10-17-2010, 04:29 PM

Up until last week, I was running 3.1.2 with no issues. I decided that it was finally time to give 4 (4.1, actually) a shot. Ever since I updated, the phone has been running every single app I open in the background at all times. So, my phone generally has 5mb of memory available instead of the around 120mb with 3.1.2. The phone is slower.

When I think I turn off my navigation software, it runs in the background causing massive battery drain. If I didn't have my phone jailbroken and a task killer, there would be no way (that I know of) to stop these applications running in the background.

In any event, it is annoying to have to manually kill all these processes. Is this normal operation for iOS 4?

edit: I forgot to say, I have a 3GS

10-17-2010, 04:39 PM

Hi there,

I noticed that all of my previously used apps are listed in the 'task manager' (don't know what else you'd call it) as well. However, my understanding is that the Apple iOS has suspended the app rather than continuing to run it, in fact that very reason is often used by Apple haters as an argument for the iPhone not truly being capable of multi-tasking.

I don't know for sure but would like a definitive answer as to what resources the apps are using when 'in standby' if anyone has one?

10-17-2010, 04:42 PM

Turning off apps is ridiculously easy. Just double tap the Home button, which brings up the list of apps currently running. Press down on one of the icons and they'll start to shake, then just hit the little X to turn them off. No need for a third party app to kill apps.

10-17-2010, 04:48 PM

You wouldn't believe how many people I know in real life that didn't know how to do this....

10-17-2010, 04:54 PM

Hah. Well, this option wasn't available on 3.1.2. In any event, that is much more difficult than previous operation. I liked having to tell which apps ran in the background (backgrounder). There is no effing sense of running calendar, notes, calculator, ect in the background.

So, basically, any time I want to close an application now I need to double tap, hold, press the minus, then press any key? Four operations instead of one, I wouldn't call that easy. Is there any way to select which applications run in the background or simply turn off the feature? I'd take backgrounder any day of the week over this bs.

10-17-2010, 06:19 PM

Those apps are designed not to drain the battery life, they are basically just be there as shortcuts, the only other way to stop them from actively multitasking would be to install backgrounder again and use that to tell the apps not to multitask. If anything on my 3GS the phone felt faster! If you install sbsettings and open processes, that will tell you what is actively running in the background.

10-17-2010, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by cokewithvanilla

Hah. Well, this option wasn't available on 3.1.2. In any event, that is much more difficult than previous operation. I liked having to tell which apps ran in the background (backgrounder). There is no effing sense of running calendar, notes, calculator, ect in the background.

So, basically, any time I want to close an application now I need to double tap, hold, press the minus, then press any key? Four operations instead of one, I wouldn't call that easy. Is there any way to select which applications run in the background or simply turn off the feature? I'd take backgrounder any day of the week over this bs.

In previos versions of iOS there was no multi-tasking so the feature didn't exist. When you closed an App in 3.1.2 the app just closed. Suspending the Apps as 4.1 does allows Apps to multitask and allows you to easily swap between apps without having to close them in between. This was a much ought after feature and Apple was criticized for waiting so long to implement it.

And while you may thing there is no sense in having those apps run in the background, many of us actually find that useful.

if all your going to do is come here and whine don't expect much help. The system works the way it works. If you don't like it feel free to find something that works better for you.

10-17-2010, 07:11 PM

When I am saying they are running in the the background, I am using SBSettings. I can tell they are running because i have 5 mb free ram... that's wrong. Yes, my phone feels faster, I think they changed the speed of the menus to make that impression. However, it stops feeling faster after I open up 5 or 6 applications.

I will try to install backgrounder and see what happens if I disable certain apps.

Hmm. If you can tell me how state saving and running in the background is different for something like notes or calculator, I'd be surprised. While it did not have native support for multitasking, backgrounder has been out for a while.

I find operation of the phone much more difficult after this update. If I forget to close apps (90% of them are the same either state saved or multitasking), my phone will run terribly slow. Why it would automatically run something like navigation software in the background is beyond me (though the ability to do so is a plus). This stuff just eats at the battery life.

Oh, and I know multitasking was sought after, I was one of those who wanted it. however, it's implementation is poor (****, I even can't multitask SleepMaker Storms with the native multitasking, yet it automatically multitasks something like 'settings' which very few people need).

sorry if I seem like I am complaining, I was just pretty shocked that they would not have considered this.

10-17-2010, 10:10 PM

Maybe it's just your 3Gs? My iP4 runs WAAAAYYYY better than my 3G did on iOS4 (3G didn't multi-task at all) and I don't find the apps running in the background slow the phone down at all, much less hog the memory so I don't share your view on this. Maybe it's time for a new phone.

The system is what it is, like it or not. I don't really see many options for you other than to run backrounder, get used to how the system works or get a different phone that works how you'd like. Complaining isn't going to change anything.

10-17-2010, 11:22 PM

Could also be a glitch in the jailbreak, or perhaps some jailbreak app that's causing the drain. I currently have an iPhone 4 that's jailbroken and I'm not experiencing a problem with battery life or performance.

10-18-2010, 06:56 AM

I also find it to be just a little aggravating on my non-jailbroken 3GS to have every single app I ever open not just close when I exit the app. Upon checking it just now, there were 22 apps sitting in there... ??? For what??? It's only been 3 or 4 days since the last time I cleared it out.

It does eat the battery faster than pre iOS4. Not by so much with my usage - still only have to recharge every other day typically, except now it's sitting at under 10% by that time instead of around 30% remaining.

I don't think the vast majority of us were hollering for multi-tasking, only the vocal minority. Even the minority were not hollering for multi-tasking where not a single app shuts down without going through a 4 step process to do it. Quite frankly, imho, this implementation is a pitr.

10-25-2010, 02:55 PM

I really like the forums on the web. You can read threads where people ask how to switch the iPhone on or how to use multitasking. it is not that Im so clever, I am a total newbie. I am just angry that nobody can help me solve my issue, that I can not even google and Etisalat CSR are of course useless as always.