Help how to prevent running applications in background

[Adlebo]

Every time the phone is rebooted, or even for no reason at all, programs start running in the background. Is there any way I can prevent programs from running in the first place?
P.S especially since updating aldiko, it started running in the background like crazy!

 

[Deleted User]

all you can really do is either uninstall said apps or use an app like this:
Startup Cleaner 2.0 - Android app on AppBrain

i'm curious where are you seeing all these apps running in the background?

 

[Adlebo]

You can see your running applications from settings> applications> running services. I made a shortcut for it on my screen to check what's running even after closing active applications. My main running "troublemakers" are media hub, qik, white pages, and now aldiko. The ones you wanna make sure keep running are those widgets such as battery monitors, clock and weather widgets etc.

 

[gme109]

Every time the phone is rebooted, or even for no reason at all, programs start running in the background. Is there any way I can prevent programs from running in the first place?
P.S especially since updating aldiko, it started running in the background like crazy!

Running apps, or running services? To stop running apps, place the running program monitor on your home screen, its a Sprint app that came with the phone. It will show you how many apps are running, and which ones. You can kill all of them at once. To stop running services, select menu>settings>applications>running services. You can stop them from there. Every time I turn my phone on, I go to running services, and stop DRM, and a few others that I know I wont be using.

 

[Adlebo]

Running apps, or running services? To stop running apps, place the running program monitor on your home screen, its a Sprint app that came with the phone. It will show you how man apps are running, and which ones. You can kill all of them at once. To stop running services, select menu>settings>applications>running services. You can stop them from there. Every time I turn my phone on, I go to running services, and stop DRM, and a few others that I know I wont be using.

Ok I meant running services. I'm pretty new to android so I guess I confused running services with apps. But to clarify, doesn't running services slow down the phones performance? And if so how do I prevent them from running? The start up app mentioned earlier does prevent the running services from starting but after a few minutes I checked and Media Hub was there running again!?!
BTW I would edit the heading of this post to running services instead of applications but I don't have a clue how!

 

[rounsy222]

Mediahub is horrible at doing that, you have to kill that and drm both as one will start the other. Its too bad that sprint, i guess all providers, make their bloatware impossible to remove without rooting. They think you might be wanting to use it so it has priority in the hierarchy and thats why they run in the background without you even starting them, for faster start time.

 

[dangerdat]

This thread might lead to the whole does it really matter what services are running in the background because of the way Android is designed vs ATK discussion.

 

[imfm]

I know there are an army of people who always pop up on these sorts of questions to argue that android's task management makes this question irrelevant. I don't know what kind of phone these guys are using, but with my galaxy prevail, this is a real issue.

It works a lot like windows startup processes. One or two "updaters" or "agents" or whatever aren't going to cause you problems, but nowadays every program you install wants to add a startup process, and eventually you have 15 to 20 process running at all times for applications that you aren't using. The cumulative effect seriously bogs down systems.

I don't understand why every developer feels like their application is so important that it has to have a process running at all times. Google is the worst in this respect. If you install any google application on your PC, it also installs a google updater process that runs at times that you CANNOT GET RID OF IT. It works like a virus, going into msconfig or task manager wont kill it. It just keeps coming back. Sound familiar?

Now google continues this behavior on android. The fact is, on MY phone, these processes bog down my system. There is an unmistakable difference in performance after killing all these processes. Maybe android isn't designed for midrange - low end phones, but there is no reason why these phones shouldn't be able to run the OS smoothly. If google would just stop being so damn arrogant and stop ignoring people's complaints on this, so many of us would be happier. Another note, shouldn't I be able to control how my phone works? There is no reason for all these apps to be in the background all the time? Argh!

 

[jimweda]

I think that's why there are so many task killers out there. I dont like using them myself but it seems like the only thing that helps but also seems like wasted resources. I agree in that it seems like app competition in that many apps want to remain alive and it is a real pain especially when we only have less than 500 mg of memeory to play with. Even games and widgets that arent being used want to run in the background.

Whats the concensu on auto task killers on this. I keep getting mixed opinions. Some say to use them and some say just let the OS deal with it.

Jim

 

[FenwayPhil]

You can see your running applications from settings> applications> running services. I made a shortcut for it on my screen to check what's running even after closing active applications.

Stupid question but how did you make a shortcut for this. I am also new to Android. Sorry and Thanks!!

 

[Epicurean]

Stupid question but how did you make a shortcut for this. I am also new to Android. Sorry and Thanks!!

Long press on a blank space on your home screen, select Shortcuts, then Settings, then Running Services.

 

[bsouza32411]

what i did to my phone was after i rooted it, get a bloatware remover app the backup and delete the task manager and it lessens the tasks so an app likje Advanced Task Killer can finish the job, Beofre i was running on about 140M and now i stay around 220M

 

[Zeinzu]

For those who are unaware, having more free ram does not increase battery life. The reason why third party task killers drain battery life is they shut down apps and services that are designed to either always be running, or to relaunch if incorrectly shut down. This causes the processor to go active in order to relaunch said apps or services. "That" increases battery usage. Memory (ram) is nothing more than space for information to temporarilly be stored. The misconception that ram has any affect over battery life is so wipespread now and most believe it to be true not because they know and understand how it works, but because that's what they've heard. Also, due to the method in which third party task killers close apps, they overtime corrupt both user and system data. It's highly advised not to use such apps, choose apps that do not run continuously, sign out of apps that do that you would still like to keep but do not wish to continuosly sacrifice ram and cpu usage for, exit apps properly, pick and choose which services are really necessary, and let the phone do it's thing. Google's technicians are much smarter than most third party developers believe. For this reason it is "they" who are employed with Google and "they" who code android, not us.