Database Users

really needed to close background apps?

Hi guys,
I installed Taskiller to close background apps but my question is if this is really needed?
How does android handle background apps, do they really consume battery/memory?
Cheers
B

I have neverd used a task killer app. And I think my magic just flies!
I am using cyanogen though, he really makes slick roms.

The OS automatically kills apps in the background when you open up new ones if the RAM is running low. You don't have to use a task killer, but most people say it helps the phone run faster and saves the battery.

I went all day not using task manager, I didn't notice any difference in battery or performance on the phone. I guess thet aren't really needed after all. Its gonna take some getting used to not always checking and closing apps

How many of you use a task killer?

I have seen people saying you need one and others saying you dont. Even Android devs posted a blog a few weeks ago saying you really dont need one. I installed ATK and it showed things running that made no sense to me and way more then what my running processes showed under my settings, how is that possible?

task killer vs no task killer... its like automatic vs. manual transmission. many new cars have automatic, but than does not mean that its better than manual (tho sometimes it IS, but rarely).
i do use task killer, but only when needed. sometimes i like to kill my browser to clear out the history and open windows, and once in a while i get an app that's simply not behaving.

frifox said:
task killer vs no task killer... its like automatic vs. manual transmission. many new cars have automatic, but than does not mean that its better than manual (tho sometimes it IS, but rarely).
i do use task killer, but only when needed. sometimes i like to kill my browser to clear out the history and open windows, and once in a while i get an app that's simply not behaving.
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This man speaketh the truth. There's no way to end some apps in Android, but to use a task killer. Browser/Internet is one of them.
The more I deal with Android, the more I realize how unpolished its code is. For example, to decades old WinMo.

acrh2 said:
This man speaketh the truth. There's no way to end some apps in Android, but to use a task killer. Browser/Internet is one of them.
The more I deal with Android, the more I realize how unpolished its code is. For example, to decades old WinMo.
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Click to collapse
Windows has a built in memory manager. I use autokiller to manage the memory manager.
Check out Flipz's FAQ behind why you should not use a task killer.
Also check out Flipz's FAQ about how Autokiller works.

danknee said:
Windows has a built in memory manager. I use autokiller to manage the memory manager.
Check out Flipz's FAQ behind why you should not use a task killer.
Also check out Flipz's FAQ about how Autokiller works.
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Click to collapse
Thanks, I checked those (or like those) out many months ago, when I was playing with N1.

I have the option for one (SystemPanel), but it has no auto features and I never use it. I use it more for monitoring my device and battery usage.

Advanced users are going to use them. Performance starts to suffer in the system when memory drops to around 100 and gets really noticeable sub 50.
Generally I have 200+ free because I'm on froyo so its not as necessary but on stock the htc **** is just insane. Damage rom does a great job of taking stock and making it useable.

I always used one until FroYo, now I have generally around 260mb free. It's perfect

I was using one (Advanced Task Killer) and finding it frustrating as it would show apps open that I had never used. I would kill them when I found them and then I set it to autokill when the screen turned off. Didn't work, they would still be there when I turned it on. I finally just said the hell with it and uninstalled it. Since then I've noticed that the phone seems to run a lot better with less lag. I like it much better since I dumped the task manager.

I don't use one and normally I uninstall the default browser (it annoys me i cant exit it) and install Dolphin HD as my default.

I used a task manager when I first got this phone, did more research as I tweaked the phone and read about why not to use a task manager. So far its been a week without a task manager and I'm noticing better battery life, and while I don't notice an improvement in performance of any kind, I also don't notice a drop in performance.
I think I will be sticking with no task manager for the time being. Its also really nice not having to worry about what's running or not, and having to run the task manager to exit applications or what not. Its also one less program I have to worry about.

[Q] Why do apps keep popping up in my "Advanced Task Killer"?

I don't know if this is an issue with android.. or galaxy s... or "Advanced Task Killer".... but apps keep popping up after i "Kill" them....
when i say apps pop up... i mean random apps that i have not touched...
for example I never touched the Visual Voicemail as i don't have use for it.. and amazong mp3.. the list just keeps going ...
i don't know why it keeps reloading after i "kill" them..i did google this problem and could not find any one else complaining... maybe i didn't do a good job of searching... this is wayy too frustrating
is there a "Fix" for this?

well first you shouldn't be using a task killer. Second they show up there because some apps run in the background occasionally without you even opening them.

