task killer - is it really needed? - Desire Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I read that one of the ways to decrease battery drain is to install task manager that can kill processes. Also, I heard that task killer would drain battery itself.
So, what would you suggest?

I used to believe they were necessary but after conducting some research i have found that they are not needed as the Android OS automatically handles the closing of apps over time... and they do not save battery life.
See this detailed article for more info:
http://www.droid-den.com/android-guides/android-guide-should-i-use-a-task-killer
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

A minfree manager might be usefull though. It lets you change the way android handles memory and task-killing.
Sent from my Evil Lair using Doomsday Device

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Heres the age old question of using task killers on Evo

Has anyone seen any benefits in using task killers or managers on the Evo? Has it helped or made battery life worse ? Do we even need them with the Evo ?
in my experience the phone runs smoother if you keep running tasks to a minimum. i have an app called ES Task Manager and it comes with a widget that has one touch kill all. i hit that and turn off the screen when i'm not going to be messing with the phone for awhile.
I used to use Advanced Task Killer (ATK) and loved it until one day my phone would not work whatsoever. It kept force closing HTC Sense and I had to do a hard reset last week. It was very upsetting and the sprint technician said the task killer was to blame.
I agree. I switched from Advanced Task Killer to ES and it's great. Really helps out battery and smoothness. I can get about 12-16 hours per charge when doing that with normal use.
What's ES?
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I use Damage Control 3.2.2.1 with its built in killer set at 150 MB with Advanced Settings Part 2 Laptop_OOM activated and JIT. Banned everything except Facebook.
Then I use autostarts to stop programs from starting up at boot, speeding up boot time and using less power.
Credits go to TheBiles.
I can usually get about a day and a half of regular use before I reach 10%.
Best tip? Don't use any task killers..
At most use autostarts and thats it.
b1indsided said:
What's ES?
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I have become an believer in task killers - I use ES ( search market for: estrongs )
Increased battery life and smoothness, just make sure to not have it kill the HTC processes and you'll be good
b1indsided said:
What's ES?
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Estrongs task manager
Task killers are a bad idea on Android. It's best to just let the OS do its own memory management. The only reason to use a task killer is as a last resort for a rogue app or something like that.
There's a thread about this around here with a detailed explanation as to why this is true and how memory management works in Android. I can't copy and paste because I'm sending this from my phone. And I'm lazy.
Autokiller and autostarts are probably the only two apps that make sense to use and this is to enhance management, not override the built in management like task killers do.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Ugh this is why I hate the debate.
Some people say use it... some people say Android's memory management is fine.
My ATK usage is simple. I close programs that I do not use and won't start any FC's.
So basically after I'm done playing a game, I use ATK to close out of it.
I leave most things open unless it's like Sprint Zone or something.
I decided to be less lazy for once.
http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
simply put, if you have any linux experience you'll realize why task killers aren't neccessary like in a windows mobile platform device.
I use ATK. As far as battery life, I haven't seen an increase or decrease, but the phone runs smoother and sometimes an app gets stuck, so I kill that sob off.
Use Autostarts only. It is a permission manager--not a task-killer.
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Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk Pro.
mgraham361 said:
I decided to be less lazy for once.
http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/
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That article is bogus. If you analyze the evidence and the conclusion presented there, it's a non sequitur.
Your mom is a non-sequitur.
That article is a total sequitur xD
You need to be more explicit.
Sent from my Evo 4G
I tried ATK since the BB Mobile guys were pushing hard for you to install it before you even left the store with the phone. I gave ATK an honest try, and experimented with most of the settings. At the end of the test, I found that ATK didn't really help me. That being said, my battery life is much better now since I moved for the rooted stock image to Fresh 0.3.
myersn024 said:
I tried ATK since the BB Mobile guys were pushing hard for you to install it before you even left the store with the phone. I gave ATK an honest try, and experimented with most of the settings. At the end of the test, I found that ATK didn't really help me. That being said, my battery life is much better now since I moved for the rooted stock image to Fresh 0.3.
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Heh, BB Mobile reps always act like they're experts. These guys know less than the average XDA forum reader. They'll have you think otherwise though!
As much as I disliked the idea of not managing my own processes, be it by manually killing them or with some automatic thresholds, after some reading, I decided to let Android handle things as it was designed to do.
To satisfy my itch for being "in control", I downloaded (from the market, for free) an app called MinFreeManager, which allows for you to tweak the parameters for Android's memory management. I also read a suggestion from Flipz to use AutoStarts to better control what apps are starting, and when. AutoStarts basically lists events within Android and allows you to toggle if an app should run or not.
That said, I've noticed my Evo has been very smooth and responsive. I periodically open TaskKiller to see how much available memory there is and to be nosy. The truth is that apps do clean up and are disposed of properly by Android. Give it a shot for a few days. What's the harm?

