Please bear with me since I understand this is a noob question, but a google search revealed no such topics... I have dl'd several task managers on my newly installed Android 2.2 (thanks to a wonderful xda developer) and I kill tasks to free memory on my device. However, it seems that if I open an app during any given time use of Android, those processes never fully terminate. This includes Google Voice, Maps, News & Weather, Meebo and Voice Search (which might be a system thread or w/e and I am ok with that) among many other apps. Is there a way to permanently kill these apps? Thank you for your help and patience.
EDIT: Just want to add that I use the back button to exit apps most times cuz I read thats the proper way to do it.
Don't bother, Android is not like a desktop OS where running too many applications runs down the available memory to the point where the OS slows down. Android is clever in that it will take memory claim memory back from running applications if they are not in focus. This is fast and completely transparent to the user.
Killing applications will often slow the OS down. as you have noticed, a lot of them start up again because they are needed by the OS in someway. Killing these applications slows your experience down as Android has to reload them from the flash memory - s.l.o.w
There are times where killing applications is genuinely useful but they really are few and far between.
Oh and to actually answer your question, most of the task managers will kill the task like they are supposed to. If the task starts up again, it is because something is telling it to. Like your sync settings for example.
You see, I use the ice cream sandwich music app, and it has this "download" service constantly running which I assume is for google music, which I do not use since I love outside the US. other apps, such as pulse, have services like "feedsync service" running in the background even though I have set pulse not to background sync. I would like to know if there is a way to freeze specific services within an app instead of constantly stopping them in running services as they really slow my phone down.
Sent from my x10 mini running the latest version of minicm 7.
you can use titanium backup and try freezing them
If there is no option for this in the app, you can't stop certain services without decompiling it and changing the code.
One not so sleak way would be to have a task killer, that specificly kills this task whenever it is started. But the task killer will have to run in the background too...
I meant specific processes or services that the app starts rather than the whole app.
Sent from my x10 mini running the latest version of minicm 7.
So i saw many posts on which people have asked as to which task killer should be used !
and then i stumble upon this site which provided me the details,
i just complied info
sources-by Chris Hoffman
http://www.howtogeek.com/127388/htg-explains-why-you-shouldnt-use-a-task-killer-on-android/
Android Doesn’t Manage Processes Like Windows
Most Android users are familiar with Windows. On Windows, many programs running at one time – whether they’re windows on your desktop or applications in your system tray – can decrease your computer’s performance. Closing applications when you’re not using them can help speed up your Windows computer.
However, Android isn’t Windows and doesn’t manage processes like Windows does. Unlike on Windows, where there’s an obvious way to close applications, there’s no obvious way to “close” an Android application. This is by design and isn’t a problem. When you leave an Android app, going back to your home screen or switching to another app, the app stays “running” in the background. In most cases, the app will be paused in the background, taking up no CPU or network resources. Some apps will continue using CPU and network resources in the background, of course – for example, music players, file-downloading programs, or apps that sync in the background.
When you go back to an app you were recently using, Android “unpauses” that app and you resume where you left off. This is fast because the app is still stored in your RAM and ready to be used again.
Why Task Killers Are Bad
Proponents of task killers notice that Android is using a lot of RAM – in fact, Android stores a lot of apps in its memory, filling up the RAM! However, that isn’t a bad thing. Apps stored in your RAM can be quickly switched to without Android having to load them from its slower storage.
In summary, you shouldn’t use a task killer – if you have a misbehaving app wasting resources in the background, you should identify it and uninstall it. But don’t just remove apps from your phone or tablet’s RAM – that doesn’t help speed anything up.
Empty RAM is useless. Full RAM is RAM that is being put to good use for caching apps. If Android needs more memory, it will force-quit an app that you haven’t used in a while – this all happens automatically, without installing any task killers.
Task killers think they know better than Android. They run in the background, automatically quitting apps and removing them from Android’s memory. They may also allow you to force-quit apps on your own, but you shouldn’t have to do this.
Task killers aren’t just useless – they can reduce performance. If a task killer removes an app from your RAM and you open that app again, the app will be slower to load as Android is forced to load it from your device’s storage. This will also use more battery power than if you just left the app in your RAM in the first place. Some apps will automatically restart after the task killer quits them, using more CPU and battery resources.
