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Task killer...

D

DroidRick

Android Enthusiast
I'm looking for a good task killer that can kill pretty much any task/app running, INCLUDING itself. One that is quick to load and use. TIA
 
Not to set off a debate, but i uninstalled task killer a month ago and it seems like my evo works better without it.
 
The only thing that will kill any app and keep them killed would be a good claw hammer. Of course it could reduce the functionality of the phone ;)

Seriously, if you can't kill an app using settings>applications>manage applications, then it probably shouldn't be killed.
 
OfTheDamned said:
Out of curiosity, why do you want a task killer?
Click to expand...

You guys/gals are all asking very good questions. I'll supply a little more info now as to why I am looking for a task killer.

Up until a few weeks ago I didn't see the need for a task killer but did read the debate (pro's and con's) about them.

There was a strong contingent that basically said, "Leave your phone alone, Android was designed to handle apps/tasks on its own, no need to mess with it..."...etc. etc.

Then I started to use my alarm and paid close attention to my battery before I retired at night and what it read in the morning.

I confirmed doing multiple tests, that when I retired with no apps running in the background (except for alarm), I'd wake up to a 3 or 4% battery drain. That's pretty darn good if you ask me.

But, if I had a few apps/tasks running (not killed) before I went to sleep then I would awake to a 50+% battery drain. That's pretty bad if you ask me.

That was all the experimenting I needed to start my search for a task killer. I know of two ways to kill a task, both take a bit of extra time:
-go into Settings/Applic/Manage Apps/etc.
-Shut down and re-start your phone.

I'm simply looking for an easier, quicker (one or two button) way, that's all. One that doesn't drain your battery and if it does, I can simply open it, run it to kill the tasks, and then kill it!
 
lunatic59 said:
... Seriously, if you can't kill an app using settings>applications>manage applications, then it probably shouldn't be killed.
Click to expand...

Not true. 'Groupy' to name just one app, will not allow me to kill it when I go settings;applications;manage applications and it should be killed! :)
 
DroidRick said:
Not true. 'Groupy' to name just one app, will not allow me to kill it when I go settings;applications;manage applications and it should be killed! :)
Click to expand...

Groupy is a contact app that has to maintain sync with google, so it needs to stay connected. Most likely it is protected hence, the lack of permission to kill it. If it bothers you, uninstall it.
 
DroidRick said:
You guys/gals are all asking very good questions. I'll supply a little more info now as to why I am looking for a task killer.

Up until a few weeks ago I didn't see the need for a task killer but did read the debate (pro's and con's) about them.

There was a strong contingent that basically said, "Leave your phone alone, Android was designed to handle apps/tasks on its own, no need to mess with it..."...etc. etc.

Then I started to use my alarm and paid close attention to my battery before I retired at night and what it read in the morning.

I confirmed doing multiple tests, that when I retired with no apps running in the background (except for alarm), I'd wake up to a 3 or 4% battery drain. That's pretty darn good if you ask me.

But, if I had a few apps/tasks running (not killed) before I went to sleep then I would awake to a 50+% battery drain. That's pretty bad if you ask me.

That was all the experimenting I needed to start my search for a task killer. I know of two ways to kill a task, both take a bit of extra time:
-go into Settings/Applic/Manage Apps/etc.
-Shut down and re-start your phone.

I'm simply looking for an easier, quicker (one or two button) way, that's all. One that doesn't drain your battery and if it does, I can simply open it, run it to kill the tasks, and then kill it!
Click to expand...
Ideally im looking for a solution to this problem aswell, really what i would like is for me to be able to switch my phone OFF at night but the alarm still wake me in the morning, i tested this out and the DHD doesnt turn itself on and sound the alarm, (like my old Nokia N97 DID).
 
If you are experiencing battery drain on that level while the phone is inactive then you most likely have something that is not being exited out of properly or is poorly written.

Try leaving it alone tonight and first thing in the morning go to Settings > About Phone > Battery Use and see what is using the largest percentage of battery. In most cases you should see Display using the largest percentage (60-70%) and Cell Standby, Phone Idle, Media Server and Android System using much smaller percentages (3-10%). If you show anything else listed then it may be your problem.

If it is an app and one that you really need or want then double check that you are closing it properly. Make sure you are using the back button to exit that app or looking for a Exit/Quit option in the menu before leaving it. If none of that solves the problem then you may want to contact the developer and let them know you are having a problem. Most developers are very active with their apps and want to make sure they are running correctly. If the developer doesn't wish to solve the problem or ignores the fact that you have one then you may want to just uninstall the app altogether and look for an alternative. Removing problem apps is always a better solution than using a task killer for things like this.

Let us know how it goes.
 
