Database Users

Just WHY don't most programs have an "Exit" functi

... that ends them permanently rather than have them run on in the background?
Any rational explanation for that at all?

There is. You should read the MS design guides as to why, but basically, it's faster. And programs programmed "correctly" should be administered by the system, the system will close them down when they're no longer necessary and/or a drain on resources required by other programs. Otherwise, why close them?
However, many argue that that decision should be made by the user, not the OS. There are enough 3rd party solutions to fix the "issue", that it's hardly an issue any more IMHO.
V

Basically the choice comes from the assert "The user use his PDA not the applications in it."
Besides anybody's point of view, however, most applications following the microsoft desing guideline CAN be closed the way you mean by pressing ctrl+q in the keyboard (whatever keyboard you use, soft or hardware). This option, introduced for debuggin purposes, is always left even to release versions of correct developed programs.
Just try it.

I use magicbutton to get a proper 'close' button. It works, but as the other have mentionned, if you use the same 3 or 4 apps over and over again during the day, having to open/close them everytime is actually slower than having them loaded all the time.

Pragmatic Guide to (Positively) Influencing the Market

Based on my experience thus far with my HTC Desire HD, and feedback from friends and reddit/r/android I've been writing up an overview of pragmatic tips, tricks, and "best practices" to keep your Android happy.
So, I present my Pragmatic Tips to a Healthier Android. Or rather, I would, but seems I need 8 posts first. So I present some of the tips. Hope the are useful to someone.
I'm VERY interested in feedback (corrections) via the members of this forum, if any group of people would be able to correct my errors it would likely be xda-developers, but without my post, not sure I'll get much.
This part of the tips is on managing apps and giving proper app feedback.
Apps Badly Behaving
regularly check the "running apps" screen
if there are apps there you haven't launched since reboot, make a serious judgement call as to whether you need that app or not. check all the options for that app, seeing if you can disable features that might be triggering the "run in background"-ness, if you've disabled all features, and the app isn't a "it needs to do this" (i.e. handsent sms and the like) app, uninstall the bastard. It's poorly written to behave like that, so post a comment on their rating to the effect of "stop running background apps unnecessarily" and "one star" it (if you're as mean as me
apps that stay in the notification bar, and stay listed as "ongoing" (I'm looking at you third party media apps) even when they are not actively doing anything, are behaving badly. Give them the honour of a 1 star rating and a comment as to their offense (if they fix it consider fixing your rating), such as "If you're not 'active' don't stay active, biatch, 1 star till fixed, uninstalled"
Well Intentioned Apps
(AFAIK) androids "intents" and the like should make it unnecessary for apps to "launch" with the OS, or constantly stay active
by this I do NOT mean they just stay resident, that's a good thing, that's Android doing it's "i'm your OS dammit let me manage your memory" thing
Refusing to Quit (Properly)
some apps, usually without good reason, have a quit button. These apps will remain (the Android definition of) active unless you push quit from within the app, (usually) irrespective of how you exit the app
this is similar to the "apps written badly" rant, if they stay in the notification "ongoing" and aren't ongoing, uninstall the app and give the dev a piece of your mind
some apps don't quit when you push "back" and leave the app. This is against Android conventions, so again, give the dev feedback. (And learn how to quit it "it's" way. Or uninstall it, simpler!)
some apps don't quit when you leave them via the home key (see previous point)
some apps never quit. uninstall
Uninstall. Please uninstall?
Manners aren't going to help you here, and I'm not sure why this isn't better documented.
Some (eg. Widgetsoid, F-Secure Mobile Security) apps don't uninstall when you think they should.
This is (in my experience) because you've at some point given those apps "administrative" privilages.
Having these privalges somehow enables them to prevent their own uninstallation (or something along those lines).
For both the aformentioned apps, go into your settings -> security (or locations, YMMV) and find something like "adminstrators allowed" or something. You'll find your apps listed there. Uncheck them, and then you can uninstall them!
Huzzah! No more annoying uninstallable background processes, even if they are neato apps, uninstall should "just work" or at least be warned (and NO widgestoid developer I don't think that the last line of your lengthy readme which points uninstall issues to the FAQ is "obvious enough" as how to uninstall you properly).

good one
+1

useful guide.
+ 1 thanks for you.

