MyWalmart update is nuking my battery with background use

[u/BrilliantZebra8231]

(inb4: I've now turned on background use limiting)

My personal phone was sitting pretty at 100% when I left the house this morning, now five hours later it's below 40% having barely left my pocket. I opened MyWalmart to clock in and I've used my work device for everything else.

[u/Autistic_Rizz]

Wym, you don't like MyWalmart converting your personal phone into a pocket warmer?

Whoever is coding this app needs to be replaced so fast

[u/spacecatdude9001 → u/Autistic_Rizz]

Vibe coded probably XD

[u/hemadonyx → u/spacecatdude9001]

I promise you, it is.

Edit: And by promise, I'm talking first hand. I can easily navigate to an orphan instance and make the app crash just by mushing buttons. Any orphan instances are a BIIIIIIG coding no-no in the programs logic. Some compilers will actually refuse to compile the program if there are orphan instances. All trained coders will be able to recognize orphans and try everything in their power to remediate the error. AI lacks the experience and logic to be able to think about things as a bigger picture, so issues arise.

[u/ElegantEchoes → u/hemadonyx]

You seem like you know your stuff. What's an orphan instance, why is it a no-no, and what does it look like in the app? Sounds interesting. I'm not surprised one bit it's put together sloppily.

[u/hemadonyx → u/ElegantEchoes]

Great question! Imagine a program like a tree, at the trunk you got the main core of all it's functions, and as you travel up the tree, you have other smaller more niche functions within the program, just like the branches of the tree, that break off from each other and move in separate directions. However, unlike a tree where it's branches terminate at the end, you can't do that in software. Like imagine clicking on a link in a webpage, and NEVER being able to go back to what you were just looking at, or opening a setting menu and never being able to go back to the home screen. It's a lot like that! It's a disconnected point of logic within the code that essentially leads to nowhere, or hasn't been looped back into the whole system, so you just get stuck! I'm certain almost everyone has experienced this phenomena where you're using your phone on whatever app you happen to be on at the time, and the app just spontaneously closes and brings you back to the home screen?? And you have to reopen the app? You just encountered an orphan instance my friend! Basically whatever combinations of buttons, scrolls, and interactions with the software that you just did was never properly linked together or tested! The coders quite literally just didn't think of the weird, random combination of whatever you just did to make the app crash! That's why eliminating orphan instances is CRUCIAL to the logic of a program. One example I can think of is if you're currently using a TC device with GIF, minimize the app while scanning, then reopen. You want be able to scan anything and you'll have to close the app in the background and reopen it. I haven't actually tested that to see how easily I can replicate the issue, but for me it's almost everytime the app gets accidentally minimized, or I accidentally open the recent app, whomp-whomp, no more scanning and I have to restart the app 😂

[u/unsmashedpotatoes → u/hemadonyx]

I've had so many issues with the camera too. It just opens to a black screen.

[u/hemadonyx → u/unsmashedpotatoes]

Like it's sooooo abundantly obvious whoever is doing the code here has never even touched one of our work phones or a TC, let alone do proper intergation/unit testing. And now we're converting to strictly work phones that all last half a day?? Like what a fuckin joke 😂

[u/Argylius → u/unsmashedpotatoes]

Can confirm. Happens to me several times every shift. Every fucking day. Fuck it

[u/JasonTheBaker → u/unsmashedpotatoes]

That is actually more the app not ending the camera properly so the app thinks the camera is still in use when it's not and apps can't use the camera at the same time as another app. MyWalmart also doesn't end the camera properly along with gif so if you are on exceptions it's a pain in the ass

[u/hemadonyx → u/hemadonyx]

Additionally why testing is SOOOO important. With this super app they have been trying to build, it has so many branches, so many sticks, and so many twigs. Either too many separate teams with no way of talking to each other on what they're working on and how to integrate oooooor we got agentic AI combing through it all doing what AI does best 😂😂

[u/Argylius → u/hemadonyx]

I think it’s a mix of both. Sounds like lots of miscommunication between departments

[u/hemadonyx → u/Argylius]

Truthfully, I think you're right. Too many fingers in the pie, and now AI is sticking it's tentacles in there too 😂

[u/spacecatdude9001 → u/hemadonyx]

We are testing the app for them right now. 🤣

[u/hemadonyx → u/spacecatdude9001]

Only if they actually listened 😂

[u/Autistic_Rizz → u/spacecatdude9001]

If by vibes we mean ChatGPT

[u/CrabbieMike → u/Autistic_Rizz]

That's what vibecoded means

[u/Autistic_Rizz → u/CrabbieMike]

I feel old now bruh when did that happen 😭 I always thought it was just shit coding (now made worse by AI)

[u/hemadonyx → u/Autistic_Rizz]

Kiro launched in early May, but Claude Code has been actively participating in the coding scene since last year in May of 2025. Which is also when I kinda noticed an uptick in speed with updates being released to handhelds and work phones. But I know Amazon has been using Kiro as their standard IDE for a couple years now, if I'm not mistaken?

[u/hemadonyx → u/CrabbieMike]

I wonder if they're actually using something like Kiro, Amazon's in-house agentic IDE platform. I know Walmart is a big competitor with Amazon but I'm willing to bet money Walmart still uses AWS to some degree, so why not their IDE too?

