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How do I close apps?!?

Ok, I just got my Xoom. Some apps, like Pandora, dont close and dont have a option to. How do I close them?
And how do I close the windows that are open when I hit one of the bottom left keys?
sorry, im really new lol

There is no need to close applications in Android.
But if you really want to close a applcation, go to Settings > Applications > Running click on application you want to close and click Stop.

I came across in interesting article that shows why Android doesn't need a task killer which is in line with your question. So apparently the OS "knows" what apps need to stay in memory and which can be killed.

Good article. Also new to Android. Helps to understand how this all works.

I haven't been able to get Pandora to turn off either but that's the only app that I've had issues with. I can pause it, but the icon still reflects near the clock, which annoys me. I usually just kill it from within settings.
More often than not, you can just back out of the programs by hitting the left arrow a number of times. Otherwise just let HC deal with it accordingly, hit Home and move on. I'm learning it'll free up memory when it needs it.

I havent used pandora on the xoom, but on my epic theres an "exit" button in the menu

2ksilverbullet said:
I haven't been able to get Pandora to turn off either but that's the only app that I've had issues with. I can pause it, but the icon still reflects near the clock, which annoys me. I usually just kill it from within settings.
More often than not, you can just back out of the programs by hitting the left arrow a number of times. Otherwise just let HC deal with it accordingly, hit Home and move on. I'm learning it'll free up memory when it needs it.
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That's how I've been closing apps too. Did you get pandora from the market? I installed it from the market and it won't run on my xoom.

SPIDERTECH said:
That's how I've been closing apps too. Did you get pandora from the market? I installed it from the market and it won't run on my xoom.
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theres a thread somewhere with a fixed apk..

DroidHam said:
theres a thread somewhere with a fixed apk..
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Cool. Thanks. I'll look for it.

I'm using the apk from some other tablet, cant remember which one it was. There's no exit that I've found yet on that version. I don't use it that often so its not a huge concern, just an annoyance.

Nice article... So Android make a kind of save state of the app and leaves its resources to the app in need... clever!

Saying that you dont need to close App's because Android "knows" is just redic. We all have task-manager's on Android why is Honeycomb different? Simply put it isn't and we just have no working solution currently. Why do I say this?
When I have several app's open you can tell the system slow's down. Why can I not close the App's I wont be continuously using?

jamaicansolja said:
Saying that you dont need to close App's because Android "knows" is just redic. We all have task-manager's on Android why is Honeycomb different? Simply put it isn't and we just have no working solution currently. Why do I say this?
When I have several app's open you can tell the system slow's down. Why can I not close the App's I wont be continuously using?
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Click to collapse
You can. Put a shortcut on the homescreen to battery usage and close the that you're done with. There's really no need to close them anyways.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

Hey guys, if you are ever having an issue with a certain app and need to force close it.
Hit the home button, go into the app tray, long press the app and drag it up to the (i), then from there click Force Stop

In this same vein, is there a way to keep an App from being automatically closed? For example, AOL Instant Messenger never seems to close but GTalk disappears after some inactivity.

[Q] True Multitasking?

I'm wondering if there is an app that allows true backgrounding or multitasking in Android. In other words, whenever I switch an app and go somewhere else, and then return back to a previous app, I would expect that app to be in the same state as when I left it.
This currently only happens with a few apps, it's hit or miss. So far I haven't found a fix or an app that resolves this issue. Not to create a fight, but the iPhone had background apps that kept apps in memory so that when you returned the app was in the same exact state as when you left it. Thanks all.

I use the home key in order to do this and it works for the apps that i have done it with. Was just using it this way the other day to jump between file explore and an online post. I would use file explorer hit the home key go back to my browser. Then hit the home key while in the browser and would go back to file explorer and everything in both apps was as i left them. Try that see how it works for you.

Carlrobling said:
I use the home key in order to do this and it works for the apps that i have done it with. Was just using it this way the other day to jump between file explore and an online post. I would use file explorer hit the home key go back to my browser. Then hit the home key while in the browser and would go back to file explorer and everything in both apps was as i left them. Try that see how it works for you.
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Make sure you hold down the Home key and it will show you your last 8 used apps.