Because the apps are doing stuff and you keep killing them so they restart. Stop using a task killer and let android handle the running programs like google programmed the os to do. The google programmers are really talented I promise.

As said above. Apps auto run in background. Android deals with this efficiently, best not to use a task killer

Don't use task killers.
It's really that simple.

Task killer is a no no for Phones with 128+ RAM

Most stuff needn't be killed, but T-Mobile includes some bloatware that has absolutely no right to be running at all, much less all the time (hi, daily briefing). The "don't use a task manager" meme is fine for a stock android phone where presumably you're only installing things that you actually want to use, but when you buy a branded phone you really *don't* want the carrier garbage running all the time. At best, it sits around doing nothing until Android kills it on its own, but at worst it can drain your battery life and cause instability.
The only surefire solution I've found is to actually remove the offending bloatware using root explorer or titanium backup.

^^TL;DR Remove bloat, don't use a task killer.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Ok, I'll ask if no one else will, why not run a task killer? What is the downside?
There are any number of applications on the phone that I literally never use like Amazon MP3, Slacker, and Visual Voicemail, why would I want to leave those running when I have no use for them, and there is an easy way to kill them off when they spawn themselves?

lmlloyd said:
Ok, I'll ask if no one else will, why not run a task killer? What is the downside?
There are any number of applications on the phone that I literally never use like Amazon MP3, Slacker, and Visual Voicemail, why would I want to leave those running when I have no use for them, and there is an easy way to kill them off when they spawn themselves?
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Click to collapse
I think its ok to use Task Killers for occasionally stopping apps that are giving you issues (running slowly, frozen). The problem with using Task Killers is that it can make your system unstable, it can mess up widgets, and Android doesn't really need it. Android will close apps on its own when it needs more memory . Most apps, if programed correctly, will use little to no battery power when idle in the background. It can take more battery power to start up an app again rather than opening it from idle.

lmlloyd said:
Ok, I'll ask if no one else will, why not run a task killer? What is the downside?
There are any number of applications on the phone that I literally never use like Amazon MP3, Slacker, and Visual Voicemail, why would I want to leave those running when I have no use for them, and there is an easy way to kill them off when they spawn themselves?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're finding more and more that on higher end phones, such as the Vibrant, when a task killer is running the Android OS isn't being allowed to control the apps to it's full potential and some of the task killers are causing problems. After we remove the task killers, problems can occasionally be resolved. Not always, it's just something we're seeing. At least in my store and when I can in to support.

Because when an app is running in the background, it uses practically no battery. Most of the time it is not using any processor clock cycles just taking up some ram space. You don't have to worry about the ram being used because android will automatically end apps when it needs more ram. A lot of the time, ending an app via task killers will actually slow the phone down because when you go to open the app again it has to totally reopen rather than just awake from an idle state. Android 2.2 is even better at managing background tasks and running a task killer will almost guarantee a slower phone.

Read 4 post down.
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Smart Bars not a bad one that you can start up and kill a task that wont exit out. However i wouldn't use it to "free up RAM"

When you start up the phone on stock rom w/ all the bloatware you have like 20+ random apps already running by default. If you ran a quadrant test now your score wouldn't be as high as if you killed all those apps then did the test. I went from 1900 to 2250 by killing all the apps. Not a huge difference but personally I don't like things like Slacker or GoGo running in the background when I never use them.
I don't like using task killers though, I just wish all these stupid apps wouldn't start when the phone is booted up. It can really make the phone slower. Killing all apps + lagfix means load times are almost non existant. Having all those apps running + lagfix means you will get some stutters in load times.

Task killers often show cached apps. They are not running just on stand by until you open them.
Sent from the best phone from TMO... Vibrant

There is an app called "Start Up Auditor" It disables any app you want (yes including the bloatware) Form starting up when you boot up and randomly while the phone is on.
For example I have all my bloatware that I don't want set to do not start at boot up unless I physically choose to open that app.
Better than any task killer out there. So you NEVER have to worry about the bloatware other than it taking up some memory.

http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/04/multitasking-android-way.html
That's really the best explanation right there. It explains just why Android does what it does.
Sorry, no tl;dr for the lazy.

