Battery optimization
Android’s battery optimization can pause the survey while the screen is off, which leaves gaps in your records. Turning it off for Network Survey keeps surveys running.
The question when you tap Start
Section titled “The question when you tap Start”When you tap Start survey on the Survey tab and battery optimization is still on for the app, the app asks Keep surveying with the screen off? before the survey starts:
Android’s battery optimization can pause the survey while the screen is off, which leaves gaps in your records. Turn off battery optimization for Network Survey in Settings.
- Go to Settings starts the survey, then opens Android’s request to stop optimizing Network Survey. Accept it there. (If the phone has no such request, the app opens its page in Android’s settings, or the battery optimization list.)
- Later starts the survey without changing anything.
- Pressing Back or tapping outside the dialog closes it, and the survey does not start.
Both buttons start the survey. On Xiaomi, Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, Realme, Vivo, and OnePlus phones, the dialog also shows Extra steps for this phone (see below). Check Don’t show this again to stop the question for good.
The question is not shown when battery optimization is already off, when you checked Don’t show this again, or when it was shown in the last 24 hours.
Changing it later
Section titled “Changing it later”Go to Settings > Phone > Battery optimization. The row shows the current state: “Battery optimization is off, so surveys keep running”, or “Tap to turn off battery optimization so surveys keep running”. Tapping it opens the same Android request.
You can also do it in Android’s own settings. On recent Android versions this is usually Settings > Apps > Network Survey > Battery, where Unrestricted keeps surveys running. The names differ between phone makers.
Extra steps for some phones
Section titled “Extra steps for some phones”Some phone makers add their own background limits. These are the steps the app shows in Extra steps for this phone:
| Phone | Steps |
|---|---|
| Samsung | Settings > Device care > Battery > Background usage limits; add Network Survey to “Never sleeping apps”; turn off “Put unused apps to sleep” |
| Xiaomi | Settings > Battery & performance > App battery saver; select Network Survey and choose “No restrictions”; also turn on “Autostart” in the Security app |
| Huawei | Settings > Battery > App launch; find Network Survey and turn off “Manage automatically”; turn on Auto-launch, Secondary launch, and Run in background |
| Oppo and Realme | Settings > Battery > App battery management; find Network Survey and turn off background restriction; also check Security Center > Privacy Permissions > Startup manager |
| Vivo | Settings > Battery > Background power consumption; find Network Survey and allow background activity; also check i-Manager > App manager > Autostart |
| OnePlus | Settings > Battery > Battery optimization; find Network Survey and choose “Don’t optimize”; also turn off “Adaptive Battery” and “Sleep standby optimization” |
Setting names change between software versions, so treat these as a guide.
Pause scanning on low battery
Section titled “Pause scanning on low battery”To keep a long survey from draining the phone completely, set Settings > Phone > Pause scanning on low battery. It is Off by default; the slider goes from Off to 95% in steps of 5.
- Within 5% of your threshold, the Survey tab warns “Battery at N%”: “The survey pauses at N% to protect the phone. Charge it to keep recording.”
- At the threshold or below, scanning pauses. The Survey tab shows the Paused badge and “Paused: battery at N%”, with Change the threshold.
- Scanning resumes on its own once charging brings the battery back above the threshold.
Battery use while surveying
Section titled “Battery use while surveying”While a survey runs, Network Survey holds a wake lock so the phone keeps processing with the screen off. That uses more battery than an idle phone. To use less:
- Raise the intervals in Settings > Survey > Scan rates (see Scan rates).
- Turn off record types you do not need on the Survey tab.
- Use external power for long surveys.
If the survey still stops or pauses
Section titled “If the survey still stops or pauses”- Check that Settings > Phone > Battery optimization reads “Battery optimization is off”.
- Check your phone maker’s own settings (above).
- Turn off Android’s Battery Saver, which limits all apps.
- If the Survey tab says Paused, read the reason under it: “Paused: battery at N%” is the low battery pause above; “Paused: MQTT broker unreachable” means the MQTT queue is full (see Streaming queue limit).
- If it says “No records for N min”, the survey is running but nothing has arrived. The app suggests checking that the phone is not in airplane mode and that Wi-Fi scanning is allowed in system settings.