Help Any way to control apps?

[wildkitten]

I downloaded the 902 update and noticed Verizon was so "nice" to include 2 new apps that I didn't know I needed in the Mog Music app and Slingbox. Of course Verizon apparently knows what I need better than I do so have very considerately made it so I can't accidentally uninstall these very much needed apps I will never use by making sure they can not uninstall at all (at least on a non rooted phone).

Now that my little sarcastic rant is out of the way, I know if I want to stay stock I have to deal with this bloatware, unfortunately. But is there a way to make sure these apps never start?

Also there are some apps I have downloaded, and like, but they start up when I don't want them to and stay in memory. Apps like Pulse and Currents always are active when I start my phone, and even if I use the task manager to turn them off, they will come back up. Maybe not right away, though sometimes it is immediate. Is there a way to make it so apps do not run unless I tell them to run and when I exit out of them they turn off?

I don't believe I have an excessive amount of apps on my phone. Some that I have downloaded don't run unless I start them, yet I seem to have about only 415MB of free RAM when my phone starts (out of 1GB) and that seems to slowly decrease to 300MB of free RAM over the period of a few days until I restart my phone even though no extra apps are running. Is this something I should even be concerned about?

 

[Somniferum]

I downloaded the 902 update and noticed Verizon was so "nice" to include 2 new apps that I didn't know I needed in the Mog Music app and Slingbox. Of course Verizon apparently knows what I need better than I do so have very considerately made it so I can't accidentally uninstall these very much needed apps I will never use by making sure they can not uninstall at all (at least on a non rooted phone).

Now that my little sarcastic rant is out of the way, I know if I want to stay stock I have to deal with this bloatware, unfortunately. But is there a way to make sure these apps never start?

Also there are some apps I have downloaded, and like, but they start up when I don't want them to and stay in memory. Apps like Pulse and Currents always are active when I start my phone, and even if I use the task manager to turn them off, they will come back up. Maybe not right away, though sometimes it is immediate. Is there a way to make it so apps do not run unless I tell them to run and when I exit out of them they turn off?

I don't believe I have an excessive amount of apps on my phone. Some that I have downloaded don't run unless I start them, yet I seem to have about only 415MB of free RAM when my phone starts (out of 1GB) and that seems to slowly decrease to 300MB of free RAM over the period of a few days until I restart my phone even though no extra apps are running. Is this something I should even be concerned about?

I would say don't be concerned about it, but if you're OCD with technology like I am then that's not really a possibility. That's how I ended up rooted. I will say though, other than the peace of mind of feeling like my Bionic has not been "tainted" by unwanted apps, the battery and performance difference is not all that great.

HOWEVER, there is one exception. If you use Webtop, you need every last bit of RAM you can get, and it's a HUGE help to not have to be constantly killing apps to free up RAM. So if you're a Webtop user I'd say it's definitely worth it. Otherwise it's more of a psychological benefit than a practical one.

 

[Thom]

I downloaded the 902 update and noticed Verizon was so "nice" to include 2 new apps that I didn't know I needed in the Mog Music app and Slingbox. Of course Verizon apparently knows what I need better than I do so have very considerately made it so I can't accidentally uninstall these very much needed apps I will never use by making sure they can not uninstall at all (at least on a non rooted phone).

Now that my little sarcastic rant is out of the way, I know if I want to stay stock I have to deal with this bloatware, unfortunately. But is there a way to make sure these apps never start?

Also there are some apps I have downloaded, and like, but they start up when I don't want them to and stay in memory. Apps like Pulse and Currents always are active when I start my phone, and even if I use the task manager to turn them off, they will come back up. Maybe not right away, though sometimes it is immediate. Is there a way to make it so apps do not run unless I tell them to run and when I exit out of them they turn off?

I don't believe I have an excessive amount of apps on my phone. Some that I have downloaded don't run unless I start them, yet I seem to have about only 415MB of free RAM when my phone starts (out of 1GB) and that seems to slowly decrease to 300MB of free RAM over the period of a few days until I restart my phone even though no extra apps are running. Is this something I should even be concerned about?

It is a debate that can o on and on and on. The best source of information for you is in ... Bionic - All Things Root - Android Forums.

One of the most popular reasons for root-ing is to install Titanium Backup Pro. It allows you to "freeze" apps and they will never start. You should never delete them. There is a list of apps in ... Bionic - All Things Root - Android Forums ... that are safe to freeze.

The real answer is that it's complicated and isn't as bad as is seems. In many cases root-ing and freezing apps simply makes the user feel good and feel like they are in control.

The down side is that you are root-ed with frozen apps and have to adjust before you can do a system upgrade. There will also be places where you can not rent movies (because you are root-ed and have the capability to make illegal copies).

The Social Location app is invoked by a number of other apps and runs in the background. It uses GPS and EATS BATTERY. This is a technical issue that needs addressing.

... Thom

 

[wildkitten]

Thank you both. I'm not to OCD about something once I learn about it and I am still getting comfortable with the Bionic after having what would be described as multimedia phones (the candy bar enVee and the enVee Touch). Let's face it, the Bionic is a computer that has the ability to act as a phone. It's a great phone, but still, it's a computer first so I sorta like keeping up with what's on it.

I am glad to know it seems my RAM usage isn't all that bad. I was wanting tog et the Microsoft OneNote as well as the Mr. Number app I have seen people talking about, but wasn't sure since I run Go Launcher EX and a few other things like a weather widget and a photo contact widget if that may be too much. I'm still getting used to the device.

 

[Somniferum]

You should be fine getting those apps. The Bionic does a good job of managing memory, and it will kill background processes if it starts running out. My last phone was the original Droid, which while a great phone at the time, had only 1/4 the RAM of the Bionic. That thing had serious memory management problems. The Bionic is a beast by comparison.