To my knowledge, an experienced Android user would properly exit an application by backing out of it, but I've seen many people use the home button for this.
I've had my AT&T Galaxy S II for about a month now and I've used the home button less than ten times (keeping an app open or exiting if back didn't work).
how often do you use it?
I usually use the home button to exit an app, so I do it all the time. I only use the back button if I need to go backwards in an application. It's faster for me that way.
I have to agree with mrhaxx. I use the home button all the time to exit an application. I have never had a problem with an app staying running in the background by doing that. Android is usually pretty good about exiting the app like that.
sent from my nexus s 4g running ICS MIUI
I'll usually back out of it, unless I want to keep it running.
I've used the home button more often to enter recovery then to exit an app.
Gutana said:
I'll usually back out of it, unless I want to keep it running.
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Same here. I try to press Back button, but many times I have to use Home button:
·I know I will have to press Back a lot of times (many websites in browser for example)
·More times than I wish, an app just won't exit pressing Back, so I have to press Home.
I'm in rehab of using task killers though.. haha
really depends on the app.
For example, the default SMS app on my phone will keep the last thread i opened on to. If I don't back out of it on exit, I'll have to do it anyway later, so I usually use the back button for that. for other stuff, I usually use the home button.
antonio1475 said:
Same here. I try to press Back button, but many times I have to use Home button:
·I know I will have to press Back a lot of times (many websites in browser for example)
·More times than I wish, an app just won't exit pressing Back, so I have to press Home.
I'm in rehab of using task killers though.. haha
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I like when I have to press it a lot, then i can spam it like a mad man haha
When you press the home button it sometimes doesn't close the app so it will waste a lot of ram.
I always use the back button to exit an app. The home button just takes you to the home page and if your app is still doing something it will continue to remain active and when its done doing whatever it's doing it will be cached. But I think it all depends on how well the app was written.
Byrono said:
When you press the home button it sometimes doesn't close the app so it will waste a lot of ram.
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No, the only way RAM is 'wasted' is when it's not being used.
even if you press home button for exiting apps, it really doesnt exit the app at that moment in time ... it exits the app only when free space is required .. and yeah i use the home button for exiting the apps
Sometime I press the homebutton to exit a application and then click on the shotcut ''end all apps'' from my taskmanager on the homescreen. This method is the fast because some apps you must click to much ''back'' to exit it.
I wouldn't use the end all apps in the task manager...i've read bad things about them.
I use the back button mostly, unless its the browser. I've also heard a lot of bad about task killers lately, so I use it only to check what's running. Ics seems to be much better at ending apps than previous versions of android.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Pink Tapatalk
Task killers explained http://droid-den.com/android-guides/android-guide-should-i-use-a-task-killer/
I use the home button all the time, it was designed to be used all the time, and I like to use android in the way it was made to be used
I typically reserve back button usage for when I want to stay within an app, or go back to an old app, e.g. clicking a twitter link opens the page in the browser, pressing back takes me back to the tweet.
i use to back out a lot in gingerbread, to clear the app from the background. Upon updating to ICS i use the home button so much more, probably because of how well the new multitasking closes it's processes.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I just the back button partly to minimize the wear and tear of the home button.. Haha..
But honestly, most of the time I don't really notice a difference. Not that huge, anyway. I usually only use the home button when I'm in the middle of something in that app and I need to get to another app..
But after discovering Swipepad, I seldom use the home button these days.
309041291a said:
i use to back out a lot in gingerbread, to clear the app from the background. Upon updating to ICS i use the home button so much more, probably because of how well the new multitasking closes it's processes.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
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good observation. I think I'll be using the home button a lot more when ICS is released for my phone.
I like the recent activities button on the GNex. Try to use that to switch apps when I remember its there!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Pink Tapatalk
It depends on what I want the app to do, and if i am multitasking.
Related
Hi all,
I am looking for the following function:
when pressing the home button, close current app and go to the home screen. When pressing long on the home button, go to the home screen (not closing the app in front)
Any ideas/suggestions?
Tnx
oh the xphrone style home button i see
yes it would be great and I want something like this too.
hopefully some devs can do this but it wont be easy since it is not easy tho replace the home button to another shortcut as it directly hits the system file without detouring. (correct me if im wrong, or this looks confusing cause im half asleep)
cheers
ClementNg23 said:
oh the xphrone style home button i see
yes it would be great and I want something like this too.
hopefully some devs can do this but it wont be easy since it is not easy tho replace the home button to another shortcut as it directly hits the system file without detouring. (correct me if im wrong, or this looks confusing cause im half asleep)
cheers
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Well, I don't know the xphrone, but it is something like the iPhone that I mean. The reason is that I open a lot of apps, and always go to the home screen. This means that a lot of apps are open?
