High CPU usage

[peter952]

Avast Mobile Security constantly runs at around 13% CPU usage on my phone and my wife's phone (as seen by Trepn Profiler app). It is always the highest user of CPU. I start Avast and check but it is never doing any scans or anything else that would explain it. Any thoughts?

Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini running Android 6.0.1. Avast version 6.14.5-319289-5efd524

[peter952]

I stopped all Avast services that were stoppable via Settings / Developer Options / Running Services then tap on Avast. That included WebShieldService, FileShieldService, WebShieldAccessibilityService and KeepAliveService. There was no change to the CPU usage.

[Tereza V.]

Even if there no active scan currently running, all the shields and features of the Avast Mobile Security (File Shield, App install shield, SMS shield, Anti-Theft...) are active and protecting your phone. This of course creates some load on the device's CPU.

[peter952]

Are you suggesting that even if all shields are stopped it is acceptable for Avast to still chew up 13% CPU?

[Tereza V.]

Well, the answer may be "yes" in some cases. To analyze this further we are missing quite a lot of data like:

- what logic the Trepn Profiler actually uses to measure the CPU load (btw. is it this app? - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quicinc.trepn)
- are you a free or paying user? (the advertisement may also in some cases cause some load on the processor compared to paid app where it is not handled at all)
- what other functions of the app do you use? (there are not just the shields but also VPN, App Insights to monitor your usage of the phone, App Locking)

We have also tried to replicate the testing on our side (using the above mentioned app) and even with all the features and shields active the consumption was around 6%.

We have tested this on Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini running Android 6.0.1. Avast version 6.14.5-319289-5efd524.

[peter952]

I just tried it now and it is running at 0.4%, although I tried it a few other times since my first post and it was using a lot more.
I am a free user so ads may come into it.
No other functions other than the standard ones that get turned on by default.
Will provide an update if it shoots back up again.
(I was concerned because my battery was suddenly running flat by around 4pm each day. Bought a new battery but no change. Still looking for culprit.)

[Tereza V.]

You can try a Beta version, it fixes some crashes and a few users have reported smaller battery usage. Might be worth trying.
More about Beta on https://goo.gl/r8UPdZ