Android kills my apps - Nexus 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi!
System:
I'm using a CarbonROM september nightly with ElementalX 1.07.
Issue:
Android is killing opened apps although there is more than enough free ram.
Detailed:
For testing purposes I launched ca. 10 apps sequentially. After opening the 9th or 10th app, the first one of the launch order has already been killed by Andorid.
Right after this my Nexus still has 1.1 GB free RAM!
What I tried:
Configured minfree defensively (512,1024,1280,2048,3072,4096): Nothing changed.
Additional information:
There aren't any third party task killers installed.
I use a very minimal and clean installation of android. 114 apps installed (of which 87 are system apps), almost no services running (no instant messaging, no anti virus etc.)
It could probably be caused by the background processes limit (which can be found in the developer options). I've left this setting at 'default limit' of course, but does anybody know how 'default limit' actually is defined actually and - above all - if I can increase it in some configuration file?
First world problem, I know. But thanks in advance!

Sounds like a kernel issue.
Sent from my Nexus 5

Related

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...

How to identify rouge app hogging memory

Hi,
My Verizon Galaxy Nexus has been running very very slow lately. I'm running AOKP last stable JB build and the RAM bar at the 'recent apps' screen show "665MB used - 30MB Free" most of the times. Even if I 'Kill all apps" from that screen, Free memory doesn't go higher than 42MB ever. I did google search with different keywords but all of them are returning only 'task killer' apps, which I believe don't actually do much good. In theory, Android does memory management on its own and release required memory automatically when a new app needs it. But I'm guessing there's some rouge app in my device which is always reporting "hey, I'm using this memory" and not letting Android reclaim it.
So, I'm looking for an app that can identify which app is using how much of ram at any given time. And maybe how much of CPU time etc... so that I can identify which app is bringing my device to its knees. Any suggestions?
Thanks

