[Play Services] Version 7.x Appears to be Producing Constant Wakelocks

[dmo580]

Since Version 7.x, it appears that the SystemUpdateService wakelock is being triggered by any custom ROM with that service disabled.

Does anyone seem to be encountering this? And how are you dealing with it?

Recommended Fix:

I personally recommend this band-aid fix for those who are running into it. The pre-requisite is Xposed and Root. Use Wakelock Terminator to terminate the SystemUpdateService wakelock for Google Play Services. This kills the wakelock and gives me the battery drain that I had before the 7.x update.

I see others recommending more drastic approaches like denying the Keep Awake permission for Play Services, but that could have other adverse effects. Furthermore, Play Services needs keep awake permission for other activities BESIDES the SystemUpdateService wakelock. My fix addresses the problem directly, whereas killing Play Services entirely is doing more than it needs to. I find this similar to the analogy that I make with dealing with a faucet leak. Killing Play Services is like shutting off the water main to deal with a faucet leak. If you want to deal with not being able to flush the toilet or shower, then maybe that's an acceptable solution.

Edit 25-MAR-2015: This bug seems to be affecting custom ROMs, but CM has already patched this For CM11, see commits http://review.cyanogenmod.org/#/c/91881/ and http://review.cyanogenmod.org/#/c/91882/. For CM12, see commits http://review.cyanogenmod.org/#/c/91021/ and http://review.cyanogenmod.org/#/c/91579/.

The best fix if you're on CM is to use a later build of CM.

 

[esklarski]

This seems to be a widespread problem for those of us with rooted handsets. I have yet to find a decent solution myself. I'm running Cataclysm ROM on my Nexus 5.

What I've been doing is using a task killer to force close Play Services every time I reboot. Play Services automatically restarts, and then seems to be fine.

I get three indefinite wakelocs on each boot:
SystenUpdateService
EventLogHandoff
CheckinService

No matter what I enable/disable these come right back on tbe next boot. I hope this isn't something Google planned to discourage rooting. Would be a ****ty Apple'esque move if so.. Fingers crossed it's just a bug.

This topiic is clogging up a lot of other threads so lets try and move the discussion here.

 

[mdsenn]

Posting in an attempt to raise awareness of this issue. Looks like it was widespread in past versions of Google Play Services (internet is full of discussions from a few years ago).

Experiencing same issue with Cyanogenmod 12 on Galaxy S5- systemupdateservice is the only "inappropriate" wakelock I'm dealing with.

Note: I tried to run autorun manager and "uncheck" the individual services related to this, but it won't let me uncheck- even with the modify system level services option enabled.

 

[Jaanto]

Could someone please explain to me and any other (less technical) person reading this what all of this wakelock talk means and what complications would follow from this? In layman's terms if you'd be so kind.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G900F met Tapatalk

 

[mdsenn]

Could someone please explain to me and any other (less technical) person reading this what all of this wakelock talk means and what implications would follow from this? In layman's terms if you'd be so kind.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G900F met Tapatalk

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2171461

Pretty good explanation there. In even more basic terms:
• Your device has a deep sleep status where resource (CPU etc) use is minimal, and drain on battery is negligible
• Some apps/processes may prevent your device from entering this state, or may wake it periodically.
• An example could be an email app that polls for new emails every 1 hour (user has set this frequency).
• The result is unexpected battery drain while "asleep" -especially when an app/process is running without the user's "approval"

An analogy- If you are used to a laptop and it's "sleep" state, imagine if it woke up with the lid closed 5 times an hour in order to refresh a web page. When you closed the lid, the battery life was at 90%, when you open the lid 2 hours later, it's at 75%- much more hit to your battery than expected.

 

[mdsenn]

I am trying the fix suggested in this other thread- so far it has been successful:
Basically, editing privacy permissions to disallow wake and keep awake for google play services.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59368404&postcount=2

 

[dmo580]

I am trying the fix suggested in this other thread- so far it has been successful:
Basically, editing privacy permissions to disallow wake and keep awake for google play services.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59368404&postcount=2

THe problem with denying Play Services the ability to wake up is that you're killing other features.

This specific 7.x issue is one that involves SystemUpdateService only. I have a recommended fix posted in the OP, and that is the one that specifically addresses this leak, and nothing more. The reason I recommend it is because there's less chance of adverse effects by having a targeted fix.