Back arrow and apps not closing

[Davey123]

I have an AT&T 950. Whenever I hit the back arrow button, the apps do not close like they did on my 920. Instead, I have to manually close each app. Does someone know of a way to get the back arrow button to close the apps? Or, is this a bug? Thanks.

 

[tale 85]

From what I've seen it's standard on W10M. One of the first things I noticed. I don't know if it's actually all apps, but most. Can't tell you if it's considered a bug or not. But it's been there since last spring at least.

 

[Davey123]

Thanks. I guess that I will have to adjust to it

 

[manicottiK]

It's not a bug -- it's a feature, and I mean that sincerely and not as a tongue-in-cheek or sarcastic comment.

You do not "have to" close those apps. In fact, you should not do it. There is no benefit provided to you in closing them, but there is a cost. In other words, closing them hurts you (although not much).

Unlike programs on a desktop or laptop computer, the lifecycle for apps on Windows 10 Mobile (and the earlier Windows Phone products) ensures that apps only run while they are on-screen. When off-screen, they are not using your battery or your data plan. Apps that are open, but off-screen, are using memory, but that's not a big deal because Windows 10 knows which apps where used least recently and will close them if it needs memory for any other reason.

Closing the apps just increases the time needed to re-open them when you eventually do need them. Leaving them open makes start-up faster because they may still be in memory. Further, it doesn't slow down the start-up of other apps because any end-of-use cleanup or data saving that a closing app needs to be was supposed to be done when the app moved off-screen.

You might ask about "background" tasks or apps that update tiles (like weather tiles updating every 30 minutes to show current conditions). The code that runs to do those updates is not a part of the main app users interact with on screen. Essentially, when developers build such apps, we bundle the user-facing app and the background "applet" in one file that we submit to the Windows Store. When you install it, Windows Phone/Mobile takes care of loading the correct part and running it as needed.

 

[EMitchell]

There is no benefit provided to you in closing them, but there is a cost. In other words, closing them hurts you (although not much).

Unlike programs on a desktop or laptop computer, the lifecycle for apps on Windows 10 Mobile (and the earlier Windows Phone products) ensures that apps only run while they are on-screen.

This is very interesting, I didn't realize this.

I don't have any evidence, other than having experimented a bit; my L950 has a tendency to get warm (hot) occasionally. To resolve this, I hold the back arrow down and shut off all the apps that are still open. It seems to help cool the phone down. But after reading your post, I'm not sure I'm seeing the result of my actions or just a coincidence.

 

[manicottiK]

I'm not sure I'm seeing the result of my actions or just a coincidence.

For what it's worth, I think that it's coincidence combined with the placebo effect.

Warning: essay answer below.

The main thing that you hear Android users (and some developers) complain about is the limitations in how apps work in WP 7+8 and Windows 8+10. What's really bugging them is that Microsoft made a conscious decision to change what's called "the app lifecycle" to better respect limited power budgets. This makes it possible for use to get through the day on a single charge, but makes it harder for developers to deliver the kinds of services that they are used to providing in the way that they've always provided them.

In the olden days (say, 2009), most programs were running on devices that were plugged in to A/C power. With the shift from desktops to laptops and the growth in both capabilities and usage of "apps" on phones and tablets, the majority of programs are likely running in battery powered devices. And the owners of those devices want devices with giant screens, batteries that last all day, and no mass.

To accommodate those conflicting needs, Microsoft decided to change the lifecycle so that apps could no longer assume that they had access to the CPU from the time that the app was "double-clicked' until the time that its window was closed. Instead, CPU and network resources would only be provided by the OS while the user was looking at the app on the screen. This change really impacts developers because everything we've known about how the app and the hardware will interact is affected by the different lifecycle.

The complaint that "Windows Phone/Mobile can't do background downloading" is caused in part by the change to the newer, more restrictive app lifecycle and in part by developers not addressing the change. To accommodate the need for apps that do things like background downloads, streaming audio, and active navigation, Microsoft added new features that an app can use just before they are taken off-screen. By using these functions, the service provided by the app (i.e., downloading, streaming, or navigating) can continue while the app is open, but off-screen. Of course, developers need to be aware of the more restrictive app lifecycle and the availability of these special functions so that they can write their apps to use them. This is also true to iOS (although the implementation is understandably different), but not so much for Android, where the "plugged in desktop" app lifecycle can still sort of by used sometimes.

Microsoft also added a form of "background" processing, but that really meant adding the ability for Windows to run a separate (and quite tiny) executable from time to time. So, "background task" and "background app" in the Windows Phone/Mobile world do not refer to apps that are open and off-screen, but to these tiny companion programs. The running of the companion program is fully de-coupled from the state of the main program, other than that the main program needs to run at least once to "ask" Windows to add the companion program to the list of things that the OS runs from time to time.

 

[Paolo Ferrazza]

Not again please use search function it has been explained hundred of times. Short answer is: do not close apps unless they malfuction and need a reset. Closing them will degrade performance. And it is actually far more usable to just press Home than compulsive back pushing, it took sometime getting used to but it is worth the effort.

The running of the companion program is fully de-coupled from the state of the main program, other than that the main program needs to run at least once to "ask" Windows to add the companion program to the list of things that the OS runs from time to time.

Actually the "companion program" can be closed by the "main program" at a later time and the two can interact via filesystem, anyway yes you are mostly correct, we explained these things a thousand time in these forums

From what I've seen it's standard on W10M. One of the first things I noticed. I don't know if it's actually all apps, but most. Can't tell you if it's considered a bug or not. But it's been there since last spring at least.

It is all apps, if they close then they are bugged and crash

 

[Josh Harman]

I have an AT&T 950. Whenever I hit the back arrow button, the apps do not close like they did on my 920. Instead, I have to manually close each app. Does someone know of a way to get the back arrow button to close the apps? Or, is this a bug? Thanks.

Only apps using API from WP8 close with the back button, it's a change in how apps work. I believe developers have a course in how out reacts to the back button.

 

[Sedp23]

its not supposed to closed they introduced that in 8.1. apps needed to update to 8.1 to support the new behavior

 

[Davey123]

Thanks very much. I had only been used to my 920, so I was not aware of these new features. I really appreciate the informative posts.

 

[EMitchell]

Warning: essay answer below.

You are verbose, aren't you. :wink:

Good stuff, thanks for the background G2.

 

[manicottiK]

You are verbose, aren't you. :wink:

I didn't have time to make it shorter!