Adjusting RAM usage settings to prevent apps from being closed on the Pixel 9a involves a few strategies, although direct control over RAM management is limited. Here's how you can manage app behavior:
1. Checking RAM Usage**
To understand how much RAM is being used, you need to enable Developer Options:- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down to About phone.
- Tap on the Build number seven times to activate Developer Options.
- Go back to Settings, find System, and then Developer options.
- Look for the Memory section to see how much RAM is used by apps[1][4].
2. Managing Background Apps**
To manage apps running in the background:- Close Individual Apps: Swipe up from the bottom and hold to open the app switcher. Swipe to the app you want to close and swipe up on it[2].
- Close All Apps: In the app switcher, swipe all the way to the left and tap Close all**[2].
3. Limiting Background Battery Usage**
To prevent apps from running in the background and consuming battery:- Open Settings.
- Tap on Apps.
- Scroll down and tap on App battery usage.
- Find the app you want to limit and toggle Allow background usage to off[2].
4. Preventing Apps from Closing**
While there's no direct way to "lock" an app to prevent it from closing, you can try:- Disabling Battery Optimization: Go to Settings > Apps > App info > App battery usage and set it to Unrestricted for the app you want to keep running[6].
- App Pinning: This feature prevents you from closing an app while it's pinned, but it keeps the app in the foreground. It's under Security and privacy > More security settings > App pinning**[5].
5. Understanding Aggressive RAM Management**
Pixel devices are known for aggressive RAM management, which means they may close background apps more frequently than other devices, even with sufficient RAM available[3][10]. This is a design choice to optimize battery life and performance.In summary, while you can't directly adjust RAM usage settings to prevent apps from closing, you can manage background apps and limit their battery usage to influence how they behave. However, the Pixel's aggressive RAM management may still close apps periodically.
Citations:
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5OsPfhwbO8
[2] https://www.pocket-lint.com/pixel-background-apps-how-to/
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1f06j5a/pixel_9_killing_apps_in_background_frustrating/
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x1gtS3fBwE
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/115wkyu/is_there_a_way_to_lock_an_app_to_prevent_it_from/
[6] https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/207448916/why-there-is-no-way-of-locking-an-app-in-background-so-it-keeps-running-even-after-clearing-ram
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfLvVhdFc-4
[8] https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/252525988/apps-keep-closing-on-its-own
[9] https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/15531-pixel-9-pro-and-ram-availability
[10] https://xdaforums.com/t/aggressive-ram-management.4693164/