Multifl0w: Multitasking on the iPhone with Backgrounder

by Gary on November 21st, 2009

One of the iPhone’s shortfalls compared to others out there is the inability to run 3rd party apps in the background. Now, this is possible if your iPhone is jailbroken, since you can bypass this by installing Backgrounder. This will enable you to run any app in the background, such as streaming radio, while you do something else.

But what about when you have multiple apps running the background? How to keep track? Easy! There is an upcoming solution to Cydia and it’s called Multifl0w (don’t ask me how they come up with these names). This app will allow you to easily swipe back and forth among apps running in the background. Check out the following demo video:

Multifl0w is dubbed as “the future of iPhone multitasking” by its creator. From the video above, it does look very promising. We’ll have to wait until it’s released to see how smooth it really is.

[Multifl0w]

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Posted under: 3rd Party Applications, Jailbreak

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Rob Blissett

That's funny about the streaming radio bit, as I always listen to di.fm while still being able to run other apps. In fact I'm doing that right now, just to be sure. The only thing I can't do surf. As an example I run the RUN KEEPER app (which is excellent) and go for a jog while the di.fm is streaming music. Of course I had to open the stream before the app. Just wanted to point that out.

nosnoop

I think mQuickDo is a better app for background task switcher. Multifl0w's Pre style screen swiping looks cool. But heavy use of the Home screen button to enable/disable background app and to bring up Multifl0w is very tiresome.

mQuickDo's use of gesture to put app to background and to close it works much better. Though not as cool, displaying all the open apps as icons in a single screen works much faster as well.

Brian Milligan

This looks really cool, integration with mQuickDo would sell it for me, although using the multitasking bar with mQuickDo is basically all I need for multitask management, mQuickDo is more functional as you don't have to scroll though the open apps, they are all on overlaid on the current view. This looks really slick though, I'd like to be able to use it as an option.

I think apple will have multitasking in 2010, whether they claim it "can't be done" on the current devices will be the question.

Xaroc

What would be a good idea would be to refill the Ram Pool when changing Apps. For example
Running Calendar, Clock, Chat, and pictures in backgrounder. When you move it in to flow mode, All but 5% resources go back to the pool, leaving the backgrounded apps in a somewhat "sleep" state, but still ready for your access at all times.

i use to do it with older computers back in the day, with old Pentium 1's and 2' . running 3-4 programs would slow it down, allowing me to downsize and the computer would cut nearly all CPU and Ram cache to that program.
This idea may not be perfect, but in my mind highly plausible

Guest

Yay, some new news about this app. Looking really good!
Backgrounder app is awesome too. Been using since BETA and lovin it!

Check out Overboard, soon to be released. Its a new springboard layout like orbit ;)

I wonder if Apple will ever create multi task... of course theres always a reason why no! lol

justywusty

a suggestion for the developer would be to put an x in the corner of each app when in multifl0w view...so you could "close" them like in safari...instead of going back into the apps and holding the home button to cancel backgrounding.

Guest

I also like that idea. Both option would be good ;)

Justin

anyone how to turn off a running background app (e.g. radio app) with backgrounder. It works find but how do i turn the radio background when I want it off until I launch it again?

Background control says to hold say power long enough to choose what to turn off? but I'm not seeing it.

random

simply press the home button like you would have prior to backgrounder. Single press not held.

However if backgrounder is already enabled on an app, you should just be able to do the same process to activate it on an app (single press held until the message briefly pops up "Backgrounder disabled")

Justin

i wonder how much of a hit it will bit on performance with background app running. I guess radio should be ok but anything bigger requiring lots of processing power would slow down iPhone considerably. That could be a reason Apple is not allowing it to its full extend.

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