Thoughts on Multi-tasking and "Exit" in Android. Developers please read and respond.

Thoughts on Multi-tasking and "Exit" in Android. Developers please read and respond.
Having done extensive reading on the topic, I understand why developers don't see the need for an "Exit" option for most Android programs. For behind the scenes management, it isn't required. The problem is that our needs as end-users are different than that and should take precedence.
The classic example of needing an "Exit" option is the web browser. If you have been browsing a while, you may need to back through several pages to get the thing to close, which is a pain in the neck. Another example may be a music player. I might not want it to pick up where I left off when I start it next time.
End-users want to be able to choose from options like these when leaving an application.
1) Pause - exactly what it sounds like. This is pretty much what happens most of the time when leaving an application, but it should set a priority flag of some sort so it is one of the last things to get "ruthlessly killed" to recover memory.
2) Exit - stop everything and reset to a default state so that the next time it is started it is a fresh run.
3) Background run - this is true multitasking by user choice. The app continues doing whatever task I set it to while I go do something else. Much like what happens with music players or Navigation programs when the Back key is used.
4) Home or Back key - it would be handled in the current default manner, letting Android decide what is correct.
I've mentioned it elsewhere, but I believe a proper multi-screen launcher should allow you to start different apps on different screens and go back to the app started on a particular screen automatically when you return to that screen. So for example I could be doing e-mails on screen one and have my music player open on screen 2 and perhaps be reviewing a spreadsheet on screen 3 and go back and forth between them as my music mood changed or I looked something up in the spreadsheet or on the web on screen 4 then went back to my e-mail to include that new information without closing one and opening the other and so on going back and forth. Android could decide if the app is paused or actually running while I go to a different screen, but anything open on a screen should be the last thing to be killed before essential services.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on what an OS needs to be able to do before it can call itself multi-tasking, as well as the kind of control us users want on our phones. After all, they are OUR phones, right?

Apps that runs on startup/background

I hate it when an app runs in the startup specially if the app is not that important. Is there any way of disabling those apps that run in the startup? As well as those apps that runs in the background even if you don't need em to? They eat up RAM and make the NC slow! I wish I can manage them.

Let them be android takes care of itself.
Read this: http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/102171-apps-always-running.html#post1088042
---
- Sent from my LG Optimus V using Tapatalk

les02jen17 said:
I hate it when an app runs in the startup specially if the app is not that important. Is there any way of disabling those apps that run in the startup? As well as those apps that runs in the background even if you don't need em to? They eat up RAM and make the NC slow! I wish I can manage them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...get an app in the market called Android Optimizer, it is free. In the menu hit the startup manager icon. Disable the app (s) you don't want to run at start up or background.

StarlahRain said:
Yes...get an app in the market called Android Optimizer, it is free. In the menu hit the startup manager icon. Disable the app (s) you don't want to run at start up or background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sure of that name? I did a search in the market and do not see it.

