So many stupid apps running

[Freezetron]

Sounds like you need to learn to root so you can master control your phone, or take it back and stick with feature phones for sanity reasons

Sent from my DROIDX

 

[BayouFlyFisher]

Totally off point. What value does mp3 or Skype have for me? And what advantage to having them run in the background? The video I saw from the Google Android team leader was misleading. He said the OS loads apps it thinks I will need. But I've never run Skype or mp3 and never will

Those apps are not running. Read the following for clarification. It is a good explanation of the Android OS:

Task Killers Per Lifehacker:

Android Task Killers Explained: What They Do and Why You Shouldn't Use Them
How Android Manages Processes

In Android, processes and Applications are two different things. An app can stay "running" in the background without any processes eating up your phone's resources. Android keeps the app in its memory so it launches more quickly and returns to its prior state. When your phone runs out of memory, Android will automatically start killing tasks on its own, starting with ones that you haven't used in awhile.
The problem is that Android uses RAM differently than, say, Windows. On Android, having your RAM nearly full is a good thing. It means that when you relaunch an app you've previously opened, the app launches quickly and returns to its previous state. So while Android actually uses RAM efficiently, most users see that their RAM is full and assume that's what's slowing down their phone. In reality, your CPU—which is only used by apps that are actually active—is almost always the bottleneck.

Why Task Killers Are (Usually) Bad News

Apps like Advanced Task Killer, the most popular task killer in the Market, act on the incorrect assumption that freeing up memory on an Android device is a good thing. When launched, it presents you with a list of "running" apps and the option to kill as many as you want. You can also hit the Menu button to access a more detailed "Services" view, that lists exactly which parts of each application are "running", how much memory they take up, and how much free memory is available on your phone. This set-up implies that the goal of killing these apps is to free up memory. Nowhere on the list does it mention the number of CPU cycles each app is consuming, only the memory you'll free by killing it. As we've learned, full memory is not a bad thing—we want to watch out for the CPU, the resource that actually slows down your phone and drains your battery life.
Thus, killing all but the essential apps (or telling Android to kill apps more aggressively with the "autokill" feature) is generally unnecessary. Furthermore, it's actually possible that this will worsen your phone's performance and battery life. Whether you're manually killing apps all the time or telling the task killer to aggressively remove apps from your memory, you're actually using CPU cycles when you otherwise wouldn't—killing apps that aren't doing anything in the first place.
In fact, some of the processes related to those apps will actually start right back up, further draining your CPU. If they don't, killing those processes can cause other sorts of problems—alarms don't go off, you don't receive text messages, or other related apps may force close without warning. All in all, you're usually better off letting your phone work as intended—especially if you're more of a casual user. In these instances, a task killer causes more problems than it solves.
What You Should Do Instead

That said, not all apps are created equal. Many of you have used task killers in the past and actually found that after freeing up memory, your phone works a bit better. It's more likely that this is because you've killed a bad app—one that was poorly coded, and (for example) keeps trying to connect to the internet even when it shouldn't. Any performance increase you experience is more likely because you killed the right app, not because you freed up loads of memory (or, in many cases, it's just placebo). Instead of killing all those apps, find out which ones are actually causing the problems. If you really know what you're doing, you may benefit from using a task killer to stop the one or two inefficient-but-loved apps on your phone.
Note, however, that this is still a contested notion. A lot of developers (including ROM builder extraordinaire, Cyanogen) will not even look at your bug reports if you're using a task killer. In this humble blogger's opinion, your best bet is to stay away from regular task killer usage entirely. If you absolutely have to have that one battery-killing app on your phone, though, kill away—just be aware that when you experience a recurring Android bug later on, the task killer may be at fault. Of course, you can just stop using it to determine whether that is or isn't the case.

 

[RonInNYC]

Yes, I totally understand that the apps stay in the backgroiund, blah blah.

BUT, what advantage is it to me to have MP3, Skype, VZNavigator$, CityID$, Voice Dial, Facebook running? There is no "STATE" to return to. I've never run Skype, MP3, VZNav, CityID, Footprints, Slacker. Never, so why are the loaded at all? Why shouldn't my phone (which I, uh, own), run what I want it to run?

 

[DF Smod]

Ron I posted a solution and a link to make the solution a possiblity -

Rooting your Droid Incredible is the only way -

...if you don't want to take the advice that is laid out before you then you are just running yourself and our members in a circle

 

[RonInNYC]

I did look it. Two problems: It's not trivial and also, what happens if it fails? And can VZW find out and if so, would that void my warranty or otherwise cause me problems?

 

[BayouFlyFisher]

Yes, I totally understand that the apps stay in the backgroiund, blah blah.

BUT, what advantage is it to me to have MP3, Skype, VZNavigator$, CityID$, Voice Dial, Facebook running? There is no "STATE" to return to. I've never run Skype, MP3, VZNav, CityID, Footprints, Slacker. Never, so why are the loaded at all? Why shouldn't my phone (which I, uh, own), run what I want it to run?

The point is that those apps do no harm and you should just ignore them. As you continue to run the phone the way you want and use the apps that you want, android will learn to put the apps in memory that you use. Absolutely the best way to use this OS is to ignore it. Forget about how much memory is free, forget about what apps are loaded into memory and just use the phone the way you want to use it.

