Q: ios7 keeps refreshing apps after switching

Given the feedback on iOS 7.1 Beta 4, I have made some modifications to the report which is now at version 1.4. The changes are primarily in the "Will it be fixed in the next release?" section. You will find the lastest version  here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pb5pk5UTrT8E7c0FXR7vajImBzkwm3IHaL9Cj14UHYw/ edit?usp=sharing

In my opinion, it is still worth publicising this as things are not looking that hopeful for those of us with devices older than the current generation. I'm not sure of the figures but I imagine the older machines are still in the majority so this is likely to remain a major issue for a lot of people.

As before feel free to extract/copy/edit any bits you find useful for your target audience.

I love and sign your text! Well done!

Just a little something else to add to the pot. Leo Laporte was pondering in an iPad Today show (iPad Today 172 from October 2013) over whether Apple was implementing the Trim command (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIM) in memory management. This was in response to Sarah (his co-host) mentioning that her iPad (3 I think) was a bit laggy under iOS 7.

Also see this article below. I know it is Android-specific but it could be pertinent.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-fix-androids-bad-performance-and-awful-desig n/

I was unfamiliar with the Trim command but it looks like an SSD-specific memory cleanup mechanism that augments garbage collection techniques as used in traditional operating systems. I realise this doesn't solve anything, but it's another topic to contemplate with like-minded friends over a pint.

Hi all,

I spent hours reading every post and so glad I found this tread because I am from China and got no relavent results if I search the problem (in Chinese ) online. I have exactly the same problem on my iPhone 5 running 7.0.4. It seems no fix so far. I am going to try 7.1 beta4 if I have the chance. I'll keep you updated.

One thing I found encouraging, while not quite ready for prime time, there are developers porting Android to the iPhone so that you can ditch iOS all together.

Don't get too excited, it doesn't look like there has been much work on it for a number of years. From what I read, it doesn't work too well just yet and may never as I doubt Apple is very forthcoming with the details it takes to really take advantage of a sophisticated piece of hardware such as the iPhone or the other iOS series of devices.

So we may just have to get used to the idea that Apple has left us out in the cold. I still contend they did it for a reason. Financially motivated no doubt. So when the tech support person tells you it's working as designed, I'm sure they are right.

I've got one year left on my contract. Never again Apple. Never again.

I'm going to call my service provider and complain to them too. Not that they can do anything, but maybe the waste of time will make me feel better. If nothing else, I can get the exact date my contract expires so I can start a count down. Actually, I'm thinking I may jump contract and just pay the penalty.

I've observed something interesting lately, relating to apps keeping information when in the background, with an app called gMusic. This plays Google Music content, either streaming or offline.

If you 'minimise' the app, then for a short time it will re-open at exactly the place you left it (as the native music app does, and everything else pretty much). If you re-open it after a while, it opens on the 'artist' list, but when you click on the 'now playing' button it returns you to the exact second of the exact song you were listening to. This is regardless of how long you've left it 'minimised', and what you've done since.

It's not the same as it used to be on iOS 5, where it would simply open where you left it, but it indicates that it is possible to keep this information, which even the native app loses (you start at the beginning of the song you were listening to).

Even more interestingly (maybe), it keeps your place even when the app is completely closed, and for however long between listens. I've killed it (on iOS 7) and opened again weeks later, and the 'now playing' tab restores the precise place I'd been listening.

So it's possible.

This is an unbelieveable middle finger to anyone who updated their device from IOS6 to IOS7.

It would be just fine if we had native support to install Android on my iPhone.

The thought that MAC OSX should be more like IOS is a complete Joke.

Apple it's just gotta hurt...

today I was on my way to my hometown for celebration of Chinese lunar new year. I opened a third part map app to set routes like when and where I should catch which bus or train. After searching routes and setting up I switched to wechat(a chatting app) to chat with my friend. After about several minutes I switched back to the map app to check if I was supposed to get off the bus and bang! The map app refreshed and all my routes information was gone and I nearly missed my train! This is so unacceptable for me because I am so nervous and insecure about losing track of locations. God! I was ****** off and on the edge of smashing my iPhone !

