[IronCat21]

For a really long time, I was sure I was doing the right thing by downloading Battery saver apps like DU Power Saver, Battery Doctor, or even just GSam to monitor the use. I would see the battery life time left in the task bar and feel good about myself.

So,the first I do with my S5 was download DU Power Saver. I did try Battery Doctor, but I didn't think it did much on my S4. Anyways, my battery seemed to be dying wayyyyyyyy too fast. I checked to make sure everything was turned off, and when I couldn't find anything wrong, I just blamed it on the Lollipop update.

Finally I just deleted the app and put the stock percantsge up in the top right and my battery life has almost doubled. From 7 hours to almost 14. It can easily get my through my day.

So I guess my question is, do these battery saver apps actually do anything if we aren't rooted? All they really do is close the apps for 2 minutes til the automatically reopen and we gotta close them again.

[Rukbat]

Apps that kill "unneeded" apps actually make the battery life worse. Android keeps apps it needs in RAM (costing nothing, since there's always something everywhere in RAM, even if it's just random bytes). If the "battery saver" kills an app that Android needs, Android will just load it back, costing battery and slowing the phone. An app like that works great in Windows, but it makes Android work extra hard and uses battery.

The way to save battery is to not turn on radios you're not using, use the back button to get out of apps (not the Home button - unless you're going right back to the app and want it to stay on the same screen when you come back to it - like going to your password program when your web browser is open to a login page), if your phone has the option, set it to kill apps by long-pressing the back button to kill apps, then use it (killing an app you ran is fine, having a battery saver app kill an app that Google ran isn't), never let the battery get lower than 40% unless your life depends on it (like calling 911 - even if the battery dies, E911 boards will record the phone's location, so they can send someone out to see what's wrong), using apps like Greenify to keep apps from running unless you run them (but you don't want to do that with your phone, email or text apps, since you want them running for incoming calls, texts and emails). There are dozens of threads here on saving the battery - and many on not using "battery saver" apps.

GSam is a good app to analyze what's happening to the power in your battery. Run it when you need it.

(BTW, Battery Doctor is a Cheetah app - and the way they keep proving that they don't understand how Android works, I wouldn't use any of their apps.)

[SnowSanta]

Apps that kill "unneeded" apps actually make the battery life worse. Android keeps apps it needs in RAM (costing nothing, since there's always something everywhere in RAM, even if it's just random bytes). If the "battery saver" kills an app that Android needs, Android will just load it back, costing battery and slowing the phone. An app like that works great in Windows, but it makes Android work extra hard and uses battery.

The way to save battery is to not turn on radios you're not using, use the back button to get out of apps (not the Home button - unless you're going right back to the app and want it to stay on the same screen when you come back to it - like going to your password program when your web browser is open to a login page), if your phone has the option, set it to kill apps by long-pressing the back button to kill apps, then use it (killing an app you ran is fine, having a battery saver app kill an app that Google ran isn't), never let the battery get lower than 40% unless your life depends on it (like calling 911 - even if the battery dies, E911 boards will record the phone's location, so they can send someone out to see what's wrong), using apps like Greenify to keep apps from running unless you run them (but you don't want to do that with your phone, email or text apps, since you want them running for incoming calls, texts and emails). There are dozens of threads here on saving the battery - and many on not using "battery saver" apps.

GSam is a good app to analyze what's happening to the power in your battery. Run it when you need it.

(BTW, Battery Doctor is a Cheetah app - and the way they keep proving that they don't understand how Android works, I wouldn't use any of their apps.)

So what about cm launcher and 360 launcher?

Posted via the Android Central App

[IronCat21]

I'm glad to hear I wasn't just imagining it. I swear that post there should get sticky'd so people quit downloading those apps.

[IronCat21]

By the way, why do you say not to let your battery get below 40% no matter what? I was always told to let it get down to 10% before you plug it in.

[Crashdamage]

Rukbat nailed it. Anything by Cheetah or DU is not just worthless, it's friggin' evil. Stuff from the GO guys should also be avoided.

As for the battery, keeping it above 40% is optimal but it gets down to 15-20% there's no need to panic.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

[Neo_ii_Droid]

. . . use the back button to get out of apps (not the Home button - unless you're going right back to the app and want it to stay on the same screen when you come back to it - . . . ), if your phone has the option, set it to kill apps by long-pressing the back button to kill apps, then use it (killing an app you ran is fine, having a battery saver app kill an app that Google ran isn't) . . .

After re-reading this again and again, I learned something useful. Thank you Rukbat!

[Brennan Doehring]

This thread was a good read for me, I was often wondering the same thing and learned a thing or two more about Android. No power saving apps, got it!

Posted via the Android Central App

[patel_rosh]

i'd most probably say yes!! and there is a specific reason for this... once i was travelling and i thought to install a battery saver application in my phone and you wont believe it that it did not lasted even 75% when my phone is full charged.. all these apps are just crap.