What does it mean to limit background activity? Which background programs can be closed? Should I turn off my PC?
In this article we will figure out what it is background applications on Android, what they are for and how to disable them.
What are background applications on Android
Background programs run unnoticed by the device owner background processes. The application seems to be closed, but it still consumes system resources, takes place in random access memory and reduces the battery life of the device. Such processes start without your knowledge and run in the background - hence their name. There are generally good reasons for running these processes - it could be synchronization, retrieving location data, or other activity related to the purpose of the application.
But not all background processes are necessary. For example, we use some applications extremely rarely, and unnecessary background processes only unnecessarily load the device. The Android system has built-in tools with which you can always see what applications are running in the background, how much memory they consume and how they affect the battery charge.
To see which background processes are in this moment running, you need:
- Enable in settings developer mode
- Select menu item " Process statistics»
- Select application
In the window that opens, you will see all the information on the selected background application.
You can also see which programs and how much they affect the battery consumption of your device. To do this, go to the battery settings and select the menu item " Battery usage" You will receive a list in which, in descending order, there are applications that negatively affect the battery level.
What background programs on Android can be disabled
The two main types of apps that you probably don't want running in the background are games when you're not playing them, and music players when you are not listening to music. Look at other background processes too. If you don’t need this application at the moment, then you can safely close the process.
The applications necessary for the operation of the device themselves will not allow you to close their background processes, this is how the Android system works. But do not close system background applications and those that you constantly use. If, for example, you close processes social networks and instant messengers, notifications about new messages will stop coming. Most applications and services whose names begin with “Google” should not be closed either. Here are the most important Google processes:
- Google Search
- Google Play services
- Google Contacts Sync
- Google Keyboard
- Google Play Store
You can either disable the background process or force close the app completely.
- To disable a background process, you need to go to the menu " Process statistics» select the required one and click « Stop»
- To forcefully stop the application, you need to go to the " Application Manager» select what you need and click « Stop»
Some applications themselves automatically launch in the background even after closing. To “put them to sleep” you can use Greenify. This utility prevents applications from starting automatically. If your device has ROOT rights, you can completely remove unnecessary applications from startup. You can read how to get ROOT rights in our other article.
What to do if you have disabled background programs on Android that you need?
If you accidentally disabled system processes or background processes you simply need, simply enable them again or reboot the device - the system itself will enable everything necessary for work.
Android is the most popular operating system for mobile devices. More than 70% of smartphones and tablets in the world are powered by different versions Android. Among all the advantages of this OS, there is one drawback - an exorbitant appetite for system resources. Certainly, flagship models have enough powerful iron so that you do not experience discomfort at work. But what should owners of less powerful devices do? Our selection of tips will help you optimize the performance of your smartphone or tablet for comfortable use.
Use static wallpaper
Android makes it possible to install so-called “live wallpapers” on the desktop and lock screen - animation pictures different content. It's beautiful and stylish, but it consumes quite a lot of processor resources and RAM. Especially if you have multiple desktops. If you install a regular picture as wallpaper, you will reduce the load on system resources, and therefore increase the performance of the device.
Disable unnecessary processes
In the operating room Android system The number of background processes may exceed 50 even after a reboot. All these proprietary utilities, which equipment manufacturers love to install, Asian keyboards, printing processes and other unnecessary things consume RAM. By disabling processes that are unnecessary for you, you will free up several tens of megabytes of RAM. This will have a positive effect on the responsiveness of your device.
- To do this, go to settings and go to " Application Manager" On the " Performed» select all one by one unnecessary processes, and press first " Stop", and then " Disable" You can disable all unused programs.
Don't disable processes with robot and gear icons!
Limit background processes
Most Android applications continue to run in the background when closed, consuming energy and system resources. You can limit the number of programs that can run in the background. This is done in the developer menu, which is hidden from the user by default.
- In order to activate the developer menu, go to settings, select " About the device", and scroll down to " Build number" Now quickly press this item seven times in a row.
- After this, the section “ Developer Options" Open it. Find the item " Limit background processes", and set the value to " no more than 3 processes».
Don't fill up your device's internal memory
No matter how strange it may sound, but the less free memory your gadget, the slower it will work. Therefore, try to keep free an amount of memory that is twice the amount of RAM on your device. If your smartphone or tablet supports memory cards, transfer all your music, videos, photos, and books to the card. Also, if possible, install large applications and games only on the memory card.
That's all. By observing these simple tips you will increase the performance of your Android device.
