Samsung
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Despite Android team promise to enforce OEMs to be transparent about non-standard app killing, in Android 11 Samsung has introduced a new severe (default ON) restriction. Apps can no longer hold wake lock in foreground services. This breaks many use-cases, for instance health apps are now unable to gather sensoric data for their users. See details here and read below for workaround.
UPDATE 04/2021: Is Samsung now killing even foreground services? Could this be real, or is it a chimera?
Even disabling the system battery restrictions does not save the app from being killed. Let’s find out, if it is a bug or a feature… Here you can read more details
We record significantly increased number of app killing on Samsung’s since Android Pie flavor. The hints show adaptive battery being much more eager than in stock Android.
After 3 days any unused app will not be able to start from background (e.g. alarms will not work anymore). Imagine, you won’t use your alarm clock for the weekend plus 1 day and bang! no alarms anymore and you miss work! We strongly suggest to turn off Adaptive battery and Put apps to sleep options per instructions below.
Important: The latest feedback suggests even when you remove an app from the restricted list, Samsung may re-add them later after a firmware update or when it thinks it is using too much resources!
Yes, Samsung – a dominant vendor in the Android market – is now using one of the nastiest battery saving techniques in the industry. They kill background processes and render alarm clocks and other apps which rely on background processing useless. See below for workarounds.
NOTE: It is very hard to keep up with all the changes in the system settings layout and their modifications across all the combinations of phones and Android versions. If you find a different layout, or different name, let us know.
Solution for users
What optimization apps does Samsung have?
- Android 11: Battery optimization, Auto-optimize, Adaptive battery, Adaptive power-saving, Background restrictions, lists of Sleeping apps, Unused apps, Deep sleeping apps, Never sleeping apps
- Android Pie and higher: Device care, Background restrictions, lists of Sleeping apps, Unused apps, Auto-disable unused apps
- Android Oreo and Nougat: App power monitor, Background restrictions
- Android Marshmallow or below: Smart manager
- Android 11
- Android Pie and 10
- Android Oreo and Nougat
- Android Marshmallow and older
Android 11
On Android 11 Samsung will prevent apps work in background by default unless you exclude apps from battery optimizations. This is a severe divergence from standard Android process management policies.
Yes, this is a long way to go! Devs cannot ask for it automatically as they risk being kicked out from Play Store due to policy violations.
Lock the app in Recent
- Open Recent apps.
- Find Your app.
- Long-press the icon of the app.
Battery optimization
To keep your apps working properly make sure you enable:
Settings -> Apps -> Your App -> Battery -> Battery optimization -> All apps -> Your app -> Don’t optimize.
Settings -> Apps, then select Your app
Your app -> Battery
Battery -> Battery optimization
Settings -> Switch to All apps listing
Find Your app
switch off the battery optimization
Optimize battery usage
Settings > Apps > (⁝) menu > Special Access > Optimize battery usage
1. Open Apps section.
2. Tap on the (⁝) menu.
3. Choose Special Access.
4. Open Optimiza battery usage.
5. Expand the list to All apps.
6. Toggle the apps.
Auto-optimize daily + Adaptive power saving
1. Open Battery > (⁝) menu.
2. Choose Automation.
3. Adjust.
On some phones the route differs:
1. Device care and tap the 3-dot menu.
2. Tap on Advanced.
3. Disable Auto-optimization.
Adaptive battery
1. Open Battery -> More battery settings.
2. Disable Adaptive battery.
Lists of Sleeping apps, Unused apps, Deep sleeping apps, Never sleeping apps
1. Open Battery > Background usage limits.
2. Check the lists.
Warning: Make sure Put unused apps to sleep is disabled. Otherwise, Samsung will put your apps back to sleep after a few days (3 by default) even if you have woken them up manually!
Android Pie and 10
Battery optimizations are turned on by default. It is possible the disabled restrictions might get revert after OS update or reboot. By default, any app which is not started in 3 days is put to sleep and background tasks including alarms will stop working.
Put unused apps to sleep
Phone settings -> Device care -> Tap on the Battery item -> (⁝) 3-dot menu > Settings
Uncheck Your app from this list.
Auto-disable unused apps
Phone settings -> Device care -> Tap on the Battery item -> (⁝) 3-dot menu > Settings
Uncheck Your app from this list.
