Post: #1

Not sure how this works on iphone, but if it's not there, it's one of the few things (if not only thing) I prefer about iphone.

I finally upgraded to a new android recently and realized next to the home button there is a "multitasking button" which takes a screenshot of every individual action you did on the phone and constantly does this. Saves the last 20 screens you were in (and constantly does that), although this may vary by phone.

The last text screen you sent (and whatever previous texts were on that screen), last email you sent, last webpage you visited, last picture you took, absolutely everything. Even the advanced developer options settings, "Don't keep activities" box being checked doesn't address this, although you think it would. The phone probably sends these screenshots to some server occassionally without your knowledge.

Anyone who has a newer android (beyond gingerbread) will know what I mean.

There is no way to disable it or turn it off. On gingerbread, you could see the last app you accessed, but not what you did in that app - it would only show the icon.

Let's be honest here, people are sneaky. When friends ask to borrow your phone (they don't get good reception on Tmobile in certain places, battery is down to 3%, etc) all they have to do is hit this button and see what you did. For guys into the player lifestyle, means they'll see texts you sent to different women, any online dating sites, who you called, skype called, what you posted on a forum, emails, private pics. Even some employers now will demand to see your phone, same rules apply.

I personally think this is part of the ever-growing police state in the US. It's gotten to a point in certain states they can demand you unlock your phone and look through it.

Now if they do that, one button, they can see through your entire phone. Of course, anything that isn't about fixing cars, home improvement, sports, etc, will probably be looked at with suspicion by them.

If you mention this on a cell phone forum, everyone will collectively gang up on you, call you a conspiracy theorist, and tell you how amazing and convenient this is. Yeah, like it's so difficult to re-open the app by simply clicking it.

Call any cell phone company and ask how to turn it off, they'll tell you once again how amazing this is and that it cannot be removed. It should be standard. Even if you root the phone, there's still no way around it.

Depending on brand, there's not even a "clear button" for this on some. You have to individually swipe left/right every single screen.

Of course most of the general public is too concerned about which all-you-can-buffet currently has the best deal to notice this or what bowl their state football team is going to.

Ignorance really is bliss.

Post: #2

What's the Don't keep activities box? Haven't seen that.

Post: #3

It's what tech support said could make it so the the RAM doesn't save the every screen in multitask view, but it didn't change anything when I checked it.

Post: #4

PM mental and tell him to come in here.

Post: #5

Paranoid much? There are much worse things to worry about with Android than the multitasking screen.

Post: #6

Do you know what pop up screens show when you turn on the phone for the first time? I did it at the store and the dumbass worker was clicking yes to everything until I grabbed it. I think things for Google.

Post: #7

Stop being snarky like a female Polaroid. Tell us what we should be worried about then.

Post: #8

I don't care about the multitasking itself, it's the fact that it's intentionally been done in a way so it's impossible to turn off.

There is a reason for that, and it's not for the sake of "convenience" how they tell you.

Post: #9

(12-08-2013 07:24 PM)houston Wrote:  Do you know what pop up screens show when you turn on the phone for the first time? I did it at the store and the dumbass worker was clicking yes to everything until I grabbed it. I think things for Google.

Nothing shows until you open up some sort of process (at least on mine, but I also turned off everything google-owned), which is typically done right away once you've turned the phone on.

Post: #10

@OP:

Since the latest iOS update for iPhone (iOS7), the iPhone does the exact same thing with the multitask function as you described in the OP. So yeah, even iPhone users are screwed.

Edit: So if this multitask function concerns you and you're using an iPhone, don't upgrade to iOS7 and you should be good.

Post: #11

My friend says it can't be turned off on iphone either. Every screen in multitask view has to be individually swiped away.

Like the older android operating systems, the older iphone operating systems didn't do this either.

They're more similar now than proponents of either side would willingly admit.

Also, if you're signed into something the multitask screen will show what you saw when you were signed in, even after you've signed out. There's no escaping the multitask screen.

Post: #12

Damn la mode, now I'm wondering what that worker swiped before I grabbed the phone.

Post: #13

I never really thought about it being sent to a server. The best thing you can do is just getting into the habit of clearing the multitask page frequently. That's what I've done for over a year cause I don't like when those things start piling up.

Post: #14

Dont think you can clear it in android.

