*I usually use Gemini from the Google search page on Brave Android. Today, because of recent performance issues with Gemini, I tried ChatGPT instead, also on the Brave browser, I lost 70% of my battery over the course of an hour and a half.
It could have been because of any number of other issues, but I’m trying to see if it was an anomaly, or maybe tied to the Brave shields, or if anyone else has had a similar experience.
Any feedback would be much appreciated!*
Perplexity.ai:
Possible causes:
High CPU/GPU workload from chat AI rendering: Complex pages, frequent image/video processing, or heavy JavaScript could keep the device awake and drain battery quickly. This is more likely if the chat interface loads heavy assets or runs continuous background tasks.
Background activity and wakeups: Some apps or web views can stay active in the background (e.g., push notifications, auto-refresh, or watchdog scripts) even when the tab is in the foreground or idle, leading to sustained power use.
Browser and extension behavior: Brave on Android may differ in how it handles JavaScript timers, shield settings, or GA-based [Google-Analytics] trackers when loading or running chat interfaces. If Shields are overly permissive or misconfigured, it could impact energy use.
Gemini integration vs. ChatGPT rendering: If you previously used Gemini via Brave’s integration and switched to ChatGPT, the underlying web app’s architecture (WebGL, heavy CSS/JS, or streaming responses) could cause higher power draw than Gemini in this specific scenario.
What to try (quick checks):
Monitor tab activity: Keep only the ChatGPT tab open, close other tabs, and observe whether the battery drain rate changes. If it drops significantly, multiple tabs or background processes were contributing.
Disable or fine-tune Shields: Temporarily turn on stricter Shields (e.g., block trackers, allow only essential cookies) to see if reduced resource loading helps.
Toggle hardware acceleration: In Brave’s settings, try disabling hardware acceleration to see if it reduces GPU usage and battery burn.
Check for Brave app updates: Ensure you’re on the latest stable release, as performance fixes for Android power use are common.
Test a different browser: If possible, compare with another browser (e.g., Chrome) for the same ChatGPT activity to determine if the issue is Brave-specific.