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[Q] Confused about ICS 4.0.3 running apps

I am now a ICS user and I realize when you hold the home button you'll have a list of recent apps. Cool, but I realize the list is very very long, are all those apps currently running at low usage for quick access? If so, is there a way I limit the amount of apps, I remember with 2.3.4 (whatever) cyanogenmod you could modify the number for recent apps. I ask because with so many running I imagine it will drain battery. Thanks

You can remove them from the recent apps list by swiping them away (either left or right).

I understand that, but if I let it stay because it is sort of a hassle having to deal with them individually. Will it consume a lot of battery? Am I better off leaving it, or just swiping constantly killing the task.

That, I'm not too sure of. I believe that by swiping it, it'll dismiss it from the recent apps and kill the task because there would be no point to just remove it from the recent apps list and still have it runing in the background but I think you'll need more clarification on that.
Sorry I can't help so much; I'm not running ICS yet, so I can't be too sure.

Thanks, I'll give it a Google anyways
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

You are better off leaving it as it is. It is really just a recent apps list, just with a thumbnail, exactly like the one in gb. Swiping can just resets the app, the same as 'backing' out of it. This has the effect of removing some apps from cache completely, though not all.

Thanks mate. My concern was that it would be a battery drain, but I'll let it be.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

No battery drain unless it's some kind of service (which is usually (always?)) in the notification bar. When you press the home button, the app will be put into RAM and classified as cache, so it is quicker to open up next time. Note that filling RAM uses no extra battery, RAM is powered the same regardless. If you are using an app that requires more RAM than is available that is classified 'free', it will start removing some of the apps android has put into ram as cache and fill it up with necessary data from the foreground app.
Task managers are useful, however not any more useful than Androids built in managing (system settings --> apps). There is never a need to close any app forceably UNLESS it is not working as it should, whether it be frozen, excessively slow or not loading in some way or another, etc. All other circumstances are taken care of for you and memory is used as efficiently as possible.

Thank you Harbb for the very detailed explanation. That is exactly what I was looking for. I thought myself the same but needed clarification simply because the list was so long, I semi feared it could be running. Cheers mate!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

No problem mate, just happy to help. Always good to clarify these things.

i disagree Harb. RAM management is sometimes pretty poor without using a task manager.
For example some apps that use a lot of RAM such as Real Racing 2, could force close because of lack of RAM.

I've never experienced something genuinely FCing because of a lack of RAM, but will try out the RR2 demo and see how it gets on, i'll try and get it to crash or FC. 768mb of RAM would've been really nice on the NS though as a good chunk is used by the system.

Just a tip instead of going to settings/apps..ect
Just go to recent apps hold down on the app and click app info much quicker
also most of the top recent apps are not using any resources but the lower ones are swiping will close and free up the RAM
Its a built in taskkiller that Google put into ICS even though they always said one was not needed.

[Q]Ram issues Nexus S Jelly Bean!

This is my first post on XDA and although i'm not new to the android scene having owned a lot of devices in previous years but I never came down to post queries of my own cause everything used to go real smooth!
I recently got a Nexus S i9020t from a friend and tried flashing a Jelly Bean rom on my device.
No issues so far with everything working with every rom that i've tried...
The only thing that bugs me is the ram.
I've tried several kernels on top of different roms (Matrix, Air (Big-Mem version), Marmite etc.) designed for Jelly Bean but I never to seem get any greater ram than about 150-170 mb even on first boot with no applications installed and when I restore about 50 of my apps through titanium it goes down to 120-150 at max.
I have tried rebooting my device every now and then but the ram leak doesn't get any better.
That way most apps that I run crash my device (im a big fan of chrome on android but the lack of availability of free ram degrades performance)
I've been looking into using different free task managers on the play store but of no use.
Simply put, my question relates to the free ram this device can generate!
Can anyone give me an explanation as to the lack of free ram and what kernel, tips and tricks I could follow to improve it?

You can try flashing a kernel that supports BIGMEM(check the development section). Since you're new you won't be able to post any question regarding said mod. Basically gives you 50mb of extra RAM which, IIRC, takes away from the HD recording portion of the phone or something of that nature. The 512MB RAM sucks, but I never had an issue with it on mine. Then again, I never really ran a lot of applications. Android can handle the tasks on its own and free up memory when needed. But you may face a few launcher redraws now and then.

chronophase1 said:
You can try flashing a kernel that supports BIGMEM(check the development section). Since you're new you won't be able to post any question regarding said mod. Basically gives you 50mb of extra RAM which, IIRC, takes away from the HD recording portion of the phone or something of that nature. The 512MB RAM sucks, but I never had an issue with it on mine. Then again, I never really ran a lot of applications. Android can handle the tasks on its own and free up memory when needed. But you may face a few launcher redraws now and then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah so like you said I did try the Big Mem versions of Air Kernel and Matrix but it was never really of much use. Matrix gives me about 180 mb of ram when the device has no foreground apps running (except the system processes of course) and Air goes to about 140-160 not more.
The thing that I don't get is that this other friend runs Jelly Bean on his Galaxy S with Devil Kernel or something and his free ram is above 190-ish.
Technically both sport the same hardware with a few extras on Nexus S (led flash, lack of gorila glass, NFC etc.) but it really doesn't make sense.
And about those Launcher redraws. Yeah, they've been going really frequent now that I installed and use chrome as my daily browser.
Overall, in my experience I'd say Matrix Kernel would be perfect if it weren't for that Voodoo Colour Mod. It gives a weird hue to my display orangy in nature but Air comes around well in that department.

