Should You Use a Task Killer?

Eris Ed · Aug 31, 2010

widehead said:
So, when I turn my phone off and then on again - how do I turn off all the apps that autorun and try their hardest to sync every 5 minutes? Without a task killer how do I stop Plurk (for example?)

Open each app and change the update frequency from 5 mins to 1 hr, 2hrs, etc, whatever suits you.

Xtreem1977 · Sep 4, 2010

I must stress that task manager

SUroot · Sep 4, 2010

I have system panel too, but not for the reasons you mentioned.

Being in RAM doesn't take up any battery. Only the CPU usage is battery worthy. When Android puts apps in the background, generally they don't use any. However, some apps are designed to run in the background and do things such as monitor or Synchronise, or listen to events on the android system, to which they can react. This probably will use CPU, but they're doing it for a reason.

I have never had personal experience with Task Killers saving me battery. Task killers monitor constantly too, so my experience is quite the contrary.

donatolla · Sep 4, 2010

First thing I was told about Android (by folks working for Google in Waterloo) is that it is not like Windows, and should not be treated like Windows.

I've had my Desire a month now, all without a task killer, and it works flawlessly. The key for me has been to avoid installing crapware.

JohnnyBravo1000 · Sep 6, 2010

Great article, mate. Your new site is also a great source of information.

Thanks to me, a few friends are now reading your website and following you on Twitter - oh, and they are no longer using a Task Killer!

ynwa · Sep 6, 2010

If i am using the stock android browser, and viewing a streaming video, If i hit the back button it doesnt close the browser. If i then bring the browser back up, the video streaming is still going. So is the browser still streaming and using up data allowance in the background? I dont use a task killer, but would one be needed here?

aldredd · Sep 6, 2010

It doesn't help that whenever some site decides to do a '10 Android apps you MUST have or else' article, it always seems to list a task killer!

mikebell · Sep 6, 2010

SUroot · Sep 6, 2010

ynwa said:
If i am using the stock android browser, and viewing a streaming video, If i hit the back button it doesnt close the browser. If i then bring the browser back up, the video streaming is still going. So is the browser still streaming and using up data allowance in the background? I dont use a task killer, but would one be needed here?

You could simply open a new window in the browser, then close the previous one with the streaming going on.

for all the examples people give for needing a task killer, there is almost always (can't think of an example where there isn't) a way to resolve the issue without installing a separate TK.

1208 · Sep 13, 2010

Having read this thread I decided to delete 'Advanced Task Killer' over a week ago to see what happens and heres some points I've noticed:

1 - The phone seems to Hang alot more often when using Apps, especially when turning the Mobile Internet on/off.
2 - Battery life is reduced, I find I'm charging alot more than I did before.
3 - Apps seem to take longer to load at times, my picture browser app for example was always an immediate turn on but now it delays starting up every so often.

Conclusion: For me the phone worked alot better with ATK and occasional use of it, so therefore I'm re-installing today.

Griff_LI · Sep 13, 2010

Good idea, much better than actually trying to work out what the problem is.

wellibob · Sep 13, 2010

Conclusion: For me the phone worked alot better with ATK and occasional use of it, so therefore I'm re-installing today.

Same here, ive found through extensive testing, how "I" use my Desire its better with it (i`ll admit it took a while to work out which apps to close down, and what not too!)

nx1977 · Sep 13, 2010

+1.

Had to kill a downloaded app which clearly has issues and crashes to I could get the phone running fast again.

Couldnt have done this without a killer.

wuthton · Sep 13, 2010

nx1977 said:
+1.

Had to kill a downloaded app which clearly has issues and crashes to I could get the phone running fast again.

Couldnt have done this without a killer.

Menu>settings>applications>app>force stop.

Task killers are a waste of memory, battery, time, and anybody who says otherwise is just plain wrong since Android 1.6.

lekky · Sep 13, 2010

alexsamson said:
Don't need a techy friend. The temperature of the unit says it all. No task killer = hot. Running task killer = Cool. Plus I'm getting great battery life.

Also, if vital components were included in devices by the manufacturer, why don't PCs come with anti-virus built in?

Well they do. A firewall is built into the windows operating system for basic protection.

Don't want to get into the economics of it all, but antvirus software is a mega cash cow, thats why you typically get a trial version of some crappy mcafee or norton security suite on any new pc asking for you to pay

Extinct · Sep 14, 2010

After reading through threads after threads about how to lengthen battery life on the desire.. i came across this thread..

so decided to uninstalled my ATK. so far been using without it for 2 weeks.. battery life was actually working better.. could get about 30hrs + with normal usage (afew calls here and there, moderate messaging, games and web browsing).

imo, i do agree that if an app doesn't close properly, it should be replaced by another which does.

no fit state · Sep 14, 2010

Had my desire since April. Never had a task killer, never found a reason for having one. That simple.

burnt_toast · Sep 14, 2010

after reading this thread, i've uninstalled ATK - i'll try to keep track of battery life and post details later on.

Johnboy501 · Sep 14, 2010

I got told to install ATK because my phone was taking ages to shut down, now it turns off pretty much straight away. Battery was poor before I had ATK and aint really any different with it.

lekky · Sep 14, 2010

Johnboy501 said:
I got told to install ATK because my phone was taking ages to shut down, now it turns off pretty much straight away. Battery was poor before I had ATK and aint really any different with it.

bad app causing it to hang. Kill the source, don't patch it up!

Johnboy501 · Sep 14, 2010

How will I find out the cause?

Griff_LI · Sep 14, 2010

Did you read the article ?

McGeagh · Sep 14, 2010

alexsamson said:
Can I just ask something though: if I have apps running all the time will my processor heat up and therefore engage the fan, which in turn will shorten battery life?
Alex

I lolled...

...hard

1208 · Sep 14, 2010

lekky said:
The conclusion I came to from that is you have at least one very poor app on your phone. Something is obviously not working correctly, reducing your battery life and generally slowing down your system.

The fact you specifically mentioned it hangs when you turn on/off mobile data pretty much backs this up. Android apps listen for events, and change of data connection is one of those events. So, without knowing too much info, I would guess at the following:

Some app has a listener out for data connection change, probably the same app that is clogging up your system and slowing everything down. When its listener sees the change it connection, I assume it runs some poorly developed process causing the "hang".

Best bet is to find the offensive app and remove it from your system. I certainly wouldn't want an app developed by some guy who doesn't know what he's doing on my phone!

well maybe but fact is my phone is already running better with ATK re-installed, no hangs on internet (yet, its only been a day or two), the Picture Broswer opens instantly and already the battery life is improved. If there is a Bad App somewhere then let it be bad, my phone is better with ATK it seems!

lekky · Sep 14, 2010

but it's only better because there is something so bad on there in the first place.

Seriously, if I have a rat infestation. I have two choices.

1: Every time I see a rat, squash it.
2: Find why they are there in the first place and sort out that problem.

Might take me slightly longer to do #2 in the beginning. But then its done, I don't have to worry about them any more...

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