iPhone Do you kill apps from multi-tasking on iPhone?

[cynics]

Why would you even wish to kill apps? You do not have to, you just jump back to home screen and open apps...I do that all the time...



Once you pass certain number, scrolling through app tray is no longer make,any sense

You are contradicting yourself.

I close apps so it makes sense to use the app tray.

I agree if you don't close apps it doesn't make sense to use the recent app tray and at that point you might as well open an app from the home screens.

----------

Nope. I use the recently used app list to access recently used apps. If I haven't used an app recently, I access it through the home page (where you find the apps that I use constantly throughout the day.)



By your own description, you waste more time removing apps from the list than you do "scrolling" past them.

I see your point however I guess I use the recent apps differently. I use it for apps I'm constantly opening which is generally recently.

Using the home screen is slow for me due to the amount of apps I have (80 +/-).

The home screens give me two options. Folders or multiple pages of apps. Neither of which is as fast as me keeping a tidy recent app tray.

 

[BaldiMac]

I close apps so it makes sense to use the app tray.

I agree if you don't close apps it doesn't make sense to use the recent app tray and at that point you might as well open an app from the home screens.

So, you spend lots of time managing the apps in the app switcher, so that it makes sense to you to double click and select from three apps (plus scrolling for more) instead of single clicking and selecting from 24 apps?

 

[C DM]

That may work for you but I have 10 or so apps I use constantly throughout the day with several others I rarely use.

I don't want to have to scroll passed the rarely used apps 10 times to get the apps I use constantly "ahead in line".

So you actually have it backwards. You are intentionally scrolling passed the same app that you don't use constantly aka waste time. Whereas if you closed it on the first pass you'd save time.

Wouldnt those 10 frequently used apps appear as the first 10 apps in the recently used apps list (by the virtue of you using them frequently) and thus you wouldn't have to bother with or scroll past any of the other rarely used apps on the list that are further beyond that almost as if they aren't even there?

 

[cynics]

So, you spend lots of time managing the apps in the app switcher, so that it makes sense to you to double click and select from three apps (plus scrolling for more) instead of single clicking and selecting from 24 apps?

I spend very little time managing the app tray since there are rarely apps in it I rarely use.

For example I ordered Pizza Hut last night (don't judge me) and this morning I had my 10 normal work apps plus Pizza Hut at the front. I swiped Pizza Hut app away and that's all the "managing" I'll likely need to do today.

Much easier then diving into pages of this.

And btw all my apps I use just enough to not delete.

----------

Wouldnt those 10 frequently used apps appear as the first 10 apps in the recently used apps list (by the virtue of you using them frequently) and thus you wouldn't have to bother with or scroll past any of the other rarely used apps on the list that are further beyond that almost as if they aren't even there?

When you use a rarely used app it's at the front. So you'll need to scroll by it 10 times to get to frequently used apps or goto the home screens for frequently used apps. OR you could just close it the first time.

----------

Lol this thread has turned on me. That's ok.

Here is my point I'm trying to make. Of all my apps I have I like to keep the few I use the most front and center of the recent app list. I don't want an odd ball app I needed for 5 seconds to be in that list. If it was at the end I wouldn't care but until I use ALL my most used apps again that odd ball app will be at the front or in the middle. Therefore it's just as easy for me to swipe it away and not have to wait till it's at the end and easy to ignore.

First world problems

 

[C DM]

I spend very little time managing the app tray since there are rarely apps in it I rarely use.

For example I ordered Pizza Hut last night (don't judge me) and this morning I had my 10 normal work apps plus Pizza Hut at the front. I swiped Pizza Hut app away and that's all the "managing" I'll likely need to do today.

Much easier then diving into pages of this.

Image

And btw all my apps I use just enough to not delete.

----------




When you use a rarely used app it's at the front. So you'll need to scroll by it 10 times to get to frequently used apps or goto the home screens for frequently used apps. OR you could just close it the first time.

You can close it the first time, sure, but what I'm saying is that once you use some other frequently used apps they will be in the front sort of negating the need to close that rarely used one. Not sure if the action if scrolling past one or two apps a few times until they are out of the way is really more hassle than actually closing them off. I'm not saying one is better than the other really--it's more of a personal choice essentially--but as far as "hassle" the different options would present in a situation that you describe it seems like neither one is really much more than the other or all that much to begin with.

