How Android Handles Multitasking

One of the greatest benefits of Android is its ability to multitask. You can talk to a friend at the same time as you are watching a YouTube video, download files while you are editing photos, or go through a large number of different programs in the course of a day which you also do on a computer. Also, how does Android do it and at the same time run so many applications without freezing or slowing down—at least most of the time?

Multitasking looks simple at first glance, but in actuality, Android uses smart solutions and techniques to pull it off. By learning how Android handles multitasking, you not only develop a greater appreciation for what your phone does, but also see what you can do to get the best performance out of your phone.

In this tutorial, we will see how Android multitasking is done, how it has developed over time, and what you can do with it.

What Is Android Multitasking?

In fact, Android multitasking is the feature that allows you to switch between two or more programs at the same time. For example:

• Listening to tunes in the background as you use social media.
• As you reply to emails, a file will download.
• Using the dual screen feature to run two applications at the same time.

In the same way that other operating systems do, Android provides a framework for apps to share resources like memory (RAM) and processor power. Also, phones have limited power, which is why Android has to determine which apps to keep running, which to put to sleep, and which to terminate in order to maintain performance.

Let me see what happens that is typical.

The Activity Lifecycle: Behind the Scenes Management.

Android does very well by not having every app running at full speed all the time. Also, we have a system called the Activity Lifecycle that manages which apps run based on what you are doing.

Here is how Android breaks down apps in memory:

• Foreground (Active) Apps: Those you are currently using. When you are writing a message on WhatsApp, the app is making full use of your phone’s resources.
• Background (Paused) Apps: When you leave WhatsApp to open Instagram, what you find is that WhatsApp doesn’t fully exit. Instead, the app goes to the background, which preserves what you were doing, but at the same time, the heavy processing stops in an effort to save battery and memory.
• Cached (Idle) Apps: If out of use for a while, you see an app still in your list of Recent Apps on Android; it may be that it is just cached. It isn’t active, but it is in memory, which also means you can still get back to it quickly.
• Killed Apps: When your storage is low or at any other time you may want to close an app, Android does this.

Through smart management of apps, Android is able to present the illusion that your phone is running all of your apps at the same time, which in reality it is devoting to the one you are using at the present moment.

RAM and Multitasking

RAM is the short-term memory in your phone. As the amount of RAM in your phone increases, so does its ability to multitask. At present, most high end Android phones are shipped with 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB of RAM, which in turn makes it easy to have a few apps open at the same time.

When your RAM is full, the Android memory manager steps in, which is to use algorithms that determine what apps to close out in order to free up space. Usually, it will keep open your most recent programs which it has in memory and will let go of the older or unused ones.

Multitasking Features in Android

Over the years, Android has added many new features that improve and simplify multitasking for the user.

1. Dual Screen Mode.

Split screen allows you to run two applications at the same time on one display. For example, you may have YouTube in one half of the screen and email in the other.

Steps to achieve this:

• Switch on the Recent Apps menu.
• Tap the app icon which is present or choose the split screen option if your phone has that feature.
• Select which app will open at the same time.

This is proven especially in the case of productivity tasks which include comparing data or transferring it from one application to another.

2. Picture-in-Picture Mode

Picture-in-Picture is a small window which floats as you use the app for something else. This feature is mostly for video and video call applications. For example, you may put a YouTube video in a small frame and move it around as you use the calendar or check messages.

It’s for you if you like to do a few things at once and you don’t want the app to take over when you are trying to just watch or listen.

3. App Sets and Multi-Window (on Certain Brands).

Some smartphone brands like Samsung have gone beyond the basic with what they offer for multitasking in the form of App Pairs. What it does is that you pair two apps which you tend to use at the same time—for instance, Maps and Messages, or YouTube and Twitter.

Samsung’s DeX mode goes beyond by turning your phone into a desktop type of environment when you connect it to a TV or monitor; also, it features floating windows for great ease in multitasking.

4. Background processes and Notifications.

Multitasking is not about simultaneously using many apps at once. What you may see on your screen is just a single app at a time, but in reality, many Android apps are running background processes while you are engaged in other tasks.

• Streaming music continues as you browse.
• While you are responding to messages, downloads continue.
• Navigation also will keep giving out directions which may be out of the Maps app.

Android’s notification system is very much a part of what goes on in the background. Apps use notifications for updates on downloads, info on incoming messages, your calendar events, and more—at the same time you are into something else.

Android’s Memory Management: Maintaining Smoothness.

As phone capabilities are limited, Android uses tricks to prevent crashes or freezing:

• Doze Mode: Added in version 6, Doze reduces background activity on your phone when it is not in use or is unplugged to save battery.
• Adaptive Battery: Android now has the ability to determine what apps you use often and dials down battery and resource use for those which you don’t open as much.
• Foreground Services: In some cases, what we see is that apps like music players or fitness apps request for special permission to run in the background as what is known to be foreground services, which in turn enables them to not be killed by Android’s background memory manager.
• Process Prioritization: Android systems will also prioritize processes that run at present on the top, which are the running applications, and provide them with most resources; in the background, apps will get a lesser share of resources, and also at which time which may be when the system is low on resources, idle or cached applications may be the candidate for removal.

Android Multitasking Problems

Although we see that Android does a good job at multitasking, what we have is not perfect. As to what those issues are:

• Freezing or Lag: In older phones which have little RAM, too many apps open at the same time cause lag.
• Drainage of Battery: Background processes use up battery life quickly if left running.
• Aggressive Background Restrictions by Manufacturers: Certain manufacturers like Xiaomi and Oppo which have very aggressive battery saving features that kill background apps, which in turn causes loss of notifications or background operations to be interrupted.
• Unreliable Behavior Between Brands: Android is open source and also very much a do-it-yourself platform, which means that what works for some phones may not work the same way on others. A Samsung phone may present different results in terms of split screen mode from a Google Pixel or a OnePlus phone.

How to Multitask Smarter on Android

If you want to use Android’s multitasking features, here’s what you should do:

• Close Unused Apps: Although we see great memory management from Android, what also works is to close out of unused apps, which in turn frees up RAM and see better performance on older devices.
• Utilize Split-Screen Judiciously: Split screen works for some tasks, but at other times will be too restrictive on smaller screens. Use it when it is useful, for example when viewing notes at the same time or when you are watching a video.
• Restrict Background Activity for Unused Applications: Automatically put off background activity for apps which you don’t have running in the background. This saves battery life and also keeps resources free for more important tasks.
• Update Your Phone: Each update to Android sees us get better multitasking and memory performance. By keeping your phone up to date, you see the best improvements.

If you’re into using your phone like a mini desktop which has many programs open at once, go for a phone with 8GB of RAM or more to get a smooth experience.

Conclusion

Android has a lot of features which put you in the driver’s seat of how you use your phone in very flexible and productive ways. From Picture-in-Picture and split screen modes to smart memory management which runs behind the scenes, Android gives you what you need to do many tasks at once without missing a beat.

Though different phones don’t all do it the same way and we do see the odd bug in there, Android does get better with each new version. With good etiquette, settings, and features at your disposal, you can turn your Android phone into a real multitasking machine—for work, play, or just everyday convenience.

An Android phone is a portable device which, when you use multitasking, almost seems as though you have a tiny powerful computer at your disposal.