Do we need any kind of task manager or killer?

I see that people have those apps running; its in the status bar.. but is recommended? I just want to make the use of the phone to run on its max without performance loss, as we all. But before, in other forums.. Froyo didn't need any of that... ??????
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I use auto memory manager..
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no, they're not needed. the OS will handle that got you and if you do need to kill an app or service, you can do it in Settings > Applications.
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Android is pretty good at battery and performance management so not really.
Ok thanks..i just see pictures of the apps being runand I just wonder if we need it or why people use them.. Or is it just because to make them feel better
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I use a task manager, back in the day with the g1 it really helpped out saving bettery life im not so sure how much extra life I'm going to get with the g2 but we'll see
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I think it is needed seeing as how apps just start and run on their own.
AreOh said:
I think it is needed seeing as how apps just start and run on their own.
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Yeah, just once in a while kill some programs, and you'll be fine.
gaarry said:
Yeah, just once in a while kill some programs, and you'll be fine.
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Sure but you dont need a task killer to do that. Just go to Settings - Running Services and then just touch whatever service you want to kill.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Just in case you haven't seen this:
As long as you aren't put off by rooting for some reason, the following thread can help you disable all applications of your choosing from booting up (and the settings stay after a reboot). Goodbye Photobucket and Amazon.
Edit: Err, forgot to add: following that, you will rarely ever need to kill any processes, as the unwanted ones should be off anyway.
task killers usually just kill your available resources:
http://lifehacker.com/5650894/andro...ed-what-they-do-and-why-you-shouldnt-use-them
But is it true that in g2 u can not kill ana app like in older version, u have to force stop? I find my self doing that.
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U don't really need a task killer. I don't anymore. I just force stop only the apps that hang or stop responding other than that what's the point of killing an app if its just gonna start back up. 2.2 does a really good job of memory management anyway. If u don't want an app running in the background temp root and uninstall it.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
From what I remember reading, in Froyo their Kill API is handled different in such that the application/service isn't really "killed" it just restarts.
I could be wrong, but my understanding is that memory management and simply just management as a whole is much better in Froyo. I only use a task manager just to see what's running. If something does go haywire or hangs, then I'd step in. Otherwise, I just like the information being displayed; makes me feel like I know what's running back there.
This is from the developer of Mobile Defense:
"Note, we do not recommend installing task killer applications. These type of apps have the ability to kill other running applications with the promise of freeing memory. Not only are these apps unnecessary but they also waste battery and introduce instability by killing necessary processes. Google Android Engineers and leading Android developers are beginning to speak out against task killer apps:
hxxp://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/
hxxp://droidtalk.net/should-i-install-a-task-managerkiller-on-my-android-device/
hxxp://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/04/multitasking-android-way.html
And my favorite, with Cyanogen Twitter quotes:
hxxp://androinica.com/2010/05/07/google-and-cyanogen-comments-imply-task-killermanager-apps-are-pointless/
Even the developer of Advance Task Manager admits that it's not needed on new devices!
Arron La, developer of Advance Task Manager, suggests that task killers are more important for legacy devices like the G1 and phones running older versions of Android.
“Task Managers were absolutely needed in the past before the new services UI came out in Android 2.0 or 2.1,” La said in an e-mail. “Task Managers had a niche of allowing users to quickly kill services associated with apps – including all the other stuff as well, such as alarms – but that was the only way to do it before the introduction of the new services UI.”
Task killers only cause problems and eat up your battery.
Taskillers only for Android < 2.1
On Android 2.1 and later there is no need for task killers, the OS handles memory and apps much more efficiently than in older versions of Android.
Task killers were needed for the best performance on Android before 2.1 but overusing them could be detrimental to performance also.
My general rule is no task killers on 2.1 and later versions but sparring use of task killers on anything earlier.
To me taskers kill ur battery because they r always running. I use hot reboot it restarts the phone from bootscreen not from the slash. So it takes me about 14 too 17 secs to restart my phone. Sense i use my phone for almost everything. Rebooting to kill all apps and start from fresh is good for me sense it takes no time to do so.
sent from the moon on my Evo 4g

