Why do random apps start all the time?

[dmo580]

Now, I know that Android manages apps efficiently, and RAM is not a worry. I know I know. I've read that same thread some of you guys have on repeat 100x times when a post like this comes up.

I used to use Launcher2. Now I would use task killer and see like 3-4 random apps that I don't usually use. For example, I use Touiteur, but Twidroid sometimes opens (even though the updates are set at never)... When I actually launch Twidroid, the tweets are from like a month ago. It's not updating, but I see it as an active task.

Then there's crap like Touchdown running in the middle of the night even though I have it push email only at peak hours from 8am-6pm. Voice Dialer ALWAYS opens.

Now it's not that bad. I don't usually kill them.

However, I switched to HelixLauncher today, and maybe this has everything to do with it, but over a page of apps now shows up in my Task Killer. PDAnet (I haven't ever seen this before when I used Launcher2, and I only tethered once in my life... Wavesecure, NBA League Pass, Google Voice... etc etc). I killed as much as I could. 10 minutes later, I see another page of apps open.

First of all:

1) Why do they open anyway for no reason? I'm not worried about the RAM. I'm just wondering why. It's like starting up your computer and just surfing the web, but when you press CTRL+ALT+DEL World of Warcraft shows up even though you never clicked on it (sure you might play it everyday, but its kinda creepy your computer starts it on its own).

2) Does this have anything to do with the launcher? I swear for the past few weeks on Launcher2 and after reading threads about not worrying, I stopped worrying. I would sometimes look at my task killer. Usually just 3-4 extra apps running. Today, after HelixLauncher, it's always like 5-10 extra apps ><

 

[ljholland]

Same here....new to Droid....rooted with Blackdroid.
Every time I visit the task killer, there's random applications showing up....even ones that I haven't launched since the last time I checked. <confused>

 

[hookbill]

Sticky from the General Discussion Page:

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/dr...-not-worry-about-apps-running-background.html

 

[takeshi]

Why do they open anyway for no reason? I'm not worried about the RAM. I'm just wondering why. It's like starting up your computer and just surfing the web, but when you press CTRL+ALT+DEL World of Warcraft shows up even though you never clicked on it (sure you might play it everyday, but its kinda creepy your computer starts it on its own).

The thing is that Android isn't like your PC. It also isn't like your former device. Why an app opens on its own really depends on the specific app you're asking about.

 

[jsh1120]

Why do they open anyway for no reason? I'm not worried about the RAM. I'm just wondering why. It's like starting up your computer and just surfing the web, but when you press CTRL+ALT+DEL World of Warcraft shows up even though you never clicked on it (sure you might play it everyday, but its kinda creepy your computer starts it on its own).

The thing is that Android isn't like your PC. It also isn't like your former device. Why an app opens on its own really depends on the specific app you're asking about.

I know it's confusing and frustrating for folks to see processes in memory that they believe they've never started or haven't used in awhile, but Takeshi is correct.

First, some definitions. Just because an app shows up in a list of stuff in memory doesn't mean it's "running." It just means it's sitting in memory and as far as the Android o/s is concerned it isn't doing any harm since the memory it's consuming isn't needed for some other process.

Now, what is it doing there in the first place? Well, it could be that when you installed the app you activated it either by opening it or the application opened itself. And if you haven't rebooted and the o/s hasn't needed the memory it's just hanging around.

Or it could be that a developer has coded the app either to initiate itself during the boot process and/or has designed it to "resist" being swapped out. Why? Perhaps to make it quickly available to a user and make the app appear to be "quick." Perhaps the app needs GPS information when it runs so the developer has designed it to wake up whenever the GPS is turned on so it can be "ready" if and when you need it. Once awakened, it just sits in memory until it's either needed or the o/s swaps it out.

And then there's always the chance (and it's not an insignificant chance) that a developer doesn't really understand how a multi-tasking operating system works or doesn't want to re-engineer an application written for some other platform when he/she ports it to the Android O/S. So even if the app "should" be written to shut down, it isn't.

I keep a task killer around on my phone (Advanced Task Manager) solely to kill rogue apps. I almost never use it. But yesterday I paired my Droid with a bluetooth handsfree mic/speaker for my car. Lo and behold when I connected it, a music app I hadn't used in weeks suddenly started playing through my car's speakers. I found I could stop it but I couldn't kill it. Solution? I uninstalled it.