Post: #15

I take my privacy more seriously than normal. But this is the first time anyone was worried about recent apps list. If the government or someone far away wanted to see your activities, they'd capture your traffic, and besides, the app on the list is too small to find much about what you did. And you can always clear the app you don't want them to see. Even if they do see the picture of the app, they aren't gonna find anything important like passwords, or the link to the page you watched - I think that you should be more worried about how easily your passwords can be stolen if you're using public WiFi or how much information can the NSA get if you don't use Tor or a VPN. Even if your friends do find something about you (never happened, either to me, or to my friends, or on the Internet) that isn't sunshine and rainbows, who cares! You're a player, demolish that shit test! Or leave a suspicion screenshot on the list so the hamster would start spinning!

In short, if the authorities can take your recent apps screenshots, what stops them from seeing your internet traffic or taking a full screenshot of the app? That's a much more efficent and faster way of spying on you. And why do you worry about what strangers and friends think about your apps - just agree and amplify as usual or ignore it, if you don't care, they don't care.

(12-09-2013 02:03 AM)houston Wrote:  Dont think you can clear it in android.

There is on my Galaxy S3:


So just clear it and you're done if your phone can clear the apps list.

Post: #16

Double post.

Post: #17

It depends on the android brand if there's a clear button. It's not present with Motorola.

I'm really not surprised it went from only showing the app you most recently used in gingerbread, to having a snapshot of how you last used the app with anything beyond gingerbread. Pretty soon, TSA will start asking to see smartphones. Only a matter of time.

Post: #18

(12-09-2013 02:29 AM)la_mode Wrote:  It depends on the android brand if there's a clear button. It's not present with Motorola.

I'm really not surprised it went from only showing the app you most recently used in gingerbread, to having a snapshot of how you last used the app with anything beyond gingerbread. Pretty soon, TSA will start asking to see smartphones. Only a matter of time.

Like I said above, if they want info, they will analyze your internet traffic, they can track you using only cell phone signals (it doesn't work like in the movies where you have to keep the guy on line for x seconds, they can see your location as soon as your phone can receive the cell phone signal) and if they take the phone to forensics, they will use this device to copy everything from your phone and they will see anything they want to see (unless you use the option of encrypting your phone, it's located somewhere in settings). Unless you're using Tor or a trusted paid VPN they can capture your traffic and find out anything they want about you. The screenshot is gone the moment you press it, restart your phone or swipe it away - it's just unreliable to be used as evidence, since getting rid of it is as simple and easy as turning off the phone. And what can they do about your app list? Yes, you started an opera mini browser, a facebook chat application and a camera. What next? Are you ashamed of your app list or something?

Post: #19

Make sure not to search with Google guys. Use startpage.com

Post: #20

(12-09-2013 02:03 AM)houston Wrote:  Dont think you can clear it in android.

hit the x button on the upper right when you get to that screen with all of your tabs?

Post: #21

(12-09-2013 03:17 AM)mental Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 02:29 AM)la_mode Wrote:  It depends on the android brand if there's a clear button. It's not present with Motorola.

I'm really not surprised it went from only showing the app you most recently used in gingerbread, to having a snapshot of how you last used the app with anything beyond gingerbread. Pretty soon, TSA will start asking to see smartphones. Only a matter of time.

Like I said above, if they want info, they will analyze your internet traffic, they can track you using only cell phone signals (it doesn't work like in the movies where you have to keep the guy on line for x seconds, they can see your location as soon as your phone can receive the cell phone signal) and if they take the phone to forensics, they will use this device to copy everything from your phone and they will see anything they want to see (unless you use the option of encrypting your phone, it's located somewhere in settings). Unless you're using Tor or a trusted paid VPN they can capture your traffic and find out anything they want about you. The screenshot is gone the moment you press it, restart your phone or swipe it away - it's just unreliable to be used as evidence, since getting rid of it is as simple and easy as turning off the phone. And what can they do about your app list? Yes, you started an opera mini browser, a facebook chat application and a camera. What next? Are you ashamed of your app list or something?

It's a matter of simply knowing anyone can see your information like that. A friend can borrow your phone, click multitask, and it's all there.

Also, the fact that it's intentionally been made impossible to turn this off.

The US will get to a point that police will start asking random people to look through their phones. It's annoying knowing your every background process is saved unless you erase it constantly. Showing the app is one thing (like in gingerbread), a screenshot of the app even after you've signed out of a particular app (if it required sign-in) is ridiculous.

