Why cant we multi-task in android?

[Abhishantz]

It's all in the apps. Why blame android?

 

[Lanhoj]

I multi-task all the time using:
OverSkreen--> https://forums.androidcentral.com/e....myboyfriendisageek.airbrowser&token=c_65FwVB
StickIt--> https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...com.myboyfriendisageek.stickit&token=27eYOje0

 

[plkevlar]

Good I'm glad this os sucks at multi tasking for you, it would be much better off without people like you using it who don't know what the hell they are doing. Thanks for giving your money to at least one android device manufacturer, now go get a black berry and camp out in 2006
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

 

[greydarrah]

I'll be jumping ship to iPhone if this isn't updated by the next update.

You should go ahead and get the iphone. I can assure you that this wont be "fixed" in the next update. There is nothing nothing broken to fix. This seems like an odd problem to draw a line in the sand over.

 

[Saiga]

Good I'm glad this os sucks at multi tasking for you, it would be much better off without people like you using it who don't know what the hell they are doing. Thanks for giving your money to at least one android device manufacturer, now go get a black berry and camp out in 2006
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

If he waited a few months he could go get a BlackBerry phone that does exactly what he wants Android to do. How would that be camping out in 2006? The already released PlayBook can do it right now. If BlackBerry is in 2006 where is Jelly Bean at right now? The TRS-80 days of computing? Android sucks at multitasking when compared to something as lame and as near to death as BlackBerry OS. And there is no indication that they will ever improve how Android multitasks. Doesn't that concern you?

People here keep saying it's the app, not the OS, but I'm not sure that is entirely true. The YouTube app for Android does pause, I know this because I converted and signed the apk and put it on my BlackBerry. Sure enough the Android YouTube app on BlackBerry pauses as soon as a new task is in the foreground. But that's just one app, why is it that nothing on Android can do it? I've tried, You can't download a browser and have tabbed multitasking. Why is that? Android OEMs can keep pumping out phones with incredible specs all they want, but it's the software that needs improved. Could you imagine having a PC that couldn't do something as basic as tabbed multitasking? Its a feature I use everyday on my PC and BlackBerry, but I can't do it on the Nexus 7 or the Galaxy Nexus. People here might go "meh, why would you want to do that?" but deep down we all know true multitasking is much better than what Android has currently. Hopefully it gets addressed in the future

 

[dmmarck]

If he waited a few months he could go get a BlackBerry phone that does exactly what he wants Android to do. How would that be camping out in 2006? The already released PlayBook can do it right now. If BlackBerry is in 2006 where is Jelly Bean at right now? The TRS-80 days of computing? Android sucks at multitasking when compared to something as lame and as near to death as BlackBerry OS. And there is no indication that they will ever improve how Android multitasks. Doesn't that concern you?

People here keep saying it's the app, not the OS, but I'm not sure that is entirely true. The YouTube app for Android does pause, I know this because I converted and signed the apk and put it on my BlackBerry. Sure enough the Android YouTube app on BlackBerry pauses as soon as a new task is in the foreground. But that's just one app, why is it that nothing on Android can do it? I've tried, You can't download a browser and have tabbed multitasking. Why is that? Android OEMs can keep pumping out phones with incredible specs all they want, but it's the software that needs improved. Could you imagine having a PC that couldn't do something as basic as tabbed multitasking? Its a feature I use everyday on my PC and BlackBerry, but I can't do it on the Nexus 7 or the Galaxy Nexus. People here might go "meh, why would you want to do that?" but deep down we all know true multitasking is much better than what Android has currently. Hopefully it gets addressed in the future

While it might be, I have never run into any sort of multitasking issue with Jelly Bean or ICS. They are much more intuitive, well rounded, and operable than anything I've experienced. But that's my own experience and my own needs. You know how many times I use YouTube? Probably once a month. So this "YouTube" issue is of no concern to me, but if it is to you, then that's that.

And it's great that the BB OS can do it, but they're going to need more than multitasking to save the OS. In its current form, it's just...bad.

 

[Saiga]

I agree, RIM is toast and their multitasking wont be enough to save them. I just would like to see Android improve in that one key area. I honestly wish Google had bought QNX and made a new version of Android out of it. There is a lot of potential in QNX that is going to be wasted in RIM's hands.

 

[dmmarck]

I agree, RIM is toast and their multitasking wont be enough to save them. I just would like to see Android improve in that one key area. I honestly wish Google had bought QNX and made a new version of Android out of it. There is a lot of potential in QNX that is going to be wasted in RIM's hands.

