Google will let users disable Android’s new background app limits to Android 13

Although Android 12 adds with it a long list of new features that will enhance the operating system, it also brings some controversial features to the table. One of them is related to the “Phantom Processes” that manages the background app processes. With future Android releases, we are now aware of a possible change to the Google-themed app policy.

It could potentially interfere with Android terminal emulator apps like PhantomProcessKiller Termux in Android 12. Google recognized this problem by introducing a new patch to AOSP. This patch adds a new toggle in Developer Options to disable Phantom processes monitoring. Revealed from Mishal Rehman with reporting from XDA.

Google unplanned background app policy to Android 13

PhantomProcesskiller is designed for forked child processes, which require a lot of CPU usage and boot through apps. Originally introduced with Android 12, this feature only allows a maximum of 32 child processes.

As expected, this impedes the ability of the app to execute many background operations. While it’s good news that Google has finally released the toggle to disable this, it looks like developers will have to wait until Android 13 launches at the end of 2022.

Phantom processes can be disabled through the “Power Users” and Developers settings – Developer settings – feature flags. When the toggle is off, the limit of 32 child processes is ignored and forked child processes are run without any restrictions. Note that this exception does not apply to major app processes.

Although there is now speculation that the feature will only be available with Android 13, it is unlikely to be bundled with Android 12L. If you do not know, Android 12L is for devices with tablets, foldables and large screens.

Android 13 is still months away from coming. Most importantly, the world does not yet fully understand Android 12 and its bugs.  Separately, Samsung recently had to turn off the One UI 4 Android 12 update for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3. However, it probably has more to do with Samsung than Google.