 

[thegrants82]

I spend very little time managing the app tray since there are rarely apps in it I rarely use.

For example I ordered Pizza Hut last night (don't judge me) and this morning I had my 10 normal work apps plus Pizza Hut at the front. I swiped Pizza Hut app away and that's all the "managing" I'll likely need to do today.

Much easier then diving into pages of this.

Image

And btw all my apps I use just enough to not delete.

----------




When you use a rarely used app it's at the front. So you'll need to scroll by it 10 times to get to frequently used apps or goto the home screens for frequently used apps. OR you could just close it the first time.

----------

Lol this thread has turned on me. That's ok.

Here is my point I'm trying to make. Of all my apps I have I like to keep the few I use the most front and center of the recent app list. I don't want an odd ball app I needed for 5 seconds to be in that list. If it was at the end I wouldn't care but until I use ALL my most used apps again that odd ball app will be at the front or in the middle. Therefore it's just as easy for me to swipe it away and not have to wait till it's at the end and easy to ignore.

First world problems

I am similar with my thought process except I don't have almost empty folders like your weather one on my desktop. Seems like a waste of space.

 

[cynics]

I am similar with my thought process except I don't have almost empty folders like your weather one on my desktop. Seems like a waste of space.

See I don't feel that way. I use both the native and TWC apps quite often (my work is weather dependent). So I want them on my main home screen. The only way I could condense two apps to use one space is with a folder.

I COULD put them in a more generic folder with other apps but something about that I do not like.

 

[S.B.G]

I usually do at the end of the day before I put it on the charger for the night.

 

[Reason077]

Because unless an app has crashed, there is no point.

In fact, it's worse than pointless. Applications that are already in memory start don't need to restart, which is slower and uses more battery. So, you're forcing apps to restart the next time you need to use them, which is wasteful.

If you're worried about background apps using up battery, then you're much better off turning off "Background App Refresh" which will prevent them from doing so permanently!

The only reason to ever kill an app from multitasking is if it is frozen or misbehaving somehow!

 

[cynics]

You can close it the first time, sure, but what I'm saying is that once you use some other frequently used apps they will be in the front sort of negating the need to close that rarely used one. Not sure if the action if scrolling past one or two apps a few times until they are out of the way is really more hassle than actually closing them off. I'm not saying one is better than the other really--it's more of a personal choice essentially--but as far as "hassle" the different options would present in a situation that you describe it seems like neither one is really much more than the other or all that much to begin with.

I understand what you mean and I agree it's person preference.

However I think you're applying your usage patterns to mine.

So once you open frequently used apps from the home screens the less used are at the end. That makes sense I agree.

However I'm generally not using the home screen so I'd have to scroll passed that less used app until all my other more frequently used apps are ahead of it.

By no means do I find any other way to be an actual "hassle" just slightly less convenient for *me*.

Which leads me back to that initial post. If you are really going to utilize the recent app tray it's better (at least IMO) to keep it organized and that's accomplished by closing apps out of it. If you rarely use it or only use it to go back one or two apps then yeah, it doesn't matter leave them all open and use the home screens mostly.

 

[BaldiMac]

I spend very little time managing the app tray since there are rarely apps in it I rarely use.

For example I ordered Pizza Hut last night (don't judge me) and this morning I had my 10 normal work apps plus Pizza Hut at the front. I swiped Pizza Hut app away and that's all the "managing" I'll likely need to do today.

Fair enough. Works for you!

Much easier then diving into pages of this.

Image

Well, the fact that you organize your homepage very inefficiently doesn't really support your point. You could put just your favorite 10 apps on the main homepage and not have to worry about managing the app switcher at all.

But to get back to the point, I really didn't mean to get off on a tagent criticizing how you manage your apps. Whatever works for you!

I was just trying to answer your question. "Why wouldn't you close apps in the recent app list?" Hopefully, you can see how a different workflow could save time (and possibly battery life) by not closing apps.

 

[thegrants82]

See I don't feel that way. I use both the native and TWC apps quite often (my work is weather dependent). So I want them on my main home screen. The only way I could condense two apps to use one space is with a folder.

I COULD put them in a more generic folder with other apps but something about that I do not like.