StarlahRain said:
Yes...get an app in the market called Android Optimizer, it is free. In the menu hit the startup manager icon. Disable the app (s) you don't want to run at start up or background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do not need an app like this. People use task killers and startup blockers and then complain about how crappy and slow stuff is because THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND. They are cached for faster start up next time. They do not take up any battery or CPU power. Android is linex not windows.
--------------------------------------------------
Here is the post i linked to earlier:
I develop Android apps so I though I'd explain why a task killer isn't needed on an Android system.
Activities
Android apps use activites to preform tasks. For example, if you use a file manager to send a picture via email, the file manager calls the send activity within an email app, passes the file name to it and the email app sends the picture.. not the file manager. This will result in seeing the email app as "running" even though the user didn't actually launch that email app.
Smaller apps
Using activites helps developers design smaller apps. A file manager app that contains every bit of code needed to do everything a file manager does would likely be so large that no one would want to install it. Developers know that an android phone more than likely has an email app so there is no need for the developer to include email code in his/her file manager to send a picture when he/she can call an activity in an existing email app to do the job. This results in a smaller file manager app since there is no need to include email code or any other code for an activity that can be done via an app that is already present on the phone. This also alleviates redundant code. When you install an app outside of the android market, also known as sideloading, the file manager app calls the package installer (already present in Android) to install the requested app.
Running apps vs. cached apps
The "Manage Applications" list included in many android devices lists running apps as well as cached apps. Cached apps don't use any CPU or battery, they're cached so they will load faster the next time you need them. Killing cached apps results in those apps requiring more time to load the next time they are launched.
System management
By default, every android application runs in its own Linux process. Android starts the process when any of the application’s code (activities) needs to be executed, and shuts down the process when it’s no longer needed and system resources are required by other applications.
* Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when more memory is needed.
* Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when it’s done doing what it needs to do.
* Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when you haven’t returned to it in a long time.
* Most services (while possibly running in the background) use very little memory when not actively doing something.
* A content provider is only doing something when there is a notification for it to give. Otherwise it uses very little memory.
* Killing a process when it isn’t ready only causes it to have to reload itself and start from scratch when it’s needed again.
* Because a task is likely running in the background for a reason, killing it will only cause it to re-spawn as soon as the activity that was using it looks for it again. And it will just have to start over again.
* Killing certain processes can have undesirable side effects. Not receiving text messages, alarms not going off, and force closes just to name a few.
* The only true way to prevent something from running at all on your phone would be to uninstall the .apk.
* Most applications will exit themselves if you get out of it by hitting “back” until it closes rather than hitting the “home” button. But even with hitting home, Android will eventually kill it once it’s been in the background for a while.
If you see an app running that you didn't launch, it's most likely because an activity within that app was called by another app to perform a task. If you kill the app you didn't launch, the system has to relaunch that app in order to complete its task. This is why some people kill a task and then see it immediately running again. Constantly killing that app creates a situation where the user is battling the system resulting in wasted system resources.
Android is Linux
Android is not a Windows-based OS, it is based on Linux. Many of the apps you think are running aren't actually running, they're cached, this is typical with a Linux operating system and is much more efficient than other systems. Cached apps don't use any CPU or battery, they're cached and will load faster the next time they're needed.
Let the system manage resources.
---
- Sent from my LG Optimus V using Tapatalk

patruns said:
You sure of that name? I did a search in the market and do not see it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I apologize ..it is called Optimize Tool Box...lite version(free)...

