Introducing Application Resource Monitor in BlackBerry 7.1


I’d like to introduce you to a new feature which is now available for BlackBerry® 7.1 OS customers in BlackBerry® Beta Zone. It’s called Application Resource Monitor, and it’s been added to help you get the most out of your BlackBerry® smartphone’s battery life.



As you most likely know, a BlackBerry smartphone can have multiple apps running at the same time, which can help you get stuff done a lot quicker. I often leave an app running with the full intention of coming back to it, but get distracted and it’s left forgotten. This is where Application Resource Monitor comes in: this feature is designed to identify and alert you to apps that are draining resources. (An important thing to note is that only apps that are running and not in use, or are running while the device has been idle, will trigger an alert.)

Of course, you are able to turn off this feature, ignore the alert, or add the app to a white list causing Application Resource Monitor to ignore it moving forward. Today I’m going to give you the rundown of how this feature works, how to disable it, and how to un-white list an app.

Depending on what version of BlackBerry 7.1 OS you are using, the Application Resource Monitor feature may already be installed on your smartphone. To see if it is already installed, select “Options” from the home screen, followed by “Device”. “Application Resource Monitor” will appear on the list. However, if you can’t see it, you can get it by visiting BlackBerry Beta Zone and searching for “Application Resource Monitor”.

Provided you have Application Resource Monitor installed, here is an overview of how it works and how to configure it.

Reviewing Application Resource Monitor Settings


Once installed, the Application Resource Monitor feature comes on automatically, but you can choose to turn it off. You also have the option of getting notified of apps that might be draining resources instead of having the apps shut down automatically. To review and customize your settings, complete the following steps:

  1. Select “Options” from the Home screen or from within a folder
  2. Select “Device” followed by “Application Resource Monitor”
  3. Optionally enable or disable the “Turn on Application Resource Monitor” and “Automatically shutdown background draining applications” features.
  4. Press the Menu key and select “Save”.

Receiving an Alert from Application Resource Monitor


To alert you to an app that might unnecessarily be using resources and draining your battery, a notification will appear in the Notification View near the top of your Home screen as shown in the screen shots below.



  • Do not monitor this: Selecting this will cause Application Resource Monitor to always ignore this app when it is left running, effectively “white listing” the app. To start monitoring an app that has been marked as “Do not monitor this”, review the section below on un-white listing.
  • OK: Selecting this will dismiss the application.

Un-white listing an app


If you previously selected “Do not monitor this” when alerted about an app’s resource usage, then the app will appear in the Application Resource Monitor settings as not being monitored. To un-white list an app so it will be monitored again, clear the check box next to the app’s name in the Application Resource Monitor’s settings (see Reviewing Application Resource Monitors Settings above).

Have a question or comment about Application Resource Monitor? Leave a comment below! Additionally, if you’re an application developer, check out this blog post on the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog.


Source: http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/05/application-resource-monitor/

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