Can I stop autostarting of applications without rooting my phone? I have only had Samsung Transform phone for a month, and I really like many aspects of the phone. Don't think I know enough about my phone to root it yet. But I have some apps I really like that for some reason auto start all the time not just at boot. If I don't love them, I get rid of them, but I have a calendar and an MP3 player that I really wanto keep but autostarts when I sneeze I think, and sometimes it looks like several instances of the same application are starting. This makes my phone run really slow.
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Can I stop applications from autostarting without rooting my android 2.1?
- Thread starter Tina Kiz
- Start date
wayrad
Android Expert
You can't prevent that without rooting*, but it is less of a drain on your system than you might think, due to the way Android manages memory (it likes to keep memory full, so it caches apps there in case you need them; it doesn't cost any CPU cycles to keep them there). I'd recommend reading one or more of the many "why you shouldn't use a task killer" threads around here for a more detailed explanation.
* to clarify, you can kill them after they start by using a task killer, but you can't keep them from starting again, and this approach tends to cause added battery drain.
* to clarify, you can kill them after they start by using a task killer, but you can't keep them from starting again, and this approach tends to cause added battery drain.
Epicurean
Android Enthusiast
Startup Auditor works for me. I am rooted, but I don't think this app needs it. ymmv
Thanks Epicurian...will try Auditor. Wayrad... you say that having a bunch of apps running doesn't cause drag...so what does? Sometimes my phone starts to run so slow I have to wait 30 seconds or more just to make a phone call. If this isn't because I have too many apps running...what is it?
spyder
Well-Known Member
Good advice from Wayrad, although thought I would add to it. It's not that it's running that drains you like he said, it's if it's using CPU cycles (that's what burns battery or slows you down).
A great application for this (Rathe than a task killer) is "Watchdog" instead of just shutting down apps for no reason to open memory you don't need:
Instead, what it does it watch all the apps in memory and sees what is using CPU cycles. Now if an app is poorly coded and is acting badly, it may outta no where start to run the cpu for no reason, WatchDog would see this and shut it down.
So basically instead of shutting down for no reason, it will shut stuff down but only if your not using it and it keeps tapping your cpu. You can set the polling rate (how often, and the CPU threshold, just use the defaults, you'll be fine.
Also, as a nice thing, it also allows a 'widget' where you have a little screen showing %active CPU %Idle and how many apps are currently in the mem.
Anyway, prior, I always used Advanced Task Killer,till I really understood how it uses memory and likes to fill, etc.
I had the PC in mind, where even if an app takes 10Meg to run, then it mght use all kinds of extra memory when running, not the same on the Android. if it says it takes X Meg or KB or whatever, then that's what it needs and puts it in memory for when your ready for it. If the mem fills, or it needs extra it will automatically close down base on your usage. Better to not use the task killer.
Check out WatchDog.....NO I have no affiliation to them, although after this post I should get a commission hugh( Actually it's free, I think the pay one has only 1 feature extra?, nothing big..)
Oh well..good luck...Jeff
A great application for this (Rathe than a task killer) is "Watchdog" instead of just shutting down apps for no reason to open memory you don't need:
Instead, what it does it watch all the apps in memory and sees what is using CPU cycles. Now if an app is poorly coded and is acting badly, it may outta no where start to run the cpu for no reason, WatchDog would see this and shut it down.
So basically instead of shutting down for no reason, it will shut stuff down but only if your not using it and it keeps tapping your cpu. You can set the polling rate (how often, and the CPU threshold, just use the defaults, you'll be fine.
Also, as a nice thing, it also allows a 'widget' where you have a little screen showing %active CPU %Idle and how many apps are currently in the mem.
Anyway, prior, I always used Advanced Task Killer,till I really understood how it uses memory and likes to fill, etc.
I had the PC in mind, where even if an app takes 10Meg to run, then it mght use all kinds of extra memory when running, not the same on the Android. if it says it takes X Meg or KB or whatever, then that's what it needs and puts it in memory for when your ready for it. If the mem fills, or it needs extra it will automatically close down base on your usage. Better to not use the task killer.
