Database Users

WP 8 and Multitasking

Hello there!
I would like to try it by myself, but unfortunately I cant. So, someone who tried the SDK, have you noticed changes in multitasking system?
Right now the only way to resume an app is using fast app switch. But I really dont like it. I rather just use the homescreen icon instead. Right now it relaunch the app.
Any changes on that? (oh please)
Thank you so much!

mikeeam said:
Hello there!
I would like to try it by myself, but unfortunately I cant. So, someone who tried the SDK, have you noticed changes in multitasking system?
Right now the only way to resume an app is using fast app switch. But I really dont like it. I rather just use the homescreen icon instead. Right now it relaunch the app.
Any changes on that? (oh please)
Thank you so much!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows Phone apps can never resume via the homescreen like iOS, due to the addition of the hardware OS back button.
To illustrate why; imagine you have an app that has start page and a settings menu. When a user goes to the settings menu, they can only go back to the start page by pressing the hardware back button (this is standard Metro design).
Now imagine a user opens the app, goes to the settings menu, then exists the app by pressing the Home button. They then do a few other tasks and then resume the app. They are now stuck in the settings menu and can't get back to the app start page; the back key will take them back to the WP8 Home screen (this is how the WP OS backstack works).
To get around this issue, Microsoft specify that starting the app from the front page always has to start a fresh instance, so the user can never get "stuck".
iOS has software back buttons on every page, so all apps can resume however you launch them. Android had the same problem with their back button (actually worse, as their backstack can be altered by the OS choosing to kill memory-intensive apps); to get around this, from ICS onwards Android apps are meant to have a software back button in the top-left, to go back within the application (hardware back key is still OS backstack).

Aphasaic2002 said:
Windows Phone apps can never resume via the homescreen like iOS, due to the addition of the hardware OS back button.
To illustrate why; imagine you have an app that has start page and a settings menu. When a user goes to the settings menu, they can only go back to the start page by pressing the hardware back button (this is standard Metro design).
Now imagine a user opens the app, goes to the settings menu, then exists the app by pressing the Home button. They then do a few other tasks and then resume the app. They are now stuck in the settings menu and can't get back to the app start page; the back key will take them back to the WP8 Home screen (this is how the WP OS backstack works).
To get around this issue, Microsoft specify that starting the app from the front page always has to start a fresh instance, so the user can never get "stuck".
iOS has software back buttons on every page, so all apps can resume however you launch them. Android had the same problem with their back button (actually worse, as their backstack can be altered by the OS choosing to kill memory-intensive apps); to get around this, from ICS onwards Android apps are meant to have a software back button in the top-left, to go back within the application (hardware back key is still OS backstack).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it sucks so bad! They should review this. I hate to use the back button, and I hate to not resume the app. Using a common app, for example, WhatsApp. I was in a chat with someone. Then I hit Windows button and Im at start screen. Then I receive a message from the same person I just left the chat. What I do? I can open from the toast, can open from fast app switch (back button), or open from start screen icon.
If I open from toast, that will depend on what the app was meant to be. In WhatsApp it would take me to the chat, because of deep toast notification. But, right now, it needs to reload the whole app to open just the chat.
If I open from fast switch, it will resume the app right away. Nice. But in any other platform the message would be there waiting for you. Right now, in WP, it takes a lot to refresh the chat. You keep like 10 seconds staring at the screen waiting it. Its even faster to just reopen the whole app.
And if I open from start screen, its almost the same effect of toast, but it dont take me to the chat, but to the start screen of the app.
The point is, the fast switch is not helping that much. In fact, it would makes sense to change the fast switch to open when holding the Windows button instead of back button, and whenever an app is open, opening it from start screen icon just resume it. Actually, a lot of people doesnt even know, or even knowing, doesnt even use fast switch. Im not a common smartphone user, and even so I dont use fast switch.
For me, its the worse problem of platform. And I dont care about CE or NT if it works, but I care about it working at all. Doesnt make sense to put a whole computer in my pocket if it cant resume a single app.

i don't like the idea either to relaunch the app when you just have put it in background. then again, i also hope we will be able to close apps from the fast-appswitch-screen. and add an option to the gesture lovers out there: pinch out on homescreen to launch multitasking. or swipe from edge like w8. or anything like that. it would add to UI experience and would eliminate that 2-seconds-pause when pressing and holding down the backbutton.

