How to close an app?

[cvadh387]

I have an Ipad2 coming to my house in about 2 or 3 days (it will be my first Ipad ever) and I read a thread somewhere where people were talking about closing apps. To close an app, all I thought you had to do was hit the homescreen button but now I'm confused because I read somewhere that you have to hit it multiple times?? I'm confused. Can someone please clarify how to properly close an app?

I also have an ipod touch 3rd gen and I'm not sure if they function the same way that ipads do in regards to closing down apps, but with my ipod, I also only hit the homescreen once to get rid of an app. With an ipod do I also have to hit it the homescreen multiple times?

If someone can please clarify this for me, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

The iPad's operating system, iOS, is not really a multi-tasking system in the way that PC guys think - it's more of a task switching operating system. When you switch from one app to another, the app that you've switched out is suspended and its 'context' (state) is remembered by iOS. Suspended tasks can only perform a very limited range of operations. See this Apple official link for details of what a suspended app is able to do.

What's New in iOS 4 - Apple Developer (What's New in iOS 4 - Apple Developer)

iOS leaves recently suspended apps in the iPad's memory (RAM) until it finds it needs that space for another app. Then the suspended app is overwritten but its context is remembered.

When the user switches back to a previously suspended task/app, if it's already in RAM iOS can immediately re-instate it and it 'comes alive' very quickly. If iOS had had to remove it to make room for another app, then it's reloaded from flash and brought up in the state in which it was originally suspended by using the context information that iOS stored when the app was originally suspended.

When you 'flush' a suspended app by using the multi-task bar you do a couple of things. If the app is in RAM still, its space is freed up and another app can use it. If it's already been removed from RAM then its context information is deleted and iOS will forget the state that the app was in originally. Thus, when you start that app up again, it will come up in its default state with no reference to the state it was in when it was last closed (there are some exceptions to this, however, when an app itself stores context information).

So, when you look at the multi-task bar and see all those apps 'running' all they're probably doing is having their context remembered - a few bytes for each app stored in the iPad's flash memory. Only the most recent apps - those that are shown to the left hand side of the multi-task bar - are even candidates to be in RAM. You can usually tell which apps were in RAM by the time the iPad takes to switch back to that app when it's re-instated. Those that are 'down the list' to the right, or even on the next screen, were long ago removed from RAM.

Tim

 

[cvadh387]

Where is the multi task bar?? Is that the same as the home button? Sorry your post is confusing me I just wanted to know how to close an app because I thought just hitting the home button only once wasn't the proper way to do so

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

If your iPad has iOS 4.2 or later, you get the multi-task bar by pressing the Home button twice in quick succession. Then the Home screen slides up to reveal the multi-task bar at the bottom of the screen.

Tim

 

[cvadh387]

Thank you!! And if it doesn't have iOS 4.2 or later, is there a different way of closing apps?

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Thank you!! And if it doesn't have iOS 4.2 or later, is there a different way of closing apps?

It will do for sure. I put that comment in just in case someone else was reading the post.

Tim

 

[D_LA_ROC]

I don't think there is any reason not to update your iPad if your on 3.2.x.

FREE MY iPAD2 

 

[Oasis]

when you look at the multi-task bar and see all those apps 'running' all they're probably doing is having their context remembered - a few bytes for each app stored in the iPad's flash memory.

what about the battery ?

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

when you look at the multi-task bar and see all those apps 'running' all they're probably doing is having their context remembered - a few bytes for each app stored in the iPad's flash memory.

what about the battery ?

Other than the background activity allowed by iOS - see the document I referred to earlier - there is no activity of background tasks. They are doing nothing. So they do not impact battery usage. Yes, some background tasks, such as playing music do clearly impact the battery and iOS does now allow an increased level of background activity enabling some tasks to complete certain aspects of their operation. If you want to be absolutely sure, then - yes - play safe and close them down. But it's minimal.

Tim

 

[Nanna2Five]

Thank you Tim I actually understand now LOL I was also confused and always closing apps in the Multi task bar think it would eat up "memory"