Q: How do I leave an app running on iPad and go back to other app?

Multitasking >  http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4211

Apps continue to run by default when you leave them.

Generally speaking, you should go back to the home screen when moving from one app to another.  An alternate way is to double tap the home button, which shows all your running apps.  You could then go to the other app from there.

Double press the home button to switch between apps.

Depending on the apps you're switching between the app may continue running, or may be suspended in memory. The app developers determine what it does.

double tap the home button, which shows all your running apps.

It doesn't, but that's a very common misconception. It shows recently used apps. See: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4211

This is actually a response to snozdop's remark.  Because of the way this thread is displaying, I cannot yet direct this response to snozdop directly.  Anyway, I hope Mittrucks benefits from this discussion.

snozdop, I see your comment as splitting hairs.  Here is why.

I said: "double tap the home button, which shows all your running apps."   Yes, as the article points out suspended apps are shown as well as actively running apps.  I did not say it shows only actively running apps.

In my opinion, showing and dealing with a suspended app, which instantly awakens and relaunches upon returning to them, is equivalent to showing a running app.  The question of whether the "running" app is actively doing something right now is irrelevant.  What is relevant is that the app is in memory, ready to be triggered instantly when requested.

What is relevant is that the app is in memory, ready to be triggered instantly when requested.

But even that's not true. It doesn't only show "running" and "suspended" apps either.

Reboot your phone and instantly double-tap the home button and you'll see exactly the same list of recently used apps as before you rebooted. How can this be, if (as you claim) the list shows apps that are "in memory, ready to be triggered instantly"? After a reboot, the memory is empty of running and suspended apps.

Also, the recently used apps list can show dozens and dozens of apps, in reverse chronological order of usage. If (as you claim) all those apps are "in memory, ready to be triggered instantly when requested", the iPhone would need a huge amount of RAM to store them in.

iOS automatically purges the least recently used apps from RAM when memory gets low, yet those apps (despite not even being in memory) are still shown in the recently used apps list.

If you don't believe me, perhaps some of these links will help:

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/understanding-multitasking-on-ios-should-you -quit-apps/

http://www.speirs.org/blog/2012/1/2/misconceptions-about-ios-multitasking.html

Again, as above, this is a response to snozdop's latest remark, as once again, I have issues with the way the thread is displaying.

I agree your points are of interest - in an academic sense.  I appreciate you have shown them.

But check out this very simple statement from the iPad User Manual, which I believe would suffice for Mittrucks' question:

Message was edited by: sberman

Yes, it's true that even Apple are not consistent with they way they describe these things, so it's hardly surprising confusion occurs.

The important thing is to get across the fact that not every app shown in the "recently used apps list" / "multitasking screen" is actually "running" (using up RAM and battery life). Also, that closing them all down (as many people spend time doing) is actually unnecessary (unless an app has locked up).

I was pre-empting the next common assumption that "If all those apps are running, surely I must need to close them all down to free up RAM and preserve battery life?"

snozdop wrote:

 

The important thing is to get across the fact that not every app shown in the "recently used apps list" / "multitasking screen" is actually "running" (using up RAM and battery life). Also, that closing them all down (as many people spend time doing) is actually unnecessary (unless an app has locked up).

 

I was pre-empting the next common assumption that "If all those apps are running, surely I must need to close them all down to free up RAM and preserve battery life?"

I agree that this is an important point. I respect both you and sberman. However, I see way too many people telling other people that they must shut down all of their "running" apps or their battery will drain or their memory will get used up or the apocalypse will come early. It can distract people from more necessary troubleshooting steps and frustrate them when it doesn't solve the problems it was purported to solve.

And yes, the forum has been wonky the last couple of days.

Best of luck.