And remember, if you don’t know what a particular item in the developer menu does, do not change its parameters. Ask the experts first :)
Background mode in Android OS is the execution of a program that is not visible to the user (runs in the background). In particular, programs launched by the system itself or services run in the background. They dont have user interface, and also these tasks run at a lower priority than normal processes. In addition, applications you installed on your smartphone can run in the background. For the most part, the purpose of running programs in the background is to exchange information with the server. For example: the game constantly contacts the server to check for new updates, the messenger - to notify you of a new message, etc. Appeal background tasks the server requires a mobile or Wi-Fi connection to the network, which eats up traffic. Therefore, I will give some tips on how to disable the background mode on Android of all applications at once and each one separately.
Disable data transfer for one application
In fact, you cannot disable a background system process, but you can transfer it to the “Suspended” process. This is done through the application manager in Android settings apparatus. Also, so that the application in the background cannot access the server, thereby saving battery power and mobile traffic, necessary:
After this, the application will not be able to exchange information with the server. About system applications, for example “SMS” or “Phone”, you cannot disable them. You need the good old one.
Disable data transfer for all applications
To block network traffic for all applications, you need to turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data. You can do this by clicking on the notification panel icons.
The same can be done in the settings:
You can enable the function there.
Hello, friends! In that a little lesson I want to talk about the background mode and why it is needed at all. Most programs that a user runs on a computer run in active mode. This means that they are displayed on the panel Windows tasks and in the task manager on the Applications tab. If you look at the “Processes” tab, you will find much more large quantity entries than in the application tab that is currently running. You can read more about the task manager and how to use it in my article “”.
If you open any program, then in the task manager in the “Processes” tab you can see this running program. For example, if you open Opera browser then you will see running process"Opera.exe". If you open the task manager, go to the “Processes” tab and check the “Display processes of all users” checkbox. With this action you will display processes running on the computer under other users, as well as system processes, which are necessary for normal operation.
All processes that do not require user interaction usually run in the background. Running a program in the background involves independently performing the tasks assigned to it, without the participation (or almost without participation) of the user.
Programs running this way consume computer resources in the same way as applications that appear on the taskbar. Therefore launch large quantity programs that hide their icon in the tray or do not remind you of themselves at all can greatly affect the performance of your computer.
Can run in the background regular programs, for which the appropriate settings are set. In this case, the application icon is usually displayed in the notification area (system tray or in English system tray - part of the taskbar between the clock and active tasks). Antivirus can be considered the most typical representative of this group. If you close the main antivirus window by clicking on the “cross”, the window will disappear, but your antivirus will continue to protect your computer by moving to the tray. 
Some programs can be configured so that when you click on the “Close” button, they stop working completely, and when you click on the “Minimize” button, they disappear from the taskbar, but show their icon in the tray, thus moving into the background. This setting is usually called “Minimize to tray”.
Also running in the background are programs that are part of the operating system. In particular this system services, as well as other applications. Some of them are necessary for the system to function and cannot be stopped. Others are needed only for some specific functions that are not actually used by the user. Stopping such components can be very useful for saving computer resources, but it requires knowledge, the description of which is beyond the scope of this article.
There are also viruses running in the background, spyware and other malicious objects. Which is understandable, because the attacker wants the user not to know about their activity and tries to hide it from the user’s eyes.
To terminate processes, you need to know a little about system programs, which are usually used for work.
Most users of smartphones and tablets running on the Android operating system have, one way or another, heard about such a feature of these devices as the background mode of programs. It can have a significant impact on the functioning of the device, as well as its performance, so it makes sense to learn more about such features.
What is background mode?
Any applications running on a device with operating system Android, can work both in the background and in active mode. Active mode represents explicit application operation that requires user attention or action. When answering the question of what Android background mode is, we should mention the category of background applications.
TO similar programs, can be attributed to various programs, whose work is suspended and not closed, as well as antivirus applications and other processes. Working in this mode allows you to save them during downtime, and not lose them, as happens when the application is restarted. This mode has quite a lot of advantages. These include:
- Implementation of multitasking. Thanks to the ability to switch applications from active to hidden format, the user is able to work in several applications simultaneously.
- Saving data. If necessary, perform any action, the user can pause the application in order to restore it later without losing the entered data (progress in games, etc.).
- Usage background services, making the operation of a smartphone or tablet correct and convenient for the user. Moreover, most of these services work unnoticed by him, in secretive mode.
In view of this, the emergence of the possibility of using background programs became a truly important breakthrough in the development of devices running this OS.
Disadvantages of background mode
There is a certain list of disadvantages inherent in running applications in the background. Firstly, all of them, as a rule, waste a certain amount of gadget resources, which negatively affects performance. Secondly, a similar situation is observed with the battery charge, which takes many running applications similar to continuous conversation.
