What Is Included In Google Play Services?

Stover Thistarry · Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Trying to maxamize performance and minimize battery drain.
I see two instances of Google Play Services running full time (even when no wifi connection).
Google threatens "bad things" if I delete Play Services, but what is the real consequence of getting ris of these processes that I don't think I need?

01-07-2014 09:55 AM
Quote copied directly from the Play store decription: ' Google Play services is used to update Google apps and apps from Google Play.
This component provides core functionality like authentication to your Google services, synchronized contacts, access to all the latest user privacy settings, and higher quality, lower-powered location based services.
Google Play services also enhances your app experience. It speeds up offline searches, provides more immersive maps, and improves gaming experiences.
Apps may not work if you uninstall Google Play services.'
I would leave it.

01-07-2014 10:05 AM
Bottom line if you remove Google Play first you may have bad effects removing it.... Second... If you don't want Google then I question why you decided on an Android based product, especially a Nexus that is Pure Vanilla Android at its finest.

01-07-2014 10:10 AM
It serves several purposes, but many apps require it for access to Google API's that they're not necessarily given, but are allowed to access. Disabling it, stopping it, etc will obviously have a detrimental effect on Google's apps, but will also likely break many, if not most, of your other apps (from the Play Store). I think it'll also restore itself eventually, because it's more or less a core process.

If it's causing problems, such as wake-locks, sometimes we recommend a force stop to isolate processes run rampant as it recycles on, but I don't think you're going to meet anyone that recommends disabling core functionality to improve "performance", as that's one of the things needed for the device to do much of anything at all. A phone without these services is basically a touch screen dumb phone, and while there are some things you can do without this (people do create ROMs with no Google apps, services, etc at all), it can be fairly crippling to the overall experience.

This tablet will run for a week or two easily when off of WiFi and sleeping, and Google Play services running in the background with WiFi off is usually syncing info between apps that share services and it'll still notify you about appointments, reminders, etc that it's already aware.

01-07-2014 10:11 AM
Good reply!
Just trying to get rid of the stuff I don't (think that) I need. Seems that GPS is not one of them.
Thanks

01-07-2014 10:15 AM
Originally Posted by gerryp123

Good reply!
Just trying to get rid of the stuff I don't (think that) I need. Seems that GPS is not one of them.
Thanks

Nexus devices are pretty bare as it is. Now if we were talking about any carrier branded Samsung device, that would be full of garbage that would be worth discussing what is truly needed or not.

From a Sprint Moto X using AC Forums app

01-07-2014 10:42 AM
I've stopped (NOT deleted) Google Play Services many times on my Nexus 7 trying to reduce battery drain and nothing adverse has happened. And it always has a way of eventually resurrecting itself. I don't know if stopping it has helped battery drain or not, but stopping several running apps at once seems to help. I was getting a lot better battery life before the update to 4.4.x, but it's still not too bad. I just enjoy tweaking things. My Nexus 10 also has 4.4.2, but the battery life is awesome on it. I'm not sure what the difference is, other than battery size.

01-07-2014 11:10 AM
I disagree.

I needed a phone. It so happens, this is a "smart" one with lots of interesting apps, but after using it for a year, the battery just won't stay charged enough for it to be mobile anymore, and the culprit is most definitely the Google Play Services app.

After uninstalling it, my battery life more than quadrupled. I won't be reinstalling it anytime soon. As soon as I launch any app that claims to need it, that app will be uninstalled along with it. Nothing Google needs to know about me or my phone should need that much battery capacity. If it does, this goes back to "dumb phone" mode, because more than occasionally, I need the longer battery life a whole lot more than Google needs to know what I am doing with my phone.

04-25-2014 10:08 AM
I got Android because I hate iCrap, and don't trust Windows since they screwed up their OS to make it look like a phone. What's left in a smart phone? Android. But I didn't expect it to be chock full of crap I'll never use, wasting my phone storage.

