ios7 keeps refreshing apps after switching

It's not a setting on all iPads. My 128GB Retina Mini on 7.0.4 has no Safari setting in Background App Refresh.

It's not even a setting on my 5S either.

I have a 4S running 7.0.4 (on Verizon) and don't have either Safari or Compass, two Apple apps that Gail sees in her list. I did a Google image search for Background App Refresh and, though many hadn't scrolled down to where Safari would be, out of all of the rest that did, only one showed Safari in the list. So either some of us have bum builds, or Apple is dynamically choosing which apps to present with the toggle.

I recall reading an article where Apple explains that iOS dynamically learns your usage patterns to determine how background refreshing gets applied (I'd switch over to another tab to go find the link, but you know, I'd lose my post here :-/ ). Perhaps that (faulty) logic is incorrectly determining whether Safari shows up for us.

But as has been shown, this BAR setting has no effect, at least for me, on this behavior. I have disabled BAR multiple times and it has no effect on the frequency/threshold of when the apps refresh when switching. The only thing that improves it - though only slightly, and then only temporarily - is manually removing all apps from the task/app multitasking list (i.e., by double tapping the home button and swiping up each app) then doing a hard reset of the phone. But after loading up a few apps and using them for awhile to increase memory use, the apps begin refreshing and it gets worse the longer I go until I do another hard reset.

@Lacer - Thanks for the research. For me, the refresh doesnt happen in the background. It happens when I return to the app. I see it happen right in front of my face.

Right ERSinclair. Didn't mean to infer it was refreshing in the background. The refresh happens when I switch back to the app.

Just a remnder to everyone, in addition to contributing to this thread be sure to submit feedback: http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I included a link to this thread in my feedback report.

Anything new on this issue? I simply cannot use my ipad effectively now.

@AdrienneA - Thanks for that comment. I have submitted feedback twice now. Please, everyone else do the same. Submit feedback and refer to this discussion.

( Does anyone know, is there a discussion number or something? I've just been sending the URL to the original posting. )

Please discuss this problem with every one you see using an iPhone or other iOS product. Let them know about this discussion. Encourage them to comment with their experience and to also submit feed back. Power in numbers folks.

@AdrianneA

Filled in the feedback form for iPad as well.

Funny - or sad - enough it only lists OSX in the pull down menu for operating systems?!?! This might give us an indication how much they care about there feedback pages... hopefully I'm proven wrong...

It's really strange that nobody so far - pro or anti-Apple - made this issue know to a wider audience. Normally Apple / Tech blogs report about every unimportant thing from Silicon Valley.

HI ROOM!

I HAVE AN IDEA, BUT I NEED YOUR HELP SPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE FLUENT IN ENGLISH AND KNOW THE IOS PROBLEM WELL AND CAN EXPLAIN THEM TECHNICALLY.

I NEED SOMEONE TO WRITE IN A PAGE WHAT ARE THE IOS ACTUAL PROBLEMS (LISTED BELOW)

1) BATTERY LIFE REDUCE DRASTICALLY SINCE IOS7

2) APP SWITCHING (MULTITASKING) REFRESHING WHEN PASSING FROM ONE TO ANOTHER

3) SAFARI TAB RELOAD

ONCE THIS DONE I WILL SEND IT TO SEVERAL PC AND MAC MAGAZINE AND PRO APPLE WEBPAGES TO PUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD.

I KNOW THAT APPLE KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND DONT THINK THEY WILL MAKE IT OFFICIAL, SO I WILL OR BETTER WE WILL MAKE IT OFFICIAL WITH THE BIG HOPE THEY WILL REACT WITH A REAL FIX!!!!

PLEASE LETS WORK TOGETHER , WRITE ME A GOOD ARTICLE WITH A NICE ENGLISH AND GIVE ME YOUR REAL NAME TO GET IT SENT AND POSTED.

