[samihussein]

[UPDATE]
no need to press the back button for a long time first
you can close any app by double pressing the back button while it is active.

[samihussein]

I started getting in love with my nokia lumia 920 and windows phone 8 OS!
this is my 5th day using it.
i feel free away from the IOS with its horrible restrictions.

[manicottiK]

[UPDATE]you can close any app by double pressing the back button while it is active.

I don't believe that this is true. Apps quit when users back out of the app's initial page. A tap of the back button moves back a page; a double-tap of the back key is treated as two single taps. If an app were showing its second page, a double-tap would quit, but an app showing it's third page wouldn't and an app showing its first would quit, reactivate the previous app, then back up one page there.

As has been said many times on these boards, there is no "systems" need to quit an app. The only need to quit an app is to change what shows when users do a long press of the back key or what gets brought to the screen when users tap the back key. With few exceptions for specific function calls, third-party apps in Windows Phone do not do anything unless they are on-screen. The term "background" tasks is bad because sometimes it's said to mean "I didn't quit the app and it's off-screen, therefore it's in the background" while at other times it may refer to the "Background Tasks" page in the Settings. Here's a quick summary:

App Type	Uses processor	Uses memory
On-screen	Yes	Yes
Microsoft (phone, IE?, maybe others)	Yes	Yes
Off-screen	No, except for special APIs	Yes, unless OS needs it
Periodic Tasks (aka Background Tasks)	Up to 25 sec every 30 min	6 MB limit

What some users call "background" apps are often simply suspended, off-screen apps that use no CPU and run the risk of being unloaded from memory if the operating system needs the memory for another purpose.

The apps listed in the Background Tasks page in Settings is a list of apps that come with specially-written and very small "applets" that users may allow to run for up to 25 seconds every half hour. It is important to know that the thing that is run on that schedule is not the same thing that runs when users tap the app's icon or tile -- it is a tiny subset of the whole app; it likely grabs some data over the cellular network, stores it locally, and maybe updates some tiles. The OS will automatically kill such a periodic task if it exceeds 6 MB or 25 seconds of run time. Further, if the OS has to kill it twice in a row, the OS "deschedules" it so that it doesn't get to make a third try.

So, with the exception of some special off-screen APIs (like for navigation, streaming audio, etc) and for some Microsoft-provided apps, not much CPU is being consumed except by the user turning on the screen and doing something.

[dainla]

As has been said many times on these boards, there is no "systems" need to quit an app.

And yet we keep repeating we want to close them and you guys seem to continue banging your head against the wall with the same answer because you can't understand or won't listen.

It's pretty simple.

First, some people are OCD or just want a clean phone. That's it on that one. And it's an acceptable reason to desire an easy way to close apps.

Second, the way I use my phone, I would prefer to keep a small amount of apps open, so I can press the back button flick between apps and select the one I want. It is, IMO, a much quicker way to use the phone. I do not like pressing the back button and seeing what is essentially my recent trash heap. I assume you were not a WebOS user. Trust me, it's a more convenient way to use a phone.

So, let's stop with the 'it's not necessary" line. We're not going to stop asking for it and we have legitimate reasons for wanting it.

[txaggies07]

So, let's stop with the 'it's not necessary" line. We're not going to stop asking for it and we have legitimate reasons for wanting it.

Still not necessary. Just because you are OCD doesn't mean MS should change their design.

[dainla]

Still not necessary. Just because you are OCD doesn't mean MS should change their design.

A lot of things aren't necessary on a phone, yet there they are. Why do you think that is?

[manicottiK]

And yet we keep repeating we want to close them and you guys seem to continue banging your head against the wall with the same answer because you can't understand or won't listen.

Thanks for quoting the sentence that said that there wasn't a systems need and omitting the following sentence that said that some people want to close them anyway.

The point of the information provided above was to let those who hear the phrase "background tasks" know that they can't directly apply what they know about them from desktop OS' or from Android to Windows Phone because the task model is different on Windows Phone. Those people and others are welcome to want to close tasks anyway, but they should know that doing to doesn't impact the system in the way that they might be thinking it does.

I'm informing in the hope of limiting the formation of a false mythology of tasks and battery life, not rallying again people with OCD, with privacy concerns, or with any other reason for wanting to do what they want with tasks.

[dainla]

We've heard it. A million times. That was my point.

[foxbat121]

According to official Micrsoft SDK, when you use back button to back out the app, it is telling the OS that user wants to close this app. The myth about double tap the back button is untrue.

So, there is no sense to argue whether or not a close app mechanism is needed because it is already offered for general apps. The only apps that are different are IE (which I typically close the tab before back out) and navigation apps. But if you are not actively navigating (with a route), these apps won't stay open either. And even if you do have an active route, once the navigation is done, the OS will shut it down after a certain amount of idle time.

If you use Windows button to quit an app, it will not be closed but rather being tombstoned which saves app state and suspended. No CPU resources are consumed while an app is tombstoned. So for those of you with OCD, learn to use the correct phone button ;)

[dainla]

According to official Micrsoft SDK, when you use back button to back out the app, it is telling the OS that user wants to close this app. The myth about double tap the back button is untrue.

So, there is no sense to argue whether or not a close app mechanism is needed because it is already offered for general apps. The only apps that are different are IE (which I typically close the tab before back out) and navigation apps. But if you are not actively navigating (with a route), these apps won't stay open either. And even if you do have an active route, once the navigation is done, the OS will shut it down after a certain amount of idle time.