I know CM (or someone like them) were working on a more powerful version of multitasking. But really, what Google (and Android skins) are concerned with is the fact that the consumer market, in their eyes, doesn't really need or want it. Look at iOS--no real/true multitasking, YouTube be damned--and Sense--same deal, really. Folks want a better up front user experience and that means prioritizing current applications and not recent or past applications. Can it be altered further? Sure. But honestly, saying that Android has "no" multitasking is wrong, when other than BB (in some instances; the last BB OS I used was so terrible I don't think I even bothered trying to run more than one thing) Android has the best multitasking in the business (and it's really not close).

 

[Saiga]

I know CM (or someone like them) were working on a more powerful version of multitasking. But really, what Google (and Android skins) are concerned with is the fact that the consumer market, in their eyes, doesn't really need or want it. Look at iOS--no real/true multitasking, YouTube be damned--and Sense--same deal, really. Folks want a better up front user experience and that means prioritizing current applications and not recent or past applications. Can it be altered further? Sure. But honestly, saying that Android has "no" multitasking is wrong, when other than BB (in some instances; the last BB OS I used was so terrible I don't think I even bothered trying to run more than one thing) Android has the best multitasking in the business (and it's really not close).

What makes Android's multitasking so good in your opinion? Not trying to be a smart butt, I'm honestly curious what you think. You claim iOS doesn't have real/true multitasking, but surely you must agree that Android doesn't either.

In my opinion, a big part of what makes something have real multitasking is the ability to make the device struggle. With the PC and the new BlackBerry OS you can literally open so much stuff at once that the device can no longer handle it and it crashes. For example, no one ever really needs to have a dozen browser tabs open to videos along with a dozen games all running at once. It is pointless and it causes the user experience to suffer because the device will be struggling to handle the workload. But having the option is a part of what makes it real multitasking.

Android's multitasking is just like iOS in that the OS just does what it wants to do. The OS determines what is important to you. For example, play a video game on Android, then switch to the browser to look up a cheat for the game. Then go back to the game for awhile and as soon as you return to the browser the opened browser tabs have to refresh. They actually pull down the data again instead of keeping the data there. That happens to me multiple times a day on my Android devices. It has even happened while I am in the middle of a long forum post. I go to copy and paste something from an email and then go back to the browser to see all of my post gone because Android determined I didn't need that any more so it kicked it out of memory to make sure something else had more resources to run. That isn't real/true multitasking. Real/true multitasking allows you to keep a browser tab opened if you want. Android's multitasking doesn't care what you want. It does as it pleases just like iOS does. Also, iOS is the same exact way with opened browser tabs.

 

[dmmarck]

What makes Android's multitasking so good in your opinion? Not trying to be a smart butt, I'm honestly curious what you think. You claim iOS doesn't have real/true multitasking, but surely you must agree that Android doesn't either.

In my opinion, a big part of what makes something have real multitasking is the ability to make the device struggle. With the PC and the new BlackBerry OS you can literally open so much stuff at once that the device can no longer handle it and it crashes. For example, no one ever really needs to have a dozen browser tabs open to videos along with a dozen games all running at once. It is pointless and it causes the user experience to suffer because the device will be struggling to handle the workload. But having the option is a part of what makes it real multitasking.

Android's multitasking is just like iOS in that the OS just does what it wants to do. The OS determines what is important to you. For example, play a video game on Android, then switch to the browser to look up a cheat for the game. Then go back to the game for awhile and as soon as you return to the browser the opened browser tabs have to refresh. They actually pull down the data again instead of keeping the data there. That happens to me multiple times a day on my Android devices. It has even happened while I am in the middle of a long forum post. I go to copy and paste something from an email and then go back to the browser to see all of my post gone because Android determined I didn't need that any more so it kicked it out of memory to make sure something else had more resources to run. That isn't real/true multitasking. Real/true multitasking allows you to keep a browser tab opened if you want. Android's multitasking doesn't care what you want. It does as it pleases just like iOS does. Also, iOS is the same exact way with opened browser tabs.

Sure, neither are "true" but Android is much, much truer than iOS. For instance, I can bounce between Tapatalk, Chrome, Aldiko, and Perfect Viewer on my tablet flawlessly. I do it all the time. Add in Google Talk and GMail. Some may reload a bit, but there's no complete reloading like with iOS--which takes FOREVER to switch on my iPad. The fact that I can more or less seamlessly transition between apps means that for what I do, it is damn near perfect.

iOS simply doesn't keep stuff in memory long enough for me. I mean if you close it for 5 seconds you might as well start over again. While that's a slight exaggeration, I've never, ever been pleased with their "multitasking" performance and I've had it since whenever that came--iOS4 I believe--so what's that, 2 years or so? Just dreadful. But hey, they're upfront about it.

And if you think stock Android's is bad, you should try Sense. Of the Android OS's, clean/AOSP JB is by far the best in terms of multitasking.

