High RAM usage after Lollipop update

Delia Scheffler

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Since the update a few weeks or so ago, I've noticed the RAM status on my S4 runs extremely high. I use task manager to close any open apps & then clear the memory, but usually it does VERY little to reduce the RAM usage. If it does, it will just skyrocket back up within seconds without even opening any apps or doing anything on my phone. I've tried rebooting & wiping the cache & have even done a factory reset. Anybody else experiencing this problem and/or know of any solutions? Thanks!
 

Crashdamage

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You're probably just fine. Android handles RAM differently than Windows. It's normal, desirable behavior for RAM to run around 75-80% full, maybe even a little higher.

There's no need to close apps, clear memory or handle system processes manually. Android does all that automatically and much more efficiently.

Don't be tempted to use any task killers, RAM memory optimizers/boosters, battery savers/repairers, cache cleaners, antivirus, etc etc. None of that stuff is necessary. They are counterproductive, waste power, disrupt system processes and degrade performance.

Do not clear caches unless you have a specific problem that is cache-related. Cache files are there to speed up operation and best performance is achieved by leaving them alone to do their job.

In short, don't micromanage your phone. Don't install software that attempts to do so either. Let Android handle things as intended. It will automatically optimize operation if you let it.

Don't worry be happy. Relax and enjoy simply using your phone.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.
 
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W_A_Watson_II

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Android handles RAM differently than Windows. It's normal, desirable behavior for RAM to run around 75-80% full, maybe even a little higher.

There's no need to close apps, clear memory or handle system processes manually. Android does all that automatically and much more efficiently.

To me, this is the canned Google Propaganda control the world response. If I don't use an app or want an app to be running it should not be occupying RAM. Just because a program (app) is installed Google should not just be loading and running it because it knows better then me on what apps should be running.
 

Crashdamage

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Believe what you want. What I posted is absolutely true. Android is perfectly capable of taking care of business. No offense, but actually, it does know better than you.

You don't have to take my word for it. For more information on how Android handles multitasking, processes, RAM, etc automatically for you read this post by someone who should know, one of the authors of Android. Read and learn. Or don't. It's your choice.

http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/04/multitasking-android-way.html?m=1

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.
 

eshropshire

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I found my S4 was using a lot more RAM after the Lollipop upgrade. I did not initial do a factory reset. I just recently did an insurance claim for a problem with my charging port. I decided to Edge up on Verizon and gave the new to my daughter. We upgraded the phone when it arrived. The clean S4 runs much better on Lollipop than my old S4.
 

bigredgonzo

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To me, this is the canned Google Propaganda control the world response. If I don't use an app or want an app to be running it should not be occupying RAM. Just because a program (app) is installed Google should not just be loading and running it because it knows better then me on what apps should be running.

I have to jump in here. I have had Android based phones since the Original Droid. When the debates started heating up over this very topic, i.e. Memory Managers and Task Killers, I followed many of the discussions very closely. I never did think it was some subversive plan by Google, although some did. After a lot of reading, it occurred to me that there was a simple answer to the problem. For two weeks, I took my phone off the charger at 6:00am and use the phone normally all day. I would then place the phone back on the charger at 11:00pm and record the amount of battery left. Although it has been several years ago since this was done, I seem to remember an average of 36% battery left at the end of each day. After the initial two week period, I downloaded a Task Killer/Memory Manager (the one that everyone that said you should use one recommended), installed it and set it up to run aggressively. Again, I took the phone off of the charger at 6:00am each day and recorded the battery left at 11:00pm when I placed it back on the charger. Nine of the fourteen days that I did this, I had to place the phone back on the charger before 11:00 because the phone died. The other days had an average of 7% battery left at the end of the day. During all of this, I operated the phone the way I normally do each day. I also tried to not do anything unusual over the course of the test. The only thing that I did that was not normal is that I did not update any apps during the four week period. I also restrained from installing anything new (or uninstalling anything) during the period. I tried to test with as little bias as possible. During the first two week period, I restarted the phone two times because of heat. During the second two week period, I restarted the phone 23 times for either heat or something not working properly.

