you telling me that none of the HA location sensors are needed for this?

[dshokouhi]

@ojalaj

Thank you for the reply. Hmm…I am using Google Maps integration & Location Sharing, which is able to send me HA notifications, when entering/leaving zones.

none of those are related to the home assistant companion for android app (which is where you posted this)

@ojalaj

Are you telling me that none of the HA location sensors are needed for this?

completely separate integration

[ojalaj]

So you are saying that I can disable all the location sensors in my companion app and they don’t affect the location tracking based on Google Maps integration & Location sharing (with the cookie method)?

[dshokouhi]

yes you are using a different integration for the device tracker.