 

[Saiga]

I know Android's multitasking isn't horrible. It is better than iOS, but I still say there are ways it can be improved. Isn't there a list of numbers that determine how long something is allowed to stay in memory before it is killed? I seem to remember that is what HTC changed to cripple the Multitasking because Sense is such a bloated resource hog. lol

For most tasks Android does do a mostly good job of keeping things running. Like the examples you gave. Other things like the browser tabs need to stay alive longer. In my opinion the tabs should never get kicked out of memory. How much resources does it really free up to close the tabs anyway? Couldn't be very significant.

 

[2defmouze]

The Android OS has a minimum amount of memory/RAM it keeps free, by design. The multitasking "issues" you'll see with youtube you will see when you are running a number of resource-hogging apps. The OS will close down other apps that will normally be fine running in the background as it needs to keep a certain amount of resources free. Youtube happens to use a lot of memory and so it being open will often cause you to see other apps be shutdown in the background, and vice versa, the OS will often be happy to close down youtube if it is left open in the background, because it doesn't want it sitting there eating all those resources.

 

[pheatton]

In the end our phones and tablets are just that, they are not PCs. You want multitasking like on PC then use a PC. Even though I have my Nexus and an Asus Transformer I still carry my little 13inch laptop with me.

 

[el_mariach]

Amazing how quickly people want to jump ship because of one issue that is very irrelevant. "My battery life sucks. I'm going to the iPhone. Android sucks, Apple makes waaaay better products" they then forever base their opinion on the one Android experience they had and chalk it up as all Android phones to the same level. Quit being biased. If you don't like it, sell the phone and go buy another phone so you can complain about what other little feature it does not have and you think it should have. Thats what imo makes Android a better platform. If you don't like the keyboard, web browser, music player etc. you have the freedom to choose from something else. If you want to get even more into it root your phone and install a rom that has the features you want. But if you believe the manufacturer should already be able to read your mind then wake up. Not happening. The only reason I have never like Apple products was for the reason that if you bought one of their products, you were then to make all the rest of your devices begin with an i and only then will it interface with your device. Its a ploy from Apple to get all they can out of people. Why else do think they've made so much money off the tools that use the product?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

 

[wolfmanman]

Hi folks

I had to register and leads this comment.


I was browsing the net to find a solution to be able to play YouTube and browse at the same time. I have an I pad and an android tablet.

On the I pad you close the app and music stops yes, but if you swipe upwards with four fingers it will reveal the multitasking and you can click play to listen

I was simply looking for this feature on andoird.....but reading the comments is awful. Are you lot some teenagers who are depressed and angry..

 

[wolfmanman]

Simple answer to the OS no you can't do this but I'm sure if we write to andiird developers they will listen.

- - - Updated - - -

Simple answer to the OS no you can't do this but I'm sure if we write to andiird developers they will listen.

 

[wolfmanman]

dear OP

Unlike these fan boys IV done research and found a way to solve this.....there is an app called NEXTVID
It let's you YouTube and browse its what I am doing right now.

Hope that helps, and see guys you don't need moan for people asking questions

 

[turdbogls]

What makes Android's multitasking so good in your opinion? Not trying to be a smart butt, I'm honestly curious what you think. You claim iOS doesn't have real/true multitasking, but surely you must agree that Android doesn't either.

In my opinion, a big part of what makes something have real multitasking is the ability to make the device struggle. With the PC and the new BlackBerry OS you can literally open so much stuff at once that the device can no longer handle it and it crashes. For example, no one ever really needs to have a dozen browser tabs open to videos along with a dozen games all running at once. It is pointless and it causes the user experience to suffer because the device will be struggling to handle the workload. But having the option is a part of what makes it real multitasking.

Android's multitasking is just like iOS in that the OS just does what it wants to do. The OS determines what is important to you. For example, play a video game on Android, then switch to the browser to look up a cheat for the game. Then go back to the game for awhile and as soon as you return to the browser the opened browser tabs have to refresh. They actually pull down the data again instead of keeping the data there. That happens to me multiple times a day on my Android devices. It has even happened while I am in the middle of a long forum post. I go to copy and paste something from an email and then go back to the browser to see all of my post gone because Android determined I didn't need that any more so it kicked it out of memory to make sure something else had more resources to run. That isn't real/true multitasking. Real/true multitasking allows you to keep a browser tab opened if you want. Android's multitasking doesn't care what you want. It does as it pleases just like iOS does. Also, iOS is the same exact way with opened browser tabs.

if this is true, I dont want multitasking on my phone. it would be so annoying to have audio playing from a tab in a browser i am not even in....I wouldn't like that at all. i guess there can be too good a multitasking. android is just right IMO. the only true multitasking i do is streaming pandora while navigating. anything beyond that is not necessary for me....or the average consumer i would guess.