A little over a year ago I wrote a rather controversial editorial stating that iOS users don't ever need to kill all the apps in their multitasking dock (fast app switcher). A couple of months ago the subject was brought back to the spotlight, with other developers and bloggers reaching pretty much the same conclusion.
It remains, in general, true. For most users, most of the time, there's no need to regularly "clear out" all the apps in your multitasking dock. We've said it, other developers and bloggers have said it, even Apple has said it.
But here's the thing — sometimes you do. Even an Apple Genius will tell you that. Which is what makes it controversial. And here's why Apple Geniuses will sometimes tell you to kill all apps, and here's why you'll sometimes need to:
Trouble-shooting is a pain in the apps.
If you have one rogue app or process that's continuously slowing down your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, or causing massive battery drain, figuring out which app it is, and fixing it, can take a lot of time and effort. It can involve buying system monitoring apps, rebooting a lot, launching apps, testing, checking system status, killing apps, rebooting, etc. etc. It can involve a lot of things regular users probably aren't well positioned to do, nor should they do.
It flies against Apple's recommendation, it flies in the face of best trouble-shooting practices, and it makes advanced users cringe, but…
Killing everything, in that specific case, for mainstream users, is the fastest, easiest path to problem resolution.
So if a Genius tells your mom to kill all her apps every week or two, or you see your mainstream friend getting all "jiggly" and force-quit-y with it on a regular basis, take a deep breath and let it go.
Unless you want to take them time to trouble shoot it for them.
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