Background restrictions
Check that Phone settings -> Apps -> Sleep as Android -> Battery -> Background restriction state as App can use battery in background for the apps you need to run in the background.
Sleeping apps
Sleeping apps menu is the sniper’s nest for Samsung’s app killing policies. Make sure to follow the instructions very carefully to prevent the apps from being killed.
1. Start Device care from phone settings
2. Tap Battery
3. Tap the 3-dot menu > Settings
4. Disable all toggles (except Notifications)
5. Tap "Sleeping apps"
6. Wake up all the apps using the trashcan icon
On some phones, the layout may differ:
1. Start Device care from phone settings.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Open App power management.
4. Disable the option Put unused apps to Sleep.
5. Remove your app from the lists in Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps.
6. Add your app to the list in Apps that won't be put to sleep.
Warning: Make sure Put unused apps to sleep and Auto-disable unused apps is disabled. Otherwise, Samsung will put your apps back to sleep after a few days (3 by default) even if you have woken them up manually!
Game Boosting features
Samsung optimizing features that monitor your phone usage and can alter your settings. Although such feature might be useful, in some cases you don’t wish to lose all background processed. This can result in termination of background processes when you play games (for example blue light filter apps will stop, or notification are delayed).
There are Game Booster app, Game optimizing service, and Game Launcher.
- Go to Apps and then click the Samsung app settings. Scroll to the Game Booster.
- Turn off as much as you can. Then click Block During Game and shut off everything.
- Next, in apps, find the game optimizing service – this cannot be disabled, but you can remove all permissions.
- Last, search apps again and find the Game Launcher. You can remove the permissions and then disabled it.
1. Open Samsung app settings.
2. Find Game booster app.
3. Disable all the options.
4. In Samsung app settings find Game optimizing.
5. Remove all its permission.
6. Find Game launcher and disable it.
Optimize battery usage
Battery optimizations are hidden under each app’s settings section. To disable the optimization for the app, you need to expand the sub-menu, so the list reveals the apps, that are restricted. Open System settings -> Apps -> Your app -> Optimize battery usage, expand the list, and then set the app to “not optimized” with the toggle.
1. Optimize battery usage.
2. Expand the list.
Android Oreo and Nougat 8 + 7
With the introduction of their flagship Galaxy S8 (and with some earlier experiments), Samsung has introduced an attempt at prolonging battery life called App power monitor.
App power monitor
App power monitor can be turned off completely, or you can manage the apps individually.
For your apps to work correctly in the background, you need to whitelist them in App power monitor and add them to Unmonitored apps:
Open the Settings -> Device maintenance -> Battery, and at the bottom you’ll see a list of your most frequently used apps.
Apps that are sleeping will appear in the Sleeping apps list at the bottom (tap it to expand the list).
List of Unmonitored apps is at the very bottom (longer scrolling is needed) – these are apps that you specifically want to exclude (whitelist) from App power monitor evil reach.
When inside the Unmonitored apps menu, you can tap the 3-dot menu to add or delete apps from the list.
Android Marshmallow and below
On other Samsung phones, the path may look like this:
Phone settings > Applications > select three dot menu (top right corner) > Special Access > Optimize Battery usage > Find your app on the list and make sure that it is not selected.
Note: If you enable “Edge Lighting” for your app, the app will not be able to wake up your screen. To allow your app to wake up your screen, please remove it from the Edge Lighting applications list.
Samsung – Optimal settings for | inthesk |
With Samsung phones, we found out that once the app goes into the background for a longer period (e.g. 3 days), your process of inthesk will be killed or not working correctly. Unfortunately, this results in non-trackable inthesk.
We recommend the app not to be ‘optimized’ by the battery optimizer. The App requests this and helps you set this up. Next, to that, we can solve the sleep issue with this guide.
To solve this issue, please follow this guide to make an exception for the inthesk app. Don’t worry about battery usage, we have optimized our app for battery usage. We have written the guide for Android 7 and the model used is a Samsung Galaxy S7:
1. Go to Settings (phone settings)
2. Go to 'Device maintenance'
3. Go to 'Battery'
4. Go to 'Unmonitored Apps'
5. Go to the Add apps, and make sure 'inthesk' is selected
6. Now you will see the inthesk App in the list of unmonitored Apps
