Database Users

Why are so many programs starting on their own?

I downloaded Advanced Task Killer Free, and things like Sprint Navigation, Facebook, Voice Dialer, etc, the list gets 20 programs long after about 15 minutes... this makes no sense.
Can someone who has used Android longer please explain this to me? It seems that this OS needs much more babysitting than even WM, if it's really auto-starting all this crap for no reason.

It seems like all of the applications you described are system apps that were on the phone when you got them. They may be set to automatically run. I know you wont be able to remove any of them without the phone being rooted and having su access - but i may be wrong.
When you close them, it seems like the OS is just automatically reloading them.
Careful when you kill apps, it could cause some unwanted issues.

So many of these programs have nothing to do with day-to-day operation... this is bizarre.
Does Android supposedly have built-in memory-management? IE, you exit the camera app, it eventually FORCE closes it? So far, I haven't noticed that behavior at all. That's what caused so many issues on my old WM HTC devices.

Android does have built-in memory management. It is how the OS was developed.
If you have a program running on your screen, it will use whatever amount of memory it needs in order to run it.
If the program gets pushed into the background, but is still running, it will still use the memory, even though another program is being ran using up even more memory.
Having free memory will not make the phone run any faster. Eventually the program in the background will close if not used. It will also be force closed if the system is in dire need of memory.
Android knows when it is need of memory.

There are several threads already which explain memory use if you search. Since I'm using my phone I won't go into detail but I will say that task killers are not recommended. It's much better to let Android manage the memory and processes.
My personal experience bears this out as I had a lot of strange issues like losing wireless connectivity when I was using a task killer. Now I let Android handle things and my phone runs smooth. Using a Sprint Hero with Fresh 2.1.2 ROM.
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Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App

Interesting... all my friends who use Android have task managers... Most engadget posts mention that too. Hrm... I guess I'll make sure auto-kill is disabled and just watch and see how the OS holds up.

I just got the phone this morning and was killing apps left and right. I started to get a lot of Force Close errors.
I rebooted the phone which would clear the memory anyways and I'm letting the OS handle everything now - Havent had any problems since.
good luck!

ScrapMaker said:
Interesting... all my friends who use Android have task managers... Most engadget posts mention that too. Hrm... I guess I'll make sure auto-kill is disabled and just watch and see how the OS holds up.
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Click to collapse
Honestly, if you are worried about a particular program running away and have reason to believe it, sure a task manager/task killer can be handy for that one program but historically, giving people task managers on Android causes more problems than it helps. Voice Dialer is your phone app for example and at the CDMA Hero forums, we've seen the phone do some crazy things when we removed it from the phone right after we got root (turns out that thing is hooked to more than just the "making phone calls" feature).
All that said, it's quite informative to google around about android's method of memory management. It's kinda cool!

I had a hero, and it least made it through the day. The Evo is way worse. I have no idea why some things run in the background that I've never used and have no reason to be running in the background. I'm using ATK and Auto Task Manager, which kills app once your phone goes to sleep. You just have to know what apps you shouldn't be killing. As a rule of thumb, I didn't kill any native google or HTC services. I did kill all Sprint services. Following this guide as well:http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/06...attery-life-and-what-this-says-about-android/

here is why you don't really need a task killer.
with that, i can say that i do have one but, i don't have any autokill going. i only use it as a last resort to kill things if i have like multiple things producing sound at once.

Honestly I can tell you from experience, that sprint bloat wear will launch on its own all day long. Even if you set ATK or AMM to nuke it, it eventually will cost more batt. in the long run because of the system resources required to launch and kill over and over again. The only way to successfully deal with the issue is to rm the crap, which requires root.

Task killer = bad?

2 guys in the n1 section here gave me these articles during a converstation i was having with them. i havent read them yet becuase im at work, but it sounds interesting. ive never heard anyone say this before. im going to try it out.
discuss?
http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/
http://androidspin.com/2010/05/25/why-you-dont-need-a-task-killer-app-with-android/

I think it is more user preference, they can cause issues. I use mine often and would not be without it.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

Automated task killers (as opposed to something like SystemPanel which is just a convenient way to kill running processes) are bad. They hearken back to 1.x versions of Android which had poorer process/memory management.
Just say no.