Yes, it is completely unacceptable and I hope Apple pays dearly for this if they don't fix it.

It wouldn't be such a big deal if it always worked like this, but to go from being able to switch right back to the spot you were in in any open app to this is absolute garbage for all the reasons stated in this post.

Steve Jobs would have never let this happen, and I would love to punch all those butt pirate homos that are currently running Apple in the ******* face for turning their loyal customers into disgruntled beta testers.

It is utterly disgusting that this happens in every single app including the native Apple apps... I can't even ******* switch back to the music player without the song I was in the middle of starting over from the beginning.

How closely an an app restores to its previous state upon restarting is entirely the responsibility of the app itself. The native apps don't seem to be very brilliant at it.

It appears that iOS 7 might be more eager to terminate apps than in the past.

We all feel your pain dfeivelson - we honestly do - but we will probably get further by keeping our tone more civil. Take your frustration out by logging a support call, providing Apple feedback or by forwarding our descriptive document to as many interested parties as possible. See previous pages for links etc.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

One of the biggest questions I've had about our app reset issue since noticing it a few months ago is: why aren't the tech writers for the major online and print tech journals all over this?  I'm completely dumbfounded about the lack of coverage.  We've seen one or two tech journalists cover it as "one of many " problems with iOS7, but there seems to be no one giving it the kind of seriousness we all think it deserves. Overall there's complete radio silence about it.  The "conspiracy theorist" part of me starts to think that if it got out into the mainstream media about how seriously flawed Apple's iOS7 release is because of this issue it could really affect Apple's market share, so therefore Apple is pressuring journalists to not write about it?  No, I don't think that's reasonable.

I suppose there could be tech writers who have seen this problem and decided that it's not such a big deal, but I honestly don't understand that.  How anyone writing about technology issues -- a category that you'd presume makes you at least a semi-power user -- could conclude that this is not a big deal is beyond me. 

Any thoughts?

I know, the lack of coverage is a mystery, but I'm not big on the conspiracy issues either whether on the part of the tech press covering it up or on the part of Apple actively planning this bug/feature to earn extra on data usage etc.

It's also tempting to assume that the tech writers are all semi-power users of iDevices but I'm not sure this follows either. At any time they may well have multiple gadgets on the go for review purposes and I wonder whether they typically get quite as time on any of them as we do on our Apple kit. Remember that members of this thread are self-selecting and are typically power users, IT-literate and to some extent obsessive. We are a select minority!

In general I would love to know what percentage of iOS users have spotted the problem and which percentage of those are bothered about it enough to kick up a fuss.

So far though, the response to our emails to tech sites has not exactly been overwhelming. Perhaps part of the problem is that it isn't a nice 'sound-bite' sort of an issue. AppRefreshGate?

I don't subscribe to the conspiracy theories either. Apple get no money out of me for data, as I'm sure is the case for most iPhone 4/4S and iPad 2/mini owners. Web analytics would also exclude page refreshes from visit counts.

To attack our issue from another angle, I've just been searching for evidence of Background App Refresh actually working, which would rely on apps not being terminated by iOS. Funnily enough, I can only find claims of what it does, instructions how to turn it off (to save battery), and people saying that it works in a development simulator.

No real life examples or demos at all!

Has anyone seen it for real?

something encouraging maybe:i accidentally restored my device in dfu mode. Everthing seams just right the way they shoud be. There were ten more apps running in the background including a third party map app and safari which dont function well and i suffered a lot from. I switched those apps every now and then on purpose especially map and safari. To my surprise, safari didnt refresh. Nether did the map app! I was nervously happy. I fear its a temporary thing so i am gonna test more and keep you updated.

PS.It has been functioning well for almost a day. Lets call it Day 1. Hope there will be Day Z：infinite ^^