I'm a meteorologist...take my word for it, the native apple weather app is just about as bad as it gets. Wx Alert USA, Dark Sky and RadarScope. Those three give you everything that you will ever need WX wise. If your paycheck is weather dependent then of course never use apples app and delete TWC.

 

[cynics]

Fair enough. Works for you!







Well, the fact that you organize your homepage very inefficiently doesn't really support your point. You could put just your favorite 10 apps on the main homepage and not have to worry about managing the app switcher at all.



But to get back to the point, I really didn't mean to get off on a tagent criticizing how you manage your apps. Whatever works for you!



I was just trying to answer your question. "Why wouldn't you close apps in the recent app list?" Hopefully, you can see how a different workflow could save time (and possibly battery life) by not closing apps.

I hate to call it OCD because it's not but I have to have apps in there respective folders.

With Android I had a much better work flow because I could have a popular app folder but also have those icons in a proper folder (multimedia, photography, etc). Not to mention use widgets for certain apps to avoid opening them at all.

With iOS the icon is the app and I can't have two icons that lead to the same place. Nor can I organize my apps and folders toward the bottom of the screen where it's easier to reach. Plus I can't change things to fit more on the first home screen.

I just use the app switcher because it works. Even if I did have a popular app folder it wouldn't really be that much faster if at all. Single tap home, open folder, open app vs double tap home, open app OR swipe then open app.

 

[zone23]

My take is this:

The apps that are made to run in the background continue to run even if you "close" them in the multi-task window (weather app).

Also I can't use the multi-task window efficiently if I have 500 apps open in it. So I "close" them to make it easy to get to the app I want to run quickly. I don't see the need to have an app I run once a week in the multi-task window. I leave apps that I run frequently "open".

 

[cynics]

My take is this:

The apps that are made to run in the background continue to run even if you "close" them in the multi-task window (weather app).

Also I can't use the multi-task window efficiently if I have 500 apps open in it. So I "close" them to it make it easy to get to the app I want to run quickly. I don't see the need to have an app I run once a week in the multi-task window. I leave apps that I run frequently "open".

You worded what I've been trying to say better.

 

[zone23]

You worded what I've been trying to say better.

Ya I mean why would you leave an app you ran two weeks ago open in the task manager? Makes no sense to me. Its not going to hurt your battery. I would guess that iOS has already unloaded it from its memory anyway.

 

[Shuri]

The apps that are made to run in the background continue to run even if you "close" them in the multi-task window (weather app).

Yes, if we look at Background Refresh or Push Messages. No, when it comes to music or navigation. ;-)

I agree that if you're using the recent app list as another launcher, than you have to delete some apps from there. But, if you mind my opinion, I think it's overall less efficient, because you're not using it for the intended use-case by Apple. (Which I don't care if you do, just came to my mind ) If it was intended the way you're using it, I guess there would be a way to lock down apps in the app switcher (so they are in front all the time)

----------

Ya I mean why would you leave an app you ran two weeks ago open in the task manager? Makes no sense to me. Its not going to hurt your battery. I would guess that iOS has already unloaded it from its memory anyway.

Because I don't even realize its there, since it is so far away in the back of the list

 

[zone23]

Yes, if we look at Background Refresh or Push Messages. No, when it comes to music or navigation. ;-)

I agree that if you're using the recent app list as another launcher, than you have to delete some apps from there. But, if you mind my opinion, I think it's overall less efficient, because you're not using it for the intended use-case by Apple. (Which I don't care if you do, just came to my mind ) If it was intended the way you're using it, I guess there would be a way to lock down apps in the app switcher (so they are in front all the time)

----------



Because I don't even realize its there, since it is so far away in the back of the list

I never new Apple intended it to be used as an emergency "kill an app". Coming from android we used it to get to apps quickly. Say I'm typing an email and I need the web I can just double tap open the browser get the info double tap back to the email just got a SMS double tap open SMS. In my mind that's the way Apple intended it to be used. Is there some document that says its "only for killing apps"?

 

[C DM]

I never new Apple intended it to be used as an emergency "kill an app". Coming from android we used it to get to apps quickly. Say I'm typing an email and I need the web I can just double tap open the browser get the info double tap back to the email just got a SMS double tap open SMS. In my mind that's the way Apple intended it to be used. Is there some document that says its "only for killing apps"?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5137 Although that's actually as far as what closing apps is for. As far as the multitasking and recent apps list is concerned the use of it is certainly for both of those type of functions.

