Q: ios7 keeps refreshing apps after switching

I'm using the same tool on my iPad 2 (512MB RAM) and it shows about 160MB of free RAM when all apps are closed.

After starting Safari with three or four tabs there are only 60MB free RAM left. Starting some other apps like Skype or Maps and i'm down to 20 MB or less. From now on switching between apps will cause a refresh on nearly every switch. At this state the free RAM alternates between 5 and 40 MB. One thing i noticed is that switching apps by doing a four finger swipe will result in much less refreshes. But this is explainable: showing the small screens in the app switcher needs its memory too.

This is ridiculous - and it's no wonder that it can't work with such a low level of free RAM.

So this is definitely a serious memory leak - and safari is just one of the most affected apps as it needs more RAM due to tabbed browsing, large sites, etc...

So i'm still pretty sure that this is a bug deep in the memory architecture / management of iOS7 (and it seems of iOS8 too) - and that's the main reason why it isn't fixed right now! It's not just like correcting some lines of code.

Btw, i tried some other "tools" too but at the end i can use my iPad only to browse with three or four tabs and write some mails. So it's pretty useless for me right now...

EOI

Yes there is a serious memory leak issue. I also have a tool to force to free up RAM. Sometimes the leak is so severe even with all apps closed that even forcefully trying to free up RAM results just in 150MB and then it keeps dropping down till it reachea 20-30MB. At this point all I do is open camera, try to click snap (it will crash) and repeat 2-3 times more. Suddenly free RAM jumps to 160MB and it's stable there. At this point I force free RAM, I get 260MB free. And then it stays there. This is very weird since my friend has an iPad 2 and this issue hasn't really affected him. He is on modified 7.0.4. I did a side by side comparison of how many apps we both could keep alive before the refreshing occurs. Turns out, he can multitask way more than me. It's like this bug hasn't affected him at all. It's obviously less than iOS 6 though but it does the work.

I have been reading and occasionally posting to this discussion since the beginning. in my opinion, the best way to get results is to log support tickets with app developers. Tell them that their apps are refreshing and causing data, search term, etc. loss. For instance, I get Kayak search loss. Same with Zappos. Google maps resets and loses my directions. One app developer stated that there is an Apple multitasking toolkit that is new. If developers do not use it, refreshes will occur. I won't name the app (one of the top downloads), but they have conquered (mostly) the refresh. The screen freezes, blinks, and reloads where you were. Memory leaks or not, it looks to me that developers need to save state themselves (using the Apple toolkit or not).  Making app developers explain why their software malfunctions causes questions to go directly to Apple.

Good suggestion, Tedhtl.  We've been beating our heads against the wall about Apple for so long, and even though I think we're correct that their OS is the ultimate "cause" of the problem, it may be more effective to work on the app developers.

Though: why hasn't Apple applied their own new multitasking toolkit to their own apps such as Safari?

Very interesting to read this, as I have an iPad 2 and I've been seriously affected by this problem.  (And I've assumed that the iPad 2 was one of the devices most seriously affected by this problem.)

LOOK AT THIS! Just Safari open and with just one tab. Also the website is mobile version of Facebook. And look at my free RAM in the status bar. 8MB!!!

I can very much assure you this has nothing to do with app developers not using some toolkit. I did a side by side test with my friend's iPad 2 who also has modified iOS 7 just like me. We ran same apps side by side. He could multitask way more than I could on my 4S. It was almost like this refreshing issue didn't affect his iPad 2 itself. 

iOS 6 was anyday better though.

I didn't make this up (directly from level 3 support.  Then I actually started talking with the founder. Too detailed to post...):

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

In 2.0 we now use state restoration - which is where iOS stores the state X was in, its last screenshot, and all of that. If X is then terminated in the background when you brought X 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.

You're wrong. Being on modified iOS, I have root level access. If you think you're right, can you explain Safari with just one tab open with a non heavy mobile site and 8MB free out of 512MB? It's ridiculous.

At times even with all applications closed, you just 50-60MB free out of 512MB.

It has nothing to do with some app developer not using some tool kit. You can try with settings app and safari open. Your settings app will restart. The app restoration tool kit applies here. It will restart. But it will take you to the same place in Settings app from where you had left. This is not what happened on iOS 6. Your app would suspend in the background. And on accessing it, it will wake up from same state (not restart and then take you there).

It has everything to do with iOS 7.

What App do you have to show 8mb ram near the date? That is a good app to have.

You need to have a modified version of iOS for that. I am not sure if I can post regarding that here.

P.S. - Apple does NOT support modifying iOS. It will VOID your warranty.

Respectfully, this isn't about me being right or wrong. Please don't shoot the messenger!  We need all the data we can get on this one.  Let's be open minded. 

I'm simply reporting a real reply from a senior developer, and ultimately founder, of a major app.  In fact, their app is very, very solid about restoring state.  It flashes and restores, and except for the "flash," it is just like back in the good ol' days of our beloved iOS 6.  Further, the founder said that they also use a special state restoration system they developed.  Other apps just plain restart, as we know.  Lazy developers?  Dunno.

And, I cannot possibly explain why Safari is so messed up reloading tabs.  Absolutely boggles my mind.  There must be multiple issues, and I do think that's the case.

May I also state that hacking the OS and then reporting on its (mis)behavior is a questionable activity.  How do we know what else broke in the "modified" OS?  Frankly, I'm not sure of the value of reports using hacking.  That's why it voids your warranty!

For Safari try turning off iCloud for Safari. I think that has helped. I also turned off any push or fetch except manual. I only have calendar and contacts On iCloud now.

You clearly are off topic and have no clue what you are talking about. What you are talking about is app restoration. No one cares about that. This thread here is nothing regarding that. No one wants app restoration. People here want the multitasking they had in iOS 6 (suspending app in the background and restoring from where it was left)

And modifying iOS (having third party app store) doesn't affect the performance. Modifying iOS has been going on since iPhone OS 1.1.1. If modifying iOS did break something in iOS, it would have never progressed till iOS 7. Besides your argument here is completely invalid as people on iOS 7.1.1 are also facing this. iOS 7.1.1 is not jailbroken as of yet.

Actually, you are confused, and I am on topic, having been one the earliest contributors to this discussion.  I am a computer engineer with 30 years experience working with more operating systems and writing in more languages than I can remember:

Multitasking means running apps simultaneously, not suspending them.  Apps can do things in the background.  Multitasking was nonexistent in iOS 6. Apps simply froze until you returned to them.  You are incorrectly calling multitasking "suspending app."  I have personally written multitasking code.  Ok, correction number 1.

App restoration is a general term.  Was the app busy while not on the screen, or was it "suspended?"  iOS 6 suspended. iOS 7 has an alleged problematic multitasking system that causes app reloads, Safari tab refreshes, and data loss in other apps. iOS 7 was the first to offer background refresh in Settings.  Correction number 2.

Let's try to stay on topic. Yes, people have been jail breaking since the beginning of time. It is never a good idea unless you really have a reason to do so. Posting results from your compromised iOS device makes your contributions here invalid, unfortunately.

Now that that's settled, let's clear the way for others to submit valid observations and experiences, without being attacked with misleading, demoralizing, polarizing, and downright nasty judgements. Discussions are for everyone!