Task Managers...GOOD or BAD?

[kct1975]

Ok, this might already be posted somewhere, but I have not found it if it is so here goes...

Are Task Manager programs good or bad. I have always thought that Task Manager programs such as Advanced Task Manager and Free Advanced Task Manager were good. I actually have both apps on on HTC EVO 4G, and use both frequently. I have both because I findthat each catches different open apps. Anyways, I actually had a friend tell me that the Task Manager apps are actually not good for Android phones and actually mess-up the Android operating system. He told me that the Android operating system is actually designed to have a few apps running in the background so that they start quick. He also told me that using Task Manager apps to 'Force Close' apps open in the background is not good for the operating system, and that Force Closing apps actually causes the battery to drain quicker since the Android system has to work to reopen the apps that I force closed.

So my question is, does using Task Manager apps to 'Kill' apps, and 'Force Close' apps really hurt the Android Operating System ? Also do Task Manager apps save battery or drain battery ?

 

[ardchoille]

Apps in android are include activites. For example, the gmail app has several activities, one of which is "send mail". When you email a file from a file manager, the file manager calls the send activity in an email app to send the file. This will result in seeing the email app running when the user didn't actually launch it. If the user then kills the email app because he/she thinks it's a rogue app, then android has to re-launch it in order to complete the task the user asked for.. sending a file. If the user continually kills the email app android has to continually re-launch it. This results in wasted system resources (including battery life) because the user is battling the system.. and the system will win. I wrote an article on why task killers are bad for android, see the last link in my sig.

 

[jefboyardee]

Task killers are bad for android. Let the system manage itself, it actually does a good job.

I believed that until I read that Gingerbread has one. Why would an OS update include something bad for itself? Now I’m confused.

(I don’t really know if Gingerbread has a killer -- I rejected the update (ugly LG-Sprint story) and am just going by what I read.)

 

[chanchan05]

I dont think its a problem killing cached processes that arent exactly running to free up some RAM. These processes arent running anymore. However the problem lies in when you kill actively running processes.

 

[Crashdamage]

I believed that until I read that Gingerbread has one. Why would an OS update include something bad for itself? Now I’m confused.

Gingerbread does include a task manager, but it's only there for the rare possibility of a app getting 'stuck' - i.e. not closing properly and requiring a manual 'kill'. This rarely or never happens and is usually due to a bug in the app.

Do NOT use a task killer for any other reason.

 

[jerofld]

Android's built in task killer manages itself well enough where you don't need a third party task killer. Task killers are a relic from when Android didn't have a good task manager.

Some people find some use in third party task killers for very specific purposes, but the 99% of the rest of the Android population has no need for them.

 

[surgerush]

Ok, what about when an app offers to clear cache for you? Such as app2sd... It's not killing the entire task, just clearing the cache... is this a good thing to do, or should that be left alone as well?

 

[lunatic59]

Ok, what about when an app offers to clear cache for you? Such as app2sd... It's not killing the entire task, just clearing the cache... is this a good thing to do, or should that be left alone as well?

The only upside to clearing caches would be if you were constantly running low on system memory and the caches were in the system partition. Otherwise you will removing useful data. Caches are there to keep frequently used data on your phone to speed performance and lower data use. By constantly clearing them you will have to re-download the data every time you access the app causing higher data usage and greater battery drain. The app that clears the caches itself also consumes resources thus adding to the problem, not solving it.

 

[jerofld]

Clearing the cache / app data is more of a troubleshooting step, IMO.

 

[lojikal]

Useful information.