Does anyone actually use the recent apps button?

I think I've used it like twice. I have my home screens organized so everything is no more than two taps away. So it just seems like the button could have been put to better use like the one x. I think even a screenshot button would be more useful than recent apps.
Maybe I'm just missing something here. What do you all think?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

I use the recent button constantly, oh yes great feature for me.:thumbup:;)

sent from my Evo 4G LTE using Tapatalk2

I also use it more than I thought. If I wanted to have to go back to the home screen every time I wanted to open an app I would be using an iPhone

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

i use it..

I use it often. It may be psychosomatic, but clearing six or more apps seems to reduce occasional lag.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

I never use mine. Drives me insane and wish it were used for something else. I miss the old school menu button still tbh

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

Absolutely never use it. I hate it. Period.

I always use it. I switch between my music and sms all the time.

I don't get it either. Couldn't we just long press the home button and get a grid of recently used apps? Seems like a wasted button to me too. Better served as search or even reprogrammable within the OS.

Sent from my NookColor using Android Central Forums

Very rarely use it. Have it on my Thrive and GNex and always forget I even have it.

Recent applications is kinda useful to view some information in 2 separate application. I know it sounds stupid... But i find it useful when you cant copy number or text.. I just use recent apps to verify information. Lol.. Before 4.2 it was actually better because page stayed in the background you could still see through tint.. Now it just shrinks everything in small preview windows.. But if you zoom on particular info and then launch recent apps it will display zoomed so you could clearly see what you need between two applications.

Yep, I also find it useful. Before gnex I had samsung s1 and s2 and there to enter recents I had to long press home button, and believe me this one is way better. From those devices I've also got used to menu button which was missing for me on stock rom... that's way I've moved to cm and have full control over the nav bar :D

Yes! It's incredibly useful. If you want to see something that's NOT useful, look at Windows Phone's 3 button arrangement. Instead of the recent apps button, they have a search button. Be thankful Android got rid of the 4-button arrangement it used to have.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pre-dawn raid [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

I don't get it either. Couldn't we just long press the home button and get a grid of recently used apps? Seems like a wasted button to me too. Better served as search or even reprogrammable within the OS.

Sent from my NookColor using Android Central Forums

---

The purpose of the recent app buttons is speed. You want to quickly switch apps, not wait to long press the home button every time. With the way it is now, I can jump between 3 different apps without waiting.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pre-dawn raid [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

I don't get it either. Couldn't we just long press the home button and get a grid of recently used apps? Seems like a wasted button to me too. Better served as search or even reprogrammable within the OS.

Sent from my NookColor using Android Central Forums

---

I hated having to long press the home button, and i do use the recent apps button although it still isn't as good as using Wave launcher.

Also, it's a little off topic since I don't know if you're interested in custom roms , but Cyanogenmod has the ability to edit the soft buttons. I added a persistent search key, but you can take off the recent apps key if you like.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

I use it fairly extensively..

I just used it :) I use it a lot I find.....a lot of the time I use it just to swipe away recent apps I have used.......other times to go quickly back to a recent app....I use it a lot now that I think about it in this way.....say I am writing a tweet, a FB status update or an image to Instagram, say as I am typing that post and I forget the custom tags I have in another app, I would then go to that app, copy tags , go to recent apps and my tweet or whatever is there waiting to be finished....

I use it often too.

I use it all the time.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Pink Tapatalk 2

I also use it all the time.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

I use it quite often as well. I use it especially when i'm switching constantly between 2 more apps because i'm trying to multi-task lol...

I'm always using that button. The card style multitasking layout was the thing I was looking most forward to when ICS first dropped.

Sent from my Motorola RAZR i

I use the button because it always has the 5-6 apps I use most often in the list. Of course, nothing a few shortcuts or folders couldn't do for me instead. But I like to keep my homescreen completely clean and this allows me to sort apps in a slightly different way - by category type instead of most used, etc. - on my other screens.

While I use this and find it helpful, I can think of a few different buttons that I would find more useful there.

Every several minutes.

Transmitted from my Nexus Prime

I use it a lot. Especially in full screen apps. If you get a notification you can hit the multitasking button to see it without going to the home screen.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

And for goodness's sake isn't your title insulating to the button that many like?

Transmitted from my Nexus Prime