ThEiiNoCeNT said:
Make sure you hold down the Home key and it will show you your last 8 used apps.
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Did not know that.

ThEiiNoCeNT said:
Make sure you hold down the Home key and it will show you your last 8 used apps.
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Click to collapse
Thanks I forgot to mention that although I don't usually go that far back in apps lol.

If you hit the back button to exit the app, it will usually exit it- hit the home button and it will background it. Android DOES 100% true multitasking, realize if you run low on ram, the kernel will kill old processes and start killing your oldest used apps as it needs to.

Yes i already knew of the home button function, but that DOES NOT always work! For example lets say im was in the middle of writing a tweet in Tweetcaster and i leave the app (by pressing home) to reference somthing in the Browser. If I then bring up the recent apps and reselect Tweetcaster, my unfinished tweet will be gone as the app will instead be in its starting screen.
Likewise another app that doesnt truly multitask is the WatchESPN app. You'll lose your video if you leave the app no matter what.
There are many other apps that behave like this. I was hoping there was a seperate app that offered "TRUE" multitasking or backgrounding, which keeps apps in memory so that u can return to an app in the exact state as you left it, but for ALL APPS and not just some. Thanks

99% of the apps I've used and use pick up right where I left off, sometimes even days later. There probably is a few that wont as you described, which is probably due more to how the programmer coded the app to exit.
I'd say most (all of my apps do) truely multitask

Don't try the recent apps just try clicking the app itself.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA App

Webos is the only one
sent from planet snarf

Carlrobling said:
Don't try the recent apps just try clicking the app itself.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA App
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That doesn't make any difference I don't think. Recent apps is just a list of those same program icons listed in a convenient pop-up window, ordered by usage.
Inspired Ace 1.0.1¦ XDA Premium

Scott_S said:
That doesn't make any difference I don't think. Recent apps is just a list of those same program icons listed in a convenient pop-up window, ordered by usage.
Inspired Ace 1.0.1¦ XDA Premium
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Could be not sure. It's just the way I do it and always works for me.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA App

Carlrobling said:
Could be not sure. It's just the way I do it and always works for me.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Whatever your preference, I was just mentioning I don't think there's any functional difference that would make one way any more effective than the other.
Inspired Ace 1.0.1¦ XDA Premium

Scott_S said:
Whatever your preference, I was just mentioning I don't think there's any functional difference that would make one way any more effective than the other.
Inspired Ace 1.0.1¦ XDA Premium
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I agree it probably doesn't matter which way. Could just be the app he is using. Some apps are set up to shut down with the back button and/or the home key. So at this point if either of those don't work then I'm out of ideas. I do know that android caches the apps you use so they should be saved in there current state. If they are not then maybe try a restart as your memory may be low so android is closing out these apps to compensate. One last question are you using a task killer/manager.

jaw2012 said:
I'm wondering if there is an app that allows true backgrounding or multitasking in Android. In other words, whenever I switch an app and go somewhere else, and then return back to a previous app, I would expect that app to be in the same state as when I left it.
This currently only happens with a few apps, it's hit or miss. So far I haven't found a fix or an app that resolves this issue. Not to create a fight, but the iPhone had background apps that kept apps in memory so that when you returned the app was in the same exact state as when you left it. Thanks all.
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I use Taskswitcher from the market for exactly this on Atrix. Had no problems yet and didn't drain the battery either.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

di11igaf said:
If you hit the back button to exit the app, it will usually exit it- hit the home button and it will background it. Android DOES 100% true multitasking, realize if you run low on ram, the kernel will kill old processes and start killing your oldest used apps as it needs to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand that Android CAN offer true multitasking, but thats NOT 100% always the case.
As others have said, some apps don't behave for those times when you minimize and not exit the app because you want to return to the app. WatchESPN, TweetCaster, native Android music app, and in-browser streaming video are only a few of the Apps that fail to multitask or "background".
For those instances, it seems Android offers a setting to the developer to either have the app behave in the background for easy multitasking, or it also allows developers to basically kill the app once its in the background, making "True Multitasking" anything but!
So thats why I was hoping there was an app that took this "backgrounding" option out of the apps hands and instead stored all apps into memory that you wanted to be backgrounded. For instance you could background apps either by a hotkey action or you could kill an app so that it doesn't background, this way not all opened apps get backgrounded and use up all system resources.
Anyway, thats what I've been looking for and haven't found an implementation like this. Hopefully I've just overlooked and someone can enlighten me?! Thanks all.