We all understand what you're experiencing. Basically, our Nexus S devices just are not able to keep up with the ever increasing size of electronic files. Even though it's nice to be able to run JB, it really stretches the Nexus to it's limits. I too am torn, because I love the smoothness of 4.1.1, but to be honest, the phone can handle GB much easier. One other thing, Chrome is a huge consumer of ram ... really too much for the NS. As much as I love my Nexus, the handwriting is on the wall, if I really want to continue to enjoy all the new stuff coming our way.

The colors can be adjusted to your liking. Some kernels have a setting that's not the factory norm(ie Trinity). You also have to keep in mind some of that RAM has to be dedicated to the OS itself. You're gonna have to deal with the fact the phone has a memory limitation on 4.1. Sucks, but there's really not much else you can really do about it.

I could never get above 125MB on GB even with a custom kernel. With only 512MB ram, more than half of that is already used by Android itself, there's not much left for apps. That said, I would remove unnecessary widgets on home screens, install Autostarts, or ROM Toolbox, or Gemini App Manager or other autostart management app and turn off autorun triggers on apps. The less background apps the more rams you can free up. I'm currently running with about 75MB and it's smooth. I set auto free rams to start killing apps if it's below 45MB.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium

[email protected] said:
I could never get above 125MB on GB even with a custom kernel. With only 512MB ram, more than half of that is already used by Android itself, there's not much left for apps. That said, I would remove unnecessary widgets on home screens, install Autostarts, or ROM Toolbox, or Gemini App Manager or other autostart management app and turn off autorun triggers on apps. The less background apps the more rams you can free up. I'm currently running with about 75MB and it's smooth. I set auto free rams to start killing apps if it's below 45MB.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those auto triggers you talk of what software do you use to counter those cause I just looked at the cached processes inside the stock Application Manager and it showed a few that always show up when my phone boots. Of those that I usually encounter is Titanium, Maps, Google Search and a two or three more. Killing them doesn't make much of a difference though. Either the ram display at the bottom is screwed or the ram just doesn't go up when I abort any one of them and after a while they again show up. How do I deal with them?

Some general points.
Yes we want more ram. But we want it to use it. Free ram is wasted ram.
Task managers suck. All of them.
Low ram should not crash your device.
Stop worrying about how me free ram you have
Chrome sucks. It sucks on all devices. Sucks on n7. AOSP just runs better.
Want to keep a little more free ram because your device lags when its low on ram. Go to developer options and limit background processes

I'm with al. No point in over-obsessing about it. Cached processes aren't doing anything. They're there for when you want to switch apps for quicker access, which part of the way Android operates. You can limit what starts on startup to increase boot time(probably not even worth it), which I do even though I just said it probably doesn't help much, with a startup manager.

I to am no fan of task killers. I've heard that they can sometimes consume more ram since some of the killed apps will try to start again.
I found the autostarts app very useful. I have disabled around 50% of all auto starts. Mainly for installed apps but also a bunch of system apps. Another useful tool is Auto Memory Manager which sets the ram level where the system kills apps according to their category (e.g. Foregroud, visible, hidden etc). I use the "mild" manager with the level for empty apps raised. I manage to get around 80 MB free when running nothing. However I have a performance ROM which might affect that number.

My Nexus S has been retired a long time now.. I'm currently using the GS3 with lots of rams so it's not an issue for me anymore dealing with low rams... However, same symptoms on the GS3 or any Android phone, the less available rams means more processes are running which can cause slow app responsiveness. Also, some app even runs in the background hogging load of cpu usage, that definitely slows down your phone. I use task manager to kill off those high cpu apps when they go wild. OS Monitor is a good app for monitoring cpu usage... GO SMS Pro is an example app that sometimes persistently consumes 30% - 50% cpu, killling it off makes the phone smooth again.
S-beamed from my GSIII via xda premium

Android memory optimizers [Dispelling the Myths]

Hey guys... I have read so many statements and questions from members saying they only have 50.. or 100mb of RAM left. That their custom ROM takes up too much RAM or that their system is slow because of the lack of RAM...
So I created a video thats addresses this issue and hopefully will help new and old users alike....
The fact is that Android does an awesome job of managing applications and services that are running. Feel free to uninstall applications from your device that you don't use (like bloatware) but killing tasks all the time actually slows down your device. Android wants to fill its memory with applications that it think you will use. So clearing the RAM will only use more CPU power to full the RAM again​

Thanks.

