Incosistent result of the "back" button

[pvouzis]

Try this:
1) go to the "home screen"
2) bring up the "application screen"
3) tab on any application
4) tab the back button

Where do you end up? To the "home screen" of course instead of the "application screen" that the "back" button should have taken you to, since "BACK" means take me to previous screen which was the "application screen" and not the "home screen"

It is so annoying!! Is there a way to fix this??

[hett]

When you say the "application screen" I assume you men the app drawer?

The app drawer is part of the homescreen, it isn't a separate screen.

[andjarnic]

I agree.. there is times when the back button doesn't take you back one screen, but a couple or completely out. I'll have to keep track. Is it the app that is running that controls where it goes? I am not entirely sure yet...still learning to build android apps.

[andjarnic]

Yes.. hett.. he means the home screen.. but it should "open" the drawer again to the list of apps in it at least.. and have the app you just ran still selected.

I'd also like to see icons have some sort of LED if they are running, or a different color border or something. It would be helpful at a glance to see apps running, and if you hold it, a menu pops up to close it completely, instead of the current behavior which is to move it to the home screen. I'd rather a menu that offers to move it to a home screen, and close it (if its running). If it's not running, then stick with the default behavior and move it to a home screen. If there is no more room on ANY screen, then pop a dialog up saying so.

[godanigo]

Yes.. hett.. he means the home screen.. but it should "open" the drawer again to the list of apps in it at least.. and have the app you just ran still selected.

I'd also like to see icons have some sort of LED if they are running, or a different color border or something. It would be helpful at a glance to see apps running, and if you hold it, a menu pops up to close it completely, instead of the current behavior which is to move it to the home screen. I'd rather a menu that offers to move it to a home screen, and close it (if its running). If it's not running, then stick with the default behavior and move it to a home screen. If there is no more room on ANY screen, then pop a dialog up saying so.

Suggest it to the Android team, how else can they know what we want?

[hett]

I agree.. there is times when the back button doesn't take you back one screen, but a couple or completely out. I'll have to keep track. Is it the app that is running that controls where it goes? I am not entirely sure yet...still learning to build android apps.

Different apps make the back button behave differently, and in different contexts. It can get sort of confusing.

When someone IMs me on Hello IM, I'll open the IM from the notification drawer. When I hit back, it doesn't take me to the buddy list, but back to wherever I'd been. That isn't necessary because holding the home button down brings up the app switcher, like alt-tab on a PC.

On my rooted G1, I use a modified mms.apk that has an option specifically to make hitting back in a text message bring you back to the list of text threads.

[andjarnic]

Hey..didn't know holding HOME button brings up task switcher..very kewl. Learn something new every day. Still would love some sort of visual notification, and soon as I start developing my apps for android, I'll get on their forums and suggest some things.

[hett]

Hey..didn't know holding HOME button brings up task switcher..very kewl. Learn something new every day. Still would love some sort of visual notification, and soon as I start developing my apps for android, I'll get on their forums and suggest some things.

Glad to help. I've been an Android user for a year now, know the in-and-outs of daily use pretty well. I haven't gotten my Droid yet but I'm working on canceling t-mobile.

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

[andjarnic]

Incidentally.. the task switcher by holding HOME down doesn't seem to show running apps..but the last 6 used. I just used the Advanced Task Killer to kill about 12 apps that apparently were running, brought it up again, nothing showing in that list. Then I hold HOME and it shows 6 apps. So I am guessing it's the last 6 used? Also, the Advanced Task Killer.. showed so many apps..I thought there could only be 6 apps at once running on Android? How would it show more than that?

[hett]

Incidentally.. the task switcher by holding HOME down doesn't seem to show running apps..but the last 6 used. I just used the Advanced Task Killer to kill about 12 apps that apparently were running, brought it up again, nothing showing in that list. Then I hold HOME and it shows 6 apps. So I am guessing it's the last 6 used? Also, the Advanced Task Killer.. showed so many apps..I thought there could only be 6 apps at once running on Android? How would it show more than that?

The app switcher shows the last 6 used apps, yes -- if you don't kill them with ATK then tapping them from the app switcher will bring you over to it. If you kill it with ATK, tapping it will re-launch. It isn't exactly alt-tabbing but it is the closest thing. Only in rare instances does it not get you where you want to go.