Yea would like to know as well. Blackberry playbook does true multitasking like a PC. Games and youtube video run in backgroud without pausing when we switch.
Havent come across that in android. Maybe i missed it somewhere. I think. Android has task switching' instead of multitasking?
Sent by Satan from Mordor using XDA Premium App

So you would actually want a video to keep playing when something else had fullscreen focus? That just doesn't make sense. As a developer, I'll tell you that it is certainly possible, but FFS why? Now if I'm listening to music, that makes sense. Run it in the background while I'm looking up stuff on the web or something, but most audio apps DO do that.
It's not a matter of the device being incapable, it's a matter of what's practical.

Gene Poole said:
So you would actually want a video to keep playing when something else had fullscreen focus? That just doesn't make sense. As a developer, I'll tell you that it is certainly possible, but FFS why? Now if I'm listening to music, that makes sense. Run it in the background while I'm looking up stuff on the web or something, but most audio apps DO do that.
It's not a matter of the device being incapable, it's a matter of what's practical.
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I feel that we should be able to run youtube videos / games running in background just like a PC. I mean our phones are as powerful as PCs from few years back. Say I have one tab running email/browsing and other a video. There may be a time where you want to quickly switch to another task/app and move back to watching the video. It may sound impractical but there should be an option to have this.
Else its just 'task switcher' like ios > 4. I like the way BB playbook has TRUE multitasking.
Sent by Satan from Mordor using XDA Premium App

I may get some flak for this but webos is the shizznit at true multitasking and the way all these companies steel from each other these days and the palm people that went to Google they should implement the card stile multitasking on Android some how. That would be killer. Don't make it look just like webos but something like it.

7720 Marketplace changes

So far, I love almost everything about Mango. But there's one thing that's pissing me off. It used to be that you could start a download and just keep right on browsing. I found this VASTLY superior to the experience of the marketplace on iPhone, where you choose an app to install and it dumps out of the market.
Unfortunately, the new Marketplace on WP7 does exactly what the iPhone app store does now, and it sucks. SUCKS! Is there any way to revert it to the old behavior? Of all the features to parrot from iOS, this was the worst!

I think there's no way to revert the old function in Mango. But I think you just have to hit "back" one time to go back to the market? I will try it
Edit: Hitting "back" one time works fine for me In my opinion it's not really annoying.

Yes, back button is a quick workaround. I was annoyed also, but as I don't install a lot of apps at once, this is only annoying at the first configuration.
iOS has back button?
It annoys me a lot more the dissapear of the "tabs" button in the web browser than this.

Just hit the back arrow, it's not that big of a deal.

I'm not sure if iOS / iPhone has got a back button
Wait?! On NoDo there was a button for the "tabs", right? And now we have to slide up the menu and click on it. Am I right?

No, of course no iOS devices have a back button, that's common knowledge. This IS a big deal though, when you factor in that Zune STILL can't simply backup your apps for easy reinstall, making it a giant hassle to get all your apps back. Now it's made worse because you have to back straight up again. Still not as bad as iOS, but definitely a step in the WRONG direction.
I agree about the tabs in IE; the new way to get to them is lame.

I must say I don't tend to install 10 apps at a time, so pressing back if i need to add a second one is not an issue at all.
In other words I think this is a step in the right direction
Personal choice I guess ... but imho nothing to start an entire thread on ..

jasongw said:
No, of course no iOS devices have a back button, that's common knowledge. This IS a big deal though, when you factor in that Zune STILL can't simply backup your apps for easy reinstall, making it a giant hassle to get all your apps back. Now it's made worse because you have to back straight up again. Still not as bad as iOS, but definitely a step in the WRONG direction.
I agree about the tabs in IE; the new way to get to them is lame.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you install your app via Zune, it'll automaically installed when you reflashed / hard reset your phone.

