How can I prevent background processes from running?
Ever since I upgraded my iPhone 4S to iOS7, it has basically become a brick. It constantly freezes, and the home button becomes completely inoperable. People have suggested a number of fixes for the home button problem ("calibrating", tightening screws, etc.) but none of the fixes solved the problem. Through trial and error, I've come to realize that the problem is that the phone doesn't have enough computing power and that too much of its RAM gets used up by background processes, causing the phone to freeze.
I have found an app that stops unnecessary background processes currently running, frees up RAM, and lets the phone function properly (Free RAM 1.3). Once I've run this app, the phone functions perfectly.
However, this clean up only happens each time the app is launched (ie: it does not continuously free up RAM). So, I constantly have to run it (and sometimes am not able to because the phone is frozen and the home button won't work).
When it is running, the app displays the background processes that are running. Looking at the list, there are many processes for which I have no need, such as processes related to automatic checking for app updates, processes related to iCloud (which I do not use), etc. Preventing these processes from running in the first place would go a long way in making my phone more useable (being able to return to a previous iOS would be a better option, but Apple won't allow this).
Here is my question: is there a way to prevent unnecessary background processes from running at all?
iPhone 4, iOS 7
