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How to fix battery-draining bug in Google Messages

A bug discovered in Googles Messages could leave your camera on while the app is in the background, but the problem is easily solved, a fix is coming.

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Nothing is more annoying than realizing that your phone’s battery is running on empty and scrambling to jack it in for a charge. Some apps are just power hunger little monsters but other times a glitch in the software can have unintended consequences.

This was the case with a recent bug discovered in Google Messages, as reported by 9to5Google. The app, even while in the background, in some cases is keeping the camera on leading to rapid battery discharge and which also results in the phone heating up. Here’s what you need to do to fix it.

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How to fix the Google Message app camera bug

In order to prevent the problem from happening in the first place you can deny the app permission to use your camera. First start by going to settings. Open the “Apps” tab and click on the “Messages” app. Once in, tap the “Permissions” tab and find “Camera”. The you will want to select “Don’t allow.” When you use the app in the future and it asks for permission to use the camera, if you are going to use it you can click on “Just this once” or deny permission.

An even simpler way to stop the app from draining your battery, along with any other apps, is to open “Recent view” and swipe the Messages app off, or simply close all apps if you aren’t using any.

However, you may not have to worry about the bug for much longer at any rate. In response to an inquiry on the matter, Google told Verge that the glitch has been identified and a permanent fix has already been developed which is currently being sent to Google Messages app users.

Other apps that will drain the battery in your mobile

A typical mobile phone battery these days is made of lithium ion and can handle between 300 and 500 charges. Depending on the rate with which you’re charging and how you are charging your phone, you can extend its lifespan, considered to be about up to three years, after which its capacity drops around 20 percent.

So with that in mind, you probably want to know how you can keep apps from leeching power constantly from your smart phone’s battery. pCloud analyzed three areas that the 100 most popular apps use which can drain your mobile.

These included camera usage, location tracking, the app’s load on the battery to run and whether they are running in dark mode. The top of their list were Fitbit and Verizon, followed by social media apps not just blackholes where your time disappears but also the charge on your battery.

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