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Apps opening by themselves, eating battery

J

JohnnySoprano

Lurker
I am using Adv App Killer. Everytime I open it, there are BUNCH of apps that are running that I did not launch. It appears to be eating my battery.

Also, the AAK will not close ALL the apps that are open.

Thanks in advance for your help.

John:(
 
JohnnySoprano said:
I am using Adv App Killer. Everytime I open it, there are BUNCH of apps that are running that I did not launch. It appears to be eating my battery.

Also, the AAK will not close ALL the apps that are open.

Thanks in advance for your help.

John:(
Click to expand...
Here's how to configure a task killer for best battery life: Menu/Settings/Applications/Manage Applications/[name of task killer]/Uninstall.

Check one or two of the many "why you shouldn't use a task killer" threads to see why. ;)
 
The problem is that the system/services/other applications/WIDGETS (those is particular tend to start applications that you wouldn't expect) start applications so that they can satisfy certain requests. You'd have to hunt down these services/other applications/widgets... which is hard to impossible. Best thing to do is really to give up on trying to manage these (either by getting rid of the task killer or by adding the programs that keep popping up to the ignore list).
 
JohnnySoprano said:
are those applications still going to be running in the background?
Click to expand...

Some will, some won't. After all, it is supposed to multi-task. The OS will also keep apps "open", but not in the Windows sense where open=CPU working and power being consumed. Open is more like the iOS "save state". To see what's running in the background, hit the menu button from your homescreen. Then Applications, Manage Applications, Running Services (there's also a shortcut to this that you can create). Using a task killer is closing things that aren't typing up the processor to begin with, and then the processor works to re-open them (which also uses more battery than had you left them alone). Just use the Running Services tab to babysit things that you don't want running, and otherwise you'll be fine.
 
johnny it's generally not the apps that kill your battery, it's the data they use. same stuff with any phone, if you live in the boon docks or work in a building with a lot of interference your going to have battery drain. just make sure when your in a place like that to turn the data connection off. turn it on once in a while and let the phone sync, or turn the sync frequency way down. biggest help i found was gps. i only use gps when i am using navigation. and using mobile network for location. i don't see the point of this on a gps enabled device personally, but especially out in the boondocks it's a battery drain. uses cell towers to triangulate position, but if there's only one tower for miles anyways and you're constantly pinging it... well beating a dead horse. there's several good theories and threads through here about saving battery without necessarily using an app killer/manager.

also you can look into a "tasker" that could possibly automatically manage your data connections and what not based around your work schedule and certain actions on the phone. personally i turn stuff like that on/off manually.

also i didn't catch what phone you had but supposedly there's something with the stock htc messaging app (can't remember if it's specific to my htc hero or not) about it not sleeping properly and using an alternate app such as handcent or chomp.

hope i helped. make sure to share what you find worked and didn't work.
 
wayrad said:
Here's how to configure a task killer for best battery life: Menu/Settings/Applications/Manage Applications/[name of task killer]/Uninstall.

Check one or two of the many "why you shouldn't use a task killer" threads to see why. ;)
Click to expand...

way to be a dick dude. totally uncalled for. you could have simply said "i don't recommend task killers, here is why [insert link]"
 
wayrad said:
Here's how to configure a task killer for best battery life: Menu/Settings/Applications/Manage Applications/[name of task killer]/Uninstall.

Check one or two of the many "why you shouldn't use a task killer" threads to see why. ;)
Click to expand...
Agreed.
 
JohnnySoprano said:
I am using Adv App Killer. Everytime I open it, there are BUNCH of apps that are running that I did not launch. It appears to be eating my battery.
Click to expand...
The last sentence is a typical mistaken assumption from Android newbies. Check your battery info/use screen to see what is using your battery. Also, if you have poor/no coverage that will eat your battery as well as the device will actively search for signal.

It's certainly possible that those apps are trying to sync or retrieve data and affecting your battery life but don't assume that's the case. With any battery life concern, the user needs to analyze the user's particular usage and address the battery hogs directly.

Autokilling will definitely affect your battery life in an adverse manner. Don't even use a Task Killer until you're a seasoned Android vet. You're more likely to cause problems assuming you think you know how things work in Android. As stated above, you might want to refer to the various existing Task Killer threads. This is a very beaten dead horse on every Android forum site.

ck4794 said:
way to be a dick dude. totally uncalled for. you could have simply said "i don't recommend task killers, here is why [insert link]"
Click to expand...
Don't try to read tone from a post -- especially if the smiley isn't a clue to you.
 
I do use a task killer - it was on the phone GS4G to begin with. I only kill stuff like gallery, telescope apps. Pocket Money, Audubon books. These I installed. And I can delete all pics from gallery and ignore it.

I've found out that apps like FB will collect data in the background. Doubletwist kept opening and I don't trust apps that do that. What's to stop them from setting up an account from your Google/carrier info?

My phone is rooted, just to get rid of bloatware. I would also love to get rid of Google Maps or at least stop it from updating. All I use are my coordinates for astronomical information. Titanium backup is the only app I really would give permission to. I really want to know what the app is updating before I let it.

Go read Firefox forums. Every time FF updates or upgrades, it breaks someone's extensions. There's always a lot of complaints. Windows has buggered scanners, cameras, and other stuff with service packs. So why not wait until the bugs are worked out? And post the information somewhere!

And have the ability to forbid the update. Ask, like Ubuntu does. Google isn't omniscient. If the update doesn't improve the way I use the phone - why bother?
I don't game - so if the update only speeds up graphics for gaming, or if it improves FB connectivity, it's no use to me. Unless it also improves security - which seems to be low on the information list - again, why bother?
 
zuben el genub said:
I do use a task killer - it was on the phone GS4G to begin with. I only kill stuff like gallery, telescope apps. Pocket Money, Audubon books. These I installed. And I can delete all pics from gallery and ignore it.

I've found out that apps like FB will collect data in the background. Doubletwist kept opening and I don't trust apps that do that. What's to stop them from setting up an account from your Google/carrier info?

My phone is rooted, just to get rid of bloatware. I would also love to get rid of Google Maps or at least stop it from updating. All I use are my coordinates for astronomical information. Titanium backup is the only app I really would give permission to. I really want to know what the app is updating before I let it.

Go read Firefox forums. Every time FF updates or upgrades, it breaks someone's extensions. There's always a lot of complaints. Windows has buggered scanners, cameras, and other stuff with service packs. So why not wait until the bugs are worked out? And post the information somewhere!

And have the ability to forbid the update. Ask, like Ubuntu does. Google isn't omniscient. If the update doesn't improve the way I use the phone - why bother?
I don't game - so if the update only speeds up graphics for gaming, or if it improves FB connectivity, it's no use to me. Unless it also improves security - which seems to be low on the information list - again, why bother?
Click to expand...

For apps doing who knows what, who knows where there is a nice app, Watchdog i think is the name. It monitors what the apps do and tells you that, so then you can restrain permissions to certain apps.
 
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