How to Detect and Handle if Battery Saver mode is Enabled on Wear OS SDK 33/34 using Kotlin

• The article explains how to detect and handle battery saver mode on Wear OS SDK 33/34 using Kotlin, a feature that helps extend the battery life of a wearable device by reducing its performance and functionality.
• The article shows two methods to check if battery saver mode is on using the PowerManager class or the Settings.Global class, and provides some tips and best practices for optimizing the app’s behavior and user experience when battery saver mode is on.
• The article also includes a FAQ section that answers some common questions related to battery saver mode on Wear OS, and a disclaimer that warns the reader to exercise caution and consult a professional before implementing any changes to their device or app.

If you are developing an app for Wear OS, you might want to know if the device is in battery saver mode. Battery saver mode is a feature that helps extend the battery life of a wearable device by reducing its performance and functionality. For example, when battery saver mode is on, the device may:

• Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular connections
• Disable vibration, location services, and background data
• Turn off always-on display and tilt-to-wake
• Show only the time on a black screen

Knowing if battery saver mode is on can help you optimize your app’s behavior and user experience. For instance, you may want to:

• Reduce the frequency or duration of network requests or sensor readings
• Disable or limit animations, sounds, or haptic feedback
• Show a simplified or minimalistic user interface
• Notify the user that some features are not available or may not work properly

In this article, we will show you how to detect if battery saver mode is enabled on Wear OS SDK 33/34 using Kotlin. We will also provide some tips and best practices for handling battery saver mode in your app.

How to Detect Battery Saver Mode

To detect if battery saver mode is enabled on Wear OS SDK 33/34, you need to use the PowerManager class from the Android framework. The PowerManager class provides access to the system’s power management services, such as controlling the device’s screen brightness and power state.

The PowerManager class has a method called isPowerSaveMode() that returns a boolean value indicating whether the device is in power save mode or not. You can get an instance of the PowerManager class by calling getSystemService() on a Context object and passing POWER_SERVICE as the argument.

Here is an example of how to use the PowerManager class to check if battery saver mode is on:

// Get an instance of PowerManager from the context
val powerManager = getSystemService(POWER_SERVICE) as PowerManager

// Check if power save mode is on
val isBatterySaverOn = powerManager.isPowerSaveMode()

// Do something based on the result
if (isBatterySaverOn) {
    // Battery saver mode is on, reduce app's functionality or performance
} else {
    // Battery saver mode is off, resume normal app behavior
}

Alternatively, you can also use the Settings.Global class from the Android framework to check if battery saver mode is on. The Settings.Global class provides access to global system settings that are stored in a content provider. One of these settings is LOW_POWER, which indicates whether low power mode is activated or not.

To use the Settings.Global class, you need to have the permission android.permission.READ_GLOBAL_SETTINGS in your app’s manifest file. Then, you can use the Settings.Global.getInt() method to get the value of the LOW_POWER setting. The method returns an integer value of either 0 or 1, where 0 means low power mode is off and 1 means low power mode is on.

Here is an example of how to use the Settings.Global class to check if battery saver mode is on:

// Get the value of LOW_POWER setting from Settings.Global
val isBatterySaverOn = Settings.Global.getInt(contentResolver, Settings.Global.LOW_POWER)

// Do something based on the result
if (isBatterySaverOn == 1) {
    // Battery saver mode is on, reduce app's functionality or performance
} else {
    // Battery saver mode is off, resume normal app behavior
}

How to Handle Battery Saver Mode

Now that you know how to detect if battery saver mode is enabled on Wear OS SDK 33/34, you may wonder how to handle it in your app. Here are some tips and best practices for dealing with battery saver mode:

Use adaptive icons

Adaptive icons are icons that can change their shape and appearance based on different contexts, such as ambient mode or battery saver mode. You can use adaptive icons to show a different icon for your app when battery saver mode is on, such as a grayscale icon or a simplified icon. This can help users identify which apps are affected by battery saver mode and which are not. To learn how to create and use adaptive icons for Wear OS, check out this guide.

