Different ways to force stop app and "clear cache"

[ycc]

Hi,

There are several ways to terminate an app or to "clear cache". What are the differences between them?

Here are some I have been using without deeper understanding:

- Long press middle button and swiping out one app
- App manager: Clear cache, clear data, force stop
- Restart phone
- Use task manager app to kill app in question

Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

Bringing up the Recent Apps list and swiping an app away might or might not force close an app--it depends on the app, and there's no easy way to tell how it actually responds. That's why it's called the "Recent Apps list," rather than the "Task Killer list." Here's an interesting discussion about the process: What Exactly Happens When You Swipe An Android App From the Recent Apps List?

Going to the App Manager and Force Stopping (or Force Closing) will stop the app by brute force. Using Task Manager apps do the same. However, that app may very well restart on its own, depending on how Android wants to fill the newly freed RAM. Read more in this article: RAM: What it is, how it's used, and why you shouldn't care | Android Central

Clearing the cache will erase temporary cached data for that app (like, for example, recently viewed websites in chrome), while clearing the data will erase settings and passwords and other stuff that you may have customized the app with.

 

[ycc]

Thanks, that's a good start for me.