Nope, not a single app I'd installed from Zune automatically reinstalled. On top of that, if you *didn't* install it from Zune to begin with, you can't install it from Zune at all--EVER. It's locked out. No choice but to do it from the phone ad infinitum.
So far I'm loving 95% of Mango, but it's not without its missteps, unfortunately. I agree it's not usually a HUGE deal to have to press the back button, but it's still a step in the wrong direction. Android marketplace has it right, and Windows Phone marketplace used to.

There's another thing which is absolutely broken. You can't reinstall anything from Zune. If you try, it will tell you it's already installed and the install button is greyed out.
People have different tastes, I get it. You might say the back button is a big plus in usability compared to ios.
But I think on ios they rarely screw this kind of functionality.

maybe they haven't update their zune or marketplace according to mango.

I read an article from Microsoft about this before, if i recall correctly, the reason why it dumps you to the application list is to show you where you can find your app once it was installed.
People were not aware of where their app was located once they hit install in the Marketplace. You hit install, the progress bar appears, and then once its done, the app simply disappears with no indication as to where it went. People were confused by this behavior. By visually showing people that their app was being installed into the application list, they now know exactly where to find their app, and they can also launch the app once it is done installing/downloading. Same thing with games, people were not finding the game they installed, so now it shows you that its in the Games hub.
In my opinion, this method is more intuitive. An option to disable it would be nice, because I know where my apps are going, but I think for most people, this method makes more sense and is more fluid.
The upside is that you can simply press back to get back to the marketplace. Another positive is the fact that you can now launch your app immediately as it finishes, instead of having to back out all the way start screen, then swiping to the right. I'm sure most people install apps one at a time, rather than a whole bunch at once, so in the long run, this method makes much more sense.

andycted said:
There's another thing which is absolutely broken. You can't reinstall anything from Zune. If you try, it will tell you it's already installed and the install button is greyed out.
People have different tastes, I get it. You might say the back button is a big plus in usability compared to ios.
But I think on ios they rarely screw this kind of functionality.
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Click to collapse
The back button is a HUGE deal and makes an incredible difference over any iDevice. I'm all about different tastes, of course. I completely agree that the Zune software's ability to reinstall apps is completely, totally, 100% BROKEN. However, that's not an iOS advantage, that's an iTunes advantage (and let's face it, iTunes has so few of them, LOL) and I'd never go back to the crapware that is iOS now that I've enjoyed WP7 and especially Mango.
But that said, yes, there is still work to be done. I'd hoped mango would fix everything, but alas it's failed to do so. I must give it credit, though--it fixes *almost* everything

prjkthack said:
I read an article from Microsoft about this before, if i recall correctly, the reason why it dumps you to the application list is to show you where you can find your app once it was installed.
People were not aware of where their app was located once they hit install in the Marketplace. You hit install, the progress bar appears, and then once its done, the app simply disappears with no indication as to where it went. People were confused by this behavior. By visually showing people that their app was being installed into the application list, they now know exactly where to find their app, and they can also launch the app once it is done installing/downloading. Same thing with games, people were not finding the game they installed, so now it shows you that its in the Games hub.
In my opinion, this method is more intuitive. An option to disable it would be nice, because I know where my apps are going, but I think for most people, this method makes more sense and is more fluid.
The upside is that you can simply press back to get back to the marketplace. Another positive is the fact that you can now launch your app immediately as it finishes, instead of having to back out all the way start screen, then swiping to the right. I'm sure most people install apps one at a time, rather than a whole bunch at once, so in the long run, this method makes much more sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get where you're going, but I humbly disagree. it would be better to prompt the user once an app finishes installing: "Would you like to see where we've installed your app?" Let's face it: if you can't figure out that your app is in the *alphabetical list* of APPS, maybe you shouldn't be using a smartphone at all

jasongw said:
I get where you're going, but I humbly disagree. it would be better to prompt the user once an app finishes installing: "Would you like to see where we've installed your app?" Let's face it: if you can't figure out that your app is in the *alphabetical list* of APPS, maybe you shouldn't be using a smartphone at all
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Click to collapse
Well now that is a more annoying solution. That last thing I want is another prompt asking me another question. The old way or the new way is much better than having to go through another prompt. That breaks the fluid flow of the app installation process. The less prompts, the better.
Not to mention, the new method feels more complete. Like a full circle. Find an app -> choose to install it -> see download/installation progress and where its located -> launch and go.
Though I do agree that if you can't find where your apps are to begin with, you've got some issues there, but one of the points of Windows Phone 7 was to be a friendlier and more intuitive phone, and this only reinforces that thinking.