Use ambient callbacks

Ambient callbacks are callbacks that are invoked when the device enters or exits ambient mode. Ambient mode is a low-power state that shows a minimal user interface with reduced color and brightness. You can use ambient callbacks to adjust your app’s UI when ambient mode changes, such as hiding or showing certain elements or changing colors or fonts. To learn how to implement ambient callbacks for Wear OS, check out this guide.

Use power save mode listener

Power save mode listener is a listener that is triggered when the device enters or exits power save mode. You can use power save mode listener to perform actions when battery saver mode changes, such as updating your app’s logic or notifying the user. To learn how to use power save mode listener for Wear OS, check out this guide.

Use JobScheduler

JobScheduler is a framework that allows you to schedule tasks or jobs that run in the background. You can use JobScheduler to optimize your app’s battery usage by deferring or batching network requests or sensor readings when battery saver mode is on. You can also specify constraints for your jobs, such as requiring a certain battery level or network type. To learn how to use JobScheduler for Wear OS, check out this guide.

Use WorkManager

WorkManager is a library that simplifies the management of background work. You can use WorkManager to schedule tasks or work that need to run reliably, even if the app is closed or the device is rebooted. You can also specify constraints and policies for your work, such as requiring a certain battery level or network type. WorkManager is compatible with JobScheduler and other background execution mechanisms. To learn how to use WorkManager for Wear OS, check out this guide.

Use Data Saver

Data Saver is a feature that helps reduce data usage by limiting background data and restricting app updates. You can use Data Saver to optimize your app’s network usage by requesting or sending less data when Data Saver is on. You can also check if Data Saver is on by using the ConnectivityManager class and the isActiveNetworkMetered() method. To learn how to use Data Saver for Wear OS, check out this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions related to battery saver mode on Wear OS SDK 33/34:

Question: How do I enable or disable battery saver mode on Wear OS?

Answer: To enable or disable battery saver mode on Wear OS, follow these steps:

1. Swipe down from the top of your watch’s screen to access the quick settings panel.
2. Tap on the battery icon to see the battery modes menu.
3. Tap on Battery Saver to turn it on or off.

Alternatively, you can also enable or disable battery saver mode from the settings menu:

1. Swipe down from the top of your watch’s screen to access the quick settings panel.
2. Tap on the gear icon to open the settings menu.
3. Tap on Battery and then Power Saver.
4. Turn on or off Battery saver at 10%.

Question: How do I set battery saver mode to turn on automatically on Wear OS?

Answer: To set battery saver mode to turn on automatically on Wear OS, follow these steps:

1. Swipe down from the top of your watch’s screen to access the quick settings panel.
2. Tap on the gear icon to open the settings menu.
3. Tap on Battery and then Power Saver.
4. Turn on Battery saver at 10%.

This will make your watch automatically turn on battery saver mode when your battery level is at 10% or less.

Question: How do I know if battery saver mode is on or off on Wear OS?

Answer: To know if battery saver mode is on or off on Wear OS, you can look for these signs:

• If battery saver mode is on, you will see a notification that says “Battery saver is on” on your watch’s screen.
• If battery saver mode is on, you will see a battery icon with a plus sign (+) in the quick settings panel and the battery modes menu.
• If battery saver mode is off, you will see a normal battery icon in the quick settings panel and the battery modes menu.

Conclusion

Battery saver mode is a useful feature that helps extend the battery life of your wearable device by reducing its performance and functionality. As a developer, you should be aware of how to detect and handle battery saver mode in your app to optimize your app’s behavior and user experience. In this article, we showed you how to detect if battery saver mode is enabled on Wear OS SDK 33/34 using Kotlin. We also provided some tips and best practices for dealing with battery saver mode in your app. We hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. The author and publisher are not responsible for any damages or losses that may result from following the instructions or recommendations in this article. The reader should always exercise caution and consult a qualified professional before implementing any changes to their device or app.