App switcher
/APP SWITCH-er/ · noun · SYSTEM pattern · #107
The screen that shows your recently used apps as a row of cards, so you can jump back to one or swipe it away to close it. On iPhone you swipe up from the bottom and pause; Android calls it Recents and opens it the same way, or with the square button.
Also called: recent apps, Recents, multitasking view, Overview screen, Task View, task switcher.
You might call it
- “the screen with all my open apps”
- “the open apps when you swipe up and hold”
- “where you swipe apps away to close them”
- “the square button screen on Android”
- “multitasking on my phone”
…its name is App switcher.
Common questions
What is the app switcher on iPhone?
It is the view of your recently used apps as cards. On an iPhone without a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge and pause in the middle of the screen; on an iPhone with one, double-click it. Swipe sideways to browse, tap a card to go back to that app, or swipe a card up to close it.
What is the recent apps screen on Android called?
Android calls it Recents; developer docs also say the Overview screen, and Samsung says Recent apps. Swipe up from the bottom and hold, or tap the square button if you use three-button navigation. On a computer the same job is done by Alt+Tab and Task View on Windows, and Command-Tab and Mission Control on a Mac.
In code
| UIKit | sceneWillResignActive(_:) Cover sensitive content before the snapshot is taken |
|---|---|
| SwiftUI | scenePhase |
| Android | FLAG_SECURE setRecentsScreenshotEnabled() ActivityManager.TaskDescription |
| Web | visibilitychange document.visibilityState |
Prompt for your AI coding tool
Make this app behave well in the app switcher: when it moves to the background, cover screens with sensitive information (balances, messages, one-time codes) so the snapshot in the switcher shows a neutral placeholder; save the user’s place and unsent input so returning from the switcher lands exactly where they were; and give the task a clear title and color on Android.
More UI words to use when vibe coding →
Related patterns
All the parts of a phone and computer screen, named →