RAM use with multiple home screens

[jneusch]

Here is a question for all of you Android experts:

Like many of you I am using another home screen (Nova). I have several widgets running, clock/weather, tasks, calendar, google voice, google drive, rocket player, etc.

I also have TW set up very similar to Nova. Sometimes I decide to switch between them. I think I like Nova better, but I like variety.

My question is this - does having 2 separate launcher/home screens with widgets running use more RAM and/or system resources, CPU, battery, etc? If so, am I better off sticking with one and clearing out all of the stuff from the other?

I am rooted and I have frozen some of the bloat that I have no interest in. I just rebooted my phone, cleared RAM and I am using about 592MB. I have actually sat here and watched the number climb from 570 - 592, now 606 while typing this last paragraph.

 

[funkylogik]

id guess homescreen will only be using ram while its active, the one youre not using is just taking up storage memory(i think)

 

[xderiwx]

Sorry, posted a duplicate.

 

[xderiwx]

Being new to Android, I was curious how the multiple homescreens thing worked also. I notice many people using the multiple homescreen setups, and was curious if this affects performance or RAM usage in anyway, compared to just having one homescreen setup? How does this all work if you have multiple homescreens, but say are just on the main homescreen, do the other homescreens setup with widgets/apps/etc. just get ignored until you actually swipe to that homescreen making it live?

Don't know all the Android terminology and ins n' outs yet, so sorry if that was a little confusing.

Thanks!

 

[534n]

Depends on the launcher, some will load all of the screens/widgets for faster response when you move to another screen.

Also, the core services including the stock launcher will keep running if you do not have them disabled. The RAM goes up and down within a certain range on Android as well during operation because of the GC cycles.

 

[funkylogik]

again purely guesswork but surely the wghdgets in the unused launchers arent active so arent using any ram just the same as you can have a huge list of downloaded widgets that you never use will taketup storage memory but not ram.
ps i found a great app that backs up all your different launcher set ups

 

[534n]

Find a memory analyzer app and see exactly what apps/services are loaded in memory. Some task managers allow a more detailed view.

 

[Ricky Babalu]

Here is a question for all of you Android experts:

Like many of you I am using another home screen (Nova). I have several widgets running, clock/weather, tasks, calendar, google voice, google drive, rocket player, etc.

I also have TW set up very similar to Nova. Sometimes I decide to switch between them. I think I like Nova better, but I like variety.

My question is this - does having 2 separate launcher/home screens with widgets running use more RAM and/or system resources, CPU, battery, etc? If so, am I better off sticking with one and clearing out all of the stuff from the other?

I am rooted and I have frozen some of the bloat that I have no interest in. I just rebooted my phone, cleared RAM and I am using about 592MB. I have actually sat here and watched the number climb from 570 - 592, now 606 while typing this last paragraph.

When I first installed Nova I deleted all widgets from TW screens, otherwise they are still running (active). Remember that all launchers are essentially "overlays". Make sure to clear all your screens before installing a new launcher. So to answer your question, yes you are better off using one and clearing the other of widgets.

 

[funkylogik]

but surely RAM is the memory the phone is actualy using actively... thinking with?

 

[534n]

but surely RAM is the memory the phone is actualy using actively... thinking with?

Not necessarily. RAM is just volatile memory that is readily readable/changeable directly by the cpu instead of having to go to flash storage. Cached and background processes take RAM just like active ones do.

 

[jneusch]

When I first installed Nova I deleted all widgets from TW screens, otherwise they are still running (active). Remember that all launchers are essentially "overlays". Make sure to clear all your screens before installing a new launcher. So to answer your question, yes you are better off using one and clearing the other of widgets.

This is the information I was looking for and what I thought might be happening. I have "built out" both Nova and TW with very similar widgets and screens so I could toggle between the two. I thought that my phone was a little laggy after doing that.

Now to decide which one I like better. I could always back up Nova to my SD card then uninstall for now. Should be easy to reinstall then restore to put it back. No such option with TW that I know of.

 

[funkylogik]

so even if both launchers have exactly the same widgets, itl still use more ram?
ps whats the TW launcher called in app manager? wana disable that badboy

 

[funkylogik]

darn. it cant be disabled

 

[534n]

so even if both launchers have exactly the same widgets, itl still use more ram?
ps whats the TW launcher called in app manager? wana disable that badboy

Yes because each is a separate instance as long as the launcher is running, and TW launcher is app manager is probably the TouchWiz launcher, which is the S3 stock launcher. It can be disabled on a root phone by going into a root app manager and freezing the app titled "TouchWiz home <version>" and it will save lots of memory, as TW eats RAM to provide the performance and functionality that it does.

EDIT: I have TW disabled.

 

[jneusch]

534n, I am rooted but no unlocked boot loader. Are you saying I can freeze TW home and it will not lock up my phone? I am using Nova as my launcher.


Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

 

[funkylogik]

Yes because each is a separate instance as long as the launcher is running, and TW launcher is app manager is probably the TouchWiz launcher, which is the S3 stock launcher. It can be disabled on a root phone by going into a root app manager and freezing the app titled "TouchWiz home <version>" and it will save lots of memory, as TW eats RAM to provide the performance and functionality that it does.

EDIT: I have TW disabled.

kewl this is my main motive to root the s3. ive always rooted. so when rooted (i used systemapp remover), can the TW Launcherbe uninstalled without causing probs? think i froze stock launcher on a Froyo device and it bleeped stuff up what im gona do now is remove any widgets that were on TW launcher out-the-box

 

[534n]

Yes, you can freeze TW launcher and it will not affect your phone. You just have to have another launcher installed and things will work fine. Unless you have a recovery backup though, I would not recommend uninstalling it because reinstalling core apps is rarely successful, however a recovery backup takes care of that issue.

 

[Ricky Babalu]

kewl this is my main motive to root the s3. ive always rooted. so when rooted (i used systemapp remover), can the TW Launcherbe uninstalled without causing probs? think i froze stock launcher on a Froyo device and it bleeped stuff up what im gona do now is remove any widgets that were on TW launcher out-the-box

At this point my suggestion would be to just install a different ROM.

 

[534n]

I actually enjoy the stock ROM for now. It just needs a few tweaks here and there, but I may experiment later on.

 

[Ricky Babalu]

I actually enjoy the stock ROM for now. It just needs a few tweaks here and there, but I may experiment later on.

Same here, but I am itching to root and unlock. I am a procrastinator. I know as soon as Verizon sends out an update, I will be scrambling to root, because in all likely-hood they will close the ability to root/unlock the bootloader.