How to stop the Galaxy Note5 from killing background apps and enjoy better multitasking

posted by Luis D. / Sep 02, 2015, 8:28 AM

How to stop the Galaxy Note5 from killing background apps and enjoy better multitasking

Unfortunately, for all that state-of-the-art tech packed inside them, the Galaxy S6, S6 edge, and the new Galaxy Note5 have an Achilles' heel that leaves them prone to poor RAM management. Despite the Note5 having 4 GB of RAM, as much as a cheap laptop nowadays, the phablet doesn't utilize it to its full potential.

If you only use one app, minimize it, open another one, and then switch to the previous app, you will have to wait for the app to reload. It seems the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, just like the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S6 before it, tends to aggressively close tasks in the background.

What does that mean for your multitasking efforts? Well, if you open more than 5 apps in the background, the phone will automatically close them and you won’t be able to continue from where you left. Five apps is too little for a smartphone with so much RAM.

Thankfully, it appears that the multitasking fix for rooted Galaxy Note 4 devices we published a while ago also works on a rooted Galaxy Note5. That's expected, seeing how similar their firmwares are. Here's what you need to do!

1. Install the build.prop editor app from Google Play (link).

2. Go to the #DHA Properties part and change the following entries' values like this:

ro.config.dha_cached_max=12
ro.config.dha_empty_max=36

3. Add the following lines below these entries:

ro.config.dha_th_rate=2.3
ro.config.dha_lmk_scale=0.545
ro.config.sdha_apps_bg_max=70
ro.config.sdha_apps_bg_min=8

4. Finally, delete the following four lines from the build.prop file:

ro.config.dha_cached_max=
ro.config.dha_empty_max=
ro.config.dha_th_rate=
ro.config.dha_lmk_scale=

5. Save the changes and reboot your Note5. Now, the phablet shouldn't be closing tasks so aggressively.

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31 Comments

1. seret6

Posts: 279; Member since: Aug 14, 2013

I dont wanna root my new note, ot renders the warranty useless

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 8:34 AM 10

8. Mxyzptlk unregistered

MultitaskGate and S-Pengate

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 9:01 AM 5

18. tedkord

Posts: 17311; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

You're trying to hard. S-Pen gate is an already debunked load of fluff.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 10:47 AM 5

22. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Now you know how the overblown bendgate fiasco felt.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 12:24 PM 0

23. tedkord

Posts: 17311; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Nope. The S-Pen issue requires user error to become an issue. The iPhone bending happened with normal use. But keep trying.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 12:32 PM 3

28. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Seems like a cop out excuse because the bendgate thing required a good amount of force to bend the iPhone 6. But keep trying.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 3:37 PM 3

31. Deicide

Posts: 82; Member since: Jul 02, 2011

The iPhone 6 didn't bend so easily yet the iPhone 6+ on the other hand... Besides Apple did add some more rigidity later on, so it did acknowledge it was a serious problem. I mean come on, no other phone bent that easily as seen on Unboxtherapy's channel.

posted on Sep 03, 2015, 2:09 AM 2

10. dimas

Posts: 3345; Member since: Jul 22, 2014

And it should work properly because people pay premium price for it. Samsung should release an update fixing this problem.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 9:14 AM 4

13. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

You can root it, add those lines of code and then remove the root easily.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 9:21 AM 0

2. Martin_Cooper

Posts: 1774; Member since: Jul 30, 2013

You know you are a s**tty in software department when a user has to hack the phone just to use the simplest of its features properly like multitasking.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 8:40 AM 12

3. Landon

Posts: 1244; Member since: May 07, 2015

If you root the phone, Samsung Pay will not work so no thanks!

