What's the point of the new app switcher?

[mazz0]

The oddest thing I've noticed about it is that if you double click to go into the app switcher, the app you were currently in isn't the one with the main focus in the app switcher.

No, the previous app is. It's a sensible default, the one you're most likely to want to switch to (means you can quickly switch between the two, alt-tab works the same way in Windows (don't know about on OS X as I use Expose or whatever it's called these days)).

Another feature that helps with that is the "Back to ..." you get in the top left now when you've followed a link from one app to another. Eg, open a link in Mail and you go to Safari, and now there's a "Back to Mail" button on the top left.

I like the new switcher. Feels right.

 

[bushido]

Because you don't need it.

people always say that but then there r those cydia tweaks that show what apps ARE running by having them blurred out in the app switcher and nearly half my apps end up being blurred out! crap like facebook for example never actually seems to move into the "freezing" state so yeah unless i can see what is running and what isnt i will keep closing apps at least mid- and by end of the day

 

[jonnyb098]

The new task switcher now has that idiotic blur. This has been specifically done to tax older iDevices giving an illusion of them appearing slow.

Planned obsolescence at it's finest.

Correct me if I am wrong.

Normally I'd Say you're right but Apple did make a point during the keynote that iOS 9 will smooth out animations, etc. Which is a nice little admission of guilt that for some reason they couldn't get them right for iOS 8.

The other interesting point is that they said native apps now use METAL. Which was like....whoa.....we all took for granted that when you announced it for developers that you would actually be using it for your own damn apps. Maybe thats what will actually make things smoother now. Just boggles my mind they announced it a year ago and are now implementing it while many have had to live with a very choppy experience on older devices.

 

[DDustiNN]

Part of the reasoning, I am sure, is that you are (may be) more likely to interact with someone with whom you've had recent contact. Not sure I buy that, but that was a theory that was presented to me. I get really confused by the "here it is" in one release and "we take it away" in the next. Grrrrr.

It's possible they found that not many people really use that feature.

I know I personally never do. Ever. I always use the Messages and Phone apps, then find my contact within there (which is also organized by recent).

 

[DDustiNN]

What I don't understand is that they are saying to double click the home button to get to the app switcher however that is also how to access Apple Pay. How does this work?

You don't have to double-click to access Apple Pay. You just rest your thumb on the button (for the fingerprint sensor) and hold the phone up to a reader. No need to actually click the button.

 

[C DM]

You don't have to double-click to access Apple Pay. You just rest your thumb on the button (for the fingerprint sensor) and hold the phone up to a reader. No need to actually click the button.

Does that work when the phone is locked with the screen off?

 

[DDustiNN]

Does that work when the phone is locked with the screen off?

Yes. The screen turns on automatically when within range of the NFC reader. Your fingerprint authorizes the purchase.

Here is an example:

I find it's even faster when your thumb is already on the fingerprint sensor before the screen comes on.

 

[ItsGavinC]

From what I could tell it's for multitasking.

Agreed. Easy to read data from one app and go back to another app. This is largely due to the fact that the thumbnails of apps are much larger now. I've actually found this very useful.

 

[ItsGavinC]

It can be done, but it's tricky to "grab" more than one at a time.

I can close three at one time. Not one-handed though.

 

[AZhappyjack]

The new task switcher now has that idiotic blur. This has been specifically done to tax older iDevices giving an illusion of them appearing slow.

Planned obsolescence at it's finest.

Correct me if I am wrong.

Would love to see documented proof. In the mean time, try this:

 

[GreyOS]

Yes. The screen turns on automatically when within range of the NFC reader. Your fingerprint authorizes the purchase.

Here is an example:

I find it's even faster when your thumb is already on the fingerprint sensor before the screen comes on.

hi, i haven't used apple pay yet (it's coming to the uk next month) so am wondering... if you have multiple cards how does it work with letting you select one each time you use it? and is this perhaps where the double click on lockscreen to open wallet comes in? perhaps a more fleshed out interface compared to the thing that automatically comes up?

 

[ItsGavinC]

hi, i haven't used apple pay yet (it's coming to the uk next month) so am wondering... if you have multiple cards how does it work with letting you select one each time you use it? and is this perhaps where the double click on lockscreen to open wallet comes in? perhaps a more fleshed out interface compared to the thing that automatically comes up?

