I'm sure it's happened to you: you're listening to your favorite music or on an important call, and suddenly, when you open your browser or any other app, the sound cuts out without warning. It's a frustrating situation, especially when you feel like you have a powerful phone but the system seems to decide for you which apps should stay open and which shouldn't.
This phenomenon occurs because Samsung devices implement extremely aggressive power management. Unlike stock Android, Samsung adds optimization layers that, while aiming to save battery, often close critical processes , causing even alarms to fail if you haven't used the app for a few days. Let's see how to tame this system so your phone behaves the way you want.
The problem of the adaptive battery and the suspension
The main culprit is usually the adaptive battery feature. In newer versions, Samsung has implemented a policy where, if an app isn't used for a short period (sometimes just 3 days), the system puts it into deep sleep . This means the app stops running in the background altogether, which can cause you to miss notifications or prevent your reminders from going off.
To combat this, it's essential to access your device's care settings and review the list of suspended applications. It's vital to disable the "put unused apps to standby" option, as failing to do so could cause the system to revert any exceptions you've manually configured after a firmware update.
Solutions based on your Android version
Depending on which version of Android you have installed, the solution varies slightly, as Samsung constantly changes the menus:
- Android 13 and 14: App-by-app optimization is key. You should look for the battery settings section of the specific app and select that option. is not optimizedFurthermore, although some "Special Access" options have disappeared, individual control remains the best approach.
- Android 11 and 12: Here you can use the trick of locking the app on the recent apps screen. By pressing and holding the app icon in the multitasking menu, you can block it so it doesn't close.
- Android 10 and Pie: The control focuses on "Device Care." You have to go into the battery settings, access the three-dot menu, and make sure the important apps are in the right place. list of not suspended.
- Older versions (Oreo, Nougat and earlier): There was something called the "App Energy Monitor." The solution was to add the apps to the list of unmonitored applications to prevent the system from killing them.
Advanced tools: Good Guardians and Good Lock
If the basic settings aren't enough, Samsung offers more advanced official apps. For example, Good Guardians includes a module called Memory Guardian. If you activate "quick switch mode," the phone will keep more processes active, allowing apps to resume exactly where you left them.
On the other hand, there's Good Lock , which has a feature called "Long Live App." This tool acts as a protective shield, preventing the operating system from performing aggressive cleanup on the applications you consider priorities, ensuring they continue to function.
Additional tips and game optimization
There's a simple trick: if you want to prevent an app from closing when you lock the screen, don't return to the home screen . Simply lock your phone while the app remains open in the foreground; this tricks the system and increases the likelihood that the process will stay active.
When it comes to gaming, Game Booster can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes, to give the game more power, it disables background processes like blue light filters or notifications. To avoid this, go into Game Booster's settings and disable all blocking restrictions during gameplay.
Managing Samsung's memory requires tweaking several settings, from individual battery optimization and disabling automatic sleep to using tools like Good Guardians to force apps to stay active. By properly configuring these exceptions and preventing the system from monitoring critical processes, you can stop your device from closing apps unexpectedly and ensure smooth performance.