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 8:45 AM 8

4. xioxas

Posts: 21; Member since: May 04, 2015

with 4GB RAM LPDDR4 and it still trying to kill your background apps when you multitasking, powerfull indeed

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 8:45 AM 2

27. MedLEB unregistered

Yeah, That sucks, I think they are trying to save battery life, to use small batteries.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 2:57 PM 0

5. GreatBigPhoney

Posts: 70; Member since: Jan 27, 2015

Maybe it's just me...but this hasn't been an issue for me so far, at least I have noticed it is much better than my Note 4 was.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 8:52 AM 2

11. dimas

Posts: 3345; Member since: Jul 22, 2014

The multitasking problem are more prone in carrier-based models. My wife's note 5 don't have such issues since we bought it unlocked.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 9:16 AM 0

14. buccob

Posts: 2963; Member since: Jun 19, 2012

Well this was in fact proven by Android Authority https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWX6qJjY-0 I tried doing the same task with my Xperia Z3 Compact while watching the video and with its "measly" 2GB of RAM it performed much better

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 9:22 AM 3

6. medicci37

Posts: 1361; Member since: Nov 19, 2011

I'm so tired of all this bs with Samsung & Android. Impossible to get a Android phone with the features I want. Ik Apple has issues to but I'm seriously thinking about getting a iPhone 6s plus when they come out

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 8:54 AM 3

9. tonyv

Posts: 54; Member since: Mar 12, 2014

yep, i'm about to join apple once again since the 3GS. seems like you have to have a Nexus device in order to enjoy Android how it was intended. unfortunately, Google is only putting top cameras in their phablet Nexus devices. oh well.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 9:06 AM 1

7. Ninetysix

Posts: 2962; Member since: Oct 08, 2012

It just works ™ Wait what???

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 9:00 AM 0

12. darkkjedii

Posts: 30968; Member since: Feb 05, 2011

Mine doesn't have the aggregate ram management issue. It just works.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 9:17 AM 5

19. darkkjedii

Posts: 30968; Member since: Feb 05, 2011

Oops aggressive

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 11:04 AM 2

16. redmd

Posts: 1926; Member since: Oct 26, 2011

I wish Samsung would made this as an official update.

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 10:18 AM 3

17. Pattyface

Posts: 1658; Member since: Aug 20, 2014

My s6 edge plus isn't having these issues hmmm

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 10:24 AM 0

20. Bm888

Posts: 517; Member since: Jul 06, 2015

my exynos note 4 just multitasks swiftly ..never have it had this "aggressive " ram thing ....ten mnths down the line

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 11:19 AM 0

21. Ordinary

Posts: 2454; Member since: Apr 23, 2015

Even my S4 has better ram managment lol

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 11:20 AM 0

24. enthasuium

Posts: 150; Member since: Nov 21, 2013

poor Article, Do this : Enable Developer mode by pressing lollipop logo ten times, Goto developer mode : Select Background process limit : Select ATMOST 4 Process . This will make minimum 5-6 background app open

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 12:37 PM 1

33. pixelkicks

Posts: 1; Member since: Sep 10, 2015

So does this remove the limit then? I'm about to get a new Note 5 in the next couple of weeks but this task killing problem poses a big problem for me as I always have tons open. If this works it needs more visibility, as this is literally the only place on the internet I've seen it!

posted on Sep 10, 2015, 5:50 AM 0

25. M.O.A.B

Posts: 318; Member since: Feb 13, 2015

why doesn't samsung push those lines as an update ??! in fact the real question is why did they choose this aggressive ram management in the first place ?!! why didn't the note 5 come out of the box with the best multitasking experience in the market ? especially that they said in the conference that it has 4 GB of ram so you'll multitask to your heart's content !! "1 or 2 Gigs is not enough , so we included 4GB of RAM ,, this is the most amount of ram we've included in our phones, you'll be able to keep up with your massages, post updates to social media and multitask to your heart's content" that's a lie samsung !! you must be ashamed ,, even the s6 should hold apps much much more than it does now i've played with a note 5 in a shop and i have to say it not as bad as it appears in youtube, but it's still much worse than it should be sorry guys but this multitasking thing is frustrating me so much !! especially when i see the xperia z3 compact performing much better in mutitasking than the note 5 with half amount of RAM !!

posted on Sep 02, 2015, 12:43 PM 4

26. M.O.A.B

Posts: 318; Member since: Feb 13, 2015

what makes this even more funny is that i got my hands on a galaxy s duos 2 several days ago and guess what ? it can hold 10 apps at the same time all active and running in the background !! and the note 5 with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM can't do at least better than that ??! ^^^^ sorry forgot to add that in the first comment ..