Closing Applications without using Home Button?

[2CV67]

Closing Applications without using Home Button??

It's a long story I won't go into here, but my Home Button no longer works...

At first I thought this wouldn't be a problem, but then I remember I need to use it to close applications.

Is there any alternative way of closing open applications, without using the Home Button?

I assume shutting down & re-starting the device is one (inconvenient) way - is it?

 

[LeoRex]

Look for PIE controls... or something like the LMT Launcher. It can bring back the use of the home button.

 

[2CV67]

Thanks but I don't think anything like that will bring back my Home Button, which is suffering from a dose of super-glue (I said it was a long story)...

 

[Wm7Long]

It is surprising that you used the Home button to close apps. It does not actually close an app. Instead, the Android opperating system closes apps as needed to make resources available for whatever is being used, or for allowing the device to sleep.

To answer your question, have you tried swiping away apps you wish to close, using your Recent Apps display list?

Each app has its own way to close propperly. For example, Firefox has a "Quit" selection in its menu, and Total Commander allows you to set the close method you like in Preferences. Many apps can be closed by tapping the "Back" capacitive button, which may require more than one tap to back completely out. If an app refuses to close, you can force stop it by going to:

Settings > Apps > Running

Next, tap the offending app and choose Force Stop.

 

[LeoRex]

Thanks but I don't think anything like that will bring back my Home Button, which is suffering from a dose of super-glue (I said it was a long story)...

Well, it won't bring back the button, but you will at least get the home button functionality back.

 

[2CV67]

Thanks Wm7Long:
Maybe I was not clear enough.
I (previously) used the Home button to bring up the "Recent Applications" screen, which then allowed me to select options to close some or all of those applications.
I haven't found any other way to get to that option without the Home Button.
That is really what I am looking for.

I am interested in your "Settings > Apps > Running" method but I don't see "Apps" under Settings.
I do have "Application Manager" & if I know which applications are running then I can select those & Force Stop, but I don't see any list of which Apps are running.

Sorry to be so dumb but I am really a beginner with Android!

I much appreciate your help!

 

[2CV67]

LeoRex:

Sorry - I assumed your suggestions were meant to get the button working again.
If they provide an alternative method for getting the functions without using the button, then of course I am interested & will take a look.
Many thanks!

 

[Wm7Long]

...I don't see any list of which Apps are running...

Look up near the top of your Apps list. You're probably seeing All, it's a tab. To its left is the Running tab.

 

[2CV67]

Ah! - I think I am beginning to follow you (maybe)!

If I go: Settings > More > Application Manager > Running (I never found that before)...
Then I get to a list called "Show cached processes".
This is a much longer list than I previously saw when going via Home Button etc and shows a lot of processes which say they should not be stopped...

Is that what you were referring to?

In the meantime, I have discovered a (big ugly) "Active apps" widget which I installed on the home screen and which seems to show me the shorter list I saw originally.
So actually that answers my original question!
In fact the function now is much better than originally, because I can see at a glance if there are any apps running, without needing to search every time.
So much less likely to leave apps running by error.

Call this one SOLVED.

Thanks for your efforts & suggestions!

 

[2CV67]

Ah! - I think I am beginning to follow you (maybe)!

If I go: Settings > More > Application Manager > Running (I never found that before)...
Then I get to a list called "Show cached processes".
This is a much longer list than I previously saw when going via Home Button etc and shows a lot of processes which say they should not be stopped...

Is that what you were referring to?

In the meantime, I have discovered a (big ugly) "Active apps" widget which I installed on the home screen and which seems to show me the shorter list I saw originally.
So actually that answers my original question!
In fact the function now is much better than originally, because I can see at a glance if there are any apps running, without needing to search every time.
So much less likely to leave apps running by error.

Call this one SOLVED.

Thanks for your efforts & suggestions!

 

[Wm7Long]

Active Apps is very useful. Congrats on finding it; I'd forgotten all it. Back when I used Active Apps it had a nice little widget that shows just the number of apps active on homescreen. BTW while you're in Running Apps, you can toggle between running Processes or running Apps.

 

[Naser Ragab]

Re: Closing Applications without using Home Button??

just go to sittings >> general >>app manager >> in running apps press the app you want to close it and press stop .. if you get a warning after you press better not to stop the app .. you will see a warning any way that the service may fail but if you press stop and have no further message I assume it is safe enough to do it .. it is the only way I know .. I would honestly be happy to know another one .. may be safer .