About the processes which cannot be killed

I am using advanced task killer to manage process. But some process can not be killed. Are these processes not killed or just respawned quickly. How to really kill them. Thanks.
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yeah i wonder how to remove/uninstall apps such as stocks which i do not even touch at all.
The best method is to uninstall your task killer. They are junk and will only slow your phone down. Every time you kill those process, they have to restart which uses more cpu and battery than just leaving them in memory in the first place.
Please google about android task managers and you will find some good explanations as to why you shouldn't use them.
Sent from my super slick Android device.
iroquois said:
yeah i wonder how to remove/uninstall apps such as stocks which i do not even touch at all.
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You need root and some form of s-off. Then you can either delete with root explorer, titanium backup, out adb.
Sent from my super slick Android device.
Like dr.m0x said, those task killers and other optimizer are the worst thing out there on the market.
Android handles these things just fine. If your RAM gets low it will kill tasks on its own. And if your RAM isn't low - then why kill tasks? Free RAM doesn't help at all.
Also background apps almost never use battery/CPU power. If you don't believe it check the battery usage history. And most background tasks have a CPU usage of a couple of seconds.
About removing stock apps, a nice and clean way is to use ROM Cleaner (download in the dev section). It removes apps from the ROM before you flash it.
Thanks, I think I got what I want
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[Q] Cyanogenmod7 and task killers?

Quick question, using a task killer with Cmod7 has the same effects as using it with froyo (faster battery draining, instability etc.) or it's safe to use? I noticed that running apps (those in the background and useless) makes my wildfire lag, but when i close some of them (that really shouldn't have any reason to stay open) it starts again to run smoothly...
So, should i or should i not install a task killer?
I personally use a task killer, I don't set it to autokill and just use it to help manually kill apps that I don't need in the background.
I couldn't cope without one.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using XDA Premium App
I don't use one, I have 180+ free MB on my wildfire on CM7 (not using that many apps or widgets).
I would not advice to use one, but if your wildfire lags than you can perhaps indeed close an app now or then (as I did when i was back on stock ROM and it bacame laggy sometimes). Make sure it's an app that is not used by any other program (like a game or so) and that doesn't matter if closed or not
what you must understand is that Android does not use memory (RAM) like a PC does, keeping apps "open" in the background is actually a good thing, as they can be opened a lot quicker, and "full" memory does not slow the phone down as Android has pretty good task managing abilities of it's own, and does not need any help or intervention. Using task killers will only slow down your phone, cause issues, and give you worse battery life. The best thing you can do to your phone is to not install a task killer.
I understand how it works, but disagree slightly with what your saying..........
I have always used advanced task killer pro, like I said not set to auto kill.
I have never had any issues with battery or my system slowing because of it and I have used it on just about every rom there is, the reason I use it is after a while I'd say a few hours using my phone it starts to slow because of all the apps laying dormant in the background and I don't feel the built on model deals with them like I personally would. So instead of using the built in android task manager which does take a while if there's a lot of apps there that don't need to be using task killer is much quicker to close all the useless ones. I think if it was set to autokill it may cause problems with some apps and battery but used wisely it keeps my system flowing nice and smooth.
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Well, thnx guys for the replays, I guess I'll not install a task killer, but in doubt, I'll continue to kill obsolete and not necessary processes when lagging..

