Unlisted or Hidden Background Apps

[anthonyng]

Does anyone else see that when you hold the Back button, the tiles of background apps is not a complete list?

Like after a day of using the phone, I will see a bunch of apps open. I close them all. However it's not all of them. If I continue to hit the back button, I find more and more apps that were in the background, open up again. I have to keep hitting the back button until apps stop popping up.

Anyone know if this is an error or by design?

 

[MrCarrick]

I get this too, I only noticed it since the last couple of cumulative builds in the slow ring.

 

[Nomi_Raan]

It's a bug

 

[Aurelink]

That's a bug that has been fixed in with the redstone builds. Limite of opened apps is 16, but in TS1 the task manager can only "manage" 7 of them.

 

[pankaj981]

It's not a bug but the way it's supposed to be. WM shows only 7 apps in the app drawer. The newer Redstone builds now show more apps.

 

[johnny77777]

Anyone know if a full reset of the phone resolves this? Totally unacceptable for a 700 Euro "high-end" phone. I'm convinced this is the reason the battery life on my 950 XL terrible, coming from a 1520 with just a slightly larger battery.

When pressing and holding the back button on my 950 XL, I close any open apps. I tap it again and there remain open apps. I even hold it down again and look -- even more apps are there still open that I may not have used in days in some cases.

It totally explains with all of these apps sitting there open in the background that my battery won't last. They're basically ghost apps running with no full visibility for the end user to see what's actually running.

Wondering if a full reset of my 950 XL would fix this, although I bailed on the Insider program months ago and had already done a fresh install, so I doubt a full reboot would fix anything for me here.

 

[Maurizio Troso]

Anyone know if a full reset of the phone resolves this? Totally unacceptable for a 700 Euro "high-end" phone. I'm convinced this is the reason the battery life on my 950 XL terrible, coming from a 1520 with just a slightly larger battery.

When pressing and holding the back button on my 950 XL, I close any open apps. I tap it again and there remain open apps. I even hold it down again and look -- even more apps are there still open that I may not have used in days in some cases.

It totally explains with all of these apps sitting there open in the background that my battery won't last. They're basically ghost apps running with no full visibility for the end user to see what's actually running.

Wondering if a full reset of my 950 XL would fix this, although I bailed on the Insider program months ago and had already done a fresh install, so I doubt a full reboot would fix anything for me here.

When you open the Task Manager (hold back key) are you sliding down apps you want to close???
It works perfectly
App stays on background till you close them sliding down. It's a feature common to all (android and iphones) not a bug, so everyone can recall faster apps uses everyday.
When you want to close an app, you have to slide it down in task manager. Like every phone

 

[johnny77777]

When you open the Task Manager (hold back key) are you sliding down apps you want to close???
It works perfectly
App stays on background till you close them sliding down. It's a feature common to all (android and iphones) not a bug, so everyone can recall faster apps uses everyday.
When you want to close an app, you have to slide it down in task manager. Like every phone

Yes, that's not the problem though. The problem is that I'll hold the back button, I'll see 3 recent apps there. I either tap the x in the upper right or slide down each as you said. That's where it should end, but it doesn't. So I'll tap the back button again and looky there, there's a totally different app I had used recently that's also open that didn't pull up when I held the back button down originally.

But it gets even worse. If I then hold the back button down again, more apps will show open.

Or if I continue tapping the back button fast, many apps will start closing that never appeared to still be open or running in the first place when I originally held the back button down.

This is clearly a flaw but as I don't hear of many others having the problem, I'm wondering if this is some random issue I'm having and no one else or not many others are. Some of the people in this thread do appear to have a similar issue though.

And Google searches have only brought me to this single thread, I haven't seen anyone else bring up anything close to this issue and it's nothing that I've ever seen MSFT bring up.

 

[Maurizio Troso]

Yes, that's not the problem though. The problem is that I'll hold the back button, I'll see 3 recent apps there. I either tap the x in the upper right or slide down each as you said. That's where it should end, but it doesn't. So I'll tap the back button again and looky there, there's a totally different app I had used recently that's also open that didn't pull up when I held the back button down originally.

But it gets even worse. If I then hold the back button down again, more apps will show open.

Or if I continue tapping the back button fast, many apps will start closing that never appeared to still be open or running in the first place when I originally held the back button down.

This is clearly a flaw but as I don't hear of many others having the problem, I'm wondering if this is some random issue I'm having and no one else or not many others are. Some of the people in this thread do appear to have a similar issue though.

