Is the "Recent Apps" soft key that useful to be a soft key?

Danv1369

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I am on Gingerbread and use the Menu button all the time. The order I use Gingerbread function keys is:
1. Back
2. Menu
3. Home
4. Search
5. Long-press Home to see Recent apps once a day at most.

For those of you using the Recent Apps button all the time in ICS, were you using the Long-press Home a lot in Gingerbread?

I didnt know i could do that in GB lol. but I do use the recent apps list on my phone a lot
 

Averix

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I don't mind it, but I hate that the Menu button is now wedged into apps UI. I liked the consistency of always being able to get at a menu by hitting that button rather than looking for it in an app. And since it shows up for older apps, it really is a bad interface change for novice users. Once everything is forced to have a menu graphic in the upper right, it might be ok.
 

albsher

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Wow. In my eyes this is the best addition that ICS made. I use it all the time. It pretty much makes everything I do on my phone 10 times easier and faster. The next best thing that ICS has done is being able to put folders down in the dock so tons more apps are available from all the home screens.
 
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LilBompie17

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I don't have a Galaxy Nexus or a Honeycomb Tab, but I have used both before and I could say that the button,is kind of useless. I have a Gingerbread phone an I enjoy using the hold down home button to switch my apps, sure the ICS one looks better and lists more apps, but they could have honestly put this action to holding home and gave us our menu bottom back. Instead of having that in different places in different apps.
 

pauldroidr2d2

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I don't have a Galaxy Nexus or a Honeycomb Tab, but I have used both before and I could say that the button,is kind of useless.
For some people it might be useless. But, having a brief experience with either Honeycomb tablet, or the Galaxy Nexus isn't really the best way to form such a judgment in my opinion.
I have a Gingerbread phone an I enjoy using the hold down home button to switch my apps, sure the ICS one looks better and lists more apps, but they could have honestly put this action to holding home and gave us our menu bottom back. Instead of having that in different places in different apps.
That would be rather redundant to do that.
 

anon(186320)

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I found myself never, not even once, used the "Recent Apps" soft key in my whole month owning the GN. I find all my apps more easily accessed from home screens. Or am i doing it wrong? :)
Is recent apps soft key useful for you guys?

Learned to love this button using HC, and I am more than glad that it's in ICS. So much better than "Hold Home to see the last 8 apps you opened" crud from before.
 

marcg611

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I found myself never, not even once, used the "Recent Apps" soft key in my whole month owning the GN. I find all my apps more easily accessed from home screens. Or am i doing it wrong? :)
Is recent apps soft key useful for you guys?
No offense but maybe this phone isn't for you... this is a power user phone and that's a power user function.. I constantly flip back and forth between browser, texts, games, widgets or settings, and forums.. this phone is amazing with dual core, 4g lte, and multitasking it can keep up!
 

oomatter

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The nice thing about soft buttons is that they're easy to change. I like the recent app key, but I really wanted the search and menu buttons back so I modded it. So much better now.
 

yapkuen

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I'd use it more if the interface were more like the pre-ICS app switcher interface. I don't really like the scrollable recent apps list.
 

sjd2246

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I really like the multi-task key. I like the 3 soft keys too as opposed to 4 as well. I know Matias Duarte worked for palm, glad he brought over swiping apps away when multi-tasking too. Lot of fun!
 

yosteve

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No offense but maybe this phone isn't for you... this is a power user phone and that's a power user function.. I constantly flip back and forth between browser, texts, games, widgets or settings, and forums.. this phone is amazing with dual core, 4g lte, and multitasking it can keep up!

I have to ask, in all the flipping you do, don't you get browser and app refresh.
 

charveldude

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I have to ask, in all the flipping you do, don't you get browser and app refresh.

Lack of refresh is one of the benefits of using the recent apps key, in my experience. I recommend getting in the habit of using it. It helps me quite a bit in using the GNex in a more computer-like way.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 

yosteve

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Something is definitely screwing up my phone then. I can't go between words with friends and dictionary or amazon video and volume+ settings.

Humor me and try this please
Sit through the commercial and watch this video make sure you've gotten to the actual episode then pause the video out just use the multitask or home button and change the brightness settings via settings app or shortcut then go back to the video, see if you get back to your video.

I really appreciate it.
 

_JKK_

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Prior to it we would just hit home then open the app again.

I realize that (I've been here since 2.0), but that old method was much worse than this. You had to tap and hold the home button, wait for the Recent Apps to pop up, and then select out of a field of icons. This, you tap, select, and you're done.

Much more streamlined, IMO.
 
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booboolala2000

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I found myself never, not even once, used the "Recent Apps" soft key in my whole month owning the GN. I find all my apps more easily accessed from home screens. Or am i doing it wrong? :)
Is recent apps soft key useful for you guys?

All the time. You just have to be conscious about it and it will become second nature. You don't need to use it you could go old school.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 

terpitude71

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its always ben useful for me, and even more useful in ICS since you get a screen cap of where you last left the app as opposed to just having the app icon pop up a la any 2.x version of android
 
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jroc

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its always ben useful for me, and even more useful in ICS since you get a screen cap of where you last left the app as opposed to just having the app icon pop up a la any 2.x version of android

This.

I really liked this feature of ICS. I also used the Recent Apps key alot.