Closing recent apps - yea or nay (or eh...)?

[SpaceyO]

So I've had my S7 for almost 2 months now, and still don't miss Windows Mobile much at all...but apparently my muscle memory does. I'm still finding myself hitting the recent apps button and closing all each time I'm through with an app.

I've read that Androids tend to run better with apps open and using RAM, but am I really missing a big performance boost? Am I truly saving battery power by not having anything running? Or does it really matter at all and I've just been reading more power-users' opinions than regular folk?

TIA...

 

[chanchan05]

If that's all you do and you don't use task killers or anything of the automated sort, you should be fine.

 

[Javier P]

As a general rule I don't remove anything from the recent apps unless a particular app is having a problem or stuck running in the background. Removing apps from there, as a routine, will spend more resources than leaving them alone, specially with your most used apps. The recent apps will remember the point where you left the app, so you don't need to start from scratch next time you use it.

Android is quite good managing the memory and background processes, so you don't need to worry.

 

[sydneycooper1979]

I usually close the apps out when I'm ready to put my phone down.

 

[Gaston Garcia]

I close apps all the time —out of habit.

I don't really perceive any real performance difference.

 

[PA452]

I very frequently close everything out out of habit. Don't know if it would really perform better if I didn't.

 

[Almeuit]

I swipe away the apps I don't use constantly. The ones I do use (Textra, Hangouts ,ETC.) I keep in the recent apps.

 

[sangs]

Close them out all the time. Especially the resource hogs like Facebook. Do it with my iPhone as well.

 

[davidnc]

I do close recent apps ,that I don't use often.
The apps I use though out the day,I usually leave open

 

[Stwutter]

I always wondered this, so I spent a week doing both, and the only difference I found was that I maybe had a few % more battery at the end of the day if I closed everything after using it. However, it wasn't exactly scientific, so I concluded it makes very little difference.

 

[Wizzy]

If you close an app through the back button instead of the home button, the app will shut down itself. The only time I use the close recent apps button is when an app doesn't use the proper Android procedure and doesn't close with the back button.

 

[kramer5150]

I almost always close apps when I am done. When I leave them open, I really haven't noticed any adverse-effects. Its more a preference for not having a pile of stuff behind what I am actively doing.

I don't force stop app background activity however. I let Android manage background sub-routines. Unless its depleting my battery or system resources excessively which happens once in a long while.

 

[Not Quite Right]

I've read that Androids tend to run better with apps open and using RAM

Apple recommends the same thing. I was once told at the Genius Bar that constant closing of apps confuses the OS into thinking theres an issue with said apps, and will cause a delay in reopening of them due to the OS running a self check on the app, then reloading it into memory. This in turn gives the user the perception of lag, and various other unnecessary issues.

 

[N4Newbie]

There is no value in closing apps. Period.

"But, they are using memory!"

So? The stuff in your attic is consuming space as well. In the event that you run out of space for new stuff you want to add to the attic, you get rid of some of the old. On the other hand, you don't toss out the soup bowls from your kitchen cabinet just because you don't plan to have soup in the next few days.

That's how the Android OS manages memory: keeping things hanging around in memory is harmless and consumes neither power nor CPU cycles. If room is needed for some new app you want to invoke, one or more of the least used apps in memory are tossed out to make space. On the other hand, if you want to invoke the app you were just running an hour ago, well, rather than going out and purchasing a new set of soup bowls to replace the ones you tossed, you just go to the cabinet where the bowls have been hanging out waiting for just such a moment.

Seriously. Unless you have an OCD, there is no value in closing apps.

 

[kramer5150]

There is no value in closing apps. Period.

"But, they are using memory!"

So? The stuff in your attic is consuming space as well. In the event that you run out of space for new stuff you want to add to the attic, you get rid of some of the old. On the other hand, you don't toss out the soup bowls from your kitchen cabinet just because you don't plan to have soup in the next few days.

That's how the Android OS manages memory: keeping things hanging around in memory is harmless and consumes neither power nor CPU cycles. If room is needed for some new app you want to invoke, one or more of the least used apps in memory are tossed out to make space. On the other hand, if you want to invoke the app you were just running an hour ago, well, rather than going out and purchasing a new set of soup bowls to replace the ones you tossed, you just go to the cabinet where the bowls have been hanging out waiting for just such a moment.

Seriously. Unless you have an OCD, there is no value in closing apps.

Is it really that black and white? I ask because the Amazon Prime (app family), iHeart radio, and Facebook apps were constantly using ~15% of my battery. Typical usage numbers would be Phone idle = 35%, Amazon apps 15%, iHeart radio 7%, facebook 10%... constantly at random. I eventually just deleted them outright. Collectively they were using as much battery power as my phone idle processes, sometimes more. This is on an LGV10 by the way... FWIW.

 

[N4Newbie]

Facebook is a dog, mostly because it is constantly "checking in" - Mark Zuckerburg seems to think that you should never, ever, be off the grid - hence he makes it difficult to even find the log out link on Facebook's web page when viewing on a PC. So, this is not really a question of closing apps, but of configuring Facebook correctly and/or (actually, preferably) not using their crappy app at all.

It turns out uninstalling Facebook for Android is pretty great | Android Central

 

[anon(5719825)]

I sometimes have a problem where an app will drain my battery insanely fast. Sometimes it happens after unplugging the phone from the charger. I have found the only way to fix that is to close all apps before unplugging and rebooting the phone. The app isn't Facebook for me.

This has happened on both of my S7 Edge phones and my Note 5 and closing apps and rebooting has fixed the problem on all phones.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Not really.

Only reason you would do so is to kill a rogue app that's running or if you're like me and have a case of OCD and need a clean recent apps screen. XD

But really, the OS itself can already intelligently manage resources and will know which app to prioritize the more you use your phone. So it is best to let it do its job and not interfere with its operation with crap like Clean Master and whatnot.

 

[dpham00]

I only close apps when there is a rogue app. Otherwise I let things go normally

 

[dannyro77]

when you guys says "I only close apps when X" to exit out of them do you usually hit the (0) /home screen to exit out of them?