[INFO] Why You Shouldn’t Use a Task Killer On Android

So i saw many posts on which people have asked as to which task killer should be used !
and then i stumble upon this site which provided me the details,
*I HAVE NOT WRITTEN THIS*
sources-by Chris Hoffman
http://www.howtogeek.com/127388/htg-explains-why-you-shouldnt-use-a-task-killer-on-android/
Android Doesn’t Manage Processes Like Windows
Most Android users are familiar with Windows. On Windows, many programs running at one time – whether they’re windows on your desktop or applications in your system tray – can decrease your computer’s performance. Closing applications when you’re not using them can help speed up your Windows computer.
However, Android isn’t Windows and doesn’t manage processes like Windows does. Unlike on Windows, where there’s an obvious way to close applications, there’s no obvious way to “close” an Android application. This is by design and isn’t a problem. When you leave an Android app, going back to your home screen or switching to another app, the app stays “running” in the background. In most cases, the app will be paused in the background, taking up no CPU or network resources. Some apps will continue using CPU and network resources in the background, of course – for example, music players, file-downloading programs, or apps that sync in the background.
When you go back to an app you were recently using, Android “unpauses” that app and you resume where you left off. This is fast because the app is still stored in your RAM and ready to be used again.
Why Task Killers Are Bad
Proponents of task killers notice that Android is using a lot of RAM – in fact, Android stores a lot of apps in its memory, filling up the RAM! However, that isn’t a bad thing. Apps stored in your RAM can be quickly switched to without Android having to load them from its slower storage.
In summary, you shouldn’t use a task killer – if you have a misbehaving app wasting resources in the background, you should identify it and uninstall it. But don’t just remove apps from your phone or tablet’s RAM – that doesn’t help speed anything up.
Empty RAM is useless. Full RAM is RAM that is being put to good use for caching apps. If Android needs more memory, it will force-quit an app that you haven’t used in a while – this all happens automatically, without installing any task killers.
Task killers think they know better than Android. They run in the background, automatically quitting apps and removing them from Android’s memory. They may also allow you to force-quit apps on your own, but you shouldn’t have to do this.
Task killers aren’t just useless – they can reduce performance. If a task killer removes an app from your RAM and you open that app again, the app will be slower to load as Android is forced to load it from your device’s storage. This will also use more battery power than if you just left the app in your RAM in the first place. Some apps will automatically restart after the task killer quits them, using more CPU and battery resources.
Whether RAM is empty or full, it takes the same amount of battery power – decreasing the amount of apps stored in RAM won’t improve your battery power or offer more CPU cycles.
hope u understood!
words of wisdom by fellow-mates
go into settings - apps and see how many running apps you have. now go to cached apps and see there, how many apps there are. you see? nearly 50% of those apps discovered by you in the processes are apps that you didn't opened ever but they are still opened and running. why? because that's how linux manages its resources. instead of having free ram for no use (what's the point of having 14gb of ram when you only use 1gb), linux fills all the ram blocks with useful apps or apps that you are running frequently so that when you call that app, it will bring it on the screen almost instantly. this my friend, is called multitasking.
and no, you are wrong. if you use a task killer killing the apps every 10 minutes, the cycles the whole system does - opening again apps and caching them, task killer closing them - results in much more functions done by CPU => more battery spent. even if you say that the battery life its the same, you are wrong. when using a task killer IT MIGHT drain your battery with 0.1% per hour. it's not that much, but IT EXIST.
oh and yeah, one thing: android has its own task killer. that's why you don't need one app to kill your other apps. because android its doing it by itself. if you don't believe me, strip down one kernel, open the init.rc file and find the values for task killer.
I understand this response, but I don't believe it. Task killers has always helped me in every matter. Even on a computer it helps greatly.
Conclusion: I noticed the same battery life using a Task Killer, than not using a task killer.
Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2
Curiousn00b said:
I understand this response, but I don't believe it. Task killers has always helped me in every matter. Even on a computer it helps greatly.
Conclusion: I noticed the same battery life using a Task Killer, than not using a task killer.
Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2
