Application opening/closing

[danthman]

Just picked up my first Android phone a few days ago. I have a couple questions about app management.

1. Is it normal that pretty much every application I've ever used in in the list of running apps in Settings/Applications/Manage Applications? If this is not normal, how do you close an app when you're done with it? I've noticed that only a couple apps I use have a "Close" or "Exit" feature.
2. Also, if you open an app, then jump to the home screen, what's the quickest way to get back to the app you just opened? I always end up having to just navigate back to the same page I used to open the app in the first place and re-open it. Is there a better, quicker way?

In case it matters, I have a HTC Droid Incredible.

 

[NickA]

One of the biggest hurdles new Android user have a hard time with is "closing" an application. The short answer is don't worry about it. Just hit your home key, or back out of an application. Android will handle closing the app for you if/when needed.

The easiest way to jump back to your app is holding down the Home button. It will come up with a list of recently used applications.

 

[RUSH]

... Also, if I may add - getting back to previously open webpage … place the browser app on your "Home Screen" one tap and you're right back on the webpage you were last viewing. Plus, tapping menu + windows gives you the last four webpages being viewed.

 

[Chrisy]

Awesome tips! Thanks guys!

 

[mamawM]

when you open an app and then hit home when you are finished, you leave the app running in the background. if you use the back button to leave the app it closes the app (just like an exit button). either way is ok as android will shut applications down when it needs the resources for something else. however if you want to conserve battery, always back out of an app.

 

[danthman]

when you open an app and then hit home when you are finished, you leave the app running in the background. if you use the back button to leave the app it closes the app (just like an exit button). either way is ok as android will shut applications down when it needs the resources for something else. however if you want to conserve battery, always back out of an app.

Oh okay, so backing out does close the app. I wasn't really sure if it did or not. There are some apps where this isn't practical, though. Like the browser, since the back button goes to the previous page you visited. (Dolphin, which I use sometimes, isn't a problem because it actually has an Exit feature.)

 

[mamawM]

yeah, the browser is the one app you can't back out of. i always navigate to google and then just hit home.

 

[takeshi]

Plus, tapping menu + windows gives you the last four webpages being viewed. [/B]

Actually, it shows you the currently open browser windows (you can have more than one).