04-30-2014 01:04 AM
Welcome to Android Central! Android is a Google product, so I think it's perfectly reasonable for them to install various Google apps on their phones. You can always root your phone and delete almost all Google apps if you want. Google Play Services have other important functions, like allowing components of the OS to be updated separately, instead of having to wait much longer for a total system update.

If you want a phone that doesn't have any major company's influence, maybe you could look into Ubuntu.

Posted via Android Central App--please excuse the brevity and any typos!

04-30-2014 02:11 AM
Originally Posted by B. Diddy

Welcome to Android Central! Android is a Google product, so I think it's perfectly reasonable for them to install various Google apps on their phones. You can always root your phone and delete almost all Google apps if you want. Google Play Services have other important functions, like allowing components of the OS to be updated separately, instead of having to wait much longer for a total system update.

If you want a phone that doesn't have any major company's influence, maybe you could look into Ubuntu.

Posted via Android Central App--please excuse the brevity and any typos!

In addition to this, you can always root and flash an AOSP-based ROM, minus the gapps. What you'll be left with though is minimal, and it will be difficult to install any apps. I find most, if not all of them very useful. You can't however free up more storage on the device than what it comes with out of the box.

04-30-2014 02:19 AM
Google Services was stopped, now nothing will update. How to get Google Services back to running normal. Unlocked rooted note 2. Thanks!

04-30-2014 04:00 PM
Originally Posted by laollis

Google Services was stopped, now nothing will update. How to get Google Services back to running normal. Unlocked rooted note 2. Thanks!

If you just stopped the service then it should come back when you reboot. If you uninstalled it ....

05-01-2014 04:00 PM
Originally Posted by Paul627g

Bottom line if you remove Google Play first you may have bad effects removing it.... Second... If you don't want Google then I question why you decided on an Android based product, especially a Nexus that is Pure Vanilla Android at its finest.

Paul, that's rather rude.
The question was if Google Play Services could be disabled because it appears to be draining battery life, not whether Google products would work without it. Also, why make fun of the Nexus product? Is your phone "cooler" than everyone elses?
I think the OP's question is a good one. That's why I followed this link: My Android phone suddenly started consuming a huge amount of battery after the latest "required" Google Play Service update.
If you'r so intelligent, then maybe you have a suggestion about whether or not Google Play Service is causing users batteries to discharge at a very high rate, and what "we" can do about it.
Some of us come to the forum for answers, not to be made fun of.

06-02-2014 03:43 PM
Originally Posted by edglenn

Paul, that's rather rude.
The question was if Google Play Services could be disabled because it appears to be draining battery life, not whether Google products would work without it. Also, why make fun of the Nexus product? Is your phone "cooler" than everyone elses?
I think the OP's question is a good one. That's why I followed this link: My Android phone suddenly started consuming a huge amount of battery after the latest "required" Google Play Service update.
If you'r so intelligent, then maybe you have a suggestion about whether or not Google Play Service is causing users batteries to discharge at a very high rate, and what "we" can do about it.
Some of us come to the forum for answers, not to be made fun of.

You might be reading too much into it...

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using AC Forums mobile app

06-02-2014 03:48 PM
So, to re-phrase the original question:
After "Google Play Services" updated recently, my battery is discharging really quickly (the battery is only a couple months old). This didn't happen before the update.
Under Settings/Applications/Battery Use, it shows "Andriod System" is using 75% of battery, with the remainder Cell Standby and Phone Idle.
It wasn't like this before the update, so it must have been related to the Google Play, which has several copies under Running Services.
How do I fix this problem. Can I "stop" Google Play, or is there something else?
I suspect that the update is now causing the phone to report my location (and who knows what else), which I don't see as a benefit to ME.
If I want to "update" any of my Apps, then I can do that manually.
So, without having to become an expert in Rooting my phone and hacking the OS, what's the best solution to keep my battery life extended as much as possible?

06-02-2014 03:51 PM
Originally Posted by raymaane

You might be reading too much into it...