koopakid08 said:
You do not need an app like this. People use task killers and startup blockers and then complain about how crappy and slow stuff is because THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND. They are cached for faster start up next time. They do not take up any battery or CPU power. Android is linex not windows.
--------------------------------------------------
Here is the post i linked to earlier:
I develop Android apps so I though I'd explain why a task killer isn't needed on an Android system.
Activities
Android apps use activites to preform tasks. For example, if you use a file manager to send a picture via email, the file manager calls the send activity within an email app, passes the file name to it and the email app sends the picture.. not the file manager. This will result in seeing the email app as "running" even though the user didn't actually launch that email app.
Smaller apps
Using activites helps developers design smaller apps. A file manager app that contains every bit of code needed to do everything a file manager does would likely be so large that no one would want to install it. Developers know that an android phone more than likely has an email app so there is no need for the developer to include email code in his/her file manager to send a picture when he/she can call an activity in an existing email app to do the job. This results in a smaller file manager app since there is no need to include email code or any other code for an activity that can be done via an app that is already present on the phone. This also alleviates redundant code. When you install an app outside of the android market, also known as sideloading, the file manager app calls the package installer (already present in Android) to install the requested app.
Running apps vs. cached apps
The "Manage Applications" list included in many android devices lists running apps as well as cached apps. Cached apps don't use any CPU or battery, they're cached so they will load faster the next time you need them. Killing cached apps results in those apps requiring more time to load the next time they are launched.
System management
By default, every android application runs in its own Linux process. Android starts the process when any of the application’s code (activities) needs to be executed, and shuts down the process when it’s no longer needed and system resources are required by other applications.
* Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when more memory is needed.
* Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when it’s done doing what it needs to do.
* Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when you haven’t returned to it in a long time.
* Most services (while possibly running in the background) use very little memory when not actively doing something.
* A content provider is only doing something when there is a notification for it to give. Otherwise it uses very little memory.
* Killing a process when it isn’t ready only causes it to have to reload itself and start from scratch when it’s needed again.
* Because a task is likely running in the background for a reason, killing it will only cause it to re-spawn as soon as the activity that was using it looks for it again. And it will just have to start over again.
* Killing certain processes can have undesirable side effects. Not receiving text messages, alarms not going off, and force closes just to name a few.
* The only true way to prevent something from running at all on your phone would be to uninstall the .apk.
* Most applications will exit themselves if you get out of it by hitting “back” until it closes rather than hitting the “home” button. But even with hitting home, Android will eventually kill it once it’s been in the background for a while.
If you see an app running that you didn't launch, it's most likely because an activity within that app was called by another app to perform a task. If you kill the app you didn't launch, the system has to relaunch that app in order to complete its task. This is why some people kill a task and then see it immediately running again. Constantly killing that app creates a situation where the user is battling the system resulting in wasted system resources.
Android is Linux
Android is not a Windows-based OS, it is based on Linux. Many of the apps you think are running aren't actually running, they're cached, this is typical with a Linux operating system and is much more efficient than other systems. Cached apps don't use any CPU or battery, they're cached and will load faster the next time they're needed.
Let the system manage resources.
---
- Sent from my LG Optimus V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes..I have noticed some side effects.alarms and what not. I guess ur right the only real way is to completely uninstall the apk ..would u happen to know why my adw launcher keeps forceclosing each time boot my nook? I am not running any icon packages..so what other source (or app) could be calling on it to run at startup?

StarlahRain said:
Yes..I have noticed some side effects.alarms and what not. I guess ur right the only real way is to completely uninstall the apk ..would u happen to know why my adw launcher keeps forceclosing each time boot my nook? I am not running any icon packages..so what other source (or app) could be calling on it to run at startup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not familiar with adw. Is there an option to save it in memory I know that many replacement launchers do so you might want to make sure that is checked.
Also if you are using a task killer, it is probably trying to kill it and that could cause it to force close.
---
- Sent from my LG Optimus V using Tapatalk

StarlahRain said:
Yes..I have noticed some side effects.alarms and what not. I guess ur right the only real way is to completely uninstall the apk ..would u happen to know why my adw launcher keeps forceclosing each time boot my nook? I am not running any icon packages..so what other source (or app) could be calling on it to run at startup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have Titanium Backup installed? You can clear data and uninstall apps with that as well.

auto starts kills those apps... i run it on my NC>.......i dont need dialer /voicemail...etc.....

