quitting applications

[Poldie]

Ok, so I get that you hit `home` to leave an app running and return to the main menu, and you hit `back` to quit an application. But sometimes the `back` button goes back a page/screen, like on the browser, or..well, a few apps really. How are you supposed to quit those? Hit `home`, then reload the application again and then hit `back` again, or hold back, or keep pressing back? Seems a bit clumsy. Wouldn't it be better if holding `back` would quit the app? Or am I missing a trick here?

 

[RogerPodacter]

i dont think pressing the back button to exit an app really closes the app like you are thinking it does. for example anytime i press back and it leaves/closes the app i was using, if i go to a task manager, that app i was just using is still running. so in reality i dont think there is any difference between using the home button or the back button to exit the app, they both remain running. however, like you, i always exit my apps using the back button because i have this feeling that it is truly closing the app whereas home button just minimizes it. but i think that's wrong lol.

 

[Poldie]

i dont think pressing the back button to exit an app really closes the app like you are thinking it does. for example anytime i press back and it leaves/closes the app i was using, if i go to a task manager, that app i was just using is still running. so in reality i dont think there is any difference between using the home button or the back button to exit the app, they both remain running. however, like you, i always exit my apps using the back button because i have this feeling that it is truly closing the app whereas home button just minimizes it. but i think that's wrong lol.

When you say " if i go to a task manager, that app i was just using is still running" do you mean you can see `running` next to that app, or just that it's on the list of apps? I do believe that `back` quits and `home` just...goes home. If you load a pdf file, go to some page or other, then click `home` then load the pdf app you'll go *immediately* to where you were. If you click `back` and reload, you can see that you're no longer in your document but are instead back at the start.

 

[saltorio]

Based on what I've seen from using Advanced Task Manager, hitting 'Back' does not specifically close the app, and in most cases actually leaves it running. A few apps do close that way, and some other offer an exit option from their menu commands, but many tend to run continuously in the background.

I'd definitely recommend a 3rd party task manager to clear up memory and save battery power.

Also, I've noticed that the built-in task switcher (accessible by holding the 'Home' button) seems to display apps even after they've closed (at least in Android 1.6 on my X10). I think it's set to always show 6 apps, as that's what it always seems to display, if they're not running, they were the most recently running.

 

[dredayholiday]

I thought when you hold the home button it just showed recent apps whether they were closed or not.

 

[bluenova]

i dont think pressing the back button to exit an app really closes the app like you are thinking it does.

Some apps will quit when using the back button but not all, it really depends on how the dev set it up.

I thought when you hold the home button it just showed recent apps whether they were closed or not.

You are right, it is just your most recent apps.

 

[dinosaurgal]

I'm dying to know too.
Is the only way to quit applications via 3rd party app like task killer?

 

[bluenova]

I'm dying to know too.
Is the only way to quit applications via 3rd party app like task killer?

As said it really depends on how the dev set it up. Some apps have a Quit button in the menu, some will quit when using the back button, others (like the stock browser) can only be quit with a task killer.

But too be honest there is really no need to be quitting apps (unless it is creating lag like the stock browser tends too). Android manages it's memory very well and will close an app if the resources are needed elsewhere.

 

[dinosaurgal]

Thanks for the enlightening me with that. Maybe I worried too much that the running apps behind is using more memory.

 

[saltorio]

You are right, it is just your most recent apps.

Ah, my bad. I though it was a task switcher (though it didn't seem to be a very good one). I only discovered the function yesterday.

But too be honest there is really no need to be quitting apps (unless it is creating lag like the stock browser tends too). Android manages it's memory very well and will close an app if the resources are needed elsewhere.

There is another reason to quit apps: to prevent them for using/establishing data connections. This can be a big battery drain. By quitting the app, you ensure it's not updating in the background or otherwise using a data connection.

 

[Poldie]

As said it really depends on how the dev set it up. Some apps have a Quit button in the menu, some will quit when using the back button, others (like the stock browser) can only be quit with a task killer.

But too be honest there is really no need to be quitting apps (unless it is creating lag like the stock browser tends too). Android manages it's memory very well and will close an app if the resources are needed elsewhere.

But I've just been playing with Fring, and I've stopping now and logged out. I look at the running services and I can see: Process: com.fring CallService Started by application: touch to stop Well, I don't want to have to fiddle with settings and kill stuff. I've logged out, then quit (pressed back - there's no 'quit' other than 'log out'). This isn't the only app that does this. I understand entirely the deal with Android managing apps, but it seems that this "service killer": menu/settings/applications/running services is required if you want to save cpu time, battery and possibly bandwidth. Should I have to do this? Or is this app badly behaved?

 

[bluenova]

menu/settings/applications/running services is required if you want to save cpu time, battery and possibly bandwidth. Should I have to do this? Or is this app badly behaved?

If the app it not doing anything it won't be using cpu/battery/bandwidth but by leaving the process running means you can open the app quicker and use less resources. This is one of the downfalls of people that use task killers aggressively, they are actually harming their performance as the app then uses more cpu/battery and takes longer to open because the process has to be re-started. This isn't to say that the app is not doing things in the background though. I'm not a big fan of Fring, the design for one puts me off big time. I prefer Nimbuzz which also handles Skype.

 

[Poldie]

If the app it not doing anything it won't be using cpu/battery/bandwidth but by leaving the process running means you can open the app quicker and use less resources. This is one of the downfalls of people that use task killers aggressively, they are actually harming their performance as the app then uses more cpu/battery and takes longer to open because the process has to be re-started. This isn't to say that the app is not doing things in the background though. I'm not a big fan of Fring, the design for one puts me off big time. I prefer Nimbuzz which also handles Skype.

I don't want to leave the service (not task) running. I've quit. It's my phone and I pay for the data, and it's I who'll suffer if the battery runs out before I can get to a charger. I understand Androids app lifecycle, and I know that I can damage performance by killing tasks (ie it'll take a fraction of a second longer to open) but I'll take that into account before killing something, but it's not acceptable that I quit Fring and it's still running a service running consuming power/data. It's not as if I get notification of anything once I've quit (with the service running) and those IM apps take a fair amount of time loading up, logging into the various networks I'm on, etc, so I really don't mind that initial hit. I can only assume that this IS Fring behaving badly and not quitting properly.

 

[jkl2000]

Hi. I'm a newbie, and just activated my Samsung Captivate yesterday! My first question to get an answer for on this board was exactly this one. I've downloaded one of the task manager apps, but I can't believe that the apps don't ALL have simple way to quit built in - how can software designers not know to do that? It's such a basic, expected feature? Very weird. Thanks for the answers though.

 

[themonman]

There are many reasons why I might want to really quit an app. Here's one: I have some apps password protected using another app (Application Protection). This is so that if I let someone else use my device, they cannot access my email, etc. The problem is that once I unlock an app, it stays unlocked until I really quit it. So I have to take extra steps to quit the app each time I exit it.

Examples of apps that dont "quit" are Google's own Gmail and Email apps that ship with the device by default.

 

[ToughyWoughy]

New to android, but I have already stumbled upon a reason to be able to quit apps. If I have been running a game or the phone's built in music player and I stop gameplay or stop the music player, my volume buttons still only control the Media Volume and not the ringer. The only fix I've found so far other than a task killer (which I don't want to have to run anymore) or force quitting the app, is to turn the phone off and on. This is unacceptable.

Everything I've read says that task killers and force quitting apps can be very bad for your phone, but if the phone's functions are changed or disabled by regular use of apps, then there really should be a safe and regular way to quit apps and remove the control settings they impose on the OS.

I'm open to suggestions