And Google searches have only brought me to this single thread, I haven't seen anyone else bring up anything close to this issue and it's nothing that I've ever seen MSFT bring up.

Ok, now that's clear it's a o.s. malfunction.
I guess a hard reset will clear that

 

[anon(50597)]

Anyone know if a full reset of the phone resolves this? Totally unacceptable for a 700 Euro "high-end" phone. I'm convinced this is the reason the battery life on my 950 XL terrible, coming from a 1520 with just a slightly larger battery.

When pressing and holding the back button on my 950 XL, I close any open apps. I tap it again and there remain open apps. I even hold it down again and look -- even more apps are there still open that I may not have used in days in some cases.

It totally explains with all of these apps sitting there open in the background that my battery won't last. They're basically ghost apps running with no full visibility for the end user to see what's actually running.

Wondering if a full reset of my 950 XL would fix this, although I bailed on the Insider program months ago and had already done a fresh install, so I doubt a full reboot would fix anything for me here.

Are these apps actually consuming battery or just idle in the background?

 

[johnny77777]

Are these apps actually consuming battery or just idle in the background?

For sure they're consuming battery. Perfect example is I'm on the bus for 20 minutes after just leaving my apartment with a full charge. I send 2-3 messages on WhatsApp and I browse a couple of news sites on Edge browser before I'm off the bus. Nothing else. I'm down from 100 to 83 in just 20 minutes. Other day I'm at the vet waiting for Rufus in waiting room for 30-40 min just browsing on Edge. Went from 87 to 55 or something just like that. Never experienced anything like this with the 1520, which I had as my daily phone for 2 full years. And the battery life on the 950 XL is just slightly smaller than the 1520. 3300 mAh vs 3500 mAh or something close to that. On the other hand I've heard awful stories about peoples' battery life with their 950 and 950 XL and basically anything with WIndows 10 mobile on it, so some if it is likely that. I just never really saw any other complaints than this thread about the specific issue I'm talking about. Also I'll wake up in the morning and the a lot of times the back is warm and yes, a significant loss of battery of even 25-30 even when it's not in use for an 8 hour stretch. Not even using it other than putting a podcast on when I go to sleep. So it's definitely these hidden apps sitting there in the background just taking up battery life from their presence alone.

So sounds like a full reset of the phone should help it some of you would think? I never pull in any backup data when I do a full reset either, so hopefully it would help.

 

[anon(50597)]

It may be just one app doing it, otherwise it would happen to everyone. I'm not very familiar with how WP works yet, but most platforms have multitasking which means apps idle in the background without consuming battery. I would imagine WP is the same.

My point is, it's probably not the act of these apps being in the background that is your issue, but one rogue app causing the problem. I think you have the right idea though. Do a hard reset, but then I would add apps back slowly. Don't close out apps in the background. That way you will find your culprit when the battery starts draining quickly.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. It will be good information for all of us.

 

[johnny77777]

It may be just one app doing it, otherwise it would happen to everyone. I'm not very familiar with how WP works yet, but most platforms have multitasking which means apps idle in the background without consuming battery. I would imagine WP is the same.

My point is, it's probably not the act of these apps being in the background that is your issue, but one rogue app causing the problem. I think you have the right idea though. Do a hard reset, but then I would add apps back slowly. Don't close out apps in the background. That way you will find your culprit when the battery starts draining quickly.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. It will be good information for all of us.

Thanks for the input guys.

I don't think it's a rogue app. I think it's something with the way the apps I do open are being handled by Windows 10 Mobile. The fact that when I press and hold my back button and am shown only a few of the apps that are actually open tells me something else is up, likely OS related. If I tap the back button many times after closing all those apps, suddenly a rash of still open apps start to appear each time I tap the back button. Then ill press and hold the back button again and all of a sudden even more open apps are showing that never showed up when I originally pressed and held the back button. I wish I could show in context what I'm referring to. It's a daily occurrence. It would explain why my device also runs hot even when not in use and why the such quick battery drain.

I was looking back at the original poster here and he has the exact same issue as I'm having it appears.

Needless to say, I'm going to give it a shot and do a full factory reset and start from scratch here. Very frustrating.

 

[hprvez]

Not a bug. Suspended apps don't consume cpu cycles. Apps left running under lock screen CAN use cpu cycles.

 

[johnny77777]

Not a bug. Suspended apps don't consume cpu cycles. Apps left running under lock screen CAN use cpu cycles.

You and other earlier posters here that had responded to the original poster aren't grasping the issue at hand. No one is saying that apps left running under lock screen aren't using battery life.

