Opened apps closing by themselves?

[lader]

Xperia XA2 Android 9

This is my 4th Android phone and 3rd Xperia (previous Z3 Compacts) and the first in which apps that I've opened don't stay open until I close them. This is the most frustrating thing ever! When I hit the square that shows my open apps, I expect whatever I've opened to be there. Adaptive battery is off so they shouldn't be closing to save battery life. WTF is going on here??

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Different companies may have different code for how many apps will stay resident in RAM. Some companies are pretty aggressive about killing apps in RAM in order to preserve battery life at all costs -- see this site: https://dontkillmyapp.com/

You can also try turning off Battery Optimization for specific apps that you want to keep in RAM for longer -- search the system settings menu for "optimization" to find that setting.

Also, do you have any 3rd party battery saver or "RAM booster" apps installed?

 

[lader]

No battery savers or RAM boosters. Each phone I had before, including other Xperias, all with less RAM than this one, kept apps open forever until I closed them. I don't open that much. The only difference in apps is that I wasn't on FB/Messenger before. But even if they aren't open, other apps I open close on me.

 

[B. Diddy]

Do any of your recent apps show up in the Overview screen at all? Has it always been like this on your XA2?

 

[lader]

Yes, some apps will be on the screen but others have disappeared. It's always been like this on the XA2. I posted the question on Sony's Xperia model specific forums and got zero replies. Surprising since this is only a 2 year old model.

 

[B. Diddy]

I see this kind of difference in my devices as well. For example, my Lenovo Tab 4 8" tends to have only about 5 apps in the Overview, while my Pixel 3 XL has many more apps listed. It probably has to do with Sony's design choice for that phone's firmware.