Just a thought but if you continue to have force close issues with apps, try running fix permissions. This usually ends the issues. I run adw ex and have no problems. Those few times I have had issues, fix permissions has solved the problem. Just sayin.....
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

Needing help with my cheap A03s

Couldn't find that one listened anywhere here specifically. I'm pretty sure my phones compromised but I'll probably just get people telling me I'm being paranoid. Just notice a lot of weird stuff going on.
I'll give some examples, but it would be cool if someone else here has an A03s and could give me a full list of the system apps to know for sure if mine has some extra ones that aren't truly factory. Because I've restore it several times and they don't go away.
Like under the apps screen under the basic ones I got apps like Android auto, webview, configapk, customization service, and something called data restore tool, device health services, group sharing, meet, nearby device sharing, quick sharing, quick share, settings..etc. which to my knowledge are pretty normal apps to see on phones right? But I seem unable to control them, if I disable them and go back and check later they mysteriously reenabled again, or after that the permissions lists will be greyed out not being able to do anything. Also there is a app called "permissions controller", as well as ones called "apps", "apps update", "tools", "app recommendations", "settings recommendations"..etc. is that normal? I never noticed that with my old samsung. They are really small file size apps with pretty generic looking icons and they don't let me disable them.
What gets more weird to me though is when I enable the system apps too. I see all kinds of suspicious looking ****.
Like for the android setup, and android system apps there are two of each, and the other two have generic looking icons, also got stuff like configuration restore, audio mirroring, auto hotspot, automation test, bluetooth/bluetooth midi service, call & text on other devices, callbgprovider, camera extensions proxy, carrier login engine, sim tool kit, cell broadcast services, clipboardsaveservice, cmh provider, companion device manager (where I have no idea where my "companion is or how to control it so I must be the one being controlled?", configupdater, csc, dcktimesyncapplication, dynamic system updates, ipservice, enterprise sim pin service, external storage, like 10 different gestural navigation bars, group sharing, iaft, ims service, settings, and logging, input devices, iothiddenmenu, keycustomizationinfobnr, launcher, locale overlay manager, service mode and service mode ril, media and devices, mdmapp, vpndialogs, mmigroup,mmsservice, mobilewips, mtp host, nearby device scanning (2 instances), network diagnostic, nsdswebapp, one handed mode, osulogin, package installer, an app called "people", private share, proxy handler, quick share agent, samsung core services? (is that a real app even? I can disable it but who wants to disable "core" system apps, so touche there if it is a program deployed by a hacker on their app naming skills lol, smart switch agent, 2 instances of software update, system connectivity resources, system uwb/wifi resources, an app called "tasks", tethering, tethering provision and tethering automation, tfstatus/tffunlock always running when I never access them, usbsettings, and theres one called wallpaper services/wallpaper and style that looks really generic which is confusing because I assumed the samsung theme manager just handled all that stuff in one? We also got wearable manager installer running, and sometimes wificalling and wifi direct or work setup will be running when I don't have any of those configured.
Sorry for the huge block of text, I'm sure I missed a bunch i missed because there's some that don't show even when you tap "show system apps", like the skms agent as one example, so got a few general questions for you, so for the file/download system I got a bunch of default apps. There's two different files apps, there's a download manager and download app, and also a storage manager, and ALSO a app called the external storage that always wants to be running but can you explain that if I have no external storage? Is the built in storage space on the a03 called external storage? I even have my drive apps and stuff disabled.
Another things that's suspicious to me is secmediastorage, secvideoengineservice, secsoundpicker, secureelementapplication, media and devices + ext storage. Like why should there be a SECOND video or audio engine running when I'm old school and don't even use cast programs/features or anything like that? In fact it's usually one of the first things I just go ahead and try disable.
I noticed a lot of weird things going on with the display though too, looking really sharp then suddenly almost looking like there's two layers of gui not exactly lined up, like off by a pixels making things look blurrier. Like the one ui home is the default factory launcher right? So why does my phone also have a app called "launcher", plus another hidden launcher or something running in the background? I can't remember the name of it offhand, something GUI..
And I understand the concept of android have a permission controller, and "core apps" but are there actually apps under the system apps named that lol? "permission controller", "samsung core apps" one called "device services"...
also is service mode suppose to be running in the background? I googled into it and know it's a genuine service, but I really don't understand why a lot of these apps are stopping and running or renabling themselves.. It's like I have zero control over my own phone and if I'm just paranoid and they are meant to be just seems like a waste of complete waste of ram/data to me.
****, I was just sitting here thinking for like a few minutes about to post and almost forgot the most suspicious ones I've noticed in last few days. all the "com." overlay apps. I guess I really saw the word "overlay" as something you should be suspicious about until the vpn I recently bought had a feature that is suppose to block web browser based overlays. Then I noticed that MOST of my com. apps are all overlay apps! Lol, ranging from google/samsung to mediatek.
I won't post all of them because there's probably 20 at least but here's a few.
com.mediatek.frameworkresoverlay
com.mediatek.settingsproviderresoverlay
com.mediatek.systemuiresoverlay
com.samsung.android.networkstaack.tethering.overlay
com.samsung.android.smartswitchassistant
com.samsung.android.wifi.p2paware.resources
com.sec.android.app.camerasaver and a camera.app.cameraapp one (camera always running in background even if background and battery saver with restricted settings enabled)
com.google.android.ondevicepersonalization.services (I never used any personalization service or see a personalization app for that matter)
com.google.android.networkstack.tethering.overlay
and there's a bunch of com.google.android.overlay.gmsconfig ones /common geotz/ gsa/ photos/
com.google.android.overlay.modules.captiveportallogin.forframework
plus a overlay broadcastreceiver, ext.services, documentsui, permissioncontroller, and sdksandbox one.. tetheringresoverlay, wcmurlsnetworkstackoverlay, locale overlay manager..etc.
Also I get my service through straight talk which I think uses verizon and I noticed when I go to connections/mobile networks and network operators and uncheck the box "select automatically" that for some reason it only wants to connect to a network operator called "Home". I just thought that was kind of a weird and generic name for a network operator. I tried to use a android hidden settings app to change that because it was blocked out and thought I messed up my phone because I no longer had data and couldn't access the menu through the app anymore, but luckily a reformat fixed it but I'm still dealing with all this crap haha.
Can someone tell me I'm not crazy and there's definitely someone that is accessing and controlling my phone without my permission and what would be the best way to go about dealing with this?
Thanks.

