Why Disable Auto Power-Saving Mode?
Many Android phones automatically activate a Battery Saver or Power-Saving Mode when the battery is low or based on certain settings. While this feature helps extend battery life, it can stop apps like Workyard from tracking location and mileage in the background. To ensure Workyard continues to run properly (even when your phone tries to conserve power), you should turn off automatic battery saver or exempt Workyard from these optimizations. The guide below explains how to do this for various phone brands.
Quick Method (All Modern Android Phones)
No matter which Android phone you have, the goal is to turn off battery optimization for the Workyard app. On Android 12 and newer, you can do this directly via the app’s settings:
Open Workyard’s App Info: Long-press the Workyard app icon on your home screen or app list, then tap the “i” (info) button. (On some phones, you can instead open Settings and use the search bar to find “Workyard” in the app settings.)
Find the Battery setting: In the Workyard App Info screen, look for Battery and tap it.
Choose “Unrestricted”: Change the battery usage setting for Workyard to Unrestricted (sometimes labeled Don’t optimize). This allows Workyard to run in the background without any restrictions. If there is a toggle for “Allow background activity” or “Allow app to run in background,” make sure that is enabled.
After these steps, Workyard is no longer limited by power-saving features. Tip: If your phone has a setting to automatically turn on Battery Saver at a certain percentage, set it to Off or No schedule to prevent it from coming on by itself.
Above: Example on a Samsung phone – searching for the Workyard app in Settings, opening its App Info, and setting its Battery usage to Unrestricted. This ensures the app won’t be put to sleep by battery saver.
Samsung
Samsung devices use One UI, which sometimes has battery optimization settings in different places depending on the model and Android version. Below are two methods you can use to disable power-saving limitations for Workyard on Samsung phones. You can try Method 1 first, and if the options are different on your phone, use Method 2.
Method 1: Using the Apps Menu
Open Settings and tap Apps (or Applications).
Tap the ⋮ menu icon (three dots) in the top right corner and select Special access.
Tap Optimize battery usage. You will see a list of apps with a filter at the top.
Tap the dropdown that says “Not optimized”, and change it to “All apps”. Now you’ll see the full list of apps.
Scroll down and find Workyard in the list. Tap it and select Don’t optimize. (On some Samsung models, this may appear as a toggle switch — in that case, switch it off for Workyard so it is not optimized.)
If you see a Done button or confirmation, tap Done to save the change. Workyard should now be set to not optimize (unrestricted) on battery usage.
Method 2: Using Battery Settings
Open Settings and tap Battery and Device Care (on some older Samsung models, this may be called Device maintenance).
Tap Battery. Then tap the ⋮ menu icon at the top right and choose Optimize battery usage from the menu.
At the top of the screen, tap “Not optimized” and select “All apps” to show all applications.
Find Workyard in the list and set it to Don’t optimize (turn off optimization for Workyard).
Back out of the menus. Workyard is now excluded from Samsung’s battery optimization.
(With these changes, your Samsung will no longer auto-restrict Workyard. Ensure that any Power Saving Mode schedule on your Samsung (if you set one) is disabled or set to manual.)
Motorola
On Motorola devices, Battery Saver mode can turn on automatically at a certain battery level by default. It’s important to completely turn off this feature and exempt Workyard from optimization to keep tracking accurate:
Open Settings and go to Battery.
Tap the menu icon (usually three dots ⋮ in the upper-right corner) and select Battery optimization.
You’ll see a list of apps. If the list is filtered, tap the “Not optimized” filter and switch it to “All apps” so you can see everything.
Scroll and find Workyard in the list. Tap it, then choose Don’t optimize. This ensures Workyard is not restricted by battery optimization.
Now, go back to the main Battery settings screen (you may need to hit the Back arrow or navigate to Settings > Battery again).
Locate the Battery Saver option. If Battery Saver is currently on, turn it off.