The issue is this as an example (in my case, I'm on a 950 XL).

Step 1. Long press back button: I see many open apps -- usually 4-6. I close them by clicking X on each or swiping down

Step 2. Long press again: Oh look, a whole other set of apps are there showing as open in background that didn't show the first time. Some of which I haven't used in over a day. I close those by clicking X on each or swiping down.

Step 3. I'll quick press back button, even after doing steps 1 and 2. Oh look, there's ESPN hockey scores I was checking this morning running on edge.

Step 4. Long press back button and there's Edge browser. I touch the X or swipe down to close the app.

Step 5. I'll tap back button again and continue doing so and can see all kinds of stuff still running -- maybe it's a podcast from the morning before and all kinds of other random apps I've opened throughout the day but that hadn't shown up the prior times I long pressed back button.

 

[Maurizio Troso]

I remember something about limited background showen apps removed on Redstone in some Cental article, but I can't find it.
So that's clear. You got the habit never closing apps after using during the day (my father do the same on is notebook, then Shout to me how sloow is Win10. I look at taskbar and I see 20/30 thing layn down

I tested on my 650, all apps I open stay on background (I opened 10, I haven't more extra) . So, if you prefer so, you can took the habit to reboot your phone every 3/4 days. Surely all background apps will close

 

[johnny77777]

I remember something about limited background showen apps removed on Redstone in some Cental article, but I can't find it.
So that's clear. You got the habit never closing apps after using during the day (my father do the same on is notebook, then Shout to me how sloow is Win10. I look at taskbar and I see 20/30 thing layn down

I tested on my 650, all apps I open stay on background (I opened 10, I haven't more extra) . So, if you prefer so, you can took the habit to reboot your phone every 3/4 days. Surely all background apps will close

Silly logic. Sounds like a resolution we'd hear from a company spokesperson doing damage control And I'm jealous of your 650 working properly now

If the stated functionality of holding the back button is supposed to show all of my open apps so that I can easily close them, I'd expect that to be the case. Not that sometimes it shows all, sometimes it doesn't. I'd like to close all my apps when I'm finished. Unfortunately the functionality isn't working properly.

I don't expect to have to press/hold the back button multiple times to close all my apps. It's supposed to be Press. Hold. SHow open apps. Period. Not repeat those steps 2, 3 times. Nor should continuously tapping the back button be showing even other apps that were previously opened.

I'm stumped as to why the issue appears to be limited to a select few though. Never had any problem like this w/ WP 8.1.

I did a full reset of my phone yesterday (without backing up, so completely fresh install) and it's still happening, unfortunately.

 

[Maurizio Troso]

Silly logic. Sounds like a resolution we'd hear from a company spokesperson doing damage control

L O L

"Gents, don't panic, please!"

 

[johnny77777]

I remember something about limited background showen apps removed on Redstone in some Cental article, but I can't find it.

Just found more details. I think you're referring to this article: Microsoft trimmed the Windows 10 Mobile multitasking carousel to improve OS speed.

So that explains it. There's a limit of 7 apps that show in the carousel when pressing/holding back button. The problem is that the other apps remain running but don't appear in the carousel and they also don't always come up when tapping the back button either, so no visibility. It's completely random. Clearly there needs to be an option to "Kill/Close all open apps" when pressing and holding the back button.

 

[PPCFreak]

Just found more details. I think you're referring to this article: Microsoft trimmed the Windows 10 Mobile multitasking carousel to improve OS speed.

So that explains it. There's a limit of 7 apps that show in the carousel when pressing/holding back button. The problem is that the other apps remain running but don't appear in the carousel and they also don't always come up when tapping the back button either, so no visibility. It's completely random. Clearly there needs to be an option to "Kill/Close all open apps" when pressing and holding the back button.

This must not apply to the Redstone branch then.

I have my Icon currently on latest Redstone build, and have start screen plus 8 other apps showing when I go to sow the tasks in the carousel.
Have the following showing images in the carosuel:
Start, Calculator
Camera, One Drive
(swipe to right)
Cortana, Store
Outlook Mail, Outlook Calen (Outlook Calendar with the text cut off slightly in title)
(swipe to right)
Messaging (but here is the odd part, the image is the start screen but the title states Messaging)

I have my Icon set with the Text Scaling at 225% and the Display more on the Start screen set to On so I can have 4 medium tiles in a row on the start screen

not sure if that makes a difference or not but putting that out there for all to ponder.
I will upload screen shots soon as I am trying to run a battery drain test using 'normal duties' as kind of a bench mark so to speak.