How to prevent applications from closing on Android

Keeping apps shutting down is one of the most annoying problems faced by smartphone users. You launch a navigator or instant messenger, and after a few minutes the system mercilessly unloads them from RAM. This is not just an inconvenience, it failure in multitaskingthat interferes with the comfortable use of the device.

The reasons for this behavior lie in the aggressive resource management policy of modern Android shells. Manufacturers strive to extend battery life, so background processes are often artificially limited. However, knowing how they work system optimizersyou can regain control over your applications and make them work stably.

In this article we will analyze all the effective ways to solve the problem: from basic settings to the use of special engineering commands. You will learn how to set up exceptions for important apps and what parameters need to be changed so that the system stops “choking” the software you need.

Optimizing system battery limits

The first thing you need to check is the power settings. By default Android tries to save every percent of the charge by turning off background activity. This leads to applications being unloaded immediately after minimizing.

You need to go to the settings menu and find the section responsible for applications. Here you will see a list of all installed apps. Find the one that closes most often and open its detailed menu. You will need the item Battery or Energy consumption.

Change the operating mode to “No restrictions” or “Do not optimize”. This will make it clear to the system that this app is more important than saving energy. After this background services will no longer be forced to stop.

• 🔋 Go to the battery settings and disable the power saving mode for specific applications.
• 🛑 Prevent the system from “putting to sleep” unused apps in the menu optimization.
• ⚙️ Check to see if the global Ultra-Saving mode is turned on, which blocks everything.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling battery optimization for a large number of apps may cause your battery to drain faster during the day.

RAM management and multitasking

Lack of random access memory (RAM) is the second most popular reason for crashes. When free space runs out, the system begins to clear the list of running tasks, removing the heaviest or long-inactive processes. This is the standard operating mechanism Linux kernelson which Android is based.

To solve the problem, you need to increase the available memory or change priorities. Many smartphones have built-in cleaning tools, but it's best not to use them all the time. Instead, you should manually close unnecessary tabs and heavy games that you don’t need right now.

It is also worth paying attention to the “Memory Expansion” function (RAM Plus or Virtual RAM), which is found in modern models from Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands. It uses part of the internal storage as additional RAM.

Enabling this feature can help keep more apps running in the background. However, the speed of virtual memory is lower than that of physical memory, so you should not expect performance miracles in games.

Developer settings to hold processes

For advanced users, there is a hidden menu that gives deep control over the behavior of the system. To get there, you need to click on the build number seven times in the About phonesection. After the notification “You have become a developer” appears, a new menu will open in the settings.

Here we are interested in the “Background process limit” item. By default, it can be set to the standard value or limited by the system. Make sure you select Standard Limit or No Limit. This will prevent apps from closing artificially.

Also check the “Inactive applications” setting. If enabled, the system will stop processes that you have not opened for a long time. For stable operation of instant messengers and email clients, it is better to disable.

Parameter	Recommended value	Impact on the system
Background processes limit	Standard / Unlimited	Allows you to keep more applications in memory
Inactive applications	Disabled	Prevents rarely used apps from stopping
Animation windows	0.5x or Disabled	Visually speeds up the interface

How to reset the developer settings?

If you changed the parameters and the system began to work unstable, at the very top of the developer menu there is a “Reset settings” button. This will return all values ​​to factory settings without losing personal data.

Autostart and work in the background

In shells from Chinese manufacturers (MIUI, ColorOS, Funtouch OS) there is a separate autostart control mechanism. Even if you have configured the battery, the system may block the application from starting after the phone is rebooted or unloaded from memory.

You need to find the partition Applications -> Permissions -> Autorun. Here you need to manually turn on the toggle switch opposite the desired app. Without this permission, the application will not be able to revive on its own after the system has closed it.

In addition, check the permission to run in the background. On some versions of Android this is a separate switch. Make sure that for important services (navigation, music, instant messengers) the permission is set "Allow background activity".

• 🚀 Enable autostart for all necessary instant messengers and social networks.
• 🔒 Check access rights: sometimes the application closes due to lack of rights to notifications.
• 📂 Pin the application to the list of recent tasks so that the system considers it a priority.

⚠️ Attention: The autorun settings interface varies greatly depending on the smartphone model and firmware version. If you do not find the described items, use the search inside the settings menu.

Clearing the cache and eliminating conflicts

Sometimes the reason for unstable operation lies not in the system settings, but in damaged files of the application itself. The accumulated cache can take up gigabytes of space and cause errors when trying to save the app state.

Go to the settings of a specific application and select Storage. Click the Clear Cache button. Do not confuse this with the “Clear data” button, since the latter will delete your logins, passwords and settings inside the app.

If clearing the cache did not help, try deleting the application and downloading it again from the official store Google Play or Galeria. The latest version will be free of old errors and conflicts with the current version of the operating system.

You should also make sure that there is enough free space on the internal drive. If the memory is full to capacity (less than 1-2 GB left), the system will not be able to create swap files and manage processes normally.

Specific settings for different brands

Different manufacturers implement memory management in different ways. What works on “pure” Android may not work on a custom shell. It is important to take into account the features of your device.

On smartphones Xiaomi i Poco it often helps to turn on the “Unlimited” mode in the battery menu and pin the application to the multitasking menu (swipe down on the application card). On Samsung it is worth checking the “Device and Maintenance” section.

For owners Huawei i Honor it is critically important to add the application to the “Protected” list in the application launch menu. Otherwise, the system will kill processes immediately after the screen turns off.

⚠️ Attention: Menu names and settings locations may change after major firmware updates. Always check the latest manuals for your specific model.

Using ADB to force setup

If the standard menus do not give the desired result, you can use the ADB debugging tool (Android Debug Bridge). This is a method for advanced users that allows you to send commands directly to the system.

Connect your phone to your computer, enable USB debugging and enter the command to change the process limit. For example, the command adb shell setprop persist.sys.max_background_processes 0 removes the limit on the number of background processes.

adb shell pm grant com.example.app android.permission.REQUEST_IGNORE_BATTERY_OPTIMIZATIONS

This command forces the application to ignore battery optimization, which is often more effective than manual settings in the menu. However, use this method with caution as it requires a PC and drivers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why do apps close immediately after an Android update?

After a major system update, old application cache files may become incompatible with the new OS version. It is recommended to clear the cache of all important apps or reset application settings in the recovery menu.

Does a widget on the desktop affect the operation of the application?

Yes, the presence of an active widget on the home screen often forces the system to keep the application associated with it in memory, since the widget is considered an active interface element that requires data updating.

Is it possible to completely disable process killing?

This mechanism cannot be completely disabled, since it is necessary to prevent the system from freezing when there is insufficient memory. However, you can minimize its impact by setting exceptions and increasing virtual memory.

Does Do Not Disturb help with app retention?

Indirectly, yes. In some shells, Do Not Disturb or Game mode changes the priorities of processes, giving the currently active application more resources and protecting it from background cleaning.