Post: #22

(12-09-2013 03:34 AM)la_mode Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 03:17 AM)mental Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 02:29 AM)la_mode Wrote:  It depends on the android brand if there's a clear button. It's not present with Motorola.

I'm really not surprised it went from only showing the app you most recently used in gingerbread, to having a snapshot of how you last used the app with anything beyond gingerbread. Pretty soon, TSA will start asking to see smartphones. Only a matter of time.

Like I said above, if they want info, they will analyze your internet traffic, they can track you using only cell phone signals (it doesn't work like in the movies where you have to keep the guy on line for x seconds, they can see your location as soon as your phone can receive the cell phone signal) and if they take the phone to forensics, they will use this device to copy everything from your phone and they will see anything they want to see (unless you use the option of encrypting your phone, it's located somewhere in settings). Unless you're using Tor or a trusted paid VPN they can capture your traffic and find out anything they want about you. The screenshot is gone the moment you press it, restart your phone or swipe it away - it's just unreliable to be used as evidence, since getting rid of it is as simple and easy as turning off the phone. And what can they do about your app list? Yes, you started an opera mini browser, a facebook chat application and a camera. What next? Are you ashamed of your app list or something?

It's a matter of simply knowing anyone can see your information like that. A friend can borrow your phone, click multitask, and it's all there.

Also, the fact that it's intentionally been made impossible to turn this off.

The US will get to a point that police will start asking random people to look through their phones. It's annoying knowing your every background process is saved unless you erase it constantly. Showing the app is one thing (like in gingerbread), a screenshot of the app even after you've signed out of a particular app (if it required sign-in) is ridiculous.

You're constantly ignoring what I've written and nitpick reasons. It's your phone, no one can take it without a warrant. Friend sees your apps, so what? Can't you password protect the screen or something? Besides, you can see the installed apps in every phone if you borrow it, what's the difference if they see which ones you ran? How's it any different from putting your app shortcuts on the home screen or on your computer? I feel this is a thread that's about making android look bad.

Post: #23

Because there's a snapshot of the app exactly how you used it, opposed to the unopened icon. Meaning, if you checked your bank statement today, they could see that by simply pushing the multitask button.

You always have to remember to swipe the screens away.

Password protecting the screen is a different thing and really has nothing to do with the multitasking, which is only accessible when you're past the lock screen.

Post: #24

(12-09-2013 05:33 AM)la_mode Wrote:  Because there's a snapshot of the app exactly how you used it, opposed to the unopened icon. Meaning, if you checked your bank statement today, they could see that by simply pushing the multitask button.

You always have to remember to swipe the screens away.

Password protecting the screen is a different thing and really has nothing to do with the multitasking, which is only accessible when you're past the lock screen.

Huh. Can they get your bank account password? Your Facebook password? Your PayPal password? Swipe just the app you don't want anyone to see and that's it. And don't give the hamster logic of lock screen not having to do anything with multitasking. The lock screen is exactly what it says on the tin - a screen that locks your phone so they cannot use it in any way if they don't know the password/lock pattern/PIN. That's why people put the passwords on all devices that they don't want strangers to access. Lock screen = no more problem with multitask button. Why do you constantly complain about this when the fix is easy?
1. You don't want a certain window to be seen - swipe it.
2. You don't want any window to be seen - password protect the screen.
3. Refuse to give the phone - no warrant = no taking of phone.

Post: #25

It's that you have to constantly swipe it and there's no way to not have it save the snapshot.

I've worked in office environments before when people forget their phones, battery is low, Tmobile didn't get reception, etc.

Let's say, someone asks to borrow your phone, before it didn't matter on gingerbread, it only showed the apps you used after long pressing the home button. If you don't have the clear button on multitask (some do not) then you have to swipe away every screen, which can just look strange. It's not like you're gonna stand directly behind the person either. In a split second now they can see your phone history and before it wasn't like that. Even after you've logged out of paypal, it still shows the screen from when you were logged in. Nothing to do with them getting the password, it's that they can see your balance unless you swiped it away. Refusing to let someone borrow the phone if they need to would be sort of strange as well.

There's no way to turn this off on ios7 or any newer android platfrom beyond gingerbread. I only think there should be an option for it, but for whatever reason there is not. Also a waste of RAM and slows the phone down.