First things fist: Here on XDA we expect you to follow the Forum Rules:
2.5 All members are expected to read and adhere to the XDA rules.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you haven't done that yet, click the link in my signature and do it now.
One of the rules you'll notice is this one:
5. Create a thread topic or post a message only once, this includes external links & streaming media.
As a large forum, we don't need unnecessary clutter. You're free to edit your message as you like, so if you do not receive an answer, revisit your message and see if you can describe your problem better. Not everyone is online at the same time so it might take a while before you receive an answer.
You can bump your unanswered question once every 24 hours
Duplicate threads and posts will be removed
Always post in an existing thread if a topic already exists, before creating a new thread.
Use our search function to find the best forum for your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've copied this post at least once. We'll be removing the duplicate.
Now on to your question...
It is my opinion that the problem may not be with what you are observing, but with your assumptions. In the duplicate thread, you assume two possibilities:
You're being hacked
Your paranoia is justified
Have you thought there may be a third or even fourth option? Such as, maybe you don't understand that much about Android, you don't recognize what you see, you're assuming it's malicious, which combined with your own confirmation bias, has led you to the conclusion that foul play is afoot?
Nothing you have described sounds in any way abnormal. You have a Samsung device running OneUI (Samsung's framework overlaid on top of Android) that is powered by a Mediatek chipset. Everything you describe sounds completely normal to me, with over 10 years of experience in Android, most of that with Samsung devices.
My conclusion, to be frank: You are not being hacked, and your paranoia is unfounded.

OP your post gave me a headache trying to read it.
So...
Have it reflash to the stock firmware if you really think it's behaving erratically and a factory reset doesn't work. Change Google password and all others.
Then be careful what you install.
Don't put in foreign thumb drives or let others use it.