Android Q will introduce Multi-Resume to keep two apps active at the same time

While Android phones have had support for multi-windows for quite some time, it’s implementation left a lot of users frustrated. While you could technically keep two apps open in split-screen, they wouldn’t run simultaneously. One app would be paused while the other remained active. Google is about to change that in Android Q with a new feature called “Multi-Resume.” The feature will arrive as part of Android’s support for foldable smartphones that Google announced at its own Developer’s Summit. Google’s VP of Engineering, Dav Burke outlined how Android will look like on foldable displays. Multi-Resume will be a mandatory feature in Android Q and will keep apps open as well as running at the same time. When in multi-window, developers have the option to keep apps resumed. This is to make better use of the ever-increasing screen real estate. For instance, you can keep a video playing on one side of the display and use the rest to reply to messages and browse social media. The diagram below explains how things will work once the new features hits smartphones next year. The feature is also available on Android 9 Pie, but this version is already shipped to OEMs and manufacturers will have to opt-in to test it on Android Pie devices. Both the OEM and the app developer have to update their code to bring support to Multi-Resume. Samsung already has support for the feature in the form of its “Multistar” module in an app called Good Lock which Samsung uses to experiment with new features. With the announcement, the feature will be supported natively by Android. Overtime, Android has made a lot improvements in multi-tasking. Google introduced multi-window support in Android Nougat, that could both be in split-screen or in freeform. Later in Android Oreo, you could also open apps in picture-in-picture mode. By fixing this fundamental issue, multi-tasking won’t just be productive on flexible displays, but also on normal, single-screen phones.

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