Issue with apps not running in background - looking for advice

Hi All,
So it appears that after installing 4.4.2 I cannot seem to get Google Play Music or Pandora to run without leaving the app open and in the foreground. I'm not sure if there is a function that has to be enabled to do this in KK, or if it is some mod I did long ago to force kill apps that are in background.
I understand this is a bit of a goose chase, but I was hoping people would be able to suggest things to check to see whether we can fix this problem of mine together or not.
- Could it be something in an Xposed Module? XBlast, GravityBox, etc. have a setting for killing background processes?
- Could it be something in the KitKat system itself that has to be enabled / disabled?
- Could it be the new settings within the apps themselves?
- Could it be a third party app (that I may have installed and am unaware of) killing background processes?
- Other ideas?
Apps run when phone screen is off, and when phone is locked, but if I go into a different app the music stops cold.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
Ah yes, this is the curse of Android 4.3+. I read in the Greenify settings that in 4.3 or greater, Android killed off an exploit that allowed apps to increase their priority to stay in memory. In turn, running apps can be killed off when memory is low. Horrible. I've had it across all ROMs and stock as well. I've done as much research as humanly possible to subvert this.
I'm by no means an expert on Android. I have really limited knowledge of how it runs. But I think that information in accurate, because my own personal solutions seem to support it.
Generally what I have done is keep as few running processes as possible. This means no live wallpaper, Greenifying as much as I can, and clearing out any recents frequently. If this fails, I have to restart and things get back on track again.
Go into your developer settings and look at the process stats. If it says memory is critical, you'll need to start trimming down your background processes. I don't quite exactly know how to interpret all the data that is present there, but "critical" seems clear cut at least.
If anyone has more information on this, please add to the convo!
Thanks bud. On the plus side at least I know it's nothing I've done to a setting here or there (other than going ahead and installing KK on the phone, lol).
Why Google/Motorola would make simple things like this worse as updates come out is beyond me... le sigh.
A "simple phone upgrade" to something unlockable with 2+ GB RAM is my best option I guess, lol.
Agreed. Luckily 2 GB is the baseline nowadays, but I feel like I don't want to take the chance and just go for 3 next time.
While we're still on the subject though, which xposed modules do you use? I wonder if they do contribute to RAM usage.
jldr said:
Agreed. Luckily 2 GB is the baseline nowadays, but I feel like I don't want to take the chance and just go for 3 next time.
While we're still on the subject though, which xposed modules do you use? I wonder if they do contribute to RAM usage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xposed list is pretty lengthy, I'm sure something here is using RAM. And I totally agree with you - baseline 3GB (or more) in my next phone, with a quad or even octo-core processor.
Ah, the days of 1GB and dual-core being top of the line, lol.
Here's the Xposed list:
- AcDisplay
- All Notifications Expanded
- App Settings
- Chrome New Tab
- Disable Location Consent
- GPS Notification
- Google Play Music Listen Later (Just installed recently, haven't set up yet to test it out)
- Google Search API
- Gravity Box
- Handle External Storage
- Hide Apps Xposed (did not work on 4.1.2 since I wasn't running GEL, haven't tested after KK install)
- MinMinGuard
- MinMinLock (Just installed, haven't set up yet, might delete)
- Multi Users
- Notification Mod
- OK Google For 3rd Party Launchers (Just installed, haven't really played with yet)
- Pandora Patcher
- Stop Switch Delay
- Swiftkey Goodness On More Fields
- Swipeback
- Ultimate Dynamic Navbar
- UnToaster Xposed (version 1.1.7 - I couldn't get TiBu to work correctly with the newer versions through 1.2.5)
- Unbeloved Hosts
- XBlast Tools
- Xposed Preference Injector
- Xposed Torch (couldn't get to function correctly after KK installation)
- YouTube Ad Away
- YouTube Allow Fullscreen HDMI
I've noticed that Gravity Box and XBlast do a lot of the same things, I'm thinking I can whittle one down as long as I can find all of my settings within the other.
Using NotiSysInfo to monitor I noticed my RAM usage typically bounces between 85-125 MB free, depending on what is going on in the phone. This is double from what it used to be on 4.1.2 (typically I'd be running with about 40-50 MB RAM free). Knowing this, I'm not so sure the phone is killing the music apps based on RAM usage alone, unless the threshold for free RAM needed has been raised...
...if that is the case, any idea of a good app to lower the threshold for free RAM before the phone starts killing things? I was looking at Auto Memory Manager, but it didn't seem to do the trick keeping music alive in the background.
Sounds like a good idea for another Xposed Module, lol. Do you happen to know the thread for posting up ideas or requests?
LifeAsADroid said:
Sounds like a good idea for another Xposed Module, lol. Do you happen to know the thread for posting up ideas or requests?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/index-collection-xposed-modules-post-t2327541
I think AMM worked for me for a while, but wasn't perfect. Nothing really ever did the trick like a restart... which makes me think that there is a memory leak somewhere, but I could never track it with any app I used. Maybe it is something to do with xposed? I never tested my phone long enough without it.
I haven't had it in a while, and I've done two things since it kept happening consistently the last time: 1) switch from SwiftKey to Google Keyboard. 2) Deactivate Muzei, best wallpaper app ever (RIP). Both apps seemed to consume variably large amounts of RAM.
Another thing I should note is that when frantically googling memory leaks, someone wrote on XDA that Android can only handle so many services running at once, so that when the number is exceeded, it automatically kills one. Possibly, this is the issue with the music.
coolloser said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/index-collection-xposed-modules-post-t2327541
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot, found the thread right after I posted, lol.
jldr said:
I think AMM worked for me for a while, but wasn't perfect. Nothing really ever did the trick like a restart... which makes me think that there is a memory leak somewhere, but I could never track it with any app I used. Maybe it is something to do with xposed? I never tested my phone long enough without it.
I haven't had it in a while, and I've done two things since it kept happening consistently the last time: 1) switch from SwiftKey to Google Keyboard. 2) Deactivate Muzei, best wallpaper app ever (RIP). Both apps seemed to consume variably large amounts of RAM.
Another thing I should note is that when frantically googling memory leaks, someone wrote on XDA that Android can only handle so many services running at once, so that when the number is exceeded, it automatically kills one. Possibly, this is the issue with the music.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found a solution in the "ask Xposed questions" thread listed above. Use the module App Settings and for the apps to stay running in background checkmark "resident". Works perfectly for me now.
I agree AMM is junk. KeepRunning doesn't work that well either. Xposed all the way!
I wonder if this is the same issue I'm having with Hangouts and SMS notifications. It seems that if I have enough going on in the background, Hangouts will stop giving me notifications for SMS. When I go into the app, the new message(s) is there and waiting for me to read it. This to me is a huge problem. I didn't have this issue on CM11. For me, it seems it most always happens if I'm using the Facebook app and viewing a link from Facebook on Chrome. I've now made a habit of checking Hangouts periodically to see if I have any new messages.
cmajpwc said:
I wonder if this is the same issue I'm having with Hangouts and SMS notifications. It seems that if I have enough going on in the background, Hangouts will stop giving me notifications for SMS. When I go into the app, the new message(s) is there and waiting for me to read it. This to me is a huge problem. I didn't have this issue on CM11. For me, it seems it most always happens if I'm using the Facebook app and viewing a link from Facebook on Chrome. I've now made a habit of checking Hangouts periodically to see if I have any new messages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would try clearing your data for Hangouts. Sometimes notifications won't come in if they are associated with an older android device ID.
I have had nothing but problems with hangouts and the messaging app. I deleted both and am using a third party messing app now. No problems.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app

