I'm currently optimizing Chrome startup time on 512 Android Go device, and I noticed that PhysicalWeb seems to trigger com.google.android.gsf/.settings.GoogleSettingsProvider provider, which creates com.google.process.gapps process.

Here is jdb stacktrace which seems to be missing couple of frames:

main[1] where
  [1] android.content.ContentResolver.query (ContentResolver.java:737)
  [2] android.content.ContentResolver.query (ContentResolver.java:704)
  [3] android.content.ContentResolver.query (ContentResolver.java:662)
  [4] com.google.android.L.P.r (GoogleSettingsContract.java:3)
  [5] com.google.android.L.P.B (GoogleSettingsContract.java:10)
  [6] com.google.android.L.p.s (UseLocationForServices.java:1)
  [7] com.google.android.apps.chrome.location.GoogleLocationSetting.isGoogleLocationSettingEnabledOrNotEnforceable (GoogleLocationSetting.java:2)
  [8] com.google.android.apps.chrome.location.LocationUtilsInternal.isSystemLocationSettingEnabled (LocationUtilsInternal.java:5)
  [9] org.chromium.chrome.browser.init.ProcessInitializationHandler$5.run (ProcessInitializationHandler.java:11)
  [10] org.chromium.chrome.browser.DeferredStartupHandler$$Lambda$0.queueIdle (unknown)
  [11] android.os.MessageQueue.next (MessageQueue.java:394)
  [12] android.os.Looper.loop (Looper.java:142)
  [13] android.app.ActivityThread.main (ActivityThread.java:6,494)
  [14] java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (native method)
  [15] com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run (RuntimeInit.java:438)
  [16] com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main (ZygoteInit.java:807)

The missing frames are:

LocationUtilsInternal.isSystemLocationSettingEnabled
PhysicalWeb.shouldAutoEnablePhysicalWeb
PhysicalWeb.onChromeStart
ProcessInitializationHandler.handleDeferredStartupTasksInitialization


The problem is that additional processes slow Chrome startup, so we're trying to get rid of them. I see that PhysicalWeb doesn't do scans if on low-end devices - does it mean we can also avoid the check?