Recent Apps in Jelly Bean custom rom - Battery?? - HTC Desire S

I've been using Andromadus JB Test Builds on my desire S. A feature of it is the new recent apps, that shows every recent app, even though i've quit the app. I've now had to swipe each of the app as i'm concerned it does eat up my battery if i leave them there.
Could someone explain if it really does eat my battery or i shall leave the recent apps there as is?

maniche04 said:
I've been using Andromadus JB Test Builds on my desire S. A feature of it is the new recent apps, that shows every recent app, even though i've quit the app. I've now had to swipe each of the app as i'm concerned it does eat up my battery if i leave them there.
Could someone explain if it really does eat my battery or i shall leave the recent apps there as is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Leaving them there or removing them will have no affect on your battery.
Each app you have installed is composed of any number of activities, services and more components. The screens you see in an app are the activities, the main (or last activity) in the app will show up in the recent apps list. The activities are not running or doing anything unless they are fully visible on the screen. When an activity is not on the screen or in the process of being removed or created it does not use up any battery. Services on the other hand run in the background and do consume battery, the only way to stop these and ensure they do not restart is to uninstall the app, you can stop them from the Manage apps section but they may be restarted by the app. You can also stop the app from the Manage apps section but it too may be restarted.

Last but not least: Android has a build in task killer. so there is no need for you to kill apps to prevent the system from getting laggy or consuming too much battery. As soon as more free memory is needed, Android kills some applications by its own.

Related

Wich task killer should I download

I WANT TO DOWNOALD A TASK KILLER BUT I DONT KNOW WICH ONE
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA Premium App
You don't really need one... the Samsung one is perfect
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
You really shouldn't need to download a task killer unless your still on a really old version of android such as 1.6. Any advice you are reading about the benefits of task killers are likely outdated and are remnants of the older day's of android. In fact installing one on anything above 2.1 will likely be detrimental to performance and battery life. Android will manage and kill processes on it's own, and if you start killing tasks with a 3rd party app you will likely find that android starts them right back up again. This constant kill and restart will eat up cpu cycles and drain battery. Let Android manage tasks and memory on it's own the way it was designed to.
Instead, focus on tweaking the settings of apps that you don't often use to ensure that they are not running in the background when you don't need them. I'm not sure what your goal is with the task killer, whether it's battery or performance related, but some good places to start tweaking are here:
Facebook --> If you don't need to be notified of updates and you don't care much for syncing contacts then disable the syncing feature from within the app. Otherwise it will run in the background and call in every hour or so looking for updates to sync.
Google Talk --> If you don't use this, then start the app and make sure that auto sign in is disabled. This should keep it from autolaunching in the background and signing you in.
News & Weather app --> Go into settings and manually specify your location rather then using cell triangulation or gps settings to determine your location. These will both drain your battery. Also set the app to download a very high auto refresh, like 6 hours, or disable it completely so that it only refreshes when you actually launch the app.
Location settings --> It's best to disable "use wireless networks" and "gps" unless you are actually using location based services. I personally only turn them on when i need to use them. This saves a bunch of battery by not constantly pinging cell towers to determine your location throughout the day.
To get an idea of what else you can tweak, go into Settings --> Manage Applications --> Running, and have a look at what apps are currently running. More then likely each app should have some sort of settings available that will help you manage what it actually does in the background.
Also, keep in mind that part of Androids strategy in launching apps quickly is to keep the commonly used apps open in the background and ready to launch. If your phone does not feel sluggish or slow, then don't fix what aint broken, leave it be.
Hope this helps.
DaMeatMan said:
You really shouldn't need to download a task killer unless your still on a really old version of android such as 1.6. Any advice you are reading about the benefits of task killers are likely outdated and are remnants of the older day's of android. In fact installing one on anything above 2.1 will likely be detrimental to performance and battery life. Android will manage and kill processes on it's own, and if you start killing tasks with a 3rd party app you will likely find that android starts them right back up again. This constant kill and restart will eat up cpu cycles and drain battery. Let Android manage tasks and memory on it's own the way it was designed to.
Instead, focus on tweaking the settings of apps that you don't often use to ensure that they are not running in the background when you don't need them. I'm not sure what your goal is with the task killer, whether it's battery or performance related, but some good places to start tweaking are here:
Facebook --> If you don't need to be notified of updates and you don't care much for syncing contacts then disable the syncing feature from within the app. Otherwise it will run in the background and call in every hour or so looking for updates to sync.
Google Talk --> If you don't use this, then start the app and make sure that auto sign in is disabled. This should keep it from autolaunching in the background and signing you in.
News & Weather app --> Go into settings and manually specify your location rather then using cell triangulation or gps settings to determine your location. These will both drain your battery. Also set the app to download a very high auto refresh, like 6 hours, or disable it completely so that it only refreshes when you actually launch the app.
Location settings --> It's best to disable "use wireless networks" and "gps" unless you are actually using location based services. I personally only turn them on when i need to use them. This saves a bunch of battery by not constantly pinging cell towers to determine your location throughout the day.
To get an idea of what else you can tweak, go into Settings --> Manage Applications --> Running, and have a look at what apps are currently running. More then likely each app should have some sort of settings available that will help you manage what it actually does in the background.
Also, keep in mind that part of Androids strategy in launching apps quickly is to keep the commonly used apps open in the background and ready to launch. If your phone does not feel sluggish or slow, then don't fix what aint broken, leave it be.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It help thaxx a lot
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Home vs back button exiting apps

