Web Browser will not use Home Page

[Roxie2401]

Hi - my first post.

I have changed my Internet Browser Home Page to Google and it is shown in the settings correctly. However, if I open the browser from the Internet app Icon (stock) on the Home screen, it always opens to whatever web page was last used, not the home page.

Does this have something to do with how I am exiting the browser? I want it to always open to the Home Page that is set at the default, not what I was looking at before closing.

I don't think there is a "Close" button and typically, I am using the button on the bottom right (return arrow) on the Samsung Galaxy S4.

I also notice that the Contacts app seems to do the same thing, opens to the previously opened contact.

I must be doing something wrong in closing the apps???

Thanks in advance for the support.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! The stock Android Browser does not really have a useful "Home" functionality. You can set a homepage, but the only time it comes up is if you open a new tab. Since most people don't close out of every tab before exiting the browser, whenever you open it again, it will open to your last website.

Other browsers (like Dolphin, I think) do have a Home function, so if it's important to you, you could test it out.

 

[Roxie2401]

Thanks. Well, that brings up a question, how do you open a new tab in the browser?

Also, I noticed that the Contacts does the same thing, except if I hold the Home button and see the running apps, I can swipe and close contacts and then it opens to the first page as expected.

I'm guessing the Return button doesn't really close anything.....

BTW - am I supposed to have a tab bar somewhere? This is a new Galaxy S4 (Verizon).

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm not directly familiar with the S4 GPE, but I assume you're referring to the stock Browser (and not Chrome), which is probably the generic Android Browser. You should be able to open a new tab by tapping the "+" tab along the top. If you don't see the tabs, they usually reappear if you swipe down a little on the webpage. Otherwise, press the Menu button and look for a "Open New Tab" option.

Swiping apps away in the Recent Apps list may or may not close the app completely, removing it from active memory. It depends on the app. With some apps, the background service may persist (e.g., music apps). Here's an interesting article about the Recent Apps list: What Exactly Happens When You Swipe An Android App From the Recent Apps List?

 

[Roxie2401]

Well, this Internet Browser (maybe its the Samsung one) does not have a "+" at the top. It just has Forward/Back arrows, search bar, Bookmark and Open Pages.
And the Menu has New Window. I'm guessing the Icon for Open Pages is their version of new tabs. Maybe only actual tablets have tabs.

I'll keep digging. Thanks for the prompt responses.