Google has managed to charm one of the largest partners in Android mobile manufacturing, Samsung, into complying with its demands regarding the restriction of background processes. Starting with One UI 6.0 based on Android 14, Samsung will enforce restrictions consistently.
All Android phones more or less restrict background processes, which over time has transformed the ecosystem into a Wild West where we can lose important notifications. Since Android 13, Google has been trying to put things in order.
Optimize yes, but not like crazy
If you can’t beat them, join them. Since the early days of Android, some layers of Android have been significantly more aggressive than others when it comes to background processes. It’s no quirk, but closing apps more aggressively results in longer battery life. In turn, apps can behave erratically, especially those that need to schedule a task later, like showing us a notification.
For app developersthis optimization which varies from one mobile to another it’s hell they have to navigate trying to keep the same functionality regardless of the system layer. A good summary of the current panorama can be found on the Don’t Kill My App site, which includes a ranking of the brands that “kill” the most applications.
Samsung is the brand that “kills” apps the most to save battery, according to Don’t Kill My App
Curiously, according to this specialized site, Samsung is the brand with the most aggressive battery optimization, but it seems that the South Koreans have decided to correct their mistakes. Samsung is the first major manufacturer to agree to Preserve the behavior of Android app optimizations:
To strengthen the Android platform, our collaboration with Google has resulted in a unified policy that we hope will create a more consistent and reliable user experience for Galaxy users. Starting with One UI 6.0, foreground services for apps targeting Android 14 will work as expected, as long as they are developed according to the new Android Foreground Services API policy.
It won’t come retroactively, but Samsung has promised to stick to the standard, unified operation of app optimizations. from One UI 6.0 based on Android 14 and in applications developed for this version of Android.
Google’s idea is extend these types of agreements to other Android brands so developers and users know what to expect when it comes to background services. Google highlights some recent changes that go in the same direction:
- The new requirement for apps to declare which foreground services they use and why. It is mandatory from Android 14.
- New user data transfer job type for JobScheduler, which simplifies the task of managing large uploads and downloads.
- New Google Play policies to verify proper use of foreground services and forwarding of user-initiated tasks.
More information | Android Developers
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