 

[RonInNYC]

But that is totally untrue. I never use MP3 or any of those crappy apps. So, why are they in memory? Why run something I don't use? And why am I prevented from removing them (that is not an actual question; just a cry of disappointment with VZW's pathetic implementation)

 

[MonKENy]

Ron you are seriously not hearing what is being said to you here. You are just on the defensive so you are trying to conflict what is being brought to you.

The apps you have loaded in memory are NOT running, they are idle WAITING to be ran..as you use more outside apps more frequently they will take up the space being held by the usless apps.

You are holding a mini computer, and like ALL computers when you buy them have pre loaded crap from the manufacturer on them that unless you know how to do it cant be uninstalled...but for those who do know how can (and should) be removed.

There is almost nothing you can do to your phone apart from physically taking it apart that will void the warranty. 95% of rooting and modification can be undone and reverted to original state. Also there is almost no way that verizon or any ins company would even know you rooted the phone unless they really started looking around. A rooted phone basically looks EXACTLY like an unrooted unless you start changing things.

You have ALOT of very good people with very good information at your disposal here, but they are only going to help you if you are willing to calm down and listen.

And no offense to you but from what Im hearing from you id guess that you have very little tech knowledge,

Lets start at the basics. Do you know how to PROPERLY Charge your battery..I dont mean plug it in and wait..I mean the proper Procedure to make sure your battery will charge optimally and hold a charge to its max?

You Fully charge your Device, run the battery out to the point the phone dies in your hand (as soon as possible) Fully charge again and than kill it again..THEN you use the phone as normal and charge normally. Your battery has memory as well, it know the way you use it, so unless you train it to handle a large usage its never going to run optimally.

That would be my guess as to why your battery is dying so quick.

 

[MonKENy]

This is absolutely idiotic. I have:
Messages
Voice Dialer
Google Maps
Google Search

RON

Also WHY did you buy a GOOGLE phone if not to use these features?

I promise you use messages, and google search If you txt, email, or use the web

If you dont want these features then why get a smart phone? These are the core reasons a person uses a web os phone like the droid. Im not trying to put you down, just get a better understanding of your thoughts as to what the phone SHOULD be doing.

 

[BayouFlyFisher]

But that is totally untrue. I never use MP3 or any of those crappy apps. So, why are they in memory? Why run something I don't use? And why am I prevented from removing them (that is not an actual question; just a cry of disappointment with VZW's pathetic implementation)

The are not running. They have been placed in empty memory. They are not consuming any resources and will be removed from memory instantly if memory is needed. These things will not effect the way you use your phone or it's performance. Forget about them, they have no relevance.

Good luck and just relax and enjoy your phone!! It's a great phone running the best phone OS.

 

[kenbiz]

VZW techs?? Those people are clueless.. I won't even go into here id say75% of people on this forum know more about these phone. Stick with the advise giving here.

 

[cereal killer]

Best advice I can offer is to stop obsessing over these applications in memory. You are trying to fight the way the os was designed to work. Android is like your heart. Let it operate on its own and don't try to control how it beats.

They don't put pacemakers on perfectly healthy people for a reason. Same goes for Android. The minute you start messing with these task killers performance degrades.

If you notice the people that are most vocal about battery life and how slow their device is are the ones that are 9 times out of 10 running a task killer of some sort.

I used one when I was new to Android then educated myself on all aspects of Android and have never since used one. Battery life and performance on the device has never been an issue since. Task killers are performance killers not enhancers.

Do yourself a favor and just trust in what people are telling you and just ditch the task killer and let Android be Android. You wisll thank us later I promise : )

Sent from my Droid

 

[RonInNYC]

All that sounds nice but there is nothing "Let Android be Android" about running a dozen apps I'll never use. That has nothing to do with the way the OS was designed. It's a cynical and bad implementation by VZW.

 

[RonInNYC]

I shoudn't have included several of these with the list of lousy, crappy apps. Search, Maps, Mail and Msgs are great and I use them all the time.

 

[MonKENy]

All that sounds nice but there is nothing "Let Android be Android" about running a dozen apps I'll never use. That has nothing to do with the way the OS was designed. It's a cynical and bad implementation by VZW.

OMG YES IT DOES.....Did you actually read ALL the stuff we have been saying or just picking out pieces that fit your neg views?

the way the os is designed is to ALWAYS keep apps in memory. It does this to not have to waste battery and time finding and starting apps that you switch back and forth on...thats why its a SMART phone.

the ONLY REASON that you have stock vzw apps in memory is because THATS ALL THE PHONE HAD TO START...when you USE DIFFERENT apps Different apps will be in memory NOT VZW ones.

The reason VZW loads those apps on to begin with is for the 75% of users who dont know crap and need ways to DL music, Navigate, etc. Each one of the VZW apps does something beneficial..maybe not to you but to someone.

You bought from verizon, if you want a phone with no bloatware spend the 500-600 bucks and buy stock from motorola im sure you would be ok then.

and also like we have been saying, if you dont like the apps then root the phone and remove them. Its pretty easy and almost always reversible.

But whatever you do stop complaining about the memory thing. we have told you EVERY TIME why it does that and what to do about it..ITS NOT VERIZON ITS ANDROID ITS GOING TO DO THAT WITH ANYTHING THAT RUNS ON THE PHONE YOU CANT STOP IT QUIT TRYING YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE.

if that doesnt make it clear then I quit. Ive never been a man of patience anyway.