5 ms·

This doesn't explain one thing to me: If I have an app that is misbehaving, and x it out from the 'recent apps list', when clicking on that app again it will be

by kokey 15y ago

This doesn't explain one thing to me: If I have an app that is misbehaving, and x it out from the 'recent apps list', when clicking on that app again it will behave like the first time I'm using the app after boot. To me it looks like it did kill the app.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
etherealG 15y ago
this does seem to be the behaviour on iOS, which leads me to believe that "x'ing it out" does actually free up memory. on android before ICS there was no way to remove apps from the recent list, but you could shut down an app from the app management in settings. i'm not sure if android 4's swiping apps away on the recent list "closes" them in a similar way to the android <= 3's app management "close app" button? anyone else able to verify?
masklinn 15y ago
> To me it looks like it did kill the app. On iOS it does. Removing an app from the "recent apps list" 1. removes it from the list and 2. kills it if it was "alive" or suspended. But because it's a "recent apps list", not a task switcher, most of the applications in the list are likely either already dead or suspended (frozen in memory with no CPU activity)
- CraigRood 15y ago
  In reality, they may not be dead/suspended, and due to poor programming by the developer it could be sitting there wasting resources (read: battery). This is not acceptable. Now, I know Apples current method of working with background apps is correct (easiest for everyone). Apple does need to do something about it though. Google Latitude for example can 'run' (I'm not actually sure what code is executed, if any) even after being removed from the 'tray'. This all adds up to a pretty shitty experience for those who have no idea on how all this actually works, be it Apples fault or not.
  - glhaynes 15y ago
    Can you say more about the Google Latitude "continuing to run" thing? Are you maybe just getting Push Notifications for Latitude? If so, they're entirely handled by the system - the process doesn't need to be running.
    - CraigRood 15y ago
      I'm not an iOS developer (at least for now) so I'm not sure on the details behind it all. All I know is Latitude (and other applications such as OkCupid) can use the GPS and push data periodically - making a noticeable difference in the battery life with no real indication besides the location settings details beyond the setting menu. It's fine for me, I can working it all out. But the average iPhone owner can't. You would be surprised at how many dont even know about removing the 'tasks'. All usage adds up especially with the limited resources on a phone.
      - kokey 15y ago
        As I understand it, the iOS API for background tasks allows certain routines to run in the background, in this case the regular sending out of location data to Google. It doesn't let the Latitude app as a whole run in the background.
  - masklinn 15y ago
    > In reality, they may not be dead/suspended Hence "likely". > Google Latitude for example can 'run' (I'm not actually sure what code is executed, if any) even after being removed from the 'tray'. That simply is not possible, once it's been removed from the switcher it can not be running unless it's the currently active application. Furthermore location-aware applications are actually the easiest possible offenders to manage: they'll keep the location marker enabled in the status bar (although that can conflict with genuine users of the API such as Reminders) and they will appear with a purple arrow in Settings > Location Services.

by kokey 15y ago

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

etherealG 15y ago

this does seem to be the behaviour on iOS, which leads me to believe that "x'ing it out" does actually free up memory. on android before ICS there was no way to remove apps from the recent list, but you could shut down an app from the app management in settings. i'm not sure if android 4's swiping apps away on the recent list "closes" them in a similar way to the android <= 3's app management "close app" button? anyone else able to verify?

masklinn 15y ago

> To me it looks like it did kill the app. On iOS it does. Removing an app from the "recent apps list" 1. removes it from the list and 2. kills it if it was "alive" or suspended. But because it's a "recent apps list", not a task switcher, most of the applications in the list are likely either already dead or suspended (frozen in memory with no CPU activity)

CraigRood 15y ago
In reality, they may not be dead/suspended, and due to poor programming by the developer it could be sitting there wasting resources (read: battery). This is not acceptable. Now, I know Apples current method of working with background apps is correct (easiest for everyone). Apple does need to do something about it though. Google Latitude for example can 'run' (I'm not actually sure what code is executed, if any) even after being removed from the 'tray'. This all adds up to a pretty shitty experience for those who have no idea on how all this actually works, be it Apples fault or not.
- glhaynes 15y ago
  Can you say more about the Google Latitude "continuing to run" thing? Are you maybe just getting Push Notifications for Latitude? If so, they're entirely handled by the system - the process doesn't need to be running.
  - CraigRood 15y ago
    I'm not an iOS developer (at least for now) so I'm not sure on the details behind it all. All I know is Latitude (and other applications such as OkCupid) can use the GPS and push data periodically - making a noticeable difference in the battery life with no real indication besides the location settings details beyond the setting menu. It's fine for me, I can working it all out. But the average iPhone owner can't. You would be surprised at how many dont even know about removing the 'tasks'. All usage adds up especially with the limited resources on a phone.
    - kokey 15y ago
      As I understand it, the iOS API for background tasks allows certain routines to run in the background, in this case the regular sending out of location data to Google. It doesn't let the Latitude app as a whole run in the background.
- masklinn 15y ago
  > In reality, they may not be dead/suspended Hence "likely". > Google Latitude for example can 'run' (I'm not actually sure what code is executed, if any) even after being removed from the 'tray'. That simply is not possible, once it's been removed from the switcher it can not be running unless it's the currently active application. Furthermore location-aware applications are actually the easiest possible offenders to manage: they'll keep the location marker enabled in the status bar (although that can conflict with genuine users of the API such as Reminders) and they will appear with a purple arrow in Settings > Location Services.