Apps don't save my place when I return to them

[djroche89]

When I minimize an app (either to go to another app, or to come back to it later) then return to it, the app goes back to its home page or to the top (if it's an endless scrolling app), not where I left it.

It isn't even refreshing with new data (like new posts or uploads). It just goes back to the top, or to the default home page of the app, as it was previously loaded.

It seems to only affect internet-based apps like YouTube, Instagram, game apps, Reddit, etc.

The refresh doesn't happen immediately. If I quickly switch between apps in the same phone session, the apps usually hold my place. It only seems to happen after it's been a few minutes to an hour. It's not very consistent.

This phone has been doing this since I got it a couple of months ago. I had no problems with my previous phone, which was an older version of Android.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Android version: 9.0
Phone make/model: Moto G7 power

 

[Rukbat]

How are you minimizing the app? Back button? That doesn't minimize, it closes the app. Just use the home button to run the launcher (the homescreen), go to the other app, finish with it (back button) then use Recents to go back to the first app.

 

[djroche89]

No, I'm using the middle home button to minimize the app back to app selection screen, or the right button which shows a list of all the open apps to switch between. I'm not using the left back button, so I don't believe that's the issue.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Do you have any 3rd party "RAM booster" or "phone cleaner" apps installed? If so, get rid of them -- they could be needlessly killing apps in the background in a misguided attempt to make the phone "faster."

If you don't have an app like that, then it could just be how the firmware is designed. I have a Lenovo Tab 4 8, and I've noticed that apps that I used not that long ago don't always show up in the Recent Apps/Overview screen (suggesting they've been killed in the background, and therefore have to start completely fresh if I open them again). Moto is part of Lenovo, so it may be that the same thing is happening on your phone.

 

[djroche89]

Thanks for your suggestions! I deleted any phone boosting apps and it's still doing it. The apps aren't exactly being killed, though. They're still on, still in history, etc. They're just jumping all the way back up to the top of my scrolling progress. They aren't starting fresh either (no new content showing up, just the first old post that was at the top when I first started scrolling).

I've turned off all battery saving settings, accessibility settings, data usage limits, just about anything I could think of.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's some sort of firmware quirk that can't be fixed, but it'd be great to find a solution for it.

 

[methodman89]

It wouldn't hurt to clear the cache partition and reboot.

 

[Rukbat]

That's the way scrolling is usually implemented - starting at the top. but the content is what you loaded before instead of starting with no content. That has nothing to do with the phone, that's how the app is written. (Most apps that can scroll - like web browsers looking at long pages - don't keep a record of where you've scrolled to.)

 

[djroche89]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I tried to clear the cache partition but it appears that's not an option for the newer versions of Android. I individually cleared the cache of some apps, so I'll report back if that works.

I would have written off this app behavior as normal except that my previous phone from a couple of months ago always managed to save my place. That phone was an Android 8.0, so maybe this is a quirk of 9 (or Motorola, but my old phone was a Motorola too). Also, it's inconsistent, so sometimes my new phone will actually save my place in scrolling apps for what seems like a good while (say, an hour or two), but other times it pops me back up to the top after setting the phone aside for only a short amount of time.

If there's any other information I can provide to help diagnose this problem, let me know. I appreciate everyone's help so far.

 

[B. Diddy]

It may have been due to some update to Android System Webview as well, but unfortunately you don't have much control over that. Send some feedback to Google and/or Lenovo/Motorola about this.