So for those who are offended by apps they never use taking up memory, I suggest they simply get rid of them.

 

[coachj]

Not worried about RAM, but what about battery

If all these apps that are stealthfully running while I am unaware, won't that affect the battery usage???

 

[iPirate]

It seems like people with task killers are so worried and stressed about apps running it ruins their lives :laugh:

Don't use task killers and if you notice a huge drop in battery life look at the most recent apps you installed.

 

[eliassami5]

..if they are not doing anything and just sitting in memory why would they drain the battery? Just think about it for a sec

Or it could be that a developer has coded the app either to initiate itself during the boot process and/or has designed it to "resist" being swapped out. Why? Perhaps to make it quickly available to a user and make the app appear to be "quick." Perhaps the app needs GPS information when it runs so the developer has designed it to wake up whenever the GPS is turned on so it can be "ready" if and when you need it. Once awakened, it just sits in memory until it's either needed or the o/s swaps it out.

x10 on this ^^

 

[gardobus]

I've noticed that using a taskkiller helps keep my phone just a touch faster. Not enough to freak out about and I notice no difference in battery life. Android does a VERY good job of killing apps on its own.

 

[KirstenDroid]

Get Rid of Apps

First of all I see the whole point, not to worry about apps in the background but, I am wondering about things like Voice Search, Voice Dialer, and MP3Store. Since the Voice Search is always Cued up and waiting, is it listening to me all day. I know it's silly. But it makes me paranoid. It is a Stock app and I never use it, so can I get rid of it. And the others?
How do I uninstall a stock app?

 

[jsh1120]

First of all I see the whole point, not to worry about apps in the background but, I am wondering about things like Voice Search, Voice Dialer, and MP3Store. Since the Voice Search is always Cued up and waiting, is it listening to me all day. I know it's silly. But it makes me paranoid. It is a Stock app and I never use it, so can I get rid of it. And the others?
How do I uninstall a stock app?

You can't uninstall a stock app unless you are "rooted." And if you're worried that you're being listened to all day wrap your droid in a blanket.

 

[Slider46]

If all these apps that are stealthfully running while I am unaware, won't that affect the battery usage???

Just because an app is in memory, doesn't mean it's using the CPU (which would affect battery usage) Apps can sit in memory and only use a few seconds worth of CPU usage = very tiny if any extra battery usage.

Download and run SystemPanel. (It is not a dedicated task killer) The app gives you a list of what is running and allows you to look at details for each app - details like whether the app is a process or a service, status (Foreground, Background, Inactive/Cached), time since application start, memory usage (by the app itself), Total CPU usage and average cpu consumption.

Example:

HelixLauncher -
- Background
- Time since start: 20hr 45min 16sec
- 6.5MB memory used (effective)
- Total CPU Time: 8min 3sec
- Average CPU Consumption: 0.6%

SetCPU -
- Service
- Time since start: 27min 26sec
- 2.7MB memory used (effective)
- Total CPU Time: 2sec
- Average CPU Consumption: 0.1%

VoiceSearch -
- Visible
- Time since start: 20hr 43min 23sec
- 3.0MB memory used (effective)
- Total CPU Time: 20sec
- Average CPU Consumption: 0.0% (negligible)

This is a great app for finding problem applications that are draining your battery.

 

[jbhilt]

shenanigans

Sticky from the General Discussion Page:

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/dr...-not-worry-about-apps-running-background.html

I call shenanigans on this post and every other post that says don't worry about random apps starting up. This happens to me all the time and some of these apps use have permissions such as location service full network access and others that also randomly start with these apps. Also, when I play memory intensive games my phone slows down until I go kill these apps. It's only after I kill them that my phone runs normally. Some of these randomly starting apps are bloatware preinstalled like rhapsody and a million other awful apps you get from Verizon. I never use. I can't uninstall it but it always starts up and sucks up memory and battery life. If these apps are running for any specific purpose then why run at all? My phone is fast enough when I have to open an app that is not already running in the background so what is the point? It's annoying and I think there are other motives to running in the background. Some of these are collecting data and possibly personal information. Personally, I don't want anything running unless it has a specific purpose and I allow it to run. What purpose does rhapsody have to run ALL THE TIME. I think that telling you not to worry is like telling Dorothy not to look behind the curtain.