Is your Firestick or Android TV box suffering from lag, constant buffering, or apps crashing? One of the most common culprits is too many background apps hogging system resources. Shutting them down quickly boosts speed.
In this guide, I‘ll show you step-by-step how to turn off background apps in under 30 seconds. I‘ll also explain all the benefits this simple trick provides.
Soon your device will run smooth as silk during media streaming and browsing. Let‘s get started!
Why You Should Turn Off Background Apps
Before we dig into the how-to, you‘re probably wondering…
Why is stopping background apps so important for performance?
Here‘s the deal:
Leaving apps running in the background gradually bogs down your system. Each one consumes RAM, processor power, and battery life.
Research shows Android devices often have over 60 background processes active at once!
Table – Negative Impacts of Too Many Background Apps
| Issue | Cause |
|---|---|
| Slow performance | Apps competing for limited RAM and CPU resources |
| Frequent crashing | Buggy apps overloading the system until it shuts down |
| Laggy streaming | Less power for media decoding and playback |
| Battery drain | Apps constantly running even when not in use |
This slow deterioration happens silently over weeks of use. Pretty soon, everything starts slowing to a crawl.
Fortunately, stopping background apps gives an instant performance and battery boost.
Apps you‘re actually using run faster with more resources available. Media streaming becomes smooth and responsive.
It‘s like giving your Firestick or Android box a fresh start!
Now let‘s see how to do it…
Step 1: Install the Background Apps & Process List App
There are a couple ways to stop background apps on Android. But in my experience, this app makes it incredibly simple:
Background Apps & Process List
It shows every single app running behind the scenes. With one tap, you can force close whichever ones you don‘t need.
Use these steps to install it:
On Firestick:
- Go to the Firestick home screen
- Select the "Search" option
- Type in "Background Apps & Process List"
- Choose the app from the search results
- Click "Download"
On Android:
- Open the Google Play Store
- Search for "Background Apps & Process List"
- Tap "Install" to download
That‘s it! The app will now be available in your app library.
Step 2: View and Stop Running Background Apps
Now comes my favorite part…
Launch the Background Apps & Process List app. You‘ll see two key things:
-
A list of every app currently running in the background.
-
How much system resources (RAM) each one is using.
Apps are sorted from most to least resource-intensive.
This instantly shows you exactly which apps could be dragging down performance.
Now force stop any apps you aren‘t actively using.
You have two options to do this quickly:
Close All Apps
Tap "Close All Apps" at the top of the screen. This brings up each app‘s settings.
Tap "Force Stop" on each one to shut them down completely.
Close Select Apps
Tap an individual app, then hit "Force Stop" to close just that specific one.
Repeat for other apps you want to shut down.
Either way takes under 30 seconds to disable background processes and reclaim system resources!
Step 3: Reopen Apps When Needed
Closing apps doesn‘t delete or uninstall them. It just stops background processes temporarily.
Next time you open that app, it‘ll launch normally.
Only reopen apps when you actually need them. Leaving them disabled keeps your Firestick or Android device running light and fast.
Pro Tip: I recommend force stopping apps once a week for routine maintenance. Doing it before major streaming events is also a good idea.
Stopping Background Apps Improves More Than Just Speed
Speeding up your Firestick or Android box is the #1 benefit of closing background apps.
But it also provides a few other nice perks:
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Increased privacy – Shuts down any sketchy apps covertly tracking you
-
Longer battery life – Apps can‘t secretly drain power in the background
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Storage space – Less app clutter means more room for videos/games
-
Cooler temperature – Excessive background apps can overheat devices
Managing your background apps gives control over your device‘s performance and privacy.
Force Stopping vs. Disabling Apps – What‘s the Difference?
When it comes to limiting background apps, you have two options:
Force Stop – Stops the app process instantly but allows it to restart next use.
Disable – Prevents the app from running again until you enable it.
Both free up device resources. But force stopping gives an immediate boost. And disabling requires re-enabling apps every time you want to use them.
In most cases, force stopping through Background Apps & Process List is the fastest and simplest solution. But disabling particularly troublesome apps can help too.
Additional Tricks to Speed Up Your Firestick or Android TV
Aggressively closing background apps with this app is a great start.
But a few other optimizations take your performance to the next level:
-
Use a lighter launcher – The Wolf Launcher provides speed boosts over bulky default launchers.
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Enable developer options – Settings like "Force GPU rendering" improve streaming.
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Lower display resolution – Less graphics strain speeds up video playback.
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Overclock CPU – Utility apps carefully increase clock speed for snappier response.
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Use wired connections – Wired internet and power prevent WiFi and battery issues.
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Uninstall bloatware – Remove unnecessary pre-installed apps that waste resources.
-
Add more RAM – Upgrading memory lets you run more apps smoothly.
Combining these tweaks with shutting down background processes gives a massive speed increase!
I know that was a lot of info, so let‘s recap the key points:
Let‘s Recap How To Stop Background Apps:
-
Install the Background Apps & Process List app
-
Open it to view currently running apps
-
Force stop or disable unneeded background apps
-
Enjoy faster loading, better streaming, and longer battery life!
Still have questions? Here are some answers to commonly asked questions:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Should I force stop all apps or just some?
I suggest force stopping all apps weekly for a fresh start. Selectively stopping problematic ones works too.
Will closing apps cause problems or crashes?
Nope! Reopening an app restarts it normally. Aggressively stopping apps is completely safe.
How often should I force stop background apps?
Once a week is good for most. Do it more if you have a laggy app or serious performance issues.
Does stopping apps free up storage space?
No, it only frees up RAM temporarily. You need to uninstall apps completely to increase free storage.
What’s the best way to identify problematic background apps?
Check immediately after any lag or crashes – look for unusual or suspicious apps using excessive resources.
Is it safe to force stop security apps like antivirus?
Antivirus needs to run continuously, so don‘t force stop active security apps. Other apps are fine to stop.
Alright my friend, that wraps up this guide on speeding up your device by turning off background apps!
Give it a try and let me know if you have any other questions. Happy streaming!