I've downloaded a task manager that shows the CPU usage, and even with a ton of things open (browser, etc) most of them show 0% unless i go reopen them. and i havent killed any tasks since yesterday.

elborak said:
Automated task killers (as opposed to something like SystemPanel which is just a convenient way to kill running processes) are bad. They hearken back to 1.x versions of Android which had poorer process/memory management.
Just say no.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. I use a manual one, and have excluded apps that I know cause problems when they are killed (e.g., contact-specific ringtones don't sound if People is not running). Mostly that is system apps and stuff that comes on the phone; I haven't taken the time yet to prune HTC apps that I don't use (and you must be careful with some of those, too).
But I rarely have to use it. I usually have >200MB free RAM, and the phone is responsive. I don't think I'd need it at all if more apps had exit buttons, but it seems that few do.

Any suggestions for a good task manager?

Hello, all. I am currently running the free version of Advanced Task Killer, which seems to work ok, but there has to be something better. What I've noticed is, that after a reboot, the app will tell me that I have about 240 MB of available memory when all apps are closed with the exception of the task killer itself.
However, by the end of the day, after I've opened and closed a few apps, sent some messages and emails, made some calls, etc, the task manager will show significantly less available memory available. It could drop to as low as 135 MB with all apps closed with the exception of the task killer.
This leads to me to believe one of two things:
a) The Task Killer is full of it and it does not have an accurate read of how much memory is actually available.
b) The Task Killer is only able to "kill" certain tasks while others remain running in the background and it does not show that the app(s) are actually running.
Honestly, I think it is option B, because I do notice that when the app tells me that I have less than normal available memory, the phone does tend to function slower and lag a bit. Nothing that cannot be fixed by a powering it off and on, but I am hoping that someone knows of a good app (even if it is a paid app) that will actually bring up ALL tasks running and kill them. I've also noticed that even with this task killer, Google Talk (which I have never used) always remains open in my phone and I have to manually go into into the settings and turn that off.
Any suggestions?

My suggestion is to not use one.
I do use Autokiller though which tweaks the thresholds for Android's internal "task killer".
It's best to let Android do it's thing.

Tikerz said:
My suggestion is to not use one.
I do use Autokiller though which tweaks the thresholds for Android's internal "task killer".
It's best to let Android do it's thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Do you mind elaborating on why you feel that way a bit so I can understand? Because I do notice that when the I am running a bunch of things at once and I use this app to kill the tasks, it does improve the performance of the phone.

I can understand why some people say you don't need one but I do think it is necessary to have it installed for when you do. I'd rather kill apps than pop the case, battery cover and battery to fix a frozen phone.
I have some GPS apps I run occasionally that after exiting them they don't turn off the GPS or lock the GPS on and drain my battery. So for those apps where the developer didn't put a close buton on the menu it helps shut them down. I don't know why Google Market doesn't require apps to have a close option.

get OS MONITOR from the market

PAPutzback said:
I don't know why Google Market doesn't require apps to have a close option.
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Click to collapse
Because users shouldn't have to manage their own memory. Apple folks already love laughing at us for that very reason, and even though it pains me to say it they're absolutely correct.
I can certainly buy the argument that task killers are nice for those occasions when something does go haywire and it needs to be forcibly killed, and I can understand using one just because you're curious and want to see what's running and how much memory you have, etc, but beyond that I find that they're unnecessary. My EVO runs very smoothly without me manually intervening, even after many days of uptime with many apps running.

GHOST99K said:
get OS MONITOR from the market
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! That's detailed and a lot more than I bargained for....lol. Thanks! Good thing my phone is rooted and I was able to use it since I never did the recent update to the 1.47.xx OTA update and I'm waiting for a fully functional version to be released, but there is a lot of stuff on this that goes well beyond my basic knowledge. Apparently, my phone has 89 processes running with no apps running (according to Task Killer) and only one widget running and the CPU is fluctuating at 10-40% usage.
Interestingly enough, but apps report the same amount of available memory......EXACTLY the same. So it can be assumed that both apps provide an accurate figure of available memory.

I would advise against using a Task killer. Android has its own memory management, which works extremely well on the EVO, to be honest. The latest update (1.47) feels like its makes the EVO perform much better and allows it to be more efficient.
If anything, I would suggest you read this thread about an app called Autostarts, which isn't a task killer, rather a startup manager that can be tweaked to do many different things. By not allowing certain things to start up when your phone boots, you'll have more memory to begin with and Android will be more efficient in memory management. I would try Autostarts before using a task killer.
Hope that helps.