Whether RAM is empty or full, it takes the same amount of battery power – decreasing the amount of apps stored in RAM won’t improve your battery power or offer more CPU cycles.
hope u understood!
words of wisdom by fellow-mates
go into settings - apps and see how many running apps you have. now go to cached apps and see there, how many apps there are. you see? nearly 50% of those apps discovered by you in the processes are apps that you didn't opened ever but they are still opened and running. why? because that's how linux manages its resources. instead of having free ram for no use (what's the point of having 14gb of ram when you only use 1gb), linux fills all the ram blocks with useful apps or apps that you are running frequently so that when you call that app, it will bring it on the screen almost instantly. this my friend, is called multitasking.
and no, you are wrong. if you use a task killer killing the apps every 10 minutes, the cycles the whole system does - opening again apps and caching them, task killer closing them - results in much more functions done by CPU => more battery spent. even if you say that the battery life its the same, you are wrong. when using a task killer IT MIGHT drain your battery with 0.1% per hour. it's not that much, but IT EXIST.
oh and yeah, one thing: android has its own task killer. that's why you don't need one app to kill your other apps. because android its doing it by itself. if you don't believe me, strip down one kernel, open the init.rc file and find the values for task killer.
I've never used those programs, I like to use what the phones have by default
But is good to know anyways
I agree with that...to an extent
Auto killing apps is plain stupid, but I do believe in killing certain apps. In a perfect world heavy apps would just be uninstalled, but plenty of useful apps without good replacements are fairly heavy, and it helps to kill them. E.g. after exiting a game I will kill it because its hogging up valuable ram by running in the background, while still using he same resources it uses at the forefront.
I understand that android, and Linux should manage ram well, but more often then not some app is just out there slowing my phone down. Even an hour later of not using that app, it'll still be in the background using up a lot of CPU and ram I don't have (more importantly battery). Android is great at managing smaller apps, but in my experience, it sucks at doing the same for larger apps.
Sent from my Desire HD using xda app-developers app
I don't use automatic task killers, those that are constantly running, but i do kill unused tasks and apps with no reason to be still running. Google services is a common example. It will launch at boot and keep running peemanently, even if you never launch a google app, google services is running, why?
A lot of apps, mostly the free ones, get revenue by reporting anonymous usage statistics (not so anonymous in some cases). So they stick a running service even if the app is never launched again (sometimes even if it isn't launched in the first place).
To sum up, killing everything is bad, but leaving everything to run free can also decrease performance. This can be observed on an android device that has been running for a long time, versus an android device that's just been reset.
some unused tasks will repeatedly rerun even if killed.
This will further decrease battery life and affect performance as resources are needed to keep restarting it.
The best way is to ignore if it takes a small portion of resources or to uninstall the app. Rooted users may disable the triggers via certain apps.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Xparent ICS Tapatalk 2
In phones with very low RAM, this becomes a necessity.
Switching programs take up a lot of time to process unless there is a sizable free RAM
Markuzy said:
some unused tasks will repeatedly rerun even if killed.
This will further decrease battery life and affect performance as resources are needed to keep restarting it.
The best way is to ignore if it takes a small portion of resources or to uninstall the app. Rooted users may disable the triggers via certain apps.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Xparent ICS Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use auto run manager
it is the answer to most of every body's problems
DarthSimian said:
In phones with very low RAM, this becomes a necessity.
Switching programs take up a lot of time to process unless there is a sizable free RAM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if u have low RAM, please manually remove the apps!
dxppxd said:
I don't use automatic task killers, those that are constantly running, but i do kill unused tasks and apps with no reason to be still running. Google services is a common example. It will launch at boot and keep running peemanently, even if you never launch a google app, google services is running, why?
A lot of apps, mostly the free ones, get revenue by reporting anonymous usage statistics (not so anonymous in some cases). So they stick a running service even if the app is never launched again (sometimes even if it isn't launched in the first place).
To sum up, killing everything is bad, but leaving everything to run free can also decrease performance. This can be observed on an android device that has been running for a long time, versus an android device that's just been reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use autorun manager, keep it simple
dxppxd said:
I don't use automatic task killers, those that are constantly running, but i do kill unused tasks and apps with no reason to be still running. Google services is a common example. It will launch at boot and keep running peemanently, even if you never launch a google app, google services is running, why?
