Help Taskillers....do you or don't you????

[flyjbaker]

I did a thread like this on the Hero forum when I was a Hero owner/user. I have been meaning to do one here so here ya go. What is your opinion of Taskillers and feel free to comment after voting!!!

I did download "Taskiller Free" and it seemed to screw up my phone. I uninstalled and the problems went away. I did this another time....same thing...same action. On a very few occasions, I have noticed that my phone was not sleeping properly. So I downloaded Taskiller again and killed all apps and then my phone slept properly. I have noticed my phone not sleeping properly a few different times so I keep Taskiller on my phone for this reason. It does remedy the situation. I am sure if I did a reboot I would likely get the same results but that takes a little longer.

 

[latinmaxima]

I have astro file manager and realize that it offers a task killer feature but dont use. I use it for file managing. Your phone was designed to run without you forcing processes to close. I think it will cause more harm than good. I am sure others will disagree though.

 

[dkjones96]

Don't use one. Phone doesn't really need it in my opinion.

 

[Thefoodman52]

I keep it around just to kill those stupid @#$ pre-installed pointless apps like NFL mobile and the Nascar crap. Other than that, my task killer gets about 1 use a day. On startup, that's all.

 

[jason81]

Suprised that no one has mentioned the fact that if you do not use a task killer... then the apps that "prevent phone from sleeping" do just that, and cause your battery to run down

 

[Zumaki]

I use a task killer to kill apps that keep my phone from sleeping.

That is all.

(yeah I read the poster above me, but that's what I intended to say anyway.)

 

[ub3r-l33ch]

I've clearly noticed the phone lagging when it has ~25mb of free memory available vs. when it has ~50mb.

 

[dkjones96]

Either I don't pay enough attention to my phone or you guys are seriously hawks when it comes to this stuff. I don't use a task killer, I have bunches of apps, and I have zero issues with the way my phone not only performs but lasts on a single charge.

I can't see a difference in charge between a day with normal texting and a fresh reboot or a day with normal texting with the last reboot being 2 weeks ago.

 

[Josh0187]

I have Taskiller installed.

With the new updates it force closes anything not on my ignore list whenever I put it to sleep.

The items on my ignore list are the most usual apps which run (calendar, corp calendar, messaging, etc) which are the stupid ones that ALWAYS turn on.

But, I do NOT need my Facebook app to be active when I do not have it auto refresh, nor do I need any of my other apps like Astro etc to keep running while it is asleep.

 

[johnbarry3434]

Definitely used auto-task killer for a while but stopped using just to see if my phone performed any different. Haven't noticed a difference yet and apps open quicker when they are already running so I think I will stick to not using a task killer. Haven't had any issues with the phone not sleeping either. Oh yeah and temp rooting to get rid of unnecessary apps is easy as hell.

 

[dbpaddler]

If I have to use a task killer to keep my phone functioning properly then it's a problem that needs to be addressed in an update by Samsung or Google plain and simple.

 

[Zumaki]

If I have to use a task killer to keep my phone functioning properly then it's a problem that needs to be addressed in an update by Samsung or Google plain and simple.

It's a problem that's largely solved in later versions of Android.

 

[dbpaddler]

which we many not see for quite some time now, almost into the 2nd generation of phones possibly.

 

[Gizmodo]

When I first joined this forum, a number of forum users advised that one of the first things I should do was to download and install a task killer. They noted that without it, apps do not shut down. Further, the apps that don't shut down after use, suck the battery dry. Like a mindless lemming, I downloaded and installed Advanced Taskiller and have been using it ever since. I use it almost every time I am finished with an app, such as gmail.

ARE YOU GUYS SAYING that I don't need to use a task killer at all???

 

[kencrudup]

Task killers are placebos, used by folks who don't really understand how the OS works.

 

[arashed31]

When I first joined this forum, a number of forum users advised that one of the first things I should do was to download and install a task killer. They noted that without it, apps do not shut down. Further, the apps that don't shut down after use, suck the battery dry. Like a mindless lemming, I downloaded and installed Advanced Taskiller and have been using it ever since. I use it almost every time I am finished with an app, such as gmail.