jasongw said:
I get where you're going, but I humbly disagree. it would be better to prompt the user once an app finishes installing: "Would you like to see where we've installed your app?" Let's face it: if you can't figure out that your app is in the *alphabetical list* of APPS, maybe you shouldn't be using a smartphone at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A prompt will be completelly awful, the current behaviour is very intuitive for all users, but Microsoft usually add things for power users like a lot of key combinations and stuff, so I feel that in this case they are missing like a "Install in background" option if you hold your finger over the install button, or the application, or in a menu.
Also about the tab switch in IE, I also feel that a 2 finger swipe is REQUIRED to switch tabs. WP7 barely uses finger gestures, and in this case flip a tab is a 3-step action...

eried said:
A prompt will be completelly awful, the current behaviour is very intuitive for all users, but Microsoft usually add things for power users like a lot of key combinations and stuff, so I feel that in this case they are missing like a "Install in background" option if you hold your finger over the install button, or the application, or in a menu.
Also about the tab switch in IE, I also feel that a 2 finger swipe is REQUIRED to switch tabs. WP7 barely uses finger gestures, and in this case flip a tab is a 3-step action...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A prompt might not work, it was just a thought. However, having an option in settings to be able to choose the preferred behavior would be ideal.

prjkthack said:
I read an article from Microsoft about this before, if i recall correctly, the reason why it dumps you to the application list is to show you where you can find your app once it was installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This actually makes sense. I did have this exact problem in NoDo, where I wasn't sure if an app had downloaded, or where it could be located. Dumping the user into the application list is not a problem when the system has a "back" button.

two finger swiping to change tabs would be awesome. Even pinch zooming right out like with the pictures.

jasongw said:
No, of course no iOS devices have a back button, that's common knowledge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe for you as you had an iDevice before. But why should I know this? I don't care about iDevices
The methods mentioned in this thread sound great I'd like to be asked whether to use a "tabs" button or the "two finger swipe". An option in the settings would be perfect.
And I also like how an app is installed
But the best solutions are to provide options so that the user can choose his favourite way

2 questions - multitasking issues and native gchat

i installed mango RTM over the weekend and its been great. as i've been playing with it i've noticed 2 things
1. if you're texting with someone and you place the messaging app into "standby" (press windows button) and you get a text msg notification toast, if you click the toast it opens up a new copy of the messaging app. you can verify this by going into the multitasking switcher, you'll see 2 panels of "messaging". is this a bug or is this how its supposed to be?
2. i'm not really a big user of facebook chat but i am on gmail all the time so i was wondering if there's any way we can hack gchat on? gchat and fb chat both use the jabber protocol and since fb chat is enabled natively, we know there's a possibility of it being supported. any ideas?
thanks!

1: The "Multitasking" fast App switcher isn't showing instances of open apps. It's just showing recently use apps. Every app is in stand by mode if you don't "Back" out of them with the Back Button. The Task Switcher also has a 5 page limit. Apps outside that limit are still open/standby, just not in the list. At least this is how I believe it works. No way to tell till we have enough resume enabled apps that are Mango compatible to test this more. It's not the greatest implementation of Multitasking IMO. My 2 complains is this multiple pages of the same app issue that you mentioned & the 5 page limitation. When I'm really active on my phone, I can see this being an issue. Not a deal breaker, more of an annoyance.

1. The task switcher just show what you've done last. Also, native apps are always running and are not confine to the same restrictions as 3rd party apps.
2. Now that Microsoft open up Marketplace for Mango apps submissions, it won't be long before unofficial Google Talk apps show up.