It didn't take me long to make up my mind. You can decide on your own.

BigRedGonzo
 

W_A_Watson_II

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BigRedGonzo,

Thanks for the testing and report. I have no argument over the phones ability to balance loads and preserve battery, but when it loads apps I don't or have ever used, I question the purpose and reason for loading them in memory. I never use and don't even have a Google+ account, but it keeps loading it and many other programs (Amazon app suite, Breifing, S Health, etc...) that are pre-loaded that I don't use. At least with the current version I can now go in and "Turn Off" the apps to stop them from running.

Will
 

Rukbat

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I did something similar to what bigredgonzo did in the past few months, running apps that were supposed to increase charge-to-charge time. The only apps I found that saved any battery are Greenify and Startup Manager or any app that allows you to limit which apps run on startup. All the rest used a lot more battery than they "saved".

Mr. Watson, I've been a systems designer since the late 1960s. I've designed under a lot of different operting systems. What Dianne Hackborn said sounds about as much a plot as "water is wet" - and that obvious. Loading an app into RAM costs time and battery (not to mention the wear on the eMMC). Leaving it sitting there, if it's not running, costs nothing. If an app is well-written, saving any changes it makes, so it can be killed at any time (Windows apps can't - there's actually a system call that lets Windows ask the app if Windows can shut it down and Windows won't if the app says no - that's the "waiting for" thing you see when you restart or shut down in Windows), there's no reason to kill an app just because you finished using it. The more apps you can stuff into RAM, the snappier the phone will appear to be and the less battery it will consume. (Run an Android phone with 64GB of RAM and you'll probably extend the battery life significantly - maybe even double it. Run an app once a week and it only has to be loaded once unless you restart the phone.)
 

W_A_Watson_II

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Rukbat,

Thanks and I understand, but why does the phone load apps that I never use? I'd rather it load the apps I use and be even better at managing power/memory. I just wish I had control on what apps it wants to load.

Again Thanks guys for the explanations and testing/work.
 

Crashdamage

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Many of the apps that load you don't use are bloatware. A company has paid to have their app on the phone and to ensure it runs by default.

Others may be apps that load by default because the manufacturer figures a majority of users will use them, even though you may not.

Doesn't matter much. Thing is, you DO have almost complete control over what loads, and you don't even need to root anymore.

If you can, uninstall it.
If you can't uninstall it, disable it.
If you can't disable it, ignore it.
If you can't ignore it, hibernate of it with Greenify.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ails?id=com.oasisfeng.greenify&token=RR6xZVAg

Now it has a no-root auto-hibernate feature. Use Greenify carefully and sparingly.
Disclaimer: I don't use Greenify.

Android user since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.
 
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GammaRayBurst

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I think you are truly confusing RAM with storage space. The 64GB models of the phones and tablets come with 64 GB of SSD storage space, **not** 64 GB of RAM. In fact, when you read the specs for the tablet that I have (the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2), it says that it has 3 GB of RAM. Three. I just read over the notes that come with the KitKit to Lollipop upgrade, and Google says that it will decrease available memory by a *minimum* of 950 MB (that's 0.95 GB, or slightly less than one gigabyte). Is Google also confusing storage space with memory (RAM)?! I truly hope so, because if they aren't, then this means that your available free memory (working memory) in the device will be cut by one-third! Can we assume, if that would be the case, that the Lollipop OS is programmed to be wayyyyyyyyyy more efficient to compensate for this? Yeah, right. And, unlike in computers, Android devices have RAM that is not upgradable. By design. So you buy a *brand new* machine (as I did), then less than a month later they throw a ball and chain on it and turn it into a boat anchor that is mostly good at sucking battery power. Or maybe just plain sucking.

We'll see. The upgrade has downloaded itself on my machine, and Samsung tells me that after a while it will force install itself. Hopefully I did not just buy a brand new brick with my $1000.
 

