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.
when I kill with regular task killer, the app still restarts even with all its receiver disabled through autostart.
but when I kill by long pressing the back button, the app never restarts. anyone know why?
btw, one annoyance is that when I tap the back button really fast, it registers as a long press.
c19932 said:
when I kill with regular task killer, the app still restarts even with all its receiver disabled through autostart.
but when I kill by long pressing the back button, the app never restarts. anyone know why?
btw, one annoyance is that when I tap the back button really fast, it registers as a long press.
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Not every app "kills" in the same way. I think Titanium Backup uses a pretty good method.
And I'm sure that if you kill something from the default app manager, it will stay dead
I cannot simulate a menu button press on this phone. Blu's ESL customer support didn't help at all.
On the Note 4, you hold down the recent apps button and the phone treats it like a menu button press. I use a few somewhat legacy apps and not having menu press completely breaks those apps.
RDProgrammer said:
I cannot simulate a menu button press on this phone. Blu's ESL customer support didn't help at all.
On the Note 4, you hold down the recent apps button and the phone treats it like a menu button press. I use a few somewhat legacy apps and not having menu press completely breaks those apps.
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Current apps should not need a menu button. However, if you have old outdated apps you can simulate it with the (weirdly named) built in "suspend button." Settings > Advanced settings > Suspend option. Enable that and it will overlay a round button on the screen. When you need the menu button tap the on-screen button. It will expand and show more buttons. The button with three dots is the menu button. If you'd prefer to hide the "suspend button" so that it's not always visible you can do so by long pressing on it. You can unhide it in the notification panel.
Awesome, that works, but what a sad work around to an issue solved so much more efficiently on other devices.
RDProgrammer said:
Awesome, that works, but what a sad work around to an issue solved so much more efficiently on other devices.
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Sad indeed. I will continue to poke around for another solution to this, with the ultimate goal of remapping that recent apps button to a menu. I am not sure this will be possible without root access though. Good news is there is another thread here on XDA with a bounty/reward of around $200 at the moment for anyone who can get a workable root and TWRP recovery goin for this phone. :fingers-crossed:
RDProgrammer said:
Awesome, that works, but what a sad work around to an issue solved so much more efficiently on other devices.
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True, but as I said no current app should need a menu key. Most new Android phones have no menu key because it's not needed. I have about 200 apps installed and only one needs the menu key workaround because it hasn't been updated in years.
I am migrating from a pre-"recent apps" button phone, and I absolutely hate the recent apps button.
I constantly press it by accident, and since my finger was trying to do something close to where that dumb button is I also constantly accidentally click "close all".
I put my most used apps on my home screen, I don't need to ever see my most recent apps.
What I do like, is being able to open the menu whenever I want to, with a simple button press. I use some old apps that aren't cluttered with "more" or "..." buttons, so getting the menu to come up is a huge pain (holding the back button for eternity).
I'd rather have a much less useful function mapped to long-press than the actually useful function I tend to use frequently (quickly accessing the menu for a save-state with emulators...)
None of the solutions I've seen allow you to do anything with the menu button without root.
There is a thread in the S6 forum talking about modifying your generic file, but that appears to require root and I'm not sure if the procedure is the same for the S7.
There are threads that suggest "Buttons Remapper (no root)" allows you to do this, but having installed this I can verify that anything involving the "Menu" function *does* require root for this app.
Are there any true no-root options to substituting the recent-apps button with the menu button?
All in one gesture
Nandeee627 said:
All in one gesture
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I wish this was the case. You can not set "Menu" as the action for the keys unless your phone is rooted.
Hello All, I am using BK Disabler to kill the useless Bixby app all together, therefore killing the hard buttons use as well (press it and nothing happens, which is great!)
I am currently looking for a solution to use the now useless (and disabled) bixby button, to kill all of my open apps, with one (hard) button push... instead of two on screen button pushes...
The on screen keystrokes I normally use are:
press > recents button
press > close all
Anybody out there using BK disabler (or PD PRO) to kill the bixby app from launching, yet at the same time using an app killer APK like "Advanced Task Killer" from Rechild?
Thanks is advance for any pointers or successful "single bixby button" solutions, to killing all open apps at once.
anyone have any advice on this???
:crying:
vpad10_hacker said:
Hello All, I am using BK Disabler to kill the useless Bixby app all together, therefore killing the hard buttons use as well (press it and nothing happens, which is great!)
I am currently looking for a solution to use the now useless (and disabled) bixby button, to kill all of my open apps, with one (hard) button push... instead of two on screen button pushes...
The on screen keystrokes I normally use are:
press > recents button
press > close all
Anybody out there using BK disabler (or PD PRO) to kill the bixby app from launching, yet at the same time using an app killer APK like "Advanced Task Killer" from Rechild?
Thanks is advance for any pointers or successful "single bixby button" solutions, to killing all open apps at once.
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There are several apps in the play store that let you use the button for different functions.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jamworks.bxactions&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=you.in.spark.bixbye&hl=en
I've used both in the past but not recently, as in my opinion they make the OS lag. They may provide the function you want, I use Package Disabler Pro to disable the Bixby button..
thanks
ggrant3876 said:
There are several apps in the play store that let you use the button for different functions.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jamworks.bxactions&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=you.in.spark.bixbye&hl=en
I've used both in the past but not recently, as in my opinion they make the OS lag. They may provide the function you want, I use Package Disabler Pro to disable the Bixby button..
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I was hoping to find a single app solution, rather than one app to remap button, to a second app to close all open apps.
Sort of like using the "direct access" function in the s8/s8+... but to execute a "close all apps" command
vpad10_hacker said:
I was hoping to find a single app solution, rather than one app to remap button, to a second app to close all open apps.
Sort of like using the "direct access" function in the s8/s8+... but to execute a "close all apps" command
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Click to collapse
I don't see any point in excessively closing your recently used apps, why would you want to have apps reload content every time you open them again, instead of the content being there right away? Closing apps from RAM repeatedly is not the way the phone is made to be used either, RAM management exists for a reason, and a LOT of people have worked for a LONG time to make the phone provide the best experience for an user who never even reboots their phone