Was the question not about Windows Phone 8?
Windows Phone 8 is supposed to behave differently, since true background processing is supposed to be enabled. I haven't played with the SDK yet, but I suspect that for non recompiled apps, things will behave as they do on Mango. But, I think that things changed to target WinRT and set to be able to run in the background will be able to resume right where you left off.
It wouldn't make sense for an app that is running and processing things in the background to restart when the tile is pressed.
It's been a while since I used Mango or wrote any apps for it. But, when an app is suspended, the dev has a specified amount of time to save the state.
That way when it is relaunched, the app can resume where it left off, by processing the saved state on launch. I thought with fast resume the app stayed in memory, but that was done through a registry hack and not directly made available by any carrier.
After doing some reading, the multi tasking enhancements might only add gps and voip to the currently supported background processing.

JVH3 said:
But it sucks so bad! They should review this. I hate to use the back button, and I hate to not resume the app. Using a common app, for example, WhatsApp. I was in a chat with someone. Then I hit Windows button and Im at start screen. Then I receive a message from the same person I just left the chat. What I do? I can open from the toast, can open from fast app switch (back button), or open from start screen icon.
If I open from toast, that will depend on what the app was meant to be. In WhatsApp it would take me to the chat, because of deep toast notification. But, right now, it needs to reload the whole app to open just the chat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tapping the toast to re-open the chat is the correct behavior here. I guess it's just bad coding that makes it take so long to resume; it should just be able to go straight to the conversation and skip all the "loading contacts...connecting" stuff.
JVH3 said:
Was the question not about Windows Phone 8?
Windows Phone 8 is supposed to behave differently, since true background processing is supposed to be enabled. I haven't played with the SDK yet, but I suspect that for non recompiled apps, things will behave as they do on Mango.
But, I think that things changed to target WinRT and set to be able to run in the background will be able to resume right where you left off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure you're not thinking of Windows 8? For Windows Phone 8, no changes have been announced regarding multitasking or background tasks, *except* that a few select APIs (VOIP, location) will be able to run in the background, similar to iOS (not true backgrounding like Android)
Also we are talking about resuming, not background processing. In the WP8 SDK emulator, apps built into the OS don't resume; Therefore it's safe to assume 3rd party apps are not going to either.
JVH3 said:
It wouldn't make sense for an app that is running and processing things in the background to restart when the tile is pressed.
It's been a while since I used Mango or wrote any apps for it. But, when an app is suspended, the dev has a specified amount of time to save the state.
That way when it is relaunched, the app can resume where it left off, by processing the saved state on launch. I thought with fast resume the app stayed in memory, but that was done through a registry hack and not directly made available by any carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When an app is closed the developer is meant to save the state, so that it can be reloaded if it is quick-resumed. However, once the app leaves the backstack (the 5 apps that appear in when you hold the back-button), this state is supposed to be discarded.
This is not a technical issue; it would be trivial for app developers to save the state and make their apps resume. The issue is that Microsoft's publishing guidelines (to get your app published on the WP app store) specifically says that an app launched from the home screen must launch showing it's introduction page, i.e. it can't resume. It could save some state, so a web-browser could still have all the recent tabs open, but it couldn't show the last one seen (ironically IE9 does resume it's state - guess Microsoft are allowed to break their own guidelines).
I agree it doesn't make sense to restart an app that is performing some background task; but then how to you avoid users getting stuck within a certain page, as in my example above? If WP8 includes a hardware back button, they can't change this policy.

Well, thats a shame. I hate reloading the app everytime I need it. Its so meaningless. I dont need VOIP, I dont need Skype running all the time. But I do need apps to be fast.

It really depends on how exactly the developers save their app state when the app is sent to background/tombstoned.
I, for one, use a text file to save data ( a lot of data) and proceed to loading the app as usual, and the moment the user presses a button, a pop up asks him weather he wants to restore or start anew.
I'm guessing that not every app will do this, as it is up to the developer to implement this.

[Q] Want to move or "eliminate" the home icons

My biggest actual usability issue with Nexus 7 is the home icons. It's too easy to swipe them during game play, especially annoying when you are trying to keep the kids busy. I'd like a mod with 2 options:
1. Drag it to the top (or the side?)
2. Even better, Make it go away until the table is "sleeped" and restarted.
Is there an simple option/rom that does these 2 simple things without tons of stuff I don't care about (that affect updates, etc)? If not, which mods do you recommend and feel good about that can at least do this?
Thanks

I'm not understanding what you're asking. How can you swipe away home screen icons when you are playing a game that takes up the whole screen? Using an alternate launcher from the market, like Apex launcher, will allow you to lock the desktop so that no changes can be made until you unlock it again.

