Here’s how Google plans to fight OEMs killing apps in the background

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• Google will introduce new requirements to limit Android manufacturers’ power over background apps.
• The new rules aim to address some OEMs’ aggressive management of useful background apps and services.

---

Some Android OEMs have a nasty habit of killing apps in the background in a bid to reclaim RAM, reign in rogue apps, or save device battery. But this process is more annoying than useful if those apps provide beneficial services to users. More, it makes lives hard for developers whose apps are affected.

During a Reddit AMA, the Android engineering team revealed that Android 11 will introduce notifications to users when the OS culls an app. Users will also get a chance to override the OS’s decision. It’s possible that this system could mirror how Android 10 permission alerts are issued on a per-app basis.

The team is also set to improve app developers’ lives. A new crash diagnostics API will provide more details surrounding app culls. This introduction will allow developers to better understand why some OEMs treat their apps as rogue or misbehaving.

See also: Here’s a list of Android 11 beta phones | Android 11 release date

The engineering team will also forbid the use of whitelists that determine which top apps can run in the background. The team believes the move will introduce a level playing field for app developers. Right now, OEMs whitelist big apps like WhatsApp, making them immune from background killing, which is not fair to smaller developers.

While the engineering team does admit there’s a problem with app management on Android, it does see its necessity especially for controlling rogue apps. To that end, Android 11 will also introduce “extra measures to prevent abusive behavior by misbehaving apps,” though it’s not clear what this means.

The refreshed requirements don’t solve the issues but will go a long way to give developers and users a little more control over their apps and devices. It may also force OEMs to be more transparent about their practices too. Nokia, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Huawei are among the worst offenders, according to DontKillMyApp, a website that ranks OEMs based on aggressively they kill background apps.

More posts about Android

Go read this Android engineer’s explanation of why OEMs are bad at updates

C. Scott Brown 12 hours ago

The most notable new Android 11 features we’ve found so far (Updated: July 9)

C. Scott Brown 1 day ago

Apple Car Keys: What is it and is there an Android alternative?

Joe Hindy 5 days ago

Switching phones like a pro: How our reviewers do it

Justin Duino 5 days ago

How to add words to Android dictionary in easy steps

Chris Hanna 7 days ago

Here’s a look at how quickly many Android phones depreciate in trade-in value

Dave LeClair 1 week ago

Here’s how to try Nearby Share, Android’s AirDrop competitor

Dave LeClair 1 week ago

Android 9 Pie update tracker: When will your phone get it? (Updated June 29)

Mitja Rutnik 2 weeks ago

iPhone 6S getting iOS 14 is like the Galaxy S6 getting Android 11. Imagine that.

C. Scott Brown 2 weeks ago

iOS just got widgets and an app library. Where have we seen those before?

Adamya Sharma 2 weeks ago

from Android Authority https://ift.tt/2BZemOf