Fadi Alshiyab1

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You're probably just fine. Android handles RAM differently than Windows. It's normal, desirable behavior for RAM to run around 75-80% full, maybe even a little higher.

There's no need to close apps, clear memory or handle system processes manually. Android does all that automatically and much more efficiently.

Don't be tempted to use any task killers, RAM memory optimizers/boosters, battery savers/repairers, cache cleaners, antivirus, etc etc. None of that stuff is necessary. They are counterproductive, waste power, disrupt system processes and degrade performance.

Do not clear caches unless you have a specific problem that is cache-related. Cache files are there to speed up operation and best performance is achieved by leaving them alone to do their job.

In short, don't micromanage your phone. Don't install software that attempts to do so either. Let Android handle things as intended. It will automatically optimize operation if you let it.

Don't worry be happy. Relax and enjoy simply using your phone.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

You're absolutely right! Only these apps ruin our android devices.
 

Laura Knotek

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To me, this is the canned Google Propaganda control the world response. If I don't use an app or want an app to be running it should not be occupying RAM. Just because a program (app) is installed Google should not just be loading and running it because it knows better then me on what apps should be running.
That is not propaganda. Please see this article.
 

ChurwellOwl

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I think you are truly confusing RAM with storage space. The 64GB models of the phones and tablets come with 64 GB of SSD storage space, **not** 64 GB of RAM. In fact, when you read the specs for the tablet that I have (the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2), it says that it has 3 GB of RAM. Three. I just read over the notes that come with the KitKit to Lollipop upgrade, and Google says that it will decrease available memory by a *minimum* of 950 MB (that's 0.95 GB, or slightly less than one gigabyte). Is Google also confusing storage space with memory (RAM)?! I truly hope so, because if they aren't, then this means that your available free memory (working memory) in the device will be cut by one-third! Can we assume, if that would be the case, that the Lollipop OS is programmed to be wayyyyyyyyyy more efficient to compensate for this? Yeah, right. And, unlike in computers, Android devices have RAM that is not upgradable. By design. So you buy a *brand new* machine (as I did), then less than a month later they throw a ball and chain on it and turn it into a boat anchor that is mostly good at sucking battery power. Or maybe just plain sucking.

We'll see. The upgrade has downloaded itself on my machine, and Samsung tells me that after a while it will force install itself. Hopefully I did not just buy a brand new brick with my $1000.

Interesting figures when Google claim Lollipop can run in 512mb. Hope it worked ok.
 

VipinSharma

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Hi,
I am experiencing a similar problem. Both RAM and ROM on my Samsung Galaxy S4 are nearly full after the upgrade. I sometimes have only 700mb left for RAM and have to clear the Cache to get some memory available to avoid getting my phone slowed down. It sometimes hangs and takes a while to process simple jobs as opening an App. I have even put in a 64GB microSD Card and transferred all my personal data on it, including Pictures, Videos, Sounds and Downloaded content.
I don't know what to do to get it sorted.
Does anyone have any brilliant suggestions?

Thanks for you reply. I do understand the difference between the RAM and ROM and have checked my phone's memory usage and found that after taking off the memory being used by my Apps, I have only 700mb left available and untill I bring it up to more than 1GB, my phone slows down and takes at least a minute to even open an App.
I have doubts about Lollipop running on 512mb.
Thanks anyway for your comments.
Regards
 
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Crashdamage

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Let me state a few things again: Clearing caches does not clear RAM. Do not clear caches unless you have a specific problem that is cache-related. Cache files are there to speed up operation and best performance is achieved by leaving them alone to do their job. The hot new trendy thing lately is clearing the cache partition, supposedly to increase performance. But it does nothing to increase performance in the vast majority of instances. If anything, it decreases performance, wasting CPU cycles and power rebuilding caches.

Let Android handle things as intended. It will automatically optimize operation if you let it. For more information on how Android handles multitasking, processes, RAM, etc automatically for you read this post by one of the authors of Android:

Android Developers Blog: Multitasking the Android Way

To try and find the reason for sluggish performance, read this post:

http://androidforums.com/index.php?posts/7020617
 

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