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you don't have to believe it. those are real facts. go into settings - apps and see how many running apps you have. now go to cached apps and see there, how many apps there are. you see? nearly 50% of those apps discovered by you in the processes are apps that you didn't opened ever but they are still opened and running. why? because that's how linux manages its resources. instead of having free ram for no use (what's the point of having 14gb of ram when you only use 1gb), linux fills all the ram blocks with useful apps or apps that you are running frequently so that when you call that app, it will bring it on the screen almost instantly. this my friend, is called multitasking.
and no, you are wrong. if you use a task killer killing the apps every 10 minutes, the cycles the whole system does - opening again apps and caching them, task killer closing them - results in much more functions done by CPU => more battery spent. even if you say that the battery life its the same, you are wrong. when using a task killer IT MIGHT drain your battery with 0.1% per hour. it's not that much, but IT EXIST.
oh and yeah, one thing: android has its own task killer. that's why you don't need one app to kill your other apps. because android its doing it by itself. if you don't believe me, strip down one kernel, open the init.rc file and find the values for task killer.
salve.
1ceb0x said:
you don't have to believe it. those are real facts. go into settings - apps and see how many running apps you have. now go to cached apps and see there, how many apps there are. you see? nearly 50% of those apps discovered by you in the processes are apps that you didn't opened ever but they are still opened and running. why? because that's how linux manages its resources. instead of having free ram for no use (what's the point of having 14gb of ram when you only use 1gb), linux fills all the ram blocks with useful apps or apps that you are running frequently so that when you call that app, it will bring it on the screen almost instantly. this my friend, is called multitasking.
and no, you are wrong. if you use a task killer killing the apps every 10 minutes, the cycles the whole system does - opening again apps and caching them, task killer closing them - results in much more functions done by CPU => more battery spent. even if you say that the battery life its the same, you are wrong. when using a task killer IT MIGHT drain your battery with 0.1% per hour. it's not that much, but IT EXIST.
oh and yeah, one thing: android has its own task killer. that's why you don't need one app to kill your other apps. because android its doing it by itself. if you don't believe me, strip down one kernel, open the init.rc file and find the values for task killer.
salve.
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I hope u don't mind if I take some of ur message and put it in the op
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That's great.. I liked the article. I qm giving you a thanks for it
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cybervibin said:
I hope u don't mind if I take some of ur message and put it in the op
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sure. no problem mate
soham_sss said:
That's great.. I liked the article. I qm giving you a thanks for it
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Thank you
1ceb0x said:
sure. no problem mate
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task killers were great before 1.6 but useless after that
Lloir said:
task killers were great before 1.6 but useless after that
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+1 android has devloped a long way since!
cybervibin said:
Thank you
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you're welcome!
I'm using task menager when is needed, and also I'm using custom system memory tweaks, it makes my phone running faster and smoother some apps knows to stuck and they keep the phone from entering deep sleep, and that drains the battery, so if you know what are you doing use task menager and customize when what apps the system should kill
Sent from my HTC One V
I have a task killer installed, but only use it manually, ie. if there's a stubborn app that's crashed/frozen/etc and just won't close and is eating the battery
donJim said:
I'm using task menager when is needed, and also I'm using custom system memory tweaks, it makes my phone running faster and smoother some apps knows to stuck and they keep the phone from entering deep sleep, and that drains the battery, so if you know what are you doing use task menager and customize when what apps the system should kill
Sent from my HTC One V
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Use auto run manager the answer to most of ur problems
qzfive said:
I have a task killer installed, but only use it manually, ie. if there's a stubborn app that's crashed/frozen/etc and just won't close and is eating the battery
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yayyy so task killer only kills my battery
you got that right!
Good to know. Thanks

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