From my layman understanding of how android OS works, leaving an app via the home button will place the app in a "pause" state but not remove it from memory until the OS decides it has been paused a while and wants the resources for something else.
Using the back button is supposed to tell the OS that you're done with the app and take the service out of memory usage *IF* the app was coded well enough to cooperate.
But I've noticed on my phone that no matter which method I've used, when I open the stock task manager the apps remain as running services regardless. So does it make any difference on my battery life and system resources which method I use?
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
well i would suggest that you should close only apps like games or facebook(because facebook keeps syncing and games use a lot of cpu).Other processes for example keyboard do not affect battery life and should be running in the background

Why You Shouldn’t Use a Task Killer On Android

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...

Extremely powerful battery saving app!!!

Got frustrated by slow android and is your Android sucking your companion's battery hardly???
Here's the solution for you- The app named GREENIFY (root is required).
Always be happy to see any app which requires phone to be rooted coz it is really going to change your phone's experience...
Greenify help you identify and put the bad behaving apps
into hibernation when you are not using them, stop them
from battery leeching, memory hogging and stealthy
running, in an elegant and unique way! They could do
nothing without your explicit launch, while still have full
functionality when running in foreground. Like what iOS
apps act!
The built-in App Analyzer will analyze and show apps in
your device that keep running persistent services and
those launch itself automatically on a regular basis (when
network connectivity changes, or every time you unlock
your device, install / uninstall / update your apps, etc).
Its worth a try and it has 100% positive feedback till date.
You can grab this smart app for your smarty Android right from here-
https://play.google.com/store/apps/..._source=xda&utm_medium=post&utm_term=download

[Q] Greenify ... Helping or hurting battery life?

So here's my train of thought,
Lollipop put an end to the clear all recent apps button. This caused me to recall something I read on slimroms website a while back regarding why slim recents doesn't have a clear all button either. If I remember correctly, basically they said that the way Linux works, opening an app in it's closed state calls on more ram or cpu than it would if it were just running in the background - so what does this say for greenify? I'm certainly no computer science expert so I could totally be misunderstanding, but if someone could clear this up for me id really appreciate it. Is hibernating my apps saving my battery? Or is the extra effort of opening them back up draining my battery?
Thanks!
First of all, slims rom you close all recent app by pinching it. There is no button. Also, with gcm push abilities, apps like Facebook and whatsapp saves battery by hibernating and using greenify to act as a proxy when a push notification comes in. Google gcm greenify for more details. It isn't about the battery loss in restarting an app but rather what that app is doing while on in the background. Hope that makes sense.
Thanks for the response, I'll have to research a little to wrap my head around it entirely, but I think I understand. Just for reference though, here is the link to the slimrom thing I mentioned:
http://slimroms.net/index.php/faq/slimbean/414-will-you-add-the-kill-all-in-recents
I use LiquidSmooth, which is based on SlimKat, and the pinch to kill all works on it. That said, it really is better to simply kill only the apps you don't want running in the background. If you keep killing apps you frequently use, your phone has to re-load them from storage each time, which takes time, processing power, and battery juice.
Similarly, Greenify is indeed best used to hibernate apps that you don't want running in the background. For example, frequently use Facebook, Words with Friends, Wikipedia, Dolphin, RealCalc, etc. I want to keep these running. Other apps, like the T-Mobile account app, or my banking app, I don't want/need running constantly in the background, so they get Greenified.
Another way to go about this is to use a task killer like Clean Master, but whitelist apps you frequently use.

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