When I play a full screen game I don't want to have any OS home/etc icons that can be swiped accidently. I just want to have to exit through a menu, or sleep the device (tap the power button) and wake it up again so the icons return (since not all games have an exit feature). Locking my home screen or desktop does me no good when I am in a game. I'll give apex a try, but it looks to me like it doesn't do what I want. I'm satisfied with the stock environment except for the one issue I describe. How many times have you accidently left a game?

easily_confused said:
When I play a full screen game I don't want to have any OS home/etc icons that can be swiped accidently. I just want to have to exit through a menu, or sleep the device (tap the power button) and wake it up again so the icons return (since not all games have an exit feature). Locking my home screen or desktop does me no good when I am in a game. I'll give apex a try, but it looks to me like it doesn't do what I want. I'm satisfied with the stock environment except for the one issue I describe. How many times have you accidently left a game?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say the best way to do what you're trying to do is to flash Paranoid Android or another ROM that offers what is called "expanded desktop mode".
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1800268
Basically "expanded desktop mode" is exactly what you are asking for. When you briefly hold down the power button in Paranoid Android (and this works in any app) a menu pops up that allows you to select "expanded desktop mode" which makes the navigation bar disappear. The navigation bar will reappear when you briefly hold down the power button again and select "expanded desktop mode again".
This feature may be part of other ROMs based on cyanogenmod but I'm not 100% sure. Maybe another member with more knowledge can weigh in on this.
Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 7

I used paranoid android on my htc sensation. It is a cool Rom with a lot of features!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Extended Desktop Mode will certainly do the job. But, I don't really want a major desktop redo (I know, that attitude isn't in the spirit of the great things the developers do here). Is there anyway to just install an extended desktop app?
It doesn't even need to be an extended desktop (the screen space isn't a big issue), Just a disabled home bar would do the trick.
Anyway to make a rom with just that feature? (I have some programming skills) Not sure where to start though. Just trying for a minimalist solution.
Thanks for helping. It's really appreciated. I learn a little more every day about what is happening here.

[Q] Bug report on omnirom 4.4 for N7000

1. the battery display isn't correct when I turn off the phone and restart again. It turns 42% to 35% immediately. After I undergraded to 4.0.4, it turns back to 43% again.
2. My Wechat app can not open QQsnyc, it turns black and nothing happens.（not important）
3. I touch the menu button, and touch the Setting icon but it won't open.While I open the apps icons on main screen, if I touch menu button, three icons will appear on background, namely Wallpaper, Widgets and Settings, really do not know why.
4.Yep lots of apps can not run on ART. But this is not your problems i guess.
5.The internet browser will shut sometime for no reason.
Thanks so much for this wonderful rom.

linlishuo said:
1. the battery display isn't correct when I turn off the phone and restart again. It turns 42% to 35% immediately. After I undergraded to 4.0.4, it turns back to 43% again.
2. My Wechat app can not open QQsnyc, it turns black and nothing happens.（not important）
3. I touch the menu button, and touch the Setting icon but it won't open.While I open the apps icons on main screen, if I touch menu button, three icons will appear on background, namely Wallpaper, Widgets and Settings, really do not know why.
4.Yep lots of apps can not run on ART. But this is not your problems i guess.
5.The internet browser will shut sometime for no reason.
Thanks so much for this wonderful rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) - Nothing to do with Omni. The entire Galaxy S2 family (anything with a MAX17040 fuel gauge) has done this since day one - Touchwizz, CM, Omni, doesn't matter.
2) No clue here. A recent merge of Qualcomm stuff to frameworks/av appears to have broken some camera/video stuff on Exynos devices. Unfortunately the merge happened just before the Thanksgiving holiday so a number of us were spending a few days with family and haven't had time to get things cleaned up.
3) Not sure, guess that might be a launcher bug. I admit, I use Apex...
4) That's common to any device with kitkat
5) Haven't had this happen to me yet... Would need a logcat to take a look.

same problem
linlishuo said:
3. I touch the menu button, and touch the Setting icon but it won't open.While I open the apps icons on main screen, if I touch menu button, three icons will appear on background, namely Wallpaper, Widgets and Settings, really do not know why.
I have the same problem above, when touch the Setting icon, it won't open. and no replys by my n7000.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

how to submit a bug report
Am new to OMNI and would like to submit a bug report.
Where can I find instructions to do that?

How Do You Stop Over Aggressive App Killing?

