When Google released Google Now for iOS a few days ago through an update to the Google search app for iOS, iOS users finally were able to experience Google's answer to Siri. Google Now provides information faster than Apple's virtual assistant and also has a "card" feature that always has just the information you need at that time.
Google Now cards show important information at a glance through a card-based system, with cards for expected commute times, weather forecast, appointments and more. It's one of the best features Google introduced with Jelly Bean. It has finally come to iOS but many users are claiming that since installing Google Now on their iOS devices, the battery life on their iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch has significantly decreased.
Users have claimed that after enabling Google Now in the Google Search app, it keeps location services running even while the user minimizes the app, which is believed to be the reason for a significant decrease in battery life.
If you are experiencing this problem there's an easy solution to resolve it before Google comes out with a fix. Lifehacker recommends going into the Google Search app, tap the settings button, tap Privacy, and turn off Location Reporting. Google released the following statement to Lifehacker:
"Reports that Google Now drains battery life are incorrect. We understand people's concern about seeing the Location Services icon stay on when they use Google Now. Many apps that keep the icon on actually do drain the phone's battery because they require very accurate location. (For example a navigation app has to run your GPS all the time to keep you from missing your turn.) Google Now is built very differently: it uses cell towers and wifi hot spots for much lower battery impact.
We extensively tested Google Now on iOS for months and didn't see reports of significant battery impact - we would encourage you to try it in the Google Search app for a few days and we don't expect you to see significant impact on your battery. If you are seeing a problem, please do tell us (just tap feedback in the app settings). We take user feedback very seriously."
You can still use Google Now, and if you're experiencing battery issues try Lifehacker's quick trick.
