4 ms·

> Back, except when it's Google Reader that opened a Browser window, in which case it takes you back to the previous page that Browser had. Normally apps like

> Back, except when it's Google Reader that opened a Browser window, in which case it takes you back to the previous page that Browser had. Normally apps like Google Reader open new browser windows when links are clicked. When an application's link opens a new window, back closes the window and goes back to the previous application. However, the browser has a limit of how many windows it can open, so sometimes applications can't open new windows and have to re-use existing ones. In this case, the history of the window is preserved, so back takes you through the timeline. It's a bit annoying, but the alternative is either (a) delete browser windows without user confirmation or (b) let the browser grow out of control, consuming more and more resources. There are third-party browsers that choose to do (b) but also warn the user and ask them to close tabs themselves, which is probably a better solution. tl;dr: close your unused browser windows.

mark_h 16y ago
The back button was also the most jarring thing for me when I first got an android phone, from memory. The main irritation was when you hit back several times to "close" apps in a chain... until you got the browser, when suddenly it starts going back through your page history. Maddeningly inconsistent. I do like the (otherwise) universality of it now though.
- moe 16y ago
  The inconsistency still infuriates me, even after years. In most apps the back-button will take you back one screen or close the app when you're on the "app home" screen. This overload makes it difficult to predict which of the two will actually happen. And the penalty of a mistap (app closes, has to be reopened) is big enough to turn it into a permanent annoyance. I'm closing apps by accident all the time. And then don't get me started on the apps that break with the pattern altogether (browser and many games) which have to be exited with the "home"-key or some menu function.
radu_floricica 16y ago
Or it could close windows but save their history and revive them as needed.

mark_h 16y ago

The back button was also the most jarring thing for me when I first got an android phone, from memory. The main irritation was when you hit back several times to "close" apps in a chain... until you got the browser, when suddenly it starts going back through your page history. Maddeningly inconsistent. I do like the (otherwise) universality of it now though.

moe 16y ago
The inconsistency still infuriates me, even after years. In most apps the back-button will take you back one screen or close the app when you're on the "app home" screen. This overload makes it difficult to predict which of the two will actually happen. And the penalty of a mistap (app closes, has to be reopened) is big enough to turn it into a permanent annoyance. I'm closing apps by accident all the time. And then don't get me started on the apps that break with the pattern altogether (browser and many games) which have to be exited with the "home"-key or some menu function.

radu_floricica 16y ago

Or it could close windows but save their history and revive them as needed.