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Do you guys recommend using Task Killers?

Z

zilla.

Member
I've been reading around and getting mixed reviews. There are people who use task killers, who have one downloaded but barely every run it, and those who use an app called SystemPanel.


Prior to the Thunderbolt, I had a Droid X. I had the ES Task Killer on the DX and am currently using it on the TB. As you kill apps, it shows you how much memory you have freed up. Is this accurate?

I really have never had a problem with apps slowing down the system but I am the person who doesn't like an app running in the background when I am not using it.

I have never heard of SystemPanel until just recently. I may give that a try.
 
I'm going to have to say NO. Plus these task killers like Advanced Task Killer just don't work to well with Froyo...
 
No you don't need a task killer. If you are having battery problems it's because people don't take the time to go through their apps and adjust the send/receive data schedules. If your phone is pulling data from 3G the phone is going to use more battery because its a CDMA network. Also, when you dont adjust the schedule for your apps, some of your apps will start sending/receiving data at the same time. Hence, you lose more battery power because you possibly have multiple apps sending/receiving at the same time.

What do I know, consider I wrote the book on battery tweaks for the EVO 4G.
 
But would an app running in the background be detrimental to battery life also?

For example, if I was playing angry birds. Instead of hitting quit angry birds in its menu, I just hit the home key sending it to the background.
 
I've been using Juice Defender and I've been getting 15 hours of battery life a day from the standard battery. This is with moderate use, brighness at 30%, email every 10 mins, 2 hours of internet browsing, 20 mins phone calls.
 
zilla. said:
But would an app running in the background be detrimental to battery life also?

For example, if I was playing angry birds. Instead of hitting quit angry birds in its menu, I just hit the home key sending it to the background.
Click to expand...

A runway app is a possibility. There are bad apps out there that exist but everyone whines and moans when 9 times out 10 its the user fault. I'm not a developer and I would readily assume your game freezes once you hit the home button and it doesn't continue to run in the background since you are not playing it. And at some point Android will figure out you are not playing the game anymore and close out of the app. Can't remember the timing for it but Android will close out of apps for you once you hit the back button, unless the app has a sign out feature. Of then you would have to hit the sign out button.

Every phone I have checked people have always had apps that are sending/receiving data in the background. That's been the #1 problem I have seen.
 
yes on task killer if used properly.

No need to have it running on its own. Just use it to list all apps open so you can close them all with 1 click. I use task killer to kill task killer at the same time.

def use if done right.
 
FAQ: Why You Shouldn’t Be Using a Task Killer with Android

This should be a sticky on every single android forum =)

if the stuff gets too technical, scroll down to the tl;dnr section (too long, did not read).

basically, task killers were a necessity in the original days of android, but no longer needed.

As to your question about background apps - that's one of the improvements of android 2.0 or 2.1 - background apps are now throttled.
 
Besides, Android 2.2 has it to where you go under applications and you can close/kill apps yourself. Why do you need a task killer? I don't mess with apps if they ain't broken.

I'm sitting in my room with my EVO 4G connected to Wifi and a snowfall live background running in the background. My phone has been connected to wifi for the past 16 hours and running the snowfall app during that same time frame. My phone has been unplugged for 16 hours and I'm sitting at 61%. I have done some surfing on my phone and took a few hour nap.
 
Task killers are not recommended. As stated above, they tend to cause more issues than they solve. Gaining an hour or two of battery life is not worth the headache of trying to figure out why your text messages aren't going through, your e-mail has stopped working, or why your call quality has suddenly changed for the worse -- all issues I've personally worked with that were resolved as soon as a task killer was removed.
 
I am chalking "do not use task killers" up there with the facetious "bumb charge gives me hours more battery life. Task killers help Froyo a LOT as long as you do not kill off system apps.
 
Just because an app is in memory does not imply that the processor is actually giving it any attention. Well behaved apps will go entirely dormant when they do not have screen focus. Properly configurable apps will allow you to set your data update frequency or shut off automatic updates entirely. Bad apps should be rated down, commented, and uninstalled, not fought with.

A bad app is one that is not currently in focus and wakes up often to do something when it doesn't need to fetch data. ES File Explorer is an example. Point it at an SMB network share, then hit your home key and either do something else or just lock your TB. Come back in an hour and look at settings > battery usage. Rated down, commented, uninstalled, using Astro.

Consumed memory != consumed power. A 1 isn't more expensive than a 0. Sleeping apps sleep, Android doesn't blow a bugle in the barracks every 60 seconds.

Any perceived results are imagined.
 
Romikemi said:
Just because an app is in memory does not imply that the processor is actually giving it any attention. Well behaved apps will go entirely dormant when they do not have screen focus. Properly configurable apps will allow you to set your data update frequency or shut off automatic updates entirely. Bad apps should be rated down, commented, and uninstalled, not fought with.

A bad app is one that is not currently in focus and wakes up often to do something when it doesn't need to fetch data. ES File Explorer is an example. Point it at an SMB network share, then hit your home key and either do something else or just lock your TB. Come back in an hour and look at settings > battery usage. Rated down, commented, uninstalled, using Astro.

Consumed memory != consumed power. A 1 isn't more expensive than a 0. Sleeping apps sleep, Android doesn't blow a bugle in the barracks every 60 seconds.

Any perceived results are imagined.
Click to expand...

Android does not load apps into a stack register and then activate them as they are directly used. It depends on the apps. HUGE difference using N64 and PSX apps when killing non system apps. That is not imagined, nor is Froyo's desire to fill memory up and some apps using resources. Assuming all apps are dormant and play nice is a stretch and also negates the premise of Android's multitask environment.
 
I used ATK with 1.6 and 2.0.... After 2.1 it seems to regulate itself enough to not have to worry with it... Android knows how to clear memory if it needs it...

I wont dare get into logistics on this though, there have been thousands of posts on this very subject, but its up to you to try it and see if you feel it works for you... I personally think its undue battery drain and an extra app running that not necessary, but again thats after 2.1... I used it religiously before then...
 
I'll just say NO. Anything that could potentially cause more harm than good if not used correctly is worth staying away from in my book
 
Outlaw.99 said:
I used ATK with 1.6 and 2.0.... After 2.1 it seems to regulate itself enough to not have to worry with it... Android knows how to clear memory if it needs it...

I wont dare get into logistics on this though, there have been thousands of posts on this very subject, but its up to you to try it and see if you feel it works for you... I personally think its undue battery drain and an extra app running that not necessary, but again thats after 2.1... I used it religiously before then...
Click to expand...

If anything, they are needed more now, since 2.2 and above use all the memory it can fill, based on the apps and algorithm of use. 2.1 and lower were capped at 256mb ram usage. If people simply exclude system apps (usually green & white icons), task killers can be very useful.
 
For folks that do not want to use a task killer- cool, but you could be just as incorrect as people saying they work great, but do not point out you need to exclude "system" linked apps.

1. If you use a TK correctly, it can be handy.
2. If you do not exclude system linked apps (little white & green icons) they can be more harm than good.
 
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