LETS GO GUYS ITS TIME FOR A REVOLUTION, WE HAVE THE POWER TO FORCE IT INSTEAD OF TALKING HERE LIKE DEAD PEOPLES OR CRYING FOR A FIX...

WITH THESE ARTICLES POSTED THEY WILL HAVE TO FIX IT VERY QUICKLY OR THEY WILL SELL THEIR SELL GO DOWN.

PLUS ALL APPLE USERS WILL DISCOVER THESE BUGS AND WILL MAYBE TURN TO ANDROID AND THIS WILL ALSO AFFECT APPLE.

IF THEY DO NOT LISTEN TO US.. THEY WE WILL FORCE THEM TO LISTEN TO US.

PLEASE HELP WRITING THIS LITTLE ARTICLE AND I WILL MAKE MY JOB POSTING THEM.

GREETS

PHIL.

@viob - Thanks for filling out the feedback form, and yes, I agree that it was strange that there was no O/S option for iOS at all.

Phil, do you really think you can get something published?

I'm at work today and don't have the time till this evening. I'm very opinionated, but I can try to keep it unbiased and to the point. But please, if someone here is actually a writer or English major or something like that, please jump in.

Hi ERSinclair,

I have several contacts i will move everything to publish it on the right places!...

So if there is here in this discussion people that can help in all the ways...

IF YOU ARE :

1) Publisher for Apple or PC Paper Magazine

2) Have Contacts with Magazine or relationship with admin PC or Mac Web Pages

3) Work for Mac Forums or know someone who can help with it.

Anything that you can bring will help us all... Lets join force and relationship to finalize this idea.

I ask everyone of you to tell ERSinclair and Me to help us with anykind of relationship you have that will help to publish our Article concerning those bugs that makes apple gear unusable.

Thanks to the room!!!!

Thanks in advance to all of you for helping and taking care of us.

Phil

Ok guys, Here is what I've been up to:

1. Complain to each and every app you use that resets after an app switch. Example: PressReader dumps me to the library. CVS puts me in a strange state where I have to log out and then back in. Pocket Informant freezes with a screen shot while it reloads in the background, causing a wait time to use the app. They will complain to Apple if enough users get upset with them. Here is a Support response from WebIS for Pocket Informant, and attempts to explain this "refresh" mess:

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Ted,

Actually, what you are seeing is PI restarting. We are using the iOS 6/7 State Restoration. In previous versions of PI we didn't use this so if iOS would terminate the app in the background when you brought PI up you would see the splash screen and then PI would start.

In 3.3 we now use state restoration - which is where iOS stores the state PI was in, its last screenshot, and all of that. If PI is then terminated in the background when you brought PI up you see the saved screenshot that iOS took while the binary loads and the views are unpacked and the state is restored.

So no, there is nothing you or we can do because its the loading process of the app.

Tabetha Moore

WebIS Support Tech

Ticket Details

Ticket ID: IBT-505-87134

Department: iOS Pro, Go, or Premium

Type: Issue

Status: In Progress

Priority: Normal

Helpdesk: http://webis.kayako.com

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2. Send mail to letters@maclife.com and letters@macworld.com

3. Submit complaints and bug reports anywhere and everywhere you can. IMPORTANT: Please post links and email addresses here that you are sending to so that we can all do the same.

Let's get the word out big time!

Well stated Chris (helveticum)

I only have an iPhone 4S at my disposal. My girlfriend runs an iPhone 5 but is an iSheep and says I should just get used to it. My son has the latest iPod touch but doesn't notice the problem.

I think it would be wise to point out that this problem affects the entire iOS family of products. Being able to demonstrate it on the latest hardware will have the best impact in my opinion. They can't argue that support for that product is fading as it is near end of life or something.

One other thing I just thought of. My company, a huge company, has just switched from blackberry to iPhone. One of my friends is in the IT dept and I'll check with him to see what they are seeing. Certainly if a company with as many iPhones as mine complains, they WILL listen.