So this needs a continuously checking of tasks running. So if you could close the app while going home, this should not be any worries.
I know a lot of people will now say, that the multitasking is gone this way, but if you want an app to stay open, you can still do it by long pressing the home button
Since there is no quit option for browser, there are only two ways to close the browser: back button or home button.
Now here is the problem: if I clicked a link from an app, say twitter, and the link was automatically redirected several times (for example, redirecting to a mobile site). After I finished reading on the browser, it is hard to go back to the original app.
If I clicked back button, it will go back one page and then redirect me again to the webpage. I have to hit back three times quickly.
If I hit the home button, I will be at the home screen...
What is the best solution?
Hold down the home button to bring up a list off recently used apps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Whilst still in the browser, tap the menu button then tap the windows option. From there you can close any and all browser windows.
mesasone said:
Hold down the home button to bring up a list off recently used apps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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This its how you do it. Personally though,i go the quick back button route, so I don't have a bunch of windows open.
mesasone said:
Hold down the home button to bring up a list off recently used apps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Learn something new every day.
Cooleo.
Hello everyone,
I bought a HOX yesterday and broke up with my iPhone. Two words: awesome phone.
Anyway, I am a little confused about how the multitasking works. For example if I am done with an app, say the default radio app, how to a quit it properly? So it doesn't hog ram. Though I also read something here on the forums that you shouldn't quit apps since it doesn't matter if they are running or not to the ram.
So I thought, well okay I'll stop caring about that. Then I tested the Navigation app, set it to navigate to nearest BK and then quit it (using the "home" btn). 3 minutes later I hear from my pocket "Turn left". wtf?
So yeah, when I unlocked the hox I saw the GPS icon up to the left, meaning that it was still running. I can't find a quit option?
A little side question too:
Is there any app I really really should download now because it will make my phone so much better/longer battery life/faster? (Not ROMs, I'll wait with that)
All help appreciated, since I am a noob
toxicious said:
Hello everyone,
I bought a HOX yesterday and broke up with my iPhone. Two words: awesome phone.
Anyway, I am a little confused about how the multitasking works. For example if I am done with an app, say the default radio app, how to a quit it properly? So it doesn't hog ram. Though I also read something here on the forums that you shouldn't quit apps since it doesn't matter if they are running or not to the ram.
So I thought, well okay I'll stop caring about that. Then I tested the Navigation app, set it to navigate to nearest BK and then quit it (using the "home" btn). 3 minutes later I hear from my pocket "Turn left". wtf?
So yeah, when I unlocked the hox I saw the GPS icon up to the left, meaning that it was still running. I can't find a quit option?
A little side question too:
Is there any app I really really should download now because it will make my phone so much better/longer battery life/faster? (Not ROMs, I'll wait with that)
All help appreciated, since I am a noob
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quiting apps is easy just click on the exit or x button if available and if there is no exit button or icon just keep on pressing the back keys. As for your gps you can turn it off in the phone settings or if its on android just pull down the notification and there is an options there to turn gps on and off. You can also download task killer to instantly kill running apps though others doesnt recommend it but it is useful in a way.
well gps navigation have usualy EXIT/QUIT button. And if they dont have it, press BACK button (in the Main Menu) few times and it askes you if you really want to quit the navigation or something like that. Navigon has definitelly one of those options.
The back button is The preferred method to quit an applicatiin. You can also use task manager. I am also parted way with my iPhone 4. I am now happy on my heavily mod GS3.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
What I meant when I said "Navigation app" is Google Navigation, the built in one It doesn't have a main menu or an exit button
toxicious said:
What I meant when I said "Navigation app" is Google Navigation, the built in one It doesn't have a main menu or an exit button
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I believe the best way to quit an app is by continuosly pressing the back key until it gets to the home screen, or the app will give a prompt saying "are you sure you would like to quit?"
Otherwise, its just jamming the back button
Sent from my MB508 using xda premium
yeah i usually just use the back button or if there's a menu where i can click quit to make sure
Lol I must be blind. Found the menu now, little button down to the right.
It also worked mashing the back button
Thx everyone!
