Stop Android processes from starting up in background?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'm on Marshmallow and often get lag.

The problem is programs running in the background causing low memory and the memory swap process to execute.


For example, I use the Hotels.com app maybe twice a YEAR but it is always running in the background.

I don't want to remove it but I also don't want it to start up automatically or run in the background unless I explicitly tap on its icon.


Other examples of apps that always start in the background:

Aldiko eBook reader
Capital One
TripAdvisor

 

[Mike64]

The problem is programs running in the background causing low memory and the memory swap process to execute. [...] I don't want to remove it but I also don't want it to start up automatically or run in the background unless I explicitly tap on its icon.

I don't know if there's a way to keep them as readily available as being able to just "open" them without letting them start up normally on boot/reboot and run in the background, but can't you just disable them altogether, without uninstalling them? You'd have to re-enable them when you want to use them, but a few times a year, a few extra taps on the screen isn't a big deal, is it?

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'd be curious about this too actually as I notice lot of apps running in background that have no reason to. You can terminate them, but then you have to do it all the time. Chances are these apps that do this are doing it so they can collect info on you (listen on mic, activate camera etc).

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I don't know if there's a way to keep them as readily available as being able to just "open" them without letting them start up normally on boot/reboot and run in the background, but can't you just disable them altogether, without uninstalling them? You'd have to re-enable them when you want to use them, but a few times a year, a few extra taps on the screen isn't a big deal, is it?

What do you mean by "disable"?

Is there a disable option that leaves the icon in the app drawer? Titanium backup has a freeze option but that removes the icon everywhere so you forget that you even have it installed.

 

[lxskllr]

You can do it with root. Dunno how without aside from disabling them.

 

[Mike64]

What do you mean by "disable"?
Is there a disable option that leaves the icon in the app drawer? Titanium backup has a freeze option but that removes the icon everywhere so you forget that you even have it installed.

Yes, there is (now) an option to "disable" an app, which leaves it in place (though it removes the icon from your home screen) but (just) puts it into what amounts to a sort of stasis without actually "uninstalling" it from the system. (Which is at least a minor blessing, since I can at least "disable" most of the bloat on my phone, if I can't, unfortunately actually free up internal storage by completely uninstalling and then deleting it...)

On my phone, disabling is an option under "apps" menu in settings (as this article describes at the bottom of the page), but another web page I found says (under its heading number 6) that it's under something called "RAM Manager", which doesn't seem to exist on my phone anyway... But wherever your device's app settings can be found, disabling/enabling should be an option.

 

[Adam595]

Yes, there is (now) an option to "disable" an app, which leaves it in place (though it removes the icon from your home screen) but (just) puts it into what amounts to a sort of stasis without actually "uninstalling" it from the system. (Which is at least a minor blessing, since I can at least "disable" most of the bloat on my phone, if I can't, unfortunately actually free up internal storage by completely uninstalling and then deleting it...)

On my phone, disabling is an option under "apps" menu in settings (as this article describes at the bottom of the page), but another web page I found says (under its heading number 6) that it's under something called "RAM Manager", which doesn't seem to exist on my phone anyway... But wherever your device's app settings can be found, disabling/enabling should be an option.

I'm pretty sure that you can't disable any app. The apps that can be disabled are always pre-installed. Rooting is the obvious answer. Then use titanium backup, greenify or something else.

 

[Mike64]

I'm pretty sure that you can't disable any app. The apps that can be disabled are always pre-installed.

Yep, that seems to be correct. Curious.... Oh well, so much for that idea.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'm pretty sure that you can't disable any app. The apps that can be disabled are always pre-installed. Rooting is the obvious answer. Then use titanium backup, greenify or something else.

Titanium Backup can either uninstall an app or freeze it.

Freezing disables the app but also removes it from the home screen and app drawer. Doing this effectively uninstalls it.

I want the app icon to still be visible in the app drawer, just disabled from running unless I explicitly tap on the app icon.

For example I have an app called Zomato. It's basically Yelp for Australia.

I use it maybe once a week for five minutes to search for restaurants around my area, but it is always running in the background. It doesn't even give me notifications of any kind, yet it is always running.

That's hundreds of hours of running and taking up memory just so I can use it for five minutes a week.

But I also don't want to go into Titanium Backup and unfreeze it every single time I want to use it, not to mention *remember* that I had it frozen in the first place.

 

[lxskllr]

For example I have an app called Zomato. It's basically Yelp for Australia.

I use it maybe once a week for five minutes to search for restaurants around my area, but it is always running in the background. It doesn't even give me notifications of any kind, yet it is always running.

That's hundreds of hours of running and taking up memory just so I can use it for five minutes a week.

Sounds like that could be replaced by a browser and search engine. I don't like special purpose "apps" that are just a walled browser session. The only program I use like that is a reddit reader since the normal layout is abysmal, and fixing it in the browser requires a lot of cpu eating js.

 

[mikeymikec]

nvm, perhaps I should start another thread to ask that question