Do you really USE the 'Recent Apps' onscreen button?

robbski300

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So I've had the M8 for a couple of weeks, now. Maybe it's just me, but I've NEVER used the 'Recent Apps' button, except to clear out all of the recently used apps, thinking maybe its gonna free up some memory and make the phone faster or something. :) That's funny, because this phone absolutely SCREAMS! It doesn't need any help to speed up. I wish you could modify this button to maybe something you actually USE more, like 'Settings', or go back to the much missed 'Menu' button. I have immediate access to over 50 apps/actions on my home screen (thanks to Nova Launcher), so it would actually be slower to bring up the 'Recent Apps' screen to access an app. Oh well. I was just curious what people's thoughts were on this, since I haven't seen any mention of it over the past couple of weeks. Thanks!
 

whitelunchbag

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I use it all the time, both as a multitasking key and to clear out my recents.

As soon as I press submit on this post I will use it again

My M8 posted this
 

mchockeyvette27

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Yeah I use this it all the time as well. I think it is just so fluid to use it. It makes multitasking much easier to me. The one thing that bugs me about it though is that is just a hair slow to open sometimes.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 

law2010

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I use it all the time. Fast way to zip between apps. I usually am texting and emailing and checking websites all at the same time, so I use it to hop back and forth quickly.

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Golfdriver97

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I don't have an M8, but I use my recents screen a fair amount. Makes it easy to shift between apps.

From a Liquid Nexus 5
 

B. Diddy

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It's especially helpful when participating on these forums. For example, if I start a reply to someone in the AC app, and then realize I want to insert a link, I can hit Recent Apps, go to Chrome, select a saved Bookmark and copy it to the clipboard, then hit Recent Apps again, go back to AC, and paste the link. It's smoother than going back to the homescreen and locating the app I need.
 

mrsmumbles

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Also when listening to Pandora and doing something else, I can like a song and then tap recents to go into another activity. Or if I get an email while watching YouTube, I can read the email, then go back to the video. I use it constantly.

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ffejjj

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It's especially helpful when participating on these forums. For example, if I start a reply to someone in the AC app, and then realize I want to insert a link, I can hit Recent Apps, go to Chrome, select a saved Bookmark and copy it to the clipboard, then hit Recent Apps again, go back to AC, and paste the link. It's smoother than going back to the homescreen and locating the app I need.

THIS ^^^^^^^

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mchockeyvette27

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It's especially helpful when participating on these forums. For example, if I start a reply to someone in the AC app, and then realize I want to insert a link, I can hit Recent Apps, go to Chrome, select a saved Bookmark and copy it to the clipboard, then hit Recent Apps again, go back to AC, and paste the link. It's smoother than going back to the homescreen and locating the app I need.

I do that with posting screenshots a lot too! I start to type something and figure maybe I should post a screenshot of what I'm talking about, so I hop out of the forums, grab a screenshot, and jump right back. No easier way of doing that really.
 
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member15

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I'm with robbski300. The recent apps button truly is not useful. If you're phone's working correctly clearing the recent apps accomplishes nothing and if you want to access recent apps you can do so just as quickly by going to a home screen and clicking on them........which is actually quicker because more apps on a single screen can be accessed there. Using the recent apps button is absolutely without advantage. Feel free to use it all you want. Most folks simply use what's set in front of them rather than thinking of a better way. But please try and see things from a different perspective which may yield better result. So far no one who uses this button has given a single advantage for doing so.
 

AlpineAddict

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Off topic slightly, but does this button actually close the apps???? I thought it did...????

I'm looking at trying to stop my battery draining so quick (see other thread)...
 

Mooncatt

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I was unsure about this function at first and I was used to having the menu button there on my last phone. After a few days, it became second nature to use it for multi tasking.
 

whitelunchbag

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I'm with robbski300. The recent apps button truly is not useful. If you're phone's working correctly clearing the recent apps accomplishes nothing and if you want to access recent apps you can do so just as quickly by going to a home screen and clicking on them........which is actually quicker because more apps on a single screen can be accessed there. Using the recent apps button is absolutely without advantage. Feel free to use it all you want. Most folks simply use what's set in front of them rather than thinking of a better way. But please try and see things from a different perspective which may yield better result. So far no one who uses this button has given a single advantage for doing so.

So you're saying it's just as quick to press home button (exit current app) >scroll through home screens>open new app (that is probably already running>BUT WAIT THERE WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED FROM THE OTHER APP>close app> scroll through home screens again>open previous app (that is also already running)

I can do that in three fast clicks, no scrolling, no searching

Now factor in the time for having to open the app drawer and scroll through there (depends on launcher) and you're getting ludicrous

My M8 posted this
 

mrsmumbles

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Try doing this without the Recent Apps button:

Start a post or reply here
Remember you forgot something and have to look but up - but, oh no! You already wrote a long paragraph already.
Close your post and use the back button to go to Google Search to look up what you forgot.
Go back into your post to add the info.

Unless you copied what you wrote so far, and pasted it on a note or something (because you also just had to copy and paste the URL you just found the info on to add to your post as reference), you already lost the post and would have to start over.

But with the Recent Apps button it's very quick to tap home, go into Google Search, find the info and copy the URL, tap home, tap Recent Apps, and finish the post, adding the info and the URL. I do that very often! The Recent Apps button is meant for multitasking. That and the universal share button are amazing. :)
 

Kibbster

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I use it a lot.
Far quicker than going back to the homescreen>App menu and launching a new app, then doing it all in reverse to go back to the first app.
Once I've run the apps I want, the recent apps menu is a breeze to switch between all the apps you want to use at the same time.

Anyone who doesn't see the point in that button isn't trying to work their phone to the fullest ;)