How can I keep apps open in the background?

Question

Level 1

21 points

How can I keep apps open in the background?

In some recent iOS update it is shutting down some dormant apps in the backgroun. Of course, not all of them, just some. It’s freaking annoying and I can’t find any way to stop this new behavior. I’ve got the apps set to allow background refresh so youd think that would do it but sadly no.

For exampl: I have a playlist open in Onkyo HF player that I’m editing. I get a phone call, or an email that I need to deal with and when I go back to Onkyo, it restarts and my editing is gon. This happens with other apps too, and it’s a new behavior

iPhone 6s, iOS 11.4, Extensive user, Camera Adapter

Posted on Sep 5, 2018 9:18 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 5, 2018 9:32 AM in response to HelpfulDad

Assuming you are using an iPhone, iOS only "runs" one app at a time.

Apps in the background are suspended. Always have been. Notifications will still come in and Background App refresh may still be running, but the app itself is suspended until it is selected again from the switch apps screen, invoked by double tapping the home button.

See >>> Switch apps on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

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Answer 2

HelpfulDad Author

Level 1

21 points

Sep 5, 2018 10:37 AM in response to KiltedTim

That is evidently the case now where a developer must make changes to accommodate the recent change to IOS. The apps, prior to IOS 11.x, remain suspended as they were when focus was changed to a different app. Now, after some unknown time and for unknown criteria, IOS is now closing them. AND there are times when the icons will briefly flash as IOS shuts them down. I’m hoping for a setting somewhere that will stop IOS from doing this and return to pre IOS 11.x behavio

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Answer 3

HelpfulDad Author

Level 1

21 points

Sep 5, 2018 10:48 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

hmmm...helpful answer. Perhaps you’re on to something here. I have been pressing memory use to the edge so this is likely. AND the IOS updates are coincidental with my increased usage.

Good call and thank you so much for acknowledging the behavior and offering up factual information

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Answer 4

Sep 5, 2018 11:51 AM in response to HelpfulDad

Assuming you have a 6S it has 2 GB of RAM. that limits the number of apps that can be in RAM at one time; iOS uses about 500 MB (my estimate), leaving 1.5 GB for apps. That can fill up pretty fast. With modern apps that means generally less than 5 can reside in RAN, unless the most recently used apps are very small. When it runs out of RAM suspended apps are removed (as Idris points out), but they remain in the multitasking screen. A properly written app will save its volatile data to storage when it is suspended for any reason, so no data should be lost; iOS "tells" the app that it is about to be suspended so it can do this. If the app does not do this its volatile data will be lost if it is flushed from RAM.

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Answer 5

Sep 5, 2018 10:43 AM in response to HelpfulDad

If iOS needs the memory, it will kill suspended apps. This is not new.

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Answer 6

KiltedTim

Level 10

196,353 points

Sep 5, 2018 9:31 AM in response to HelpfulDad

It's up to the app developers to properly save the state of the app when it's suspended. Complain to the app developer(s).

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Answer 7

HelpfulDad Author

Level 1

21 points

Sep 5, 2018 10:39 AM in response to singh49asda

See my other response. Behavior has recently changed and apps won’t remain suspended, they are killed

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Answer 8

Sep 5, 2018 1:43 PM in response to HelpfulDad

My experience is that games get killed more than anything else. I think they tend to use a lot of RAM. More than with other apps, I try to make sure I leave them at a point where it won't hurt much.

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