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Multitasking
- Thread starter SuperMiguel
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Double-click the home button. If an app is fast-switching enabled, you can instantly go between apps (like switching Spaces on Mac). Other recently used apps remain in the multitasking bar for easy access. Apps that have something to do in the background (such as streaming radio) can now do so in the background, without using any Safari tricks.
Edit: note you don't have to go to the multitasking dock for it to work. If an app is compatible with fast-switching, it will still resume where you left off, even if launched the normal way. Though, it's much faster and convenient to use the multitasking dock.
Edit: note you don't have to go to the multitasking dock for it to work. If an app is compatible with fast-switching, it will still resume where you left off, even if launched the normal way. Though, it's much faster and convenient to use the multitasking dock.
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How do you close an app then?
Nevermind--figured it out. Hold your finger on the icon in the multitask bar and then a minus sign will appear above them all. Tap on the ones you want to close. Would be nice if Apple included a comprehensive guide to all the new features, but I guess that's just too much trouble for them.
Nevermind--figured it out. Hold your finger on the icon in the multitask bar and then a minus sign will appear above them all. Tap on the ones you want to close. Would be nice if Apple included a comprehensive guide to all the new features, but I guess that's just too much trouble for them.
This isn't like desktop multitasking, normally you don't need to manually close Apps. Apps when they go into the background are paused and the only resource that they use is memory. Whe iOS needs more memory it will automatically close old Apps for you. The only exceptions to this pausing are when an App is performing one of a number of tasks, such as playing music, acting as a sat-nav or finishing a download.
There is an override to this system; you can tap and hold on an icon in the multitasking tray and then select the stop icons. However you should only need to do this if an App starts behaving oddly and you want it to start afresh.
The thing that confused me a lot about iOS 4.0 when it came out was the "Multitasking bar"
The truth is, the bar doesn't really have anything to do with multitasking. It's simply a list of recently opened apps and the multitasking will happen whether or not you use the bar.
Just because an app is on the bar does not mean it's saved in the RAM for multitasking
The truth is, the bar doesn't really have anything to do with multitasking. It's simply a list of recently opened apps and the multitasking will happen whether or not you use the bar.
Just because an app is on the bar does not mean it's saved in the RAM for multitasking
Thats only true if the app itself doesn't support multitasking. Otherwise, that's exactly what the bar is for. All of those apps are in a saved state and will reopen from where ever you left off previosly.
But the bar isn't necessary for that. If I launched Safari a while ago and it's in a saved state then it is on the double-click(-on-home-button) bar but if I invoke it from the home screen instead then that'd won't do a cold launch of a new instance of Safari, it will resume the saved instance and bring it to the foreground. Also, as already stated by others, just because an app is on the double-click bar doesn't mean it is multitasking-enabled, non-MT apps can be there but if they are invoked from the double-click bar then they will do a cold launch from scratch because there will be no saved state to resume. Launching an app from the double-click bar or the home screen will have the same effect for both MT-enabled and non-MT-enabled apps.
The only two reasons that I can see for the new double-click bar are as a least-recently-used launcher and to provide a place for the interface to explicitly close open (saved state) apps.
- Julian
Does any part of this new "Multitasking" actually allow app writers to write a multitasking app?
I know you might say this is obvious of course it does, as otherwise it's not multitasking. But I know what Apple are like with vague terms on things.
For example, can I start up a MSN chat with a friend, then go and do something else such as browse the web, or play a game, and when my mate sends a message I will see it.
I can then answer the message and then carry on with what I was doing?
Of course a pop up message window would be ideal, but I don't think that's even allowed in iOS
I know you might say this is obvious of course it does, as otherwise it's not multitasking. But I know what Apple are like with vague terms on things.
For example, can I start up a MSN chat with a friend, then go and do something else such as browse the web, or play a game, and when my mate sends a message I will see it.
I can then answer the message and then carry on with what I was doing?
Of course a pop up message window would be ideal, but I don't think that's even allowed in iOS
I see what you mean Julian, and I can only assume it's for people with copious amounts of apps who don't want to scroll through pages or dig into folders to reopen an app in it's saved state. I don't have that many apps but I still use the bar to open them anyway.
@Piggie, I don't know if it's impossible to do. I'm sure you could write the app to send you audio alerts (or vibrate) when a new message is received.
@Piggie, I don't know if it's impossible to do. I'm sure you could write the app to send you audio alerts (or vibrate) when a new message is received.
Apple haven't been vague; there is a number of tasks that Apps can do in the background. Ars' review of iOS4 gives a good list of what these tasks are. I think that they cover most of the major pain points i.e. streaming music in the background, finishing uploads or downloads in the background. However if what the App developer wants to do doesn't fit into one of these boxes then they are generally out of luck.
I don't use chat very often so I'm not in the best position to talk about MSN, however in theory chat Apps could have used push notifications under iOS 3.2 to alert you that a new message has arrived. If course having notifications popup and interrupt you all the time could get annoying very quickly. I've also heard about IRC Apps using the task completion API to stay connected for 10 minutes after they go into the background.
Would have been nice if they gave us the option to DL this too when getting the update. Instead we have to go looking for it.
I've seen many kids have MSN conversations on their laptops with perhaps 2, 3, or 4 people with messages popping up whilst they browse eBay or Twitter at the same time, and when they get a message pop up click on it to open the message window, type their reply and carry on web browsing etc.
Quite amazing to watch as they keep flipping around different windows.
Perhaps one day Apple will allow a messaging app, for example, to open up a pop up window with a message and reply box over the app you are using.
Ideally perhaps at the top of the screen, where the time and network speed is currently shows a flashing icon could appear where if you tapped on it, then the popup would overlay your current app?