eagle63 said:
Because users shouldn't have to manage their own memory. Apple folks already love laughing at us for that very reason, and even though it pains me to say it they're absolutely correct.
I can certainly buy the argument that task killers are nice for those occasions when something does go haywire and it needs to be forcibly killed, and I can understand using one just because you're curious and want to see what's running and how much memory you have, etc, but beyond that I find that they're unnecessary. My EVO runs very smoothly without me manually intervening, even after many days of uptime with many apps running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, but having to run a task killer is a small price to pay to not be part of the iPhone bandwagon crew, IMO.
Are you running a custom rom on your phone? I just have a rooted stock rom. Maybe that's why your phone can go days without the performance being affected? I still have all the bloatware on mine, and I've put off removing it because I am still a noob at this and I'm in the learning process. I wonder if the new update that was just released improves this aspect of the phone at all.....?

pseudoremora said:
I would advise against using a Task killer. Android has its own memory management, which works extremely well on the EVO, to be honest. The latest update (1.47) feels like its makes the EVO perform much better and allow it to be more efficient.
If anything, I would suggest you read this thread about an app called Autostarts, which isn't a task killer, rather a startup manager that can be tweaked to do many different things. By not allowing certain things to start up when your phone boots, you'll have more memory to begin with and Android will be more efficient in memory management. I would try Autostarts before using a task killer.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I will definitely look into it. All advise is appreciated as I am very new to all of this. You answered my last question on my previous post with this, too.... I can't wait for a fully functional rooted OEM rom to be released with the goodies from the new update to try it out. I'm hesitant to update my phone now and lose superuser as I use the WiFi tether a lot.

[RECOMENDATION] Why you should NOT use "Task Killers" in Android

Here's some interesting reading I've been digesting to overcome my ex-WinMo maniac habits
Recommended
http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/
http://lifehacker.com/5650894/andro...ed-what-they-do-and-why-you-shouldnt-use-them

Some good stuff there, thanks for sharing

I can't help those bad habits! I see processes and I want to kiilll them !!!
...RAM eating processes...grrr

It has taken me a while, and now my third android phone before I am out the habbit
You really really don't need them, especially if like me you love to flash stuff so you regularly reboot anyway.

Interesting, thanks for sharing!

Yeah I know what it feels like
First thing I installed to my ex I-dont-miss-you X10 was a file explorer and a task killer.
Now, zero task killers for my pretty DZ
Ah !! I miss those freezing rebooting bug-whacking patching WinMo days
Sent from my Godspeed 1.4GHz HTC DZ

Ha -- I recently read a thread on a blog where this was pointed out -- and there were a bunch of rabid task-killer fanatics insisting that it was wrong

If Android frees up memory automatically why my CoPilot closed because of lack of memory? Only solution was restart of the phone.
It annoys me that apps are running in background, apps that I never use but can't uninstall.

AgaZaKa said:
If Android frees up memory automatically why my CoPilot closed because of lack of memory? Only solution was restart of the phone.
It annoys me that apps are running in background, apps that I never use but can't uninstall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What apps do you have running in the background that you never use ?
I don't know about CoPilot, but maybe it had a memory leak which meant Android couldn't free up enough memory ?

[SOLVED] Swiftdroid is killing apps way too quickly. How to prevent this?

Hey,
I was using swiftdroid last two days and it appears to be killing all apps almost as soon as I quit it. I checked with Advanced Task Killer and it appears swiftdroid is trying to keep at least 45MB free even after I enabled 32MB swap with built-in VRAM.
This is very annoying. It keeps quitting facebook chat and IMO chat as soon as I switch to another app. I'm aware GT540 has very low memory but the thing is in stock, I didn't have any problem even though I didn't have VRAM/swap. I usually get around 25MB RAM free all the time and most apps stay in memory. I'm usually like able to launch the IM app, facebook app and still be able to use the browser or file expert or messaging app.
So, is there's a workaround? It's really annoying when it keeps quitting the IM app just like that!
Sorry for saying it's annoying. I know we get this for free and I shouldn't be complaining at all. It's just that it pissed me by quitting IM app, the only app I want to stay in the memory.

What version of Swiftdroid are you using
The latest one (M5), has improved RAM management a lot
And comes with better battery life, too

I got the same thing. Always 40-45mb free and apps being killed quickly. I'm on M5. Someone said that Joestone's AOSP is better in this aspect, but I didn't test it yet.

