Running and ending an app

[widdlewade]

Ok.. It's pretty obvious how to start up an app. HOw do you kill it so it won't run in the background and drain your battery?

 

[04redgto]

Ok.. It's pretty obvious how to start up an app. HOw do you kill it so it won't run in the background and drain your battery?

You don't need to, Android does a great job managing it itself! It will shutdown things when needed. There has been evidence that Task Killers actuall make Android/your phone run worse!

 

[vtvette]

Along the lines of the OPs question -

I just got my new Incredible up and running tonight. It's my first Android phone. I started a browser, and surfed the web. I see no way of closing the browser. When I was done with the browser I just hit "home" and moved on to other things. I clicked the "internet" icon again a few minutes later and the web page I was on before came right back up. Obviously it never closed.

so, I don't need to worry about closing the browser? The phone will do this for me?

Thanks,

 

[04redgto]

Yes, when needed.

 

[bespinct]

03cbr954rr,

Can you point us in the direction of the evidence that Advanced Task Killer is no good? The VZW rep that sold me the phone and the HTC rep that was at the store both recommended it...they even downloaded it for me. If I'm going to be skeptical one direction or another, I'd like at least to be an enlightened skeptic!

In any event, I just don't see how the OS can manage memory well enough to run a large number of apps at once. Even an idle app uses some memory...

Steve in CT

 

[joverman56]

i would guess that you are former BB user? (i am too) it def. seems odd not to turn off an app when closing it but that was such a hassle! i hate BB's for brain washing me. i've been incredibleized!!!

 

[04redgto]

03cbr954rr,

Can you point us in the direction of the evidence that Advanced Task Killer is no good? The VZW rep that sold me the phone and the HTC rep that was at the store both recommended it...they even downloaded it for me. If I'm going to be skeptical one direction or another, I'd like at least to be an enlightened skeptic!

In any event, I just don't see how the OS can manage memory well enough to run a large number of apps at once. Even an idle app uses some memory...

Steve in CT

I was a former WinMo, and BB user, and I spent 2 weeks using task killers on my Moto Droid I got on release day, (By the way, The Moto Droid was the ONLY smart phone I never had to get replaced through Verizon) and then took the word of experienced Android users, and just let Android do its thing! Untill i did, my phone became laggy every couple of days, and I had to reboot it. After I let android take over I would reboot once every 3 or 4 weeks just for good measure, and I didn't develop the lag I did using Task Killers..... Go in the Moto Droid forum here, and search Task Killer.....LOTS of info!

 

[cdf3]

Wow! I've been so accustomed to closing applications on my BlackBerry, it would be great not having to do so. Making sure to close the apps, having to continuously clear the Event Log, using the Memory Cleaner to clean things up are things I won't miss about my BlackBerry if you get an Incredible.

 

[Solid_Droid]

I understood using return is way to go for allowing the OS to manage memory.

 

[Cory Streater]

03cbr954rr,

Can you point us in the direction of the evidence that Advanced Task Killer is no good? The VZW rep that sold me the phone and the HTC rep that was at the store both recommended it...they even downloaded it for me. If I'm going to be skeptical one direction or another, I'd like at least to be an enlightened skeptic!

Yes. Read the FAQ and search the forums on task managers. Lots of prior discussions on this topic.

 

[doogald]

I understood using return is way to go for allowing the OS to manage memory.

That is, I think, a mistaken impression. There may be a few apps that suspend themselves more reliably when you use "back", but for most apps, pressing back or pressing home has the exact same effect.

The problem with using back is in an app like the browser, where it will take you back through all of the links you have opened since you started it. Just hit home.

 

[widdlewade]

So is the app killer on the HI part of the Sense UI?

 

[mritter88]

So is the app killer on the HI part of the Sense UI?

No you'd have to download it from the market.

 

[mritter88]

A follow up questions:

I'm also a former BB user and am accustomed to having to close out of programs constantly. I understand that this phone is very powerful and can handle very many apps at once, and I also understand that the OS will handle task management on its own. For these reasons I am NOT concerned about running out of available memory to run apps. What I AM concerned with is battery life...

Can anyone shed some light on whether closing apps (using task killer) will improve my battery life? I've been using it to close out of apps like twidroid or Facebook if I knew I wasn't going to be using them again for a while.

 

[Matt_AC]

These "How do I close an app?" threads are popping up so often only in the first 72 hours that this device has been in people's hands physically, that it may call for a sticky thread or FAQ entry for everybody. "It's not a BlackBerry. Don't worry about it." would suffice.

 

[mritter88]

These "How do I close an app?" threads are popping up so often only in the first 72 hours that this device has been in people's hands physically, that it may call for a sticky thread or FAQ entry for everybody. "It's not a BlackBerry. Don't worry about it." would suffice.

My question still hasn't really been answered in any of the posts though, that I've seen. I understand from a memory management perspective, but does that also mean that my battery will be affected in the same way regardless of whether I'm running 12 apps or 3? If so then I won't use task killer, but if it will preserve my battery then I would continue to close out of applications I'm not using. It seems logical that an app would still be using some resources even if it's in an idle state, but I could be wrong.

 

[Matt_AC]

My question still hasn't really been answered in any of the posts though, that I've seen. I understand from a memory management perspective, but does that also mean that my battery will be affected in the same way regardless of whether I'm running 12 apps or 3?

I don't know the answer. Anybody have input on this? It's a valid question.

 

[widdlewade]

If you touch the home button, and keep your finger on it, it will come up with a list of 6 apps, a bit like BB's app manager. Are those 6 apps running, or are they just the last 6 apps you opened?

 

[Maximaniac]

haha. I was in the verizon store yesterday playing with the phone and tried everything to close the apps. I tried holding down the back key, going to the menu and looking for a close option; nothing worked. Glad to hear that, come July (when I'm eligible for my upgrade), I'll actually have a "smart" smartphone that can manage its own memory.

 

[Matt_AC]

My question still hasn't really been answered in any of the posts though, that I've seen. I understand from a memory management perspective, but does that also mean that my battery will be affected in the same way regardless of whether I'm running 12 apps or 3?

I was just reading the Tips & Tricks sticky thread and found this. Here's the relevant excerpt (the bold/italics are mine):

Download Advanced task killer and leave it on your home screen. Power users especially - this is just an easy one click (closing sometimes 8 apps at a time) always there on your home screen. It doesn't kill the active background sink for updates. Android automatically handles ram issues - but since the phone is pretty beastly it can have 15 apps open without seeing an stutter. But closing them frequently saves major battery - without any loss of performance (i promise)