Tap on Battery Saver (or Battery Saver settings) and make sure any setting for automatic turn-on (for example, “Turn on Battery Saver at 15%”) is disabled. Set it to off or “No automatic schedule.”
By doing the above, your Motorola phone will not automatically enable battery saver mode, and the Workyard app will remain active in the background.
Sony
Sony Xperia devices often include a power-saving feature (sometimes called “Stamina Mode”). To ensure Workyard keeps running:
Open Settings and tap Battery.
Tap the ⋮ menu icon (three dots) and choose Battery optimization.
If there is an option to choose the category of apps, select Apps (you want to view optimized apps; some devices let you toggle between viewing optimized apps and all apps). Then select All apps to ensure the list shows every app.
Find Workyard in the list of apps. Tap it and select Don’t optimize (turn off battery optimization for Workyard). It may confirm that Workyard is now excluded from power saving.
After this, Workyard will not be limited by Sony’s battery optimizations. (If your Sony device has a Stamina Mode toggle in Battery settings, you may want to keep that off while using Workyard, as it can also restrict background activity.)
OnePlus
OnePlus phones (OxygenOS) are known for aggressive battery management, so it’s crucial to adjust the settings:
Open Settings and tap Battery.
Tap Battery optimization. (On some OnePlus models, you might need to first tap Advanced Settings or Battery settings to find Battery Optimization.)
At the top of the screen, switch the view to All apps (if it’s showing “Not optimized” or a limited list).
Find Workyard in the list and tap it. Choose Don’t optimize to turn off battery optimization for the Workyard app. You may see a prompt to confirm – confirm if needed.
Now Workyard is set to unrestricted battery usage on your OnePlus. (Additionally, check for any OnePlus-specific features like Adaptive Battery or Optimized charging and ensure they aren’t preventing the app from running. In most cases, the above steps are sufficient.)
LG
LG Android phones have a setting to ignore battery optimizations for specific apps:
Open Settings and navigate to Battery & Power Saving.
Tap on Battery usage. This will show options related to battery optimization.
Tap Ignore optimizations. You should see a list of apps that can be ignored (not optimized).
Find Workyard in this list and enable it (toggle it on). This means you are telling the phone to ignore battery optimization for Workyard.
If prompted or if there’s a confirmation, confirm that you want to ignore optimizations for the Workyard app.
Once done, Workyard will not be limited by LG’s power-saving settings. Make sure that any Battery Saver mode on your LG (if available in Battery settings) is not automatically activating in a way that could interfere with the app.
Google Pixel
Google Pixel (stock Android) phones handle this through app settings as well:
Open Settings and tap Apps (on older Pixels this might be Apps & notifications).
If you see See all apps, tap that and scroll to find Workyard, then select it. (You can also use the search icon in the Settings to type “Workyard” and go directly to the app info.)
In the Workyard App Info screen, tap Battery. You will see options for managing battery usage for the app.
Select Unrestricted for Workyard. (On older Android versions, you might instead toggle Allow background activity to On, or choose Don’t optimize from a battery optimization menu. In any case, ensure Workyard is not restricted.)
Go back to the main Battery settings. Check the Battery Saver section – if you have Battery Saver scheduled (e.g. to turn on at 5% or 15%), consider setting it to No schedule or None. This way, Battery Saver won’t kick in automatically and pause your location tracking.
After these changes, your Pixel will allow Workyard to run at all times. Pixel’s Adaptive Battery feature (found under Battery > Adaptive preferences) can usually be left on, but if you suspect it’s limiting Workyard, you could turn it off. In most cases, marking the app as Unrestricted is enough.
By following the steps above for your specific device, you’ll prevent Android’s automatic power-saving features from interrupting Workyard. Your phone will no longer put the Workyard app to sleep or shut off its GPS tracking when the battery is low or when the app is in the background. If you have any trouble finding these settings on your particular phone model, try using the Settings search function (search for “Workyard” or “battery optimization”) or reach out to help@workyard.com for further guidance.