Task Killer

[joec222]

Has anyone found an AP that can kill all running tasks without having to double click and tap each one separately ????? (like the Android task killer)

 

[Earless Puppy]

good question

 

[deeddawg]

Why do you feel you need it?

Which tasks have you identified as actually running in the background?

I guess I just don't get what you're hoping to accomplish?

 

[Scott R]

Can someone verify for certain that just because an app is listed in the "recently used apps list" that it's actually running and that by tapping-and-holding and "deleting" it that you're actually removing it from memory? My initial impression with Steve Job's demo was that this task bar was, as I stated above, just a "recently used apps list" and that *any* app, even if not updated to officially support any multitasking capability, would be displayed there. That you can tap-and-hold and then "delete" the app struck me as more of an odd feature that didn't really accomplish anything other than removing it from that task list itself.

 

[jakej914]

Unless you have an old copy on iStat, then power off and power back on your phone.

 

[chobbs1]

Sometimes apps go rogue and you can quit said app in the task switcher. But normally the task switcher is just that. And for that reason it would be nice to have a way to quickly delete (close) these apps from
The task switcher

 

[joec222]

"Why do you feel you need it?

Which tasks have you identified as actually running in the background?

I guess I just don't get what you're hoping to accomplish?"


It frees up memory when I close the aps on the task bar. Take a look at free memory before and after closing aps.

 

[macharborguy]

Tt appears that some of the "Fast App Switching" features get reset if you delete the app from the Task Switcher.

To test this, I launched Plants vs Zombies, got into a game, tossed down a few plants, then exited to the home screen.

I double clicked Home, clicked PvZ, and it returned to the game at a "Game Paused" dialog box.

I then went back to the Home screen, and clicked on the PvZ icon on the Home Screen itself, not from the Task Switcher. Same thing happened.

Then I removed PvZ from the Switcher. I clicked on it on the Home Screen again, but this time it went thru the startup process, displaying the PopCap logo, the PvZ logo, and the rolling grass loading bar. THEN it gave me the Game Paused dialog box.


So it appears that removing apps from the Task Switcher is a trade off. If you remove them, you lose the "fast switch". Not sure exactly how much active memory is being used up by PvZ while like this though.

 

[deeddawg]

It frees up memory when I close the aps on the task bar. Take a look at free memory before and after closing aps.

Okay, I'll take your word on this one as I haven't had need to figure out how to check current RAM usage.

What does freeing up memory accomplish? Does opening another app run measurably faster or something? How much faster? Half a second? Two seconds?

What I'm trying to understand is what this really accomplishes in terms of real world user experience. Are the suspended apps slowing you down or preventing you from doing something in some way? Or are they impacting your usage in some other way?

I'm seriously trying to understand here, I'm trying to get to what the real world user experience effect is that you're seeing. Basically, what is the real world benefit of going through and closing suspended tasks, not counting those which aren't behaving properly.

I've used pdas and smartphones since the Palm Pilot 1000 days (1996) so I have a little history with these things.

 

[Rolf]

I've been wondering this myself. Apps like Godfinger or something that crap out and blackscreen and when you re-open them they're still dead. A way to kill the process other than powering off and on the phone would be handy.

Also, maybe he's just one of those people who wants to get every little bit of juice out of his phone, whether that be processing power or battery life. More apps running = shorter battery life, as I'm sure you know.

 

[Wilsonator]

@deeddawg I don't know about performance or speed but I clean out my task switcher for battery life. When I first got the ip4 I would just leave it alone when i went to bed. Then in the morning I'd wake up and have 20% less battery. But since I started closing all the apps in my switcher before bed I have been only losing 1% battery as I sleep. But who knows maybe its just my phone

 

[chobbs1]

Not just your phone. It is a good practice. And I wish, as the op asked, there were an easier way to shut them all down.

 

[AZMerf]

My understanding is for some applications, it's not just pausing them. Those that use the "seven" or so APIs (Pandora, Skype) are in fact running, assuming you didn't pause Pandora, when in the dock. Actually, Skype is a good example. If it's in the dock you'll receive messages. If you kill it, you won't.

 

[jsntrenkler]

I just set it and forget it ... Only time I have to kill an app is when running GPS like Tom Tom .. (Still Haven't found a Off button on that one.)

 

[Libuff]

im nearly positive theres no API for killing apps... as far as the task killer, and killing all the apps individually:

there are NO apps that are allowed to run for long-term. they may have processes that run within the iOS framework, but the app itself is not running. for example, skype would ask the OS to keep a socket open to the server, when the server connects to the OS (not skype), then the OS would call skype and tells it to wake up... skype is NOT running all night long in the background...

as far as the pandora/slacker, once the music stops, the app looses MUCH of its background processes. so they are not running either...

Apps MAY request to continue running for i believe 10 minutes at the most.. they may run in the background to complete a task, but thats pretty much it...

as far as a 20% drop overnight... when i leave my phone off the charger at work (with minimal at&t signal), the phone will easily drop 20% in 8 hrs... when im at home with better signal, the drop will be about 8% in 8 hrs...

7 BG APIs:
-BG Audio
-VOIP
-Finish Background Process
-Background Navigation
-Push Notifications (old api)
-Local Push Notifications (new api)
-Saved State (fast switching)

 

[spangler07#IM]

hipstamatic crashes all the time, and the only way to fix it is by "closing" the app from the task bar and reopening it.

 

[devan846]

Okay, I'll take your word on this one as I haven't had need to figure out how to check current RAM usage.

What does freeing up memory accomplish? Does opening another app run measurably faster or something? How much faster? Half a second? Two seconds?

What I'm trying to understand is what this really accomplishes in terms of real world user experience. Are the suspended apps slowing you down or preventing you from doing something in some way? Or are they impacting your usage in some other way?

I'm seriously trying to understand here, I'm trying to get to what the real world user experience effect is that you're seeing. Basically, what is the real world benefit of going through and closing suspended tasks, not counting those which aren't behaving properly.

I've used pdas and smartphones since the Palm Pilot 1000 days (1996) so I have a little history with these things.

Ok so i was also wondering if there was an advanced task killer for the ipod. The reason a task killer is so important is that it helps you save battery. If you have APs running and your not using theme all they are really doing is killing your battery and since everyone always wants to have a charged phone a the ready its pretty important.

 

[lucie]

how much longer will your battery last with all apps off? compared to say 10 running?

 

[Mysticfist]

I woud like an app That can close all the apps in 1 click because my kids play on it and never close the apps. That mean that every evening i have like 50 Apps in my taskbar.

 

[Evil Jester1969]

As you may be a person who has used these devices in the past they have since had the need to use more battery life , by closing all running apps it saves on battery life and at the same time save on the life span off the product due to not needing to charge as frequent .. I have also noticed the apps I am using when all others are closed run smoother and faster ..