Has Android Shut the Door to RAM Cleaning Apps Since its latest OTA Update?

For Android users, it's our daily routine to use task killers or RAM cleaning apps to kill those unwanted apps, free up more RAM and boost our phones' speed.
However, Android's latest OTA update has disabled some API for task killer/manager apps, which is really confusing and inconvenient for Android users.
So, has Android shut the door to RAM cleaning apps?
With the question in mind, I downloaded 3 most representative RAM cleaning apps with the largest user group on Google Play to find out. Firstly, I tried Clean Master. However, after the update, Clean Master can no longer kill running apps anymore. Then I tried Advanced Task Killer (the top one of "task killer" apps), and it stopped working as well.
Many users have expressed their upsets about not being able to boost their phones like before.
The third one I tried is Advanced Task Manager (the topone of "task manager" apps) developed by INFOLIFE team . It's working both properly and smoothly! It turns out that only one day after Android's latest update, the team released a new version. So now we can still use a third-party app to kill apps and free up RAM. And now this app has become my new favorite. Nowadays, responding speed is the most important quality for all developers because that is we as users value the most.
First, are you sure this belongs here ?
Second, did you just wrote this to talk bad about developers who dont update their apps straight everyday ?
Im not sure you know what you are doing.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/attention-post-qa-troubleshooting-t3178095
Thread closed

App killer?

Until recently I used to be able to use Android Assistant to kill un-needed apps and so free up memory (and also preserve battery life, help phone run cooler, etc.). But recently -- not sure if it was after the OS update on the Idol 3 (6045I) or an update of Android Assistant itself -- the only process shown under the Processes tab is Android Assistant itself, so there is nothing to kill. The "quick boost" feature, which formerly seemed to close the same bunch of apps I would see listed under "Processes", now also seems to do nothing. I am thinking this is likely something to do with the phone's OS, as an app cleaner built into the 3rd-party launcher I'm using has a similarly changed behavior.
Anyone else observing this, and/or know of a solution that works, and/or know what might have changed with the most recent software update?
rhcohen said:
Until recently I used to be able to use Android Assistant to kill un-needed apps and so free up memory (and also preserve battery life, help phone run cooler, etc.). But recently -- not sure if it was after the OS update on the Idol 3 (6045I) or an update of Android Assistant itself -- the only process shown under the Processes tab is Android Assistant itself, so there is nothing to kill. The "quick boost" feature, which formerly seemed to close the same bunch of apps I would see listed under "Processes", now also seems to do nothing. I am thinking this is likely something to do with the phone's OS, as an app cleaner built into the 3rd-party launcher I'm using has a similarly changed behavior.
Anyone else observing this, and/or know of a solution that works, and/or know what might have changed with the most recent software update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google made some changes with the stagefright patch that prevents apps from getting certain info. Some developers have updated their apps with workarounds.

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