I had my task killer on auto kill cuz i was frustrated..... but i'm gonna go download that "Star up Auditor"... sounds like the most efficient way... since i actually do use Slacker..
anyhow..thanks alot guys for the suggestions..

Task killer

Until android 2.2 I can definitely say that using a task killer wisely is needed for some users. I use advanced memory manager for root and have set to (bottom up) 150, 140, 135, 120. In my case it doesn't ever free up memory fromm my storm live games or opera. So I use ERAY to auto kill all games and browsers when screen goes off. This Is A NECESSARY. these programs will drop my memory down to 110 which gets sluggish.
Don't let people fool you. Using task killers wisely IS a good idea.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

I beg to differ.
I was a big believer in Task Killers and I used them from the G1 all the way to my Epic 4G and I discovered one thing. It's Android's nature to have programs in Dormit state in the background, what really sucks is to have porgrams in the backgorund consuming processor time, not memory.
I have uninstalled the Task Killer software and I've been task killer free for more than 2 weeks now, and I have seen more improvements. I notice in my task killer days that the phone would become somewhat sluggesh after 112 - 110 MB becuase the programs were restarting in memory and thats when the impact on the processor was being made (thus draining some more power).
After uninstalling task killer, I installed Watchdog which can kill apps but its main focus is to find the programs that will not be dormit while not being used, so far i've seen a jump in performace and longer battery life. I notice that everytime my phone may become sluggish there is always an nonused / nondormit software that needs to be killed, but its just one, not a bunch.
Also killing apps is not right for the phone, this can corrupt the services and programs in the long run.
I don't curse the people who use task killers, but I just don't think that we need it, specially with such a powerfull phone.

I had advanced task killer installed but I'm interested in watchdog.
Why is killing apps not good for the phone but allowing bunches of apps is good?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

It is because of the way that android handles background applications, sorta like the difference between windows and linux...in windows mobile phones, if an app is minimized it is still running like normal and taking up resources, you just are on a different screen. For android, if an app is "minimized" then the app shuts down but keeps certain files in storage to open up the app faster when you go back to it. the android OS is smart enough that it assigns a priority to each app based on how often it is used so that if it starts running low on memory then it will stop those apps with the lowest priority. If you use a task killer then it wipes all the stored files from the apps and when you go to open it again it has to work harder to open the app, therefore spending more resources and using more battery power
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

The longest I ever went between charges on my Epic was the day I didn't use my task killers at all...
Repeatedly opening and closing apps unnecessarily is not good for your battery. Most of those apps are just going to re-open themselves anyway.
Now I only use my task killer if my phone is actually starting to feel sluggish, and in that case it's just a matter of my experience using the phone, not trying to conserve battery. Task killers do the opposite of conserving battery.

badasscat said:
The longest I ever went between charges on my Epic was the day I didn't use my task killers at all...
Repeatedly opening and closing apps unnecessarily is not good for your battery. Most of those apps are just going to re-open themselves anyway.
Now I only use my task killer if my phone is actually starting to feel sluggish, and in that case it's just a matter of my experience using the phone, not trying to conserve battery. Task killers do the opposite of conserving battery.
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Exactly, if you are going to use a task killer then that is the way you should do it, I use mine to shut down the drm service after a reboot to improve battery life but if my phone is feeling sluggish then I just do a reboot
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Task Killers?

Just of curiosity is task killers worth it? i mean android has there own built in task killers..do we need em. do they speed up your phone? or just do the same amount and just kill more apps.

You really should not use any task killers, especially any auto kill ones. It just kills your battery. You kill the app and then android will most likely reopen it requiring the system to load it from the slower flash memory instead of directly from ram. When you press your home button/background the app, android will eventually cache the app in the ram to make it load faster and take up less resources. Imagine having an auto task killer killing the apps in the background and android just starting them back up like a loop.
Hope that makes sense. If your phone has been slowing down and if it is rooted I would recommend using Greenify.