aidanpark--openclaw-android/docs/disable-phantom-process-killer.md

Keeping Processes Alive on Android

OpenClaw runs as a server, so Android's power management and process killing can interfere with stable operation. This guide covers all the settings needed to keep your processes running reliably.

Enable Developer Options

1. Go to Settings > About phone (or Device information)
2. Tap Build number 7 times
3. You'll see "Developer mode has been enabled"
4. Enter your lock screen password if prompted

On some devices, Build number is under Settings > About phone > Software information.

Stay Awake While Charging

1. Go to Settings > Developer options (the menu you just enabled)
2. Turn on Stay awake
3. The screen will now stay on whenever the device is charging (USB or wireless)

The screen will still turn off normally when unplugged. Keep the charger connected when running the server for extended periods.

Set Charge Limit (Required)

Keeping a phone plugged in 24/7 at 100% can cause battery swelling. Limiting the maximum charge to 80% greatly improves battery lifespan and safety.

• Samsung: Settings > Battery > Battery Protection → Select Maximum 80%
• Google Pixel: Settings > Battery > Battery Protection → ON

Menu names vary by manufacturer. Search for "battery protection" or "charge limit" in your settings. If your device doesn't have this feature, consider managing the charger manually or using a smart plug.

Disable Battery Optimization for Termux

1. Go to Android Settings > Battery (or Battery and device care)
2. Open Battery optimization (or App power management)
3. Find Termux and set it to Not optimized (or Unrestricted)

The exact menu path varies by manufacturer (Samsung, LG, etc.) and Android version. Search your settings for "battery optimization" to find it.

Disable Phantom Process Killer (Android 12+)

Android 12 and above includes a feature called Phantom Process Killer that automatically terminates background processes. This can cause Termux processes like openclaw gateway, sshd, and ttyd to be killed without warning.

Symptoms

If you see this message in Termux, Android has forcibly killed the process:

[Process completed (signal 9) - press Enter]

Signal 9 (SIGKILL) cannot be caught or blocked by any process — Android terminated it at the OS level.

Requirements

• Android 12 or higher (Android 11 and below are not affected)
• Termux with android-tools installed (included in OpenClaw on Android)

Step 1: Acquire Wake Lock

Pull down the notification bar and find the Termux notification. Tap Acquire wakelock to prevent Android from suspending Termux.

Once activated, the notification will show "wake lock held" and the button changes to Release wakelock.

Wake lock alone is not enough to prevent Phantom Process Killer. Continue with the steps below.

Step 2: Enable Wireless Debugging

1. Go to Settings > Developer options
2. Find and enable Wireless debugging
3. A confirmation dialog will appear — check "Always allow on this network" and tap Allow

Step 3: Install ADB (if not already installed)

In Termux, install android-tools:

pkg install -y android-tools

If you installed OpenClaw on Android, android-tools is already included.

Step 4: Pair with ADB

1. In Wireless debugging settings, tap Pair device with pairing code

2. A dialog will show the Wi-Fi pairing code and IP address & Port

   

3. In Termux, run the pairing command using the port and code shown on screen:

adb pair localhost:<PAIRING_PORT> <PAIRING_CODE>

Example:

adb pair localhost:39555 269556

You should see Successfully paired.

Step 5: Connect with ADB

After pairing, go back to the Wireless debugging main screen. Note the IP address & Port shown at the top — this is different from the pairing port.

In Termux, connect using the port shown on the main screen:

adb connect localhost:<CONNECTION_PORT>

Example:

adb connect localhost:35541

You should see connected to localhost:35541.

The pairing port and connection port are different. Use the port shown on the Wireless debugging main screen for adb connect.

Step 6: Disable Phantom Process Killer

Now run the following command to disable Phantom Process Killer:

adb shell "settings put global settings_enable_monitor_phantom_procs false"

Verify the setting:

adb shell "settings get global settings_enable_monitor_phantom_procs"

If the output is false, Phantom Process Killer has been successfully disabled.

Notes

• This setting persists across reboots — you only need to do this once
• You do not need to keep Wireless debugging enabled after completing these steps. You can turn it off
• This does not affect normal app behavior — it only prevents Android from killing background processes in Termux
• If you factory reset your phone, you will need to repeat this process

Further Reading

Some manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, etc.) apply additional aggressive battery optimization that can kill background apps. If you still experience process termination after disabling Phantom Process Killer, check dontkillmyapp.com for device-specific guides.