It's the same. Your finger on the home button (TouchID) will confirm the transaction. You get to the Apple Pay screen either by holding it near the NFC reader OR by double clicking the home button. From that screen you can choose which card you want to pay with, regardless of how you got to that screen. Apple Pay has you set up a default card, so if that is the one you want to use you simply keep your finger on the home button and the transaction goes through. If your default card isn't the one you want to pay with, you just click on the card you want to use and then place your finger on the home button for TouchID. Very simple.

 

[AZhappyjack]

The oddest thing I've noticed about it is that if you double click to go into the app switcher, the app you were currently in isn't the one with the main focus in the app switcher.

Not particularly odd if you think about it. You use the double tap to get the the app SWITCHER. Why would you need to switch to the app that you are currently using? So far, my experience is that double tapping home shows the most recently accessed app (prior to the one you are currently using). That makes perfect sense to me.

 

[AZhappyjack]

It's not favourites or recent anymore, it's "suggested. Remember them talking about it in the keynote? It's ones Siri thinks you're likely to use in the current time and place.

That may be true, semantically. But in my experience, it always show the 8 most recently contacted Contacts entries. #justsaying

 

[GreyOS]

It's the same. Your finger on the home button (TouchID) will confirm the transaction. You get to the Apple Pay screen either by holding it near the NFC reader OR by double clicking the home button. From that screen you can choose which card you want to pay with, regardless of how you got to that screen. Apple Pay has you set up a default card, so if that is the one you want to use you simply keep your finger on the home button and the transaction goes through. If your default card isn't the one you want to pay with, you just click on the card you want to use and then place your finger on the home button for TouchID. Very simple.

thanks very much for the explanation. yeah so not sure what the double click adds in this case? interesting.

 

[baller1308]

One issue is that even though the multitasking screens are larger, they're cut off because of the overlap. It doesn't work as well as it does on an iPad since the screen is much smaller.

 

[GreyOS]

pros:
- quicker at quitting apps
- quicker scrolling through apps
- larger preview
- (subjective) fresh look

cons:
- slightly obscured preview (right side)
- (subjective) the way the animation doesn't map 1:1 to your finger as you scroll through but goes slightly faster can feel a bit weird. but this is partly what makes it so quick.

 

[C DM]

thanks very much for the explanation. yeah so not sure what the double click adds in this case? interesting.

Perhaps to allow someone to quickly bring up Apple Pay and select the desired card (and perhaps even authorize it) before actually putting it next to reader and doing it all then at the moment of the transaction.

 

[psac]

No, the previous app is. It's a sensible default, the one you're most likely to want to switch to (means you can quickly switch between the two, alt-tab works the same way in Windows (don't know about on OS X as I use Expose or whatever it's called these days)).

Another feature that helps with that is the "Back to ..." you get in the top left now when you've followed a link from one app to another. Eg, open a link in Mail and you go to Safari, and now there's a "Back to Mail" button on the top left.

I like the new switcher. Feels right.

The "Back to..." functionality sounds nice. I would use that very often.

 

[VSMacOne]

Does that work when the phone is locked with the screen off?

Yes. It automatically wakes up when close to the reader. It's really fast in my experience.

 

[VSMacOne]

The "Back to..." functionality sounds nice. I would use that very often.

It's really well done and works flawlessly so far. I'm surprised just how useful it is!

 

[bigjnyc]

Still no "close all apps" button.

why would you want to do that? it will kill your battery quicker. Keep your apps suspended in the background. If you are constantly killing all your apps your phone will use more battery to relaunch apps from scratch every time.

 

[mazz0]

That may be true, semantically. But in my experience, it always show the 8 most recently contacted Contacts entries. #justsaying

One user's experience after two days of use isn't really indicative of how the system works. It's hardly surprising it hasn't formed a detailed model of your calling/texting behaviour yet, and even when it does it may may always correlate with the most recent for you, which is fine, but for other people it won't. Beta 1 also might not include that code (or it might be crap, like the battery life).

 

[mazz0]

The "Back to..." functionality sounds nice. I would use that very often.

It would be more use back when the phones had sensible screen sizes and you could reach the top left corner with your thumb...

 

[C DM]

It would be more use back when the phones had sensible screen sizes and you could reach the top left corner with your thumb...

Yeah, I guess more support for the usefulness of the Reachability feature.