I know apple says the so called multitasking in i os doesn't slow the iPad or I phone but I just X'ed out 2 weeks worth of apps in the multitasking bar and it not only freed up memory (iPad info app) but it stopped my apps from crashing. I have heard the company line that open apps sleep and don't effect the performance of i devices but that has not been my experience. Is there any way to turn off the multitasking featur?
No - if you believe that having apps on the taskbar (recently used apps also appear there, they are not necessarily active) is affecting performance then you will need to close them yourself, there is setting to switch off multitasking and also no 'close all' apps setting.
The number of 3rd party apps that run in the background are few and far between since there is no reason or benefit for the overwhelming number of 3rd party apps to run in the background.
It is not a multitasking bar. It is a recently used apps bar. An app being in the recently used apps bar does not mean the app is running in the background. It means the app was recently used.
While the number of apps that actually do anything in the background is small, the number is slowly creeping up. I have realized that some old apps that have been 'updated' now actually have some different behavior under the new system. My point would be that it is probably good practice to daily go in and kill off the 'recently used' apps that show when you double click. This will free some memory, and will help the battery life.
This is particularly true for any apps that use any sort of notification, update or potential streaming.
A 'close all' button would be a nice feature - but in the interim, it is no big deal to simply close them off every now and then.
For those that care to see the memory release involved, there is an app called 'monitor' that i installed several months ago. (I do not remember the cost - either free, or real close to free). if you fire up the app, then double click to see the recent apps, you can close them off one at a time and see the memory get freed. it is interesting to see how much memory is tied to each.
While the information that all of the above posters have given you is true and good advice, IMHO - I think it is a good idea to restart your iPad in a regular basis. I'm not sure why users want to leave the iPad on constantly. It doesn't take that long to restart and pick up where you left off.
I truly think is is a good idea to restart your device once in a while. It will reset everything and clear up some memory. I can only go by my own experience and for me - if I shut down and restart every couple of days, my iPad runs better and is less likely to experience app shut downs.
Just my opinion based on my own use.
Turn off multitasking