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using AC Forums mobile app

No, I don't think I am reading too much into Paul's answer. It was rude to chastise a forum member for asking a valid question.
Plus, the OP's question wasn't answered, except for being told his phone was "vanilla", and maybe he shouldn't have a Google product.

06-02-2014 03:53 PM
Originally Posted by edglenn

No, I don't think I am reading too much into Paul's answer. It was rude to chastise a forum member for asking a valid question.
Plus, the OP's question wasn't answered, except for being told his phone was "vanilla", and maybe he shouldn't have a Google product.

I copy/pasted the exact wording from Play. If Play Services is disabled, updating the apps that are on your device becomes difficult if even possible. I even responded by stating to leave it alone. The OP, started the question by asking about processes running all the time, as Play services does, because it has to.

From a Carbon M8 and AC Forums app

06-02-2014 05:11 PM
Originally Posted by edglenn

No, I don't think I am reading too much into Paul's answer. It was rude to chastise a forum member for asking a valid question.
Plus, the OP's question wasn't answered, except for being told his phone was "vanilla", and maybe he shouldn't have a Google product.

You kind of are.. He simply answered the OP's question and didn't mock him. As you can see I quoted the OP where he said thanks for answering his question.. He didn't find Paul to be rude.. So no reason to try and start something that isn't there. We are all here to help.. Not mock people.. Especially Paul. .

Originally Posted by gerryp123

Good reply!
Just trying to get rid of the stuff I don't (think that) I need. Seems that GPS is not one of them.
Thanks

Sent from my Verizon HTC One M8 using AC Forums.

06-02-2014 05:15 PM
Originally Posted by Paul627g

Bottom line if you remove Google Play first you may have bad effects removing it.... Second... If you don't want Google then I question why you decided on an Android based product, especially a Nexus that is Pure Vanilla Android at its finest.

I agree with edglenn, above.
Paul's answer was indicative of almost every socially inept "techie" I've met throughout my career. Your first statement, "if you remove Google Play you may have bad effects removing it", is barely English, and contains redundancy. I wouldn't mind so much, but you patronize the OP without expounding with a qualifying explanation. The response is akin to, "Look, little boy, don't delete the app. Trust me, you're too stupid to understand why you shouldn't delete it, so I won't bother to explain. If you do, monsters will come for you".

Additionally, nowhere did the OP state he didn't want Google, yet Paul unnecessarily questions him (again, patronizing) as to why he decided on an Andriod based product. This comment was utterly out of place. Again, synonymous with most awkward "IT guys" who've served me during my career.

Finally, the OP was thanking Golfdriver97 for his more appropriate and direct answer to the question posed.

06-10-2014 10:08 AM
Originally Posted by Statler60657

I agree with edglenn, above.
Paul's answer was indicative of almost every socially inept "techie" I've met throughout my career. Your first statement, "if you remove Google Play you may have bad effects removing it", is barely English, and contains redundancy. I wouldn't mind so much, but you patronize the OP without expounding with a qualifying explanation. The response is akin to, "Look, little boy, don't delete the app. Trust me, you're too stupid to understand why you shouldn't delete it, so I won't bother to explain. If you do, monsters will come for you".

Additionally, nowhere did the OP state he didn't want Google, yet Paul unnecessarily questions him (again, patronizing) as to why he decided on an Andriod based product. This comment was utterly out of place. Again, synonymous with most awkward "IT guys" who've served me during my career.

Finally, the OP was thanking Golfdriver97 for his more appropriate and direct answer to the question posed.

Normally I wouldn't even respond to a post like this because you took the time to create an account just to come in here and question and ridicule those who have been here day and night for years on end helping others.

As for all the words you put into my mouth that was never said, kudo's for coming up with such creative imaginative thoughts on what I was calling the OP. Far from the truth.

My statement was simple. You buy an Android product and then want to delete or disable on or more of the key components of the OS because it was showing a high resource usage or battery drain. My thoughts would be to first investigate why this is happening. Then I only questioned why you would be interested in a Nexus device which is basically a bare boned vanilla OS and then turn around and want to disable or certain key features of it? It really doesn't make much sense but I didn't blast the OP for their decision, only asked out of curiosity why.