OfTheDamned said:
If you are experiencing battery drain on that level while the phone is inactive then you most likely have something that is not being exited out of properly or is poorly written.
Click to expand...

OK let's talk about this for a bit.
Up until yesterday I was thinking that when I held down the center button on the SGS, the apps displayed were still open/in memory. Now I'm not so sure. It seems they were the last apps accessed, but not necessarily open?

How can I quickly and easily check which apps (not processes) are open at any moment?

Try leaving it alone tonight and first thing in the morning go to Settings; About Phone; Battery Use and see what is using the largest percentage of battery. In most cases you should see Display using the largest percentage (60-70%) and Cell Standby, Phone Idle, Media Server and Android System using much smaller percentages (3-10%). If you show anything else listed then it may be your problem.
Click to expand...
From last night:
phone idle 51%
display 45%
cell standby 2%
android system 2%

You didn't mention phone idle as a significant player. Is there any significance to my phone idle at 51%, and what would cause it to idle?
I regularly have that, but if most apps are closed (phone always on flight mode) I get a drain of 3 or 4% even with that idle reading.

If it is an app and one that you really need or want then double check that you are closing it properly. Make sure you are using the back button to exit that app or looking for a Exit/Quit option in the menu before leaving it.
Click to expand...
I have a few browsers and other apps that don't have Exit/Quit options. Are they usually exited when I hit the back button?

TIA
 
I think like many have said, you are best off doing some diagnostics as to what is causing the problem. A task killer will just force close an app, that could easily just re-open, and you don't know which one it is. Look at it this way, if your front door was damaged and you had to slam it to shut it, what would be better? Slam it every day? Or get it repaired, so it doesn't jam?

A task killer is just forcing an application to close, simple as that. But the root of the problem will still exist, and you are just preventing the inevitable.

A few tools to help you do this (I am sure there are hundreds more too, but this will give you a good idea)

- JuicePlotter - This will plot a graph of your battery use. It is best to use it for a cycle of say 24-36 hours to get a good graph. (Note: I wouldn't recommend running this constantly, as it will lag up, as it will continue to plot data consistently until you wipe it/stop it). It will tell you when 3G, WiFI, GPS etc is running. Is something strange happening over night? Why? Is it a sudden drop in battery, or is it a gradual? Is it anymore than how your battery decreases during daily use?

Here is an example graph (taken from the market)

screen


- SpareParts - This will help you identify what is using your battery. You can breakdown Apps, WiFi, 3G, GPS, Screen Wake Up Time, etc etc. A bit like the built in system battery information, but will tell you a bit more.

- TrafficStats - This will help with data. If a particular app is using data overnight, it will naturally use battery. Another good diagnostic tool.

- SystemPanel - (Note: There is a lite version, which will give you some basic info, but the paid version will help much more). This will help identify specifc apps, CPU useage etc etc. Worth paying for imo, as a great app and only
 
DroidRick said:
OK let's talk about this for a bit.
Up until yesterday I was thinking that when I held down the center button on the SGS, the apps displayed were still open/in memory. Now I'm not so sure. It seems they were the last apps accessed, but not necessarily open?

How can I quickly and easily check which apps (not processes) are open at any moment?
Click to expand...

When you press and hold the home button it will show you the last 6 apps used (8 in FroYo). To see what apps are "running" go to menu>settings>applications>manage applications and there is a tab for running apps, but that also lists services too.

From last night:
phone idle 51%
display 45%
cell standby 2%
android system 2%

You didn't mention phone idle as a significant player. Is there any significance to my phone idle at 51%, and what would cause it to idle?
I regularly have that, but if most apps are closed (phone always on flight mode) I get a drain of 3 or 4% even with that idle reading.

I have a few browsers and other apps that don't have Exit/Quit options. Are they usually exited when I hit the back button?

TIA
Click to expand...

You'd naturally see a high percentage of idle overnight if your phone isn't being used. Remember that the numbers displayed are a percentage of the power actually used, not the total amount of power in the battery. If you used 10% of the total charge overnight and idle used 50% of that, then in effect it used only 5% of the total charge.
 
Task Switcher is nice because if you use it to switch between apps (like for cutting and pasting) it shows all the active apps in full color and all the "idle/cached" apps as semi transparent.

I have since switched to Smart Taskbar - When you activate its task switcher option you see the active and inactive apps (but all in full color, the inactive ones are just further down the list). If you get the paid version of Smart Taskbar, it allows you to long press on an active app to kill it (but you have to be in running apps view, so you can't see the inactive apps if you want to use the TK option). I like this option, although I've rarely had to use it :) I'll probably change the task switcher back to the all apps view at some point.

Smart Taskbar never shows processes, only apps. So you are safe to use it to kill whatever you see :) - But you don't have to, eventually, you'll see they won't be on your list anymore.
 
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