Likely, you have already used virtual reality with one of Samsung’s flagship phones. There are a lot of Gear VR-compatible phones out there now, so it wouldn’t be surprising if you didn’t.
Samsung knows this and released a software update this year that included a bunch of Oculus apps, including the Gear VR service application. Although it’s not the first instance of bloatware being added to a software update, we are used to it. Samsung is the manufacturer we are referring to, which is already well-known for such clever moves.
The update was supposed to allow users to experience virtual reality on their smartphones. However, there were some side effects…
Samsung, how are your phones doing?
Oculus released its September 29 app update, and many Samsung Galaxy owners began complaining about their phone’s battery life and overheating. We all remember what happened when Samsung experienced overheating problems. R.I.P. Galaxy Note 7: You will be missed. I believe.
Soon after, Q&A boards and forums were flooded with questions like “Gear VR Service draining my S8.” What can I do? What should I do?
Reddit threads were started by users who shared their entire experiences. One user claimed that his phone had lost 70% in three hours. Similar issues were reported on the Oculus forum, which Gear VR Oculus caused.
What should you do as a user-facing the same problem? We have solutions.
How to remove Gear VR software
These steps will help you solve your phone’s battery issues caused by Gear VR apps.
It can be disabled from the Settings menu.
A user familiar with Android would first try to disable the Gear VR service app using the menu. Select the Gear VR app from the menu. Next, go to Settings > Apps. Finally, check the disable option. It only sometimes works.
Many users have reported that the option to disable it is not available. We should therefore look for another option.
You probably already know that getting rid of Samsung’s “bloatware” is difficult unless you root your phone and install custom firmware. There are many options, but this technical option requires experience and documentation. You can’t deactivate the Gear VR service without root.
It can be disabled using a third-party app.
We have good news for you if you want to avoid your phone being rooted. You can disable the app using…an app. Many Samsung users have reported that Package Disabler PRO is a viable option to disable Gear VR Service, Gear VR SetupWizardStub, and Gear VR Shell. The setup app will stop running after this. This will solve your battery problems.
All Oculus Apps must be uninstalled.
It would help if you first uninstalled the Oculus app package one at a time. It would help if you started with Oculus Home, then Oculus Space. Then, you can re-dock your phone. The latest update should be downloaded to your phone. This will resolve any battery problems. However, this is not guaranteed.
Another better option is to uninstall all Oculus applications and wait for something official from Oculus. While you won’t still be able to use your Gear VR, it’s better than a constantly-hot phone.
Use OEM cables
After looking at several options, we finally found the right solution for the Samsung Community. A representative of the company suggested it.
They discovered that Gear VR might become inactive if low-quality third-party cables. He recommended that only Samsung-approved accessories be used. This one is not guaranteed.
Stop the Gear VR Service App
A representative suggested you also go to the app manager under the “More options” submenu to view all system apps. Find all Gear VR-related services, and force them to stop.
This one is only sometimes available, as the app can be restarted. It will also continue the phone to start running again.
The VR Developer Mode is available.
Another user said the problem occurred while trying to test something. This caused the Gear VR service app running in the background to get stuck on the phone, draining the battery quickly.
This is the easiest way to activate VR developer mode. Follow these steps. Next, turn off your phone and then deactivate all Gear VR apps. This is a good solution.
Data should not be used in the background.
Some users claim this method works and significantly improves battery life.
These steps should be followed:
Click on Settings > Connections and then select Data Saver. This will limit background data usage for any app that you choose.
Next, navigate to Settings > Apps. Click on the 3 dots button at the top right and select “Allow app while you save data.”
Click the three dots once more, choose “show system applications,” then disable all Gear VR-related apps.
These are only a few solutions that you can use to solve the Oculus update-related battery drain problem. Samsung still needs to provide a guaranteed-to-work solution. Your ability to fix the problem with your phone is ultimately up to you.
Wrap-up
We would appreciate your feedback if any of these solutions work. If you are a satisfied user and have no further problems with the Gear VR service app, please drop us a line below.