I'm also glad to hear that you identify " IT guys " as those who have " served you " during your career. To me that sounds very belittling to place anyone within a company or organization outside of a group or team effort by saying they " served you ".

Anyhow thanks for your comments, we do take everything said into consideration to make ourselves and the forums better. I'll have to go back and review my last 4 years here and over 15,000 posts and countless volunteer hours and review them to make sure they meet your self serving needs.

06-10-2014 01:04 PM
Originally Posted by Statler60657

I agree with edglenn, above.
Paul's answer was indicative of almost every socially inept "techie" I've met throughout my career. Your first statement, "if you remove Google Play you may have bad effects removing it", is barely English, and contains redundancy. I wouldn't mind so much, but you patronize the OP without expounding with a qualifying explanation. The response is akin to, "Look, little boy, don't delete the app. Trust me, you're too stupid to understand why you shouldn't delete it, so I won't bother to explain. If you do, monsters will come for you".

Additionally, nowhere did the OP state he didn't want Google, yet Paul unnecessarily questions him (again, patronizing) as to why he decided on an Andriod based product. This comment was utterly out of place. Again, synonymous with most awkward "IT guys" who've served me during my career.

Finally, the OP was thanking Golfdriver97 for his more appropriate and direct answer to the question posed.

Paul627g is an awesome AC Moderator who started off as an awesome Ambassador. He works tirelessly to make this site a great place, and also tries to help members out as much as possible. Period. I didn't see his response as patronizing or "socially inept" at all, because he was backing up what Golfdriver97 said.

Please notice what the OP said: "

what is the real consequence of getting ris of these processes that I don't think I need?" Users who think they don't need Google services on a Google device that has Google products that are closely integrated with the OS from Google often run into major problems when trying to modify things to suit their preferences (like trying to delete Google Play Services, for example).

06-10-2014 01:26 PM
Originally Posted by Statler60657

I agree with edglenn, above.
Paul's answer was indicative of almost every socially inept "techie" I've met throughout my career. Your first statement, "if you remove Google Play you may have bad effects removing it", is barely English, and contains redundancy. I wouldn't mind so much, but you patronize the OP without expounding with a qualifying explanation. The response is akin to, "Look, little boy, don't delete the app. Trust me, you're too stupid to understand why you shouldn't delete it, so I won't bother to explain. If you do, monsters will come for you".

Additionally, nowhere did the OP state he didn't want Google, yet Paul unnecessarily questions him (again, patronizing) as to why he decided on an Andriod based product. This comment was utterly out of place. Again, synonymous with most awkward "IT guys" who've served me during my career.

Finally, the OP was thanking Golfdriver97 for his more appropriate and direct answer to the question posed.

I am not totally sure he was thanking me, but Darth Spock.

From a Carbon M8 and AC Forums app

06-10-2014 01:39 PM
Originally Posted by Golfdriver97

I am not totally sure he was thanking me, but Darth Spock.

From a Carbon M8 and AC Forums app

Or the team as a whole. Because that's how we roll.

06-10-2014 01:42 PM
I came to this forum with the same problem -- in the last couple of weeks my battery has started draining really quickly. So, it seems that we have confirmed that Google Play Services IS an essential service. This is not at all obvious to many non-techies from its name -- please just assume that those of us who come here look for help don't know what is a core service and what isn't...there are a ton of things called Google blah blah on my phone that I don't use, and a few that I do use and love.

But it seems no one has a solution to the basic problem, which is that my phone is dead by 4 PM when it used to make it to midnight with a decent amount of battery left. Is this due to an update of Google Play Services? Can I revert to a previous version or something? Will Google fix the problem? Or do I need to go buy a big honking extended battery? Because a dead phone at 4 PM isn't working for me.

06-19-2014 07:15 AM