How to avoid apps from running? (to save battery)

[Henkie Den Botterik]

Lately, I notice the battery on my Nexus4 (Android 4.4.4, not rooted) is running empty in no-time. I tried a few so called 'battery save' apps, as well as some tools to monitor and close apps, processes, services, etc. But nothing really seems to help.

There is a whole lot of stuff running that I rarely or never use. For example, I open Android Assistant and I see a truckload of apps and other crap running: Discover Twitter, Gmail, PDF Recent, Google Now, Google Newsstand, Play Store Recommendations, and other stuff that I NEVER use.

When I close them, either from within the Android Assistant app, or by going into Android's Settings > Apps > App Info and clicking Force Stop, they keep coming back. I refresh a few seconds later and they're all running again.

My question: how do I avoid apps, services, programs or background tasks from running or starting automatically??

 

[Golfdriver97]

Do you have the option to disable most of those apps like Twitter?

Can you post screenshots of your battery stats?

 

[Javier P]

If you don't use them just disable them. You can do that in the same settings screen that you force stopped them. A safe list for Google things: music, newsstand, books, movies, games, Google +. Better if you don't touch the play services and store .

Google Now can be switched off from the Google search settings.

If you disable Google + you're going to lose the photos app. You can use another one or keep it and make sure in the settings that sync is done only with WiFi and when the phone is charging.

On depending your phone there're some bloatware that can be disabled.

If you go to settings, apps there's a tab with every app that you disabled. From there you can enable them whenever you want.

 

[Javier P]

Take a look at this excellent battery tips guide.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=298919

Sometimes battery saver apps waste more battery and resources than they save

 

[kitty start]

autostarts will do some help and this softwave is easy to operate well.

 

[mz4Mobile]

i don't think you can stop them defenitly if your device is not rooted
you can just remove them

 

[007india]

The 'services cached list' will trigger them again in no time even if you kill them. 'Disable' option alone helps in current scenario. I would like to have a widget (may be 3) One to kill all preselected services/disable which requires internet connection the moment it senses my Wifi and Data connection is off, 2nd one to open few apps when data connection is ON. 3rd one, normal mode which works when battery is >70%. Reverts to 2nd one automatically when battery is >40% but less than 70%. TO the data only mode when the battery is <40%. They should make sure that services won't start including removing entries from cache list.