I believe that I am experiencing over aggressive app killing. I have noticed with a lot of browser tabs open, the OS seems to be killing swiftkey on me. It will frequently stop and restart mid sentence. I believe this happens when there is roughly 800 MB of RAM available or less. Does anyone know how to stop this?
Is anyone else using Swiftkey with this phone? Could there be a bug with Swiftkey and this phone?
Updated: turns out same thing is happening with Google keyboard, it closes and restarts so I think the OS is the problem
Updated: 12/19/2016
I've now noticed that the stock camera also gets shut off by the OS. I'll be taking several pictures or just trying to focus the camera and the screen (viewfinder) will just go completely dark for a second before coming back on. Strangely this issue does not occur with Open Camera.

did you try adding app to safe list?

Phone manager>Powersaving management>App protection.
disable it for the apps you want to keep in background.
You can also lock the app in recents menu, by swiping down.

Power saving management was already disabled, so nothing should be getting auto cleaned up. I'm not sure what's going on here.
Thanks for the other tip though about locking an app in the recents menu.

Is that different than what is discussed above?

SM-T580 unescapable app pinning at startup, how to escape?

So, at work we have a fleet of SM-T580s, and they're set up with some custom software. No lock screen, for instance. When the thing boots up, it asks for a password, which we all know, I guess it's just so they can't be used if stolen. Once you enter that, it does the "unlock icon" and alternating green/blue circles animation, then it loads an app, there's a toast that says "App Pinned," and from there... you can't access the Android system underneath.
A few weeks ago, I accidentally got out of that and into Android settings. Turns out Developer Mode was already unlocked, so I disabled the app animations. Made the tablet a bit faster, because Android animations are kinda BS, especially on an older (2016) tablet with 2GB of RAM. The animations are, at best, unnecessary. Well, now we have one "super" tablet that everyone covets, and the rest are just kinda crappy.
IT is in another state and doesn't care what we think about the tablets. All they're for is for scanning inventory in a warehouse. It's not even a named app, it's just something someone put together. It even has (slow AF) animations that aren't disabled by disabling animations, they're baked right into the app. (I guess someone thought they were being cute. They failed.)
Anyway... I know all about screen pinning, and how you un-pin an app by holding Recents and Back for five (ten?) seconds. That doesn't work. Once the company's custom app loads, there doesn't seem to be anything you can do. The home button does literally nothing. Same with Recents. Back will cancel a barcode scan, but otherwise, also does nothing. The volume keys work, and the power button turns off the screen. There's no lock screen, pressing power or home just turns the screen right on.
I've been trying to figure out how I got into Android Settings before. I think it was something with the recent button, before the app was able to load. Basically, my coworkers want me to disable animations on the other three or four dozen T580s we have so everyone has a "good" tablet. I've told them it was probably a fluke and showed them what I did and when/where to do it, but nobody has been able to recreate my success.
I've looked all over Google, but it seems like there's only one kind of app pinning. So, I come to XDA... Can custom ROMs use a kind of "super" app pin, like a kiosk mode, that can't be unpinned? I'm wondering if there's a secret sequence that can allow one to exit out. I assume the company does its work over ADB... a few of them have the "4.4" version of the company software, while the rest have the newer "4.7" version (these are not Android versions as the tablet is running Lollipop or newer; I understand the thing came with Marshmallow, so, probably that). So they can't even be bothered to update all their tablets to the latest version of their own software. Not very competent if you ask me.
And of course, I'm fully aware that "other people's" phones/tablets shouldn't be tinkered with. That said, I think we can all agree that disabling app animations in Developer Options is 100% harmless. Many custom ROMs either reduce the animation speed to half or 25% or disable it entirely to make the phone or tablet seem "faster." In most cases, it's not faster, but these slow tablets with old batteries that need to be rebooted several times a day do perform better with app animations disabled. If only slightly better.
Lastly, I realize that having been outside of the "app super pinning" environment, the very first thing I should have done was examined the list of apps and looked for the app doing the pinning in the first place, and looked for its escape sequence, assuming one exists in that app's settings, and that app isn't password protected. Instead I just said, "hey, I'm in settings, I'll just disable the app animations to make it run faster and that'll be cool."
It's odd that, when it boots up, settings is reachable via the recents key. When an Android tablet turns on, it should have no apps in recents, right? iOS keeps apps in memory through reboots, but I don't think Android does, or at least I don't think Android did in the Marshmallow days. This thing might be 100% custom, but I've never heard of a private company making custom firmware that changes things like what the system buttons do. Though, I suppose it's at least possible.
Thanks in advance if you can help us out.