Smartphones are evolving from year to year: they are getting faster, get better displays and take sharper photos. Meanwhile, the batteries remain chronically too small. Manufacturers of Android smartphones are therefore using increasingly aggressive methods to save battery – for example, apps running in the background are automatically closed after a short time. Google itself integrated such a battery saving function with Android 6, which has been increasingly expanded in the last major versions. However, third-party manufacturers go one better and integrate their own apps and settings that are supposed to save energy.
In theory, that makes sense. In practice, however, there are serious problems with this: Alarm clock apps, sleep and fitness trackers and other applications that depend on running in the background no longer work reliably on affected smartphones. For example, a maker of the running app Zombies, Run! that the application can no longer be used reliably on some devices. During the measurement of a run, it is terminated by the battery saver function of some manufacturers. In the meantime, this has had a negative impact on the ratings of the app and thus also on the number of paying customers.
Power saving apps can often be disabled
The app Don’t kill my app! wants to make the problem visible: The makers rate manufacturers depending on how many problems the pre-installed apps and battery-saving settings cause. Samsung landed in the inglorious first place of the ranking – especially since Android P, all background processes are mercilessly active there.
The good news for users: At least in some cases, the power saving apps can be disabled or removed. The Don’t kill my app! appropriate instructions.
However, these solutions are often not permanent: At the latest when the operating system is updated, many manufacturers reactivate the apps and settings to save power. The short-term motivation of the manufacturers seems clear: by strictly closing all apps running in the background, the battery life is extended to the maximum, users are happier with their smartphones. At the same time, it remains unclear to laypeople why apps don’t work properly – they then quickly blame the app developers, who actually have little influence on the power-saving functions.
If you want to become active yourself and try to defend yourself against the throttling of the manufacturers, it is best to download the appropriate app, which you can download here.