Mitalca:
I'm on M4. I downloaded M5 only today. I don't think it lacks good RAM management. It's just that its memory management settings have been tweaked to keep maximum possible amount of RAM free so that any new app will launch faster. Am sure there must be a switch to change it.
EazyLuke:
I don't really have any problems with stock 2.1. I checked out Joe's AOSP and swiftdroid. The only real advantage apart from speed is voice input. In Joe's AOSP, I couldn't get voice to work. In swiftdroid, it worked.

that's what I meant with RAM management
Maurik changed the settings on M5
mhoangtr said:
In M4 rom, lowmemorykiller setting is 6,8,16,20,32,40 MB so apps killed too fast.
If you want to keep apps longer, try set to 6,8,16,20,22,24 MB (this is default value of android).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I don't know how can you change that setting in M4
Try M5, if it ain't working for you, go to Joe's

Mitalca said:
that's what I meant with RAM management
Maurik changed the settings on M5
But I don't know how can you change that setting in M4
Try M5, if it ain't working for you, go to Joe's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Mitalca: That's the whole purpose of the post. I couldn't find the option where I can change 6,8,16,20,32,40 MB to 6,8,16,20,22,24 MB.
How do I change it?

You can change these values with e.g. this application https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lim.android.automemman&feature=search_result

I installed this app: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.rs.autokiller
It does the same thing.
I set the values to 6-8-12-18-20-20. Now I'll have to see if that brings an improvement.
EDIT: Tested it for a few minutes. And it seems to be an awesome improvement! I can switch from Facebook, Twitter and Browser, and everything is kept in memory, meaning these apps don't have to reload everything!
And it seems to be stable. I also use some of the "advanced system tweaks settings".

Thanks you guys.
XDA memebers. Useful as ever.
I'm gonna try both the apps and keep the app with slicker interface.

M5 isn't working.
Says assert failed when trying to flash via recovery.

Trys v6 SuperCharger!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=991276
It Works Perfectly on our GT540!

I found this problematic, too.
I installed M5 yesterday. Everything is great except this (and I don't like oversensitive accelerometer, but it's not urgent problem ).
Last night I listened Music player, and surfed via Miren. After two opened tabs, Music player shut down . After four opened tabs, phone rebooted. Factory widgets' widgets are useless with this agressive RAM menagment.
hash87 said:
You can change these values with e.g. this application https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lim.android.automemman&feature=search_result
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man.
Works excellent .
EazyLuke said:
I installed this app: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.rs.autokiller
It does the same thing.
I set the values to 6-8-12-18-20-20. Now I'll have to see if that brings an improvement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To bad - it want access to too much permissions.

Access to too much permissions? Use LBE Privacy Guard!

What permissions?
And by the way, I wrote a PM to Mur4ik and asked him to try this app out. Maybe he'll change the numbers for RAM-management in his next release if he thinks it's an improvement.

EazyLuke said:
What permissions?
And by the way, I wrote a PM to Mur4ik and asked him to try this app out. Maybe he'll change the numbers for RAM-management in his next release if he thinks it's an improvement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are plenty of custom ROMs that use Mur4ik's config. It boils down to personal preference. Do you want newer apps to launch really fast or do you want certain apps to stay in memory all the time?
Multi-taskers would prefer to have all apps in memory while people who like doing one thing at a time or who use phone for gaming mainly would prefer Mur4ik's config which launches apps faster.
The best thing for Mur4ik is to include an option to change the memory management config depending on user.

After changing the numbers my apps don't really seem to open slower.
In my opinion Mur4ik could lower the numbers a little bit, to allow better multitasking, but still let new apps open fast (just my personal opinion).
But I don't say he HAS TO do that, just a suggestion, if he doesn't like it it isn't a problem at all, because everyone can simply adjust the numbers easily .

That's true. xD
If I were to suggest, I'd suggest to add the option to change these settings. Apps opening fast depends on what individual apps are in the memory and what new app you are opening.
For example, if you open Angry Birds while your memory is at 16MB, you certainly can't expect it to open fast.
On the other hand, if you open messaging app while memory is at 16MB, it certainly will open faster.
But, I really disliked the apps Swiftdroid had in the latest release. I had to get rid of the whole GO suit with Uninstaller for Root.

nibras_reeza said:
But, I really disliked the apps Swiftdroid had in the latest release. I had to get rid of the whole GO suit with Uninstaller for Root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try M6, was released yesterday, it's completely clean! Only Tonepicker and QuickSettings are added.

SWEETTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!! xD

you could also try to put mur4ik rom in the kitchen and play with autokiller settings ...
this is michalak8 from android.com.pl (mike's froYo dev) looking for that magic 10 posts to post my rom) Could someone close the rom thread in development section - I would like to post it my self without google-translate bugs
mikegapinski