Something that I noticed with wonder reader. Dont know if it's how the app is made, but..
When you open it, you hit windows (home) button, and hit back, it just come back instantly. But if you open it using the tile, it dont resume. It re-open it and it's not instantly.
Anyone else noticed?

mikeeam said:
Something that I noticed with wonder reader. Dont know if it's how the app is made, but..
When you open it, you hit windows (home) button, and hit back, it just come back instantly. But if you open it using the tile, it dont resume. It re-open it and it's not instantly.
Anyone else noticed?
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Click to collapse
Microsoft made a conscious design decision that apps started from the tile (on the Start screen or app list) are started as a new instance. The only way to fast app switch is by going through the backstack (either navigating sequentially via the back key or directly via the app switcher). I believe "a consistent user experience" was cited as the reason for this behavior.
This is quite different than in iOS, where the app switcher AND the home screen icon will fast resume an app (if still in memory). And that is why iOS has a way to delete apps from the app switcher, because that's the only way to start a new instance (it's also why Windows Phone doesn't need a way to clear apps from the app switcher). I happen to think Apple's design is better because more often than not, a user is looking to resume an experience, no matter how they end up starting app; therefore it should be the default behavior.
With Windows Phone deep linking, clicking on a secondary tile, toast notification, or a search extension can launch directly into a "page" inside the app, but it still takes time to fire up new instances of the app and the page.
You might also be interested to know that an app can only appear in the backstack once. So if you open an app using the main tile, then to go to the Start screen and start it again with a secondary tile, it'll knock the first instance off the backstack.
Anyway, probably more than you ever wanted to know but hope this clears it up.
Anthony
Wonder Reader

Windows Phone Mango Close Tabs?

Ok so with mango if you HOLD the back button you will see a bunch of different tabs and stuff that are open.Is there any way to close them?

Instead of using the windows button to quit an app, just hit the back button until the menu. Mash on the back button while you're on main menu to exit out of all of them.

iEatRappers said:
Ok so with mango if you HOLD the back button you will see a bunch of different tabs and stuff that are open.Is there any way to close them?
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Click to collapse
That's what I was wondering too. I was trying to swipe apps up and down to have them closed. Instead looks like clicking on the back button is only solution and it's very inconvenient since might require more than one click to leave the app. I don't know if this is licencing issue but Microsoft should do something about this, like adding small x or something at least.

Yeah it seems the only way to close them is by hitting the back button. I would also very much like a small "x" to close programs, or swipe them away or something. It'd feel a lot better (especially when programs such as games have the little "Resuming.." thing, I find that annoying when trying to close).

asdfvtn said:
Yeah it seems the only way to close them is by hitting the back button. I would also very much like a small "x" to close programs, or swipe them away or something. It'd feel a lot better (especially when programs such as games have the little "Resuming.." thing, I find that annoying when trying to close).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm as long as you see the "Resuming..." you don't have to worry about battery, RAM or cpu consumption. Just leave it "open" cuz it's actually not running it's tombstoned (that's why resumin is necessary and a lot of games need to load their stuff again).
But with the mango multitasking I'd love to see it, too.
Let's vote for it:
http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/f...8-close-apps-running-in-background-?ref=title

Mango doesn't really have multitasking. Unless you have Jaxbot's no-dehydration hack enabled (which works on NoDo as well; it has nothing to do with Mango), even a Mango app is using no active resources (CPU, sensors, etc.) while in the background. It does hold onto RAM, but if the OS needs more RAM for the foreground processes, it will just tombstone the backgrounded apps, freeing their RAM.
Let's say that again, for clarity:
If an app isn't in the foreground on WP7, Mango or otherwise, it is using no performance resources and consuming no battery.
OK, now that I've gotten that out of the way... I agree that it's occasionally annoying to fully back out of an app. For example, backing out of Puzzle Quest requires a lot of steps before you get to the "are you sure you want to exit?" screen. Pre-Mango apps that don't resume isntantly are also annoying to "back" into.
So... I agree with your rquest, but NOT for the reasons implied by @chabun. Just wanted to clear that up...
---------- Post added at 04:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:03 PM ----------
Oh, as for closing browser tabs: open the web browser (in any way, including backing into it), and then expand the App Bar menu and select the Tabs option. I'm extremely annoyed that MS made Tabs so much harder to get to in Mango, but it's still there and you can still close them directly.

I'd like to close tabs in the multitask switcher simply because it only allows the last 5 apps to be resumed, and I often hit the limit. I don't want to waste slots with tabs that I don't need, e.g. settings.

Just hit Back instead of Start for things like settings. For that specific case, it's probably faster than opening the task switcher and hitting an X. It would be nice to have another method, I agree, but it is already possible to close apps.