A lot of apps, mostly the free ones, get revenue by reporting anonymous usage statistics (not so anonymous in some cases). So they stick a running service even if the app is never launched again (sometimes even if it isn't launched in the first place).
To sum up, killing everything is bad, but leaving everything to run free can also decrease performance. This can be observed on an android device that has been running for a long time, versus an android device that's just been reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
let me tell you something about google services...
when you installed your rom, you had to check two options from google services - location and another one.
if you are on stock, those options are available in settings also.
the google services are needed (you are running a google os, right?) because without it, the location feature will not work, the play store will give you headaches and not to mention, google now that needs that service like water.
if you kill that process over and over again you will not gain anything because that service will keep restarting it until you will give up. ah, you will loose a massive amount of battery if you do so
another thing, the google service is a system app. system apps have priority in resources so even if you kill now, as i said, it will restart after a few seconds because some apps that you are running are requesting that service.
as someone said here, yes, even I kill games after I stop playing, BUT, I do it from the task manager built in. Settings - Apps - Running apps etc.
1ceb0x said:
let me tell you something about google services...
when you installed your rom, you had to check two options from google services - location and another one.
if you are on stock, those options are available in settings also.
the google services are needed (you are running a google os, right?) because without it, the location feature will not work, the play store will give you headaches and not to mention, google now that needs that service like water.
if you kill that process over and over again you will not gain anything because that service will keep restarting it until you will give up. ah, you will loose a massive amount of battery if you do so
another thing, the google service is a system app. system apps have priority in resources so even if you kill now, as i said, it will restart after a few seconds because some apps that you are running are requesting that service.
as someone said here, yes, even I kill games after I stop playing, BUT, I do it from the task manager built in. Settings - Apps - Running apps etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if u dont want them to restart use, autorun manager
task killer
Well, i think a task killer is useful. It sometimes helps to speed-up the phone a bit.
snelle-eddie said:
Well, i think a task killer is useful. It sometimes helps to speed-up the phone a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No that is wrong.....it consumes more ram it self
Sent from my One V
Normally to kill a process I use the Running Tab in Apps, If any recently opened app which I feel should be closed is open I kill it!Though I leave the google services untouched!
Stopped using Task managers and Battery saving apps long time ago!
Want to really save the juice? Try Under Clocking! and killing the bloatware(saves RAM too!)
I used to have a task killer but the more I killed apps, the slower my phone was, so I eventually ended uninstalling it.
great post. lots of usefull info!!
Instead of using a task killer to keep on eating your battery life, simply either delete the app or disable it in your system if it's a system out (eg: default browser, bloatware, etc).
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zomut.watchdog&feature=search_result
its good, but most android users atleaast ppl like me know which apps are usefull and which are not
cybervibin said:
its good, but most android users atleaast ppl like me know which apps are usefull and which are not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you are replying to me, your response is a bit ambiguous...
In windows one can disable useless running services. Is there a way to do the same in Android? Seems that would save some resources - such as battery. I searched, but could find no real info...
Thanks!
Yes and no. In Android only one foreground app can run at a time, but there are background services too. They are usually important system services, but apps can add them too (they're needed to receive push notifications for example).
Go to Settings > Apps, swipe right to "Running". Then you can toggle between "Cached background processes" and "Running services". Killing a cached process (a previously active foreground app) doesn't really make a difference since it wasn't running anyway. Killing a service sometimes has an effect, but usually the service restarts automatically.
To permanently shut down a service, use the app Greenify. It "hibernates" apps with background services but still lets you run the app when you need it. Keep in mind that you lose the functionality of that service (e.g. if you hibernate Facebook, you won't receive notifications when you receive Facebook messages).
But honestly, unless you installed some badly coded apps that use too many services, you probably don't need to.
Thank you very much for the reply and info. I installed the app "Greenify" - and it is great the way it's set up. Like you said, if not all - most apps will start-up if stopped running in the background when not using, and *that*, IMO, is a great way to stop wasting the poor battery performance (mainly because of age) of the TF101 (tablet only).
Many thanks! :good:
Cal