 

[Max(IT)]

When you think having 90% used RAM is a bad thing in general, then you're wrong. If not, then go on.

In my experience, freeing up RAM in iOS works most of the time, I don't think it's such a big thing to bother with.

It was like you said until iOS 7.
Now the memory manager seems to be very inefficient in freeing ram when needed, and many apps crash.

----------

This process does not work flawless, so killing the apps is your best bet.

I agree with you.
Until iOS 6 it worked very well, with iOS 7 they changed the multitasking behavior and it isn't working in the same way.
I really hope iOS 7.1 will improve this aspect.

----------

Annoyingly I can't see the results of the poll so far in mobile view - but I'm curious. Do all those that voted "yes" imagine all the many that voted "no" have slow, stuttering, overloaded phones that burn up their batteries in half an hour? Or is the possibility dawning on you that actually, all those "no" phones might be working just fine?

My iPhone and iPad are working just fine, with a very good battery life ... I performed a lot of test about memory behavior in iOS 7, and posted the results on this forum.
The memory manager in iOS 7 is not very efficient, and this is the main reason for Safari being a very unstable app, especially on 64-bits enabled devices (actually I did the tests after the upgrade from an iPad 4 to the new Air, because of the increased number of crashes I did notice at the time).

----------

In fact, it's worse than pointless. Applications that are already in memory start don't need to restart, which is slower and uses more battery. So, you're forcing apps to restart the next time you need to use them, which is wasteful.

If you're worried about background apps using up battery, then you're much better off turning off "Background App Refresh" which will prevent them from doing so permanently!

The only reason to ever kill an app from multitasking is if it is frozen or misbehaving somehow!

Is not the battery the problem. Is THE MEMORY.

 

[Dented]

Do you kill apps from multi-tasking on iPhone?

My iPhone and iPad are working just fine, with a very good battery life ...

That's not what I asked, to be fair

The point is, if what you're saying is true and your constant app closing is necessary, how are all those who voted "no" here and not closing their apps possibly living with themselves and their hopelessly overrun devices?

How is it that my iPhone runs just as well if not better than yours? Because I promise you - it does.

 

[Max(IT)]

My take is this:

The apps that are made to run in the background continue to run even if you "close" them in the multi-task window (weather app).

Also I can't use the multi-task window efficiently if I have 500 apps open in it. So I "close" them to make it easy to get to the app I want to run quickly. I don't see the need to have an app I run once a week in the multi-task window. I leave apps that I run frequently "open".

Absolutely not !

Apps closed in the multitasking window cannot run in background.
It is explained here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4211

If you force an app to quit by dragging it up from the multitasking display, it won't be able to do its background activities, such as tracking location or responding to VoIP calls, until you relaunch the app.

----------

That's not what I asked, to be fair

The point is, if what you're saying is true and your constant app closing is necessary, how are all those who voted "no" here and not closing their apps possibly living with themselves and their hopelessly overrun devices?

How is it that my iPhone runs just as well if not better than yours? Because I promise you - it does.

You don't have a way to demonstrate that your iPhone is working any better than mine ....

Btw it depends on the apps involved, as usual.

 

[irDigital0l]

Yes I do for my iPhone 4, but I feel if the iPhone 6 comes with 1/2GB of RAM I would do it less.

I would probably still remove games like Infinity Blade, Real Racing (graphic intensify games).

I noticed pretty severe battery drop and lag when they stay. Other than that most apps are fine.

 

[zone23]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5137 Although that's actually as far as what closing apps is for. As far as the multitasking and recent apps list is concerned the use of it is certainly for both of those type of functions.

Well there ya have it guess I won't be closing any apps anymore. Task switcher just became useless for me.. thanks for the info.

 

[BaldiMac]

Absolutely not !

Apps closed in the multitasking window cannot run in background.
It is explained here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4211

If you force an app to quit by dragging it up from the multitasking display, it won't be able to do its background activities, such as tracking location or responding to VoIP calls, until you relaunch the app.

Nope. Apps with Background Refresh enabled will still run in the background as designed even if "closed" in the multitasking view.

The line you are quoting only applies to the apps that run continuously in the background when using certain background APIs introduced in iOS 4 (music, VOIP, etc.)