Removing or limiting number of cards in Recent Apps?

[UncleLes]

Although I am having lag problems with Lollipop, I do like the new Recent Apps format, both the cards instead of those little icons in 4.4.4 and the fact that they don't get erased w/ every reboot. However, after a while there are far too many of them to be useful.

Is there a way to remove them other than swiping them away, limit the number that are shown or change the parameters for which ones are there (I don't need one for settings followed by one for notifications followed by one for the app I just changed the show notification options on....)? Perhaps a setting I haven't yet found?

 

[daihard2008]

Although I am having lag problems with Lollipop, I do like the new Recent Apps format, both the cards instead of those little icons in 4.4.4 and the fact that they don't get erased w/ every reboot. However, after a while there are far too many of them to be useful.

Is there a way to remove them other than swiping them away, limit the number that are shown or change the parameters for which ones are there (I don't need one for settings followed by one for notifications followed by one for the app I just changed the show notification options on....)? Perhaps a setting I haven't yet found?

I am interested in knowing whether it's possible to limit the number of cards shown in Recent Apps, too. I agree that it's nice to have different tasks in one application show up as separate cards, but I agree with the OP, having too many cards doesn't help much.

 

[xban1]

The cards is cometely bull [language removed by Moderator]

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[N4Newbie]

Open the Chrome browser, tap Menu (three dots at top right) -> Settings and turn off "Merge apps and tabs"

See if that helps.

 

[xban1]

Open the Chrome browser, tap Menu (three dots at top right) -> Settings and turn off "Merge apps and tabs"

See if that helps.

That's not the problem

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[daihard2008]

Open the Chrome browser, tap Menu (three dots at top right) -> Settings and turn off "Merge apps and tabs"

Haha, I didn't even realize that the Chrome tabs were now merged with cards by default. Funny as it may sound, I've never used Chrome on Lollipop since I flashed it a week ago.

 

[StevieNB]

I've found that having a HUGE stack of "recent app" cards is a major producer of lag on my Nexus 7 (2012) with Lollipop. I too need a way to limit the number of cards.

Nexus 7 and Lollipop are not made for each other.

 

[googleheadache]

The issue with the recent apps cards is not just that they pile up and are a pain to navigate, but that they compromise privacy.

If you give your unlocked phone to someone to use, that person can view your most recent photos, texts, web browsing history, etc., just by thumbing through the cards.

People may scoff and say this only concerns people who have something to hide. But most people want some privacy, or at least the ability to control basic phone functions with settings, like limiting the number of cards which pile up, or clearing then.

Google/Android, on the other hand, proves time and time again that it has just about zero understanding of the concept of privacy, let alone respect for it.

 

[gone down south]

Just turn off the browser history cards.

 

[googleheadache]

Turn off browser history cards? In Chrome? What if you don't use Chrome? And that still has nothing to do with cards for you photo gallery, text apps, etc.

 

[gone down south]

Those cards are just shortcuts to apps on your phone.... If someone can look at the recent apps screen, they can just ade easily open your gallery or messaging app, no?

 

[Masterchief87]

The recent apps screen is one of androids core features and has been present for years. If you are concerned with people looking through your pictures there are apps that can hide them so that you must type a password to see them. Also, if you just don't want people looking through your recent apps then just clear all your recent tasks before you allow someone to use your phone.

 

[googleheadache]

Masterchief87: How do you hide the recent apps so that one must type a PW to see them??

How do you clear all recent tasks?? One at a time, by hitting X X X to the nth ??

Yes, it's been a problem for years. It's even worse now, as the cards are more revealing than the strips, and because there's no clear all feature anymore.

 

[Masterchief87]

Masterchief87: How do you hide the recent apps so that one must type a PW to see them??

How do you clear all recent tasks?? One at a time, by hitting X X X to the nth ??

Yes, it's been a problem for years. It's even worse now, as the cards are more revealing than the strips, and because there's no clear all feature anymore.

As far as I know there is no way to password protect them because the purpose of the recent apps screen is to make multitasking faster and more efficient so it would be counterproductive. The best I can think is to just swipe them all away one at a time since you don't have a clear all button. Another thing to look into is some phones have the ability to set multiple user profiles. If your phone has this option you could make a guest profile that has limited access kind of like a guest account on a PC.

 

[Sizzers]

As far as I know there is no way to password protect them

You can with an app locker.

 

[googleheadache]

Hi Sizzzers, do you know what app locker would lock the recent apps feature? None that I've tried will.

 

[Sizzers]

Hi Sizzzers, do you know what app locker would lock the recent apps feature? None that I've tried will.

I use AppLock.

Amongst many other "features" on LL, the recent apps "Cards" is one which I also intensely dislike. Running 5.0.2 if that makes a difference but I meant locking individual apps, NOT "Recent apps" itself.

 

[sjez]

I have apps populating the cards that i havent used for some time. Darn annoying. I end up with a huge amount of cards and have to delete them to get to the app i want. It's a good feature but it's too crowded.

 

[Doc Lex]

they now what privacy is, but they simply want us to ignore everything private, so they can have all the data they need to keep taking our money