Unnecessary programs running in the background

[SirRob94]

Occasionally I pull up task manager to view programs that are running in the background and there are programs I have not started and have no reason to be running. Does anybody have a decent explanation as to why these programs need to be running and what starts them up? Is their some sort of task scheduler that starts these programs?

For example, Spiderman will be running in the background and I never opened it.

 

[garrettfarnum]

Occasionally I pull up task manager to view programs that are running in the background and there are programs I have not started and have no reason to be running. Does anybody have a decent explanation as to why these programs need to be running and what starts them up? Is their some sort of task scheduler that starts these programs?

For example, Spiderman will be running in the background and I never opened it.

There's a couple forums on this already. It's how android works, google "why task killers are bad" and it explains it. Sorry I don't have a link for you.

 

[casiouser]

I have the same issue. For example, Gun Brothers is always running but i haven't played it in two weeks. Same with telenav, yahoo messenger, qik, etc

 

[tkemack]

http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=104657


sent to you in three dimensions

 

[SirRob94]

Re: Programs auto-launching in the background

There's a couple forums on this already. It's how android works, google "why task killers are bad" and it explains it. Sorry I don't have a link for you.

I know that Android manages memory and accept that. Maybe the title for this thread wasn't clear.

What I am referring to are certain programs I have not launched... that start by themselves

As in my example with Spiderman I played the program when I first got it, but haven't since. I uses Task Manager to stop it and it comes out of the list. By the next day it will show to be running even though I haven't launched it again.

There are a few others that I have noticed as well... Yahoo Live Scores, TeleNav GPS, Sprint Radio, Stitcher, & Ankidroid, to name a few.

 

[czarphanguye#AC]

I've also noticed some apps like Gun Brothers and etc... that are never launched but running. I just uninstalled them, since there is no need to be running. Better way to analyze these running apps would be appreciated.

 

[SirRob94]

I foundthe following article by an android developer. It is very interesting...
Multitasking the Android Way

It still doesn't explain why the apps are even starting, but it is less critical that I thought. I downloaded an app from the Market named System Panel. It shows the total CPU time for those apps and most of them are 0 sec.

 

[playersnoopy]

It is the new practice of putting applications that the system thinks you use into memory whenever it can. Just because a program is in memory doesn't mean it's "running" and just because a program that's not running is in memory doesn't mean it's taking up any free/available resources, since if it's not running and if someone needs the space it will just overwrite that area. The advantages far outweighs the small startup cost of putting it in there at start to begin with, since if you ever want to run that app it'll already be in memory.(this is under the assumption you will likely run the app again) Same thing occurs on your desktop these days which try to predict which applications you use most and try to fill up as much memory as possible... Don't know why people keep complaining about this... it's a GOOD thing. You should be questioning it when it doesn't do this.

As for crap that "is" running w/o your know how that are not system services, well... read the info on the apps you install, it tells you if it's doing all kinds of stupid stuff since you have to click install on that message page. So if you installed a Tic-Tac-Toe game and its accessing your gps, wifi, phone, sms and what have you and in the background... don't complain your gps and a whole bunch of stuff are running.

 

[everyday17]

If the apps that you aren't starting show up in the battery usage, then you should be worried. Otherwise they aren't hurting you.

 

[vanjangles]

Re: Programs auto-launching in the background

I know that Android manages memory and accept that. Maybe the title for this thread wasn't clear.

What I am referring to are certain programs I have not launched... that start by themselves

As in my example with Spiderman I played the program when I first got it, but haven't since. I uses Task Manager to stop it and it comes out of the list. By the next day it will show to be running even though I haven't launched it again.

There are a few others that I have noticed as well... Yahoo Live Scores, TeleNav GPS, Sprint Radio, Stitcher, & Ankidroid, to name a few.

The apps you are referring to are showing up because the system caches them so the next time you need them they start up quicker. if you need those resources for another program it will kill of that and allcoate them where needed. They are not running so don't worry about it.

 

[SirRob94]

You need to stop worrying so much and enjoy this awesome phone! Also downloading all them system monitoring apps use up even more resources

It was bad battery life that started this post, not resources. My phone was dying on me midday & I was barely doing anything. Now I have display at 25% from a widget, no Wi-Fi, location on, but no GPS, & no 4g. My battery now lasts all day.
I was investigating if apps were having an impact when I noticed that several kept reappering after I closed them.