I'm usually one who doesn't like to sit and wait around having to hold a button to get something to work, and I don't usually have a heavy hand so I prefer a very short press and hold period. Is there any way to modify how long we have to hold down the home button to see the recent apps?
I changed the home button action in nova launcher so that it first goes to my main home screen. If it is already there a single press of the home button opens the recent apps list.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
But what about if you aren't already at your launcher? Say... you're using Chrome and want to go to recent apps, right now it takes a press an hold of around 2 seconds or so. I would like to know how to change this to reduce it to a second or perhaps less.
In that case I hold it until the recent apps shows up. So I guess nova launcher settings only help if you're not in an app.
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But that's exactly my point, is that right now you just hold it until recent apps shows up, which is like two seconds. To me personally, this is too long. I usually have quick hands and do everything really quickly, the long press I use for Swiftkey is set to 200ms. This is why I think it would be nice to change the recent apps to maybe a second or so, I'm just not sure how to go about doing this.
noingwhat said:
But that's exactly my point, is that right now you just hold it until recent apps shows up, which is like two seconds. To me personally, this is too long. I usually have quick hands and do everything really quickly, the long press I use for Swiftkey is set to 200ms. This is why I think it would be nice to change the recent apps to maybe a second or so, I'm just not sure how to go about doing this.
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I was thinking of the same sort of thing before discovering Sheffy007's nav bar thread. I now think the nav bar is a more elegant solution.
If you're not a fan of the Nav Bar, you could study the changes he made to the key files and possibly swap home and recent apps (pressing home brings up recent apps, holding home brings up the home screen).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30048716
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Would a launcher help this issue?
Couldn't you set the double click assigned to the siri like Samsung voice to go to recent apps instead? That would be much faster...
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On cm10 I have my recent apps set to long press menu, it's less annoying than holding the physical home button just my. 02
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I'm fine with the use of the long press home button for recent apps, I just wish I didn't have to hold it for so long, although a double press wouldn't be bad either.
It seems like this should be an easy fix though, if we can just figure out where the file is that says to wait 2000ms before bringing up the recent apps, it should be as simple as changing that to a smaller number, shouldn't it?
noingwhat said:
I'm fine with the use of the long press home button for recent apps, I just wish I didn't have to hold it for so long, although a double press wouldn't be bad either.
It seems like this should be an easy fix though, if we can just figure out where the file is that says to wait 2000ms before bringing up the recent apps, it should be as simple as changing that to a smaller number, shouldn't it?
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I looked through the SQL Lite DB on my device (TW based ROM), /system/usr/keylayouts and decompiled framework-res.apk, twframework-res.apk, and SystemUI.apk. I briefly looked through everything and the closest thing I could find was in framework-res/res/values/integers.xml
<integer name="config_longPressOnHomeBehavior">2</integer>
I don't think that's it, but it's worth a shot (nandroid first). Anyone else know where button duration is set?
I think this closely relates to what mybook already found, but I found this in framework-res/res/values/public.xml:
Code:
7946 | <public type="integer" name="config_longPressOnHomeBehavior" id="0x010e001d" />
Still has nothing to do with the duration, but it might be able to lead us to the duration.
I've noticed since flashing CM10 that the long press seems to much quicker, around a second or so, meaning this must be possible somehow.
I was searching for the exact functionality when i got to this thread, and I was disappointed. Surely someone in XDA can accomplish something like this?
I was hoping there would be a file somewhere in the root dir that holds the settings to this long press duration in an integer. Something like the sys/class/leds/led-backlight/brightness file that sets the softkey brightness to zero, effectively turning it off, which is really useful for night reading.
Has still nobody figured it out? :crying:
Since we don't have root, as far as I know there is no way to customize one of the physical buttons to kill the foreground/currently used app. Does anyone know any alternative task app or method on the phone to conveniently force kill an app?
Because sometimes an app may hang/freeze, or you just want to kill it and reload the app in memory to fix an odd issue, and going all the way through settings and managing apps, or having some bulky task manager with tons of unnecessary background tasks going on are both less than ideal options.
Any app suggestions or tips appreciated, as this is my first samsung device so there may be some fairly easy way to do this I haven't discovered yet.
Just hit the recent button and close the app from there. If the problem is just the app itself, it can easily be forced into the background by hitting the home or recents key. (Speaking of which, the recents key socks balls, I want my menu key back!)
But if it's the phone that hangs, you can reboot by pressing and holding the volume down and home key I believe.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Menu key is the same as long press on back button.