The "Don't keep activities" developer option, sometimes recommended for optimizing battery consumption on older Android phones, aggressively kills all apps in the background as soon as you leave them. Unfortunately, this setting completely breaks BIG Launcher's functionality, causing instability and unexpected behavior. For BIG Launcher to work correctly, this option must be turned off.
Note: While the core steps remain consistent, please be aware that the exact appearance of menus and screens may vary slightly depending on your Android version and device manufacturer, especially in older tutorials.
How to Disable "Don't Keep Activities" (If Developer Options Are Visible)
If you already have "Developer options" visible in your system settings, follow these steps:
- Access System Settings: Pull down the notification bar from the top of your screen and tap the gear icon to go to your System settings.
- Find Developer Options: Scroll down and select Developer options. This is usually the last item in the main settings list.
- Disable the Option: In the Developer options screen, locate the "Don't keep activities" setting and ensure it is switched OFF.
Disabling this option should resolve any issues BIG Launcher was experiencing.
Enabling Developer Options (If Not Visible)
If you don't see "Developer options" in your system settings, you'll need to enable them first:
- Access System Settings: Pull down the notification bar and go to System settings.
- Find About Phone: Scroll down and select About phone.
- Locate Software Information: Within "About phone," look for and tap on Software information.
- Tap Build Number: Find the "Build number" item. Tap on it rapidly seven times. You should see a notification confirming that "Developer options have been enabled."
- Return to Settings: Go back to the main System settings screen.
- Disable the Option: Now, you should see Developer options as an available item. Tap on it, find "Don't keep activities," and ensure it is OFF.
Quick Search Option
As an alternative to navigating through menus, you can often find the "Don't keep activities" option using the search function within your system settings. Simply open your System settings, tap the search icon (often a magnifying glass), and type "activities." The relevant setting should appear in the search results, allowing you to quickly access and disable it.