ARE YOU GUYS SAYING that I don't need to use a task killer at all???

Yes.

 

[Gizmodo]

So, Ken, why don't you explain it.

 

[kencrudup]

People have been telling people all over Android forums that task-killers are unnecessary, yet folks will go on about "but I have more free memory now!" or "<unwanted app> isn't 'running' any longer!" and swear this means something.

IOW, I don't think it'll make a difference if I do [explain why TKs are unnecessary] or not. I'll suffice it to say that (1) loaded programs given no timeslices (or small ones) won't make any noticeable diffrence in lag or battery life, (2) So what if your memory's all used- that's the point, and the CPU/OS will always give running apps the memory they need and (3) once the screen is off in Android, and a program isn't a periodic service, listening for certain kinds of intent events or requested what's called a "wakelock", it's essentially dead (ever notice how after turning the phone back on sometimes the clock is off, or how the red "hung up" screen on the dialer app with your last call will be on for a quick second? That's why.)

But if some of y'all in the face of all that think you need 'em anyway, what can I do? "No matter. Kill away!" - Kobayashi, "The Usual Suspects"

 

[Gizmodo]

Well, Ken, after asking you to explain, I did a little research on the subject. It seems that there is merit in what you say. So...always in search of the truth, ( it IS out there, you know I uninstalled ATK from my Moment. Now...I will go on with life without it for a few days and see what happens. That is all I can do. Thanks.

 

[kabbie_mcfeely]

Suprised that no one has mentioned the fact that if you do not use a task killer... then the apps that "prevent phone from sleeping" do just that, and cause your battery to run down

I dont understand what you guys mean as sleeping. If you go back to your home screen and shut your screen off (sleep mode), nothing should be running on your device except apps that you have ok'ed for back ground use.

An example would be Gmail. If you have "sync" checked for Gmail, every so often it will "run" in the background so you can recieve mail.

If the apps dont use "background" data, your phone is on but screen is off and you are at your home screen, noothing should be "running".

Here is a test, goto browser, click on a link to another site, hit the home buton before the page loads. Now let your phone sleep (screen goes off) for a few minutes. Pick up phone and go back to browser.

Pay attention to the screen.

Notice that the web page didnt finish loading after you hit the home button ? That proves (for the browser anyway) that apps shouldnt be running unless you have given them permission to do so.

You may need to go into the "running" apps and deny them of background use.

 

[kabbie_mcfeely]

As for task killers and app stoppers

YOU DONT NEED THEM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again, the Android (not just the Droid) operating system, will kill apps when it needs to. It does this without the help of human interferance.

Its the way the system works.

Let the device do what it was intended to do, kill apps by itself.

 

[Zumaki]

When one of you can use apps like Battery Left widget, and not use a task killer app, and achieve more than 24 hours of battery life on a single charge, then I will be willing to concede that task killers do not improve performance.


According to Spare Parts, if I let the apps and the phone do things their way, my phone is 'running' over 60% of the time. 'Screen on' is only a fraction of that.

With a task killer it drops down to 10% or so, nearly matching the 'screen on' time.

 

[jason81]

When one of you can use apps like Battery Left widget, and not use a task killer app, and achieve more than 24 hours of battery life on a single charge, then I will be willing to concede that task killers do not improve performance.


According to Spare Parts, if I let the apps and the phone do things their way, my phone is 'running' over 60% of the time. 'Screen on' is only a fraction of that.

With a task killer it drops down to 10% or so, nearly matching the 'screen on' time.

Yep... exactly what I have found. Can you task killer haters explain that???

 

[LincKraker]

like latinmaxima i have astro file manager installed. I use it as a file manager / app manager / 3gp video player / and if i HAVE to kill a process i use it for that too but usually don't. like alot of people have mentioned if you watch what you run and how you close it the need for a task killer should be there.

 

[johnbarry3434]

I definitely haven't had a task killer running for about the last two days and my phone is only running about 1% more than my screen on percentage in spare parts. What apps are you guys running that are running all the time?