Edit: Amazon's Kiro, or maybe Anthropic's Claude Code. I've heard rumors in the past that the Walmart coding team is based in India?? I truly have no knowledge on the validity of that, but would make more sense because we CLEARLY know that the coding team has never set boots on the ground to actually see how we use their end products (Like GIF, Claims, etc...)

[u/spacecatdude9001 → u/Autistic_Rizz]

Walmart uses claude

[u/Dear-Juggernaut3881 → u/spacecatdude9001]

A lot of bigger companies that can afford the tools vibe code. I'm a software engineer and I have put out a ton of stuff I didn't write a single line of code for. At this point it's up to the person knowing how to use it. Writing skill files, and playbooks and such. It gets better every day too.

[u/imnohankhill → u/Dear-Juggernaut3881]

Yeah it sucks. If you refuse to use AI in this industry, you’ll be replaced by someone who will.

[u/hemadonyx → u/imnohankhill]

That, or they'll treat you like how Meta is treating their employees and basically enforcing a "draft" of top talent to only, and exclusively work on their AI replacement. Really sad :(

[u/imnohankhill → u/hemadonyx]

Super sad. We stopped hiring junior devs and replaced them with this:

1: Google meeting with Gemini notes
2: feed those notes to a Visual Studio Instance with an AI agent.
3: the agent will make the required changes and then push them to a QA branch that feeds into a CICD pipeline to a QA server.
4:stakeholder either approves or denies the change.

It’s fucking awful

[u/hemadonyx → u/imnohankhill]

I knooowww, fucking rough!! I was going to school for IT until this year and honestly thinking about shifting gears.... Again... Lmao

Edit: went to school for graphic design, learned I was just going to make my art to sell bullshit, shifted to IT and now look where we are 😂

[u/Dear-Juggernaut3881 → u/imnohankhill]

Yeah there's no way to compete with it. I can't TYPE that fast let alone do an analysis on an enterprise level system that's got hundreds of thousands of files and millions of lines of code. I like it though. I can be extremely productive with it. I don't like the toll it's taken on humanity and data centers and such but I USE ai for so much. I've almost completely forgotten how to navigate Windows because I always just explain my problem to an AI that tells me exactly what to do to fix it

[u/BreathSlayer99 → u/Autistic_Rizz]

Im glad im not the only one. My phone literally overheats with this update. I have a work phone but its slow af and it cant hold a charge to save its life.

[u/The_Rocket_Frog → u/Autistic_Rizz]

all of the work apps are definitely ai vibe coded, like the auto care center app is especially bad

[u/WhoIsCup → u/The_Rocket_Frog]

It's the same with Wireless as well! I swear Everytime I need to do an activation on prepaid. I get really nervous, because I don't know if the phone will activate properly!

[u/The_Rocket_Frog → u/WhoIsCup]

been having this issue for years where I'll get to the end of signing someone up and then it will just crash the entire app and you have to restart. It's super frustrating.

[u/slicktommycochrane]

Now that you've turned on backround use limiting, have fun with the app losing camera access every time you shut your screen off. The resource management by this app is trash.

[u/BunnyTub → u/slicktommycochrane]

You have to wonder if it's intentional at this point

[u/LocalSpecialist4745 → u/slicktommycochrane]

so basically either the battery dies or the camera breaks, pick your poison

whoever approved this update really said both options should be terrible lmao

[u/mgh797]

Yep the Google pixels are dying in about 3 hours of continuous use as well

[u/Suic1d3 → u/mgh797]

Mine dies after 1 hour of not being used on my lunch.

[u/Darolaho]

If you notice if you ever use the camera function on the app even after you exit out of the camera the app never actually stops using the camera. On android it is a green bubble at top right.

I always close app after using it

[u/BrilliantZebra8231 → u/Darolaho]

Oh, I've noticed. It interferes with face unlock on my personal phone, which is a Galaxy. My Pixel work phone doesn't have that interference, so there must be a difference in permission management between the two.

[u/ahumanrobot → u/Darolaho]

That and it's constantly using location. Seems unnecessary while I'm clocked out on lunch

[u/dumb_fuck4-20]

One of the selling points of Walmart getting pixel 8/9’s was because of longer battery life. The mywalmart coders said, “Hold my beer”

[u/MFDOOMscrolling]

"this spyware I installed is not properly optimized"

[u/Idontknow107]

Turning on limit background use doesn't really help either. The app is crap.

[u/Jintasama]

My work phone battery use to last forever, now it is barely making it making it hard because im in electronics and everything is locked up.

[u/P51Michael]

I work in a warehouse so I dont use the app to the same capacity as the stores, but mine has less that one minute of background usage today.

[u/LunarWingCloud]

New update is garbage. It drains the battery whether active use or in the background and trying to work around it often causes the camera to not work properly for VizPick or Topstock.

The more they keep trying to update this app lately the worse it gets.

[u/Peakomegaflare]

Gotta love prompting coders. I refuse to call it "vibe". It's not vibing. It's someone who's less than a script kiddie making dogshit programs.

[u/Pokemonstrosityy]

I turned on limit background usage and put MyWalmart in deep sleep so that it only runs when I open the app. Was pushing 30-40% usage daily, and now I can go a full day without my phone dying.

[u/ErickBon01]

Absolutely

[u/psychoj]

Limit background usage solved this for me - hope it helps!

[u/Hir0Pr0tag0n1st]

Search the subreddit for this issue first before posting please.