Check out WatchDog.....NO I have no affiliation to them, although after this post I should get a commission hugh( Actually it's free, I think the pay one has only 1 feature extra?, nothing big..)
Oh well..good luck...Jeff
AngryHatter
Android Expert
Because they are not running, merely loaded into memory.
Swype isn't running until I pull a keyboard, but it is loaded at startup.
Having stuff in memory cost the same as having free ram. A zero or a one.
This was put to use in Vista, so we should be past that mind set.
wayrad
Android Expert
I'm not familiar with your phone model, but if other users aren't experiencing this, you might want to try some troubleshooting. A poorly coded app might be one possibility. System Panel is really good for seeing what apps are using CPU cycles. The paid version is best because it will let you monitor the system over time instead of just doing a spot check.
Also, if you are currently running a task killer, try removing it; this often improves performance. And, have you tried rebooting? And is your data connection OK, or could the sluggishness be related to the device trying to sync something without a decent data connection?
Sometimes a hard reset will straighten things out (phone carriers like to suggest that) but it's a bit drastic unless you've exhausted other approaches, unless you don't have a lot of non-Google-synced data and aren't worried about having to reinstall your apps.
The subforum for your phone might be a good place to get more specific advice on how to speed things up, and about issues affecting that model. There are probably other possible causes I haven't thought of. Hope this helps a little, though.
I hate to bring up old threads especially on topics that have been discussed over and over but I've been thinking about this. I understand that Android manages its memory better than Windows and an app in memory is not necessarily using the CPU. What I have a problem with is that Android likes to keep the memory full in case you need an app, or more specifically which apps are there. I don't really accept what everyone says about just letting Android manage the memory, because I don't think its Android that is starting these apps just because they are run frequently. For instance, I have the Amazon app store installed for the daily free apps but otherwise I don't use it and if its sitting in memory why isn't it notifying me of updates? To me its pointless. If the memory wasn't full and you could keep these apps from loading into memory that provide no use on an ongoing basis it should make the phone faster even if it just saves the phone from having to unload an app to make room for a new one. PCs have taught us that more free memory makes for a faster running and more stable computer. On a PC I edit the start up setting in the registry to keep annoying apps from loading. If it doesn't provide a service that I will always want (like antivirus) then if I want it to run, I will run it. I would like the same option in Android, and just to be clear I'm not talking about a task killer, they are pointless because these annoying apps, like Amazon will just start right back up. There are many Android apps that I use frequently don't sit in memory when I am not using them. If Android would cache them "in case I needed them" I might be OK with it but once again, its not Android that's deciding what to cache its the programs that are set to reside in memory.
Thanks for the tip on s/u auditor. I don't disagree with people saying leave well enough alone however there is also another spin...
I have Optus Australia bloatware installed on the phone and 2 applications Mobile TV, and Music store which I never and cannot (on a different carrier). These 2 applications suck MB of 3G data traffic all the time they are running. Eg. even though I kill these to apps often - Norton Mobile Utilities tells me since a little over 2 days these 2 apps have consumed 5.5MB of data - multiply that out by a month and that is a whole streamed movie I could have watched. It really is Malware from the carrier. I pity the poor bunnys who do not know this!
Also Wifi Sharing (Android 2.3.3) which is part of Wifi Direct function run even when wifi is turned off and they suck the battery big time - up to 15-20% of the charge if you let them - these need to be killed also.
So memory is not the issue Data and battery are reasons to kill tasks!!
I have Optus Australia bloatware installed on the phone and 2 applications Mobile TV, and Music store which I never and cannot (on a different carrier). These 2 applications suck MB of 3G data traffic all the time they are running. Eg. even though I kill these to apps often - Norton Mobile Utilities tells me since a little over 2 days these 2 apps have consumed 5.5MB of data - multiply that out by a month and that is a whole streamed movie I could have watched. It really is Malware from the carrier. I pity the poor bunnys who do not know this!
Also Wifi Sharing (Android 2.3.3) which is part of Wifi Direct function run even when wifi is turned off and they suck the battery big time - up to 15-20% of the charge if you let them - these need to be killed also.
So memory is not the issue Data and battery are reasons to kill tasks!!