If you use Windows button to quit an app, it will not be closed but rather being tombstoned which saves app state and suspended. No CPU resources are consumed while an app is tombstoned. So for those of you with OCD, learn to use the correct phone button ;)

I'm sort of baffled why this is so hard for people to grasp. A swipe off gesture would make the phone easier to use. Simple. That's what we're looking for.

[odin09]

I'm sort of baffled why this is so hard for people to grasp. A swipe off gesture would make the phone easier to use. Simple. That's what we're looking for.

How is it hard to grasp that people don't want a useless feature? Personally I think that once Microsoft fixes things that really need fixing they can address these type of things.

[Patrick CC]

I come from using a Meego Nokia N9, and this is one of the most frustrating things about W8 for me. I hope that Microsoft will introduce similar swipe features to those on meego to close apps (swipe down in meego) and maybe a third main screen ( - other than just the tiles and app list) for a matrix of apps currently running. Then it would be easy to close down specific apps with a swipe and a click rather than all this backspacing.

There is a reason that the Sailfish launch in Helsinki caused a stir - the OS is much more intuitive and user friendly than any other I've seen.

[Christian Holzer]

Well I really need such a option because Skype *running* in the background is draining the battery of my Lumia 820 by ~30% per hour!

*edit*
"back button" is closing apps in the background. a more obvious solution would be nice though. :)

[farzonalmaneih]

I don't know what to believe. Right now, I always back button out of every app unless I want it running in the background (nav and metrotube). I can see a huge difference in battery life when I close apps all the time vs not.

I dont agree that all apps tombstone/suspend when pressing the windows button unless they are specials apps that are listed under background settings. I have this app called stopwatch. Its not listed in background settings. Though, it works perfectly in the background keeping track of timers etc.

[farzonalmaneih]

Sorry, not metrotube I meant metroradio.

[a5cent]

I'm also in the camp with those that think the ability to close apps from the task switcher is unnecessary. I'd actually go further and say it is counter productive:

One of the main philosophies behind WP, is that having to micromanage the technical aspects of a device (like RAM or CPU resources) is evil. The OS goes to great lengths to ensure it can manage these aspects entirely autonomously. In other words, users should just forget about it.

The thing is... adding this feature suggests precisely the opposite. It implies there is a reason to micromanage app life spans. It flies in the face of what WP is meant to be. It is also guaranteed to reinforce preconceived notions about how a smartphone should be used, particularly in former Android users who will feel compelled to continue micromanaging app lifespans on WP. It's akin to WP developing a dissociative identity disorder.

Accommodating people with CDO isn't the main reason people want this feature. Rather it is IE, which can build up huge backstacks while surfing the web. As many people here already mentioned, something definitely needs to be done about IE. However, any solution should focus on fixing IE, not on working around IE's problems by adding features to the OS. I've described this issue in more detail here.

[farzonalmaneih]

I like the idea of the OS automatically handling apps, but when I can prove thats its not doing it well, to me its more of a marketing blerb than reality. Maybe the next patch will fix it.

[a5cent]

I like the idea of the OS automatically handling apps, but when I can prove thats its not doing it well, to me its more of a marketing blerb than reality. Maybe the next patch will fix it.

I'll give you that. WP suffered in stability going from WP7.5 to WP8.0. :-(

[Eagerly]

What about a hung app....The back button does not work, maybe an X, that makes a ctrl, alt, dlt, task manager, end process would work. I for one would like a way other than to hit the back button to close apps, I want a force close for hung/crashed apps. No I don't have OCD, but I do like things functional

[a5cent]

I want a force close for hung/crashed apps. No I don't have OCD, but I do like things functional

That is quite the opposite of functional. That is nothing more than a workaround for a flaw that the OS shouldn't allow to exist in the first place.

If WP were to introduce an OS based feature/workaround for every flawed app, WP would soon become a completely unmanageable mess. Of course hung/crashed apps are a pain, but pressure must be maintained on either the app developers (to fix their app), or on Microsoft (to improve their API's as to prevent such errors from happening in the first place). A workaround, such as you suggest, achieves nothing but to make it easier for developers to ignore such errors (because a workaround exists). Worst of all, it also "encourages" other developers to introduce apps to the marketplace with the same types of errors, again, because a workaround exists. On computers these types of problems are bad enough. Nobody should be fiddling around with these kinds of problems on phones. That isn't the right way.

If you have a list of apps that crash/hang, and know how to reproduce the problem, then notify Microsoft so they can take a look at it and determine who is at fault.

[mike1810]

Bingcast drains my battery even though I've closed it.

[mike1810]

How is it hard to grasp that people don't want a useless feature? Personally I think that once Microsoft fixes things that really need fixing they can address these type of things.

You don't speak for "people." Didn't know these forum were for the MDF.

I too, want an app that allows me to kill apps. Choice is good. Every other phone lets you do it. Stop making excuses for MS.

[tawani]

Yet I still here the music from a different app playing.

[hopmedic]

http://forums.windowscentral.com/win...dont-need.html

Fact: "Closing" apps that are in the back stack will make absolutely, positively zero difference in battery life, CPU cycles, temperature of the device, or the color of the sky at sunset.

[hopmedic]

Yet I still here the music from a different app playing.

The music from a different app still playing is because apps that play music in the background are allowed by the OS to do so. Want to stop it? Press a volume button to bring up the audio controls, and tap the pause button.

If you're using Bluetooth, and the music starts after disconnecting or reconnecting, this is what I would call a bug, but Microsoft put it there intentionally (for some strange reason). I like the Stop Music app, and have a tile from within the app pinned to my start screen to kill the music for good.