Feb052013

How can I keep Facebook’s mobile app from automatically running in the background?

DrSunil Vaswani asks:

How can I keep Facebook’s mobile app from automatically running in the background? I want to keep it from eating up RAM.

 


Browser: Chrome 25
System: Windows
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DalSan Mack

February 6, 2013

Hello DrSunil,

As long as you have the Facebook app installed and are using it from time to time, there is no real way to stop it from running. If you don’t use it, I would uninstall it. If it cannot be uninstalled, you would need to have your phone rooted so you can use a program like Titanium Backup to “freeze” the app or uninstall it. The Facebook app constantly starts up in the background to try to connect with the Facebook servers so you can receive News Feed updates and such. No matter which task killer you use, it will not help in keeping the app killed. An alternative to the Facebook app would be Friendcaster for android, which I use. It offers pretty much everything you would want in a Facebook app, but you can also kill the app in the background and it won’t restart as often.

DrSunil Vaswani

hullo

Does the app run in background because of Gps use?
So if one can avoid app from accessing gps it would not run in background

February 8, 2013
DalSan Mack

It isn’t so much that it keeps connecting to the GPS for location as it is trying to keep you informed of any status updates, new comments, likes, and requests. It would be nice to turn off these features as we would like and have it more like going through the web browser and only connect when we actually use it.

February 8, 2013
Sunil

I understand

I used to use an app named Scope for fb

It also notified of status, messages , friend requests. But it did not automatically run in background

February 8, 2013
Devon Truscott

It’s probably because that app was set up for push notifications from a facebook plugin.

Another reason why facebook runs in the background is because it ties itself to your contact list. If anyone changes their contact info, it updates it in your contacts. It can’t get pushed this information so it has to check on its own.

February 9, 2013
0 votes
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Ashwin Ramesh

February 6, 2013

There are certain apps like RAM Booster and Advanced Task Killer Pro to kill apps. You could check them out.

DalSan Mack

I have used several task killers including what you suggested to no avail. Friendcaster allows you to kill the task and it won’t restart as often or as quickly as the Facebook app. It would be nice to have the option to disable refreshing and updating in the settings, but I doubt that will happen any time soon.

February 7, 2013
DrSunil Vaswani

hullo

Does the app run in background because of Gps use
So if one can avoid app from accessing gps it would not run in background

February 8, 2013
0 votes
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pojhan

February 6, 2013

use wathdog app (android only)

DrSunil Vaswani

hullo
Instead of using another app :-
Does the app run in background because of Gps use
So if one can avoid app from accessing gps it would not run in background?

February 8, 2013
0 votes
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Peter Klepec

February 6, 2013

If you have android:
Settings > Applications > Running services > Click Faceboook > Click Stop until it’s realy stopped.
I hope this helped.

DrSunil Vaswani

hullo

On stopping from Running Apps section , it re-starts

So Does the app run in background because of Gps use?
So if one can avoid app from accessing gps it would not run in background?

February 8, 2013
0 votes
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DrSunil Vaswani

February 8, 2013

hullo

Does the app run in background because of Gps use?
So if one can avoid app from accessing gps it would not run in background

Pl comment what would be result of avoiding gps access
and how to

Nevzat Akkaya

I don’t think it’s related to GPS access. It’s irrelevant. Some programs have Android services so that they remain connected to their web services and receive notifications. I too have a phone with a very limited RAM, so I stopped using Facebook application, I’m using it’s mobile interface via browsers like Dolphin, Maxthon… This way, when you exit from browser, no any RAM eater process or service is left.

February 13, 2013
Nevzat Akkaya

Correction : Android services are not just for connecting to web services. There are many usage scenarios for them :)

February 13, 2013
DrSunil Vaswani

Is there a way to avoid fb app from occuping memory after exiting the app

February 13, 2013
Nevzat Akkaya

Sorry but there is no easy way to do it. I have only one solution for it : freeze the Facebook app via Titanium Backup. Only this way bot the process and services can be shut down. The drawback is, everytime you want to start Facebook, you must unfreeze the app, use it, and freeze again. It’s time consuming. Just use the browser interface like I do. That’s the only simple solution.

February 13, 2013
DrSunil Vaswani

App would be preferable for notifications

But it is noticed to automatically re-starts within few minutes after stopping it from running in background even if there are no notifications

Can it be prevented from restarting without notifications?

February 13, 2013
0 votes
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Shaun Sanders

February 13, 2013

log out

0 votes
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Nevzat Akkaya

February 14, 2013

No, you can’t. You can try Facebook app alternatives, maybe one of them does not have a consistent service.

0 votes
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Justin Ellenwood

February 20, 2013

If an Iphone, just close it like all your other apps

0 votes
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Vedavyas Paruchuri

April 7, 2013

After using your facebook app on mobile then log out of your account after logging out then open task manager and close facebook or go to the settings of your mobile and open applications page and click facebook then click clear cache or clear data.

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