Spot on ! What can I say apart from this thread is bookmarked and the link will be posted next time we get another "Help ! wheres my RAM gone arrrrgggghhhh" thread. I can never see why people complain about RAM being used , You have it so use it !!!1!!!1
Most RAM killers give a placebo effect and to be honest they do slow your device down. Thanks for making the vid as it will be easier than typing out the same stuff again and again. A start up manager strategically used would be much more effective.
Off Topic : OH so thats what Orcs sound like ( The OP will get the joke , being a kiwi .....I hope lol )

Epic - that is all i can say ! Not a word un true

hamdogg said:
Hey guys... I have read so many statements and questions from members saying they only have 50.. or 100mb of RAM left. That their custom ROM takes up too much RAM or that their system is slow because of the lack of RAM...
So I created a video thats addresses this issue and hopefully will help new and old users alike....
The fact is that Android does an awesome job of managing applications and services that are running. Feel free to uninstall applications from your device that you don't use (like bloatware) but killing tasks all the time actually slows down your device. Android wants to fill its memory with applications that it think you will use. So clearing the RAM will only use more CPU power to full the RAM again​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i see, but if it's like you said, what's the main point of making clearing RAM function available on android? Don't they make that for some purpose? If clearing the RAM / killing task slows down the android, then it shouldn't be there... should it?

According to Google IO's 2012 Android learns what applications you use more often and 'should' load them up. However if you believe its not doing that then the 'clear memory' function could be used. Also if you have a series of apps in there that you believe shouldn't be, thats also when you could use it.
I never touch the clear memory funciton..
I think that if google hadn't put that function in android, then its users would demand it so we have 'control' over our devices.
Which is whats missing from iOS right?
ASIDE: Yeah.. Perhaps I should change my location to Hobbion? or Isengard ... :b

cool stuff

Thanks

any real benefits to Kit Kat for low powered, wifi-only devices?

Is there any real benefit to upgrading to 4.4 for low powered, wifi-only devices if you aren't a big google+/google now user?
I've read several articles on kit kat and can't seem to find any real benefit to upgrading.
I've got a Galaxy Player 5.0 with a measly 512 MB of ram, and 4.3 already wastes a lot of ram trying to have google search, email, and other stuff I don't need (instant access to) running in the background. Everything I've read says 4.4 is even worse about this.
Is there a way to turn off the google now and google+ junk (so more resources are available for stuff I actually use)? And yes, I understand and accept the 'empty memory is wasted memory' paradigm of android. I'd just rather have apps I'll use taking up memory.

dstarfire said:
Is there any real benefit to upgrading to 4.4 for low powered, wifi-only devices if you aren't a big google+/google now user?
I've read several articles on kit kat and can't seem to find any real benefit to upgrading.
I've got a Galaxy Player 5.0 with a measly 512 MB of ram, and 4.3 already wastes a lot of ram trying to have google search, email, and other stuff I don't need (instant access to) running in the background. Everything I've read says 4.4 is even worse about this.
Is there a way to turn off the google now and google+ junk (so more resources are available for stuff I actually use)? And yes, I understand and accept the 'empty memory is wasted memory' paradigm of android. I'd just rather have apps I'll use taking up memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I installed it on a Kindle Fire first generation which is very similar in profile and it works great. If you want to delete unneeded apps or services there are a few apps out there that can do it. I use Titanium Backup pro which has a feature where you can freeze apps to see how it will effect the system before deleting altogether.

It seems to make more efficient use of memory resources. It also seems to run smoother and is more stable.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

Thanks all. I was kind of scared away from it since the the early reviews mentioned the ubiquitous integration of search which would waste already scarce memory. Sounds like that's not the case though.

use titanium backup
dstarfire said:
Thanks all. I was kind of scared away from it since the the early reviews mentioned the ubiquitous integration of search which would waste already scarce memory. Sounds like that's not the case though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium backup will be handy to freeze apps and to delete them too

About RAM use, development and priorities

Hello peepz,
This is sort of a development thing but since I am neither a developer or very adept at codes (I'd call myself a sorta competent end-user) I thought I'd just post in the general forum.
We hear a lot about ram use and how we do not have to worry about it and android handles it. I understand how android handles memory but I have a problem with the ram use regardless. Operating an older device with just 1 gig of ram I am frequently dealing with lag and redraws because android has to make room for a new or old app I'm launching. The cause is usually found in apps that have absolutely no business keeping themselves in memory. I just deleted a simple website reader that hogged 30 MB persistently. Before that I deleted the Facebook app and messenger that together claimed 100 MB, even though I use greenify.
I am rooted, on cm 11 never used app killers. Why is my android using different priorities than me?
I just wondered.... Could there be a function in android where we could manually assign priority levels load apps? Personally, I could not care less if I have to wait a bit for Facebook to load but I get really aggressive if I have to wait for my app drawer, home screen or phone book.
Or is it purely a development thing where apps are told by there developers they are the king of the droid and the most important thing ever and behave as such? Why does my ram manager still think it is cool to kick out my launcher in favor of a social media app?
Manually assigning priorities could really make a device behave the way the user wants.
Or maybe I completely get it wrong...
Anyway, please discuss and have a glorious day!