Vote now: Do you still clear the recent apps on your phone?

Do you remember the time when opening two or three apps on your phone caused an Armageddon-like slowdown? I do; my first Android smartphone was an Xperia Ray with 512 MB of RAM, and even though it was super amazing for the time, it also lagged like crazy when dealing with heavy apps.

So, I was forced to do regular cleanups in order to free enough RAM to make the thing smoother. Now, today, this is not an issue; phones have so much RAM that you can probably open hundreds of apps and still not see a slump in performance. And the way mobile operating systems now deal with background apps also contributes to that.

But for some people, like myself, clearing the recent apps has become a habit, a remnant from the past that haunts us and makes us compulsively try to make our phones faster. There's another reason to clear the recent apps aside from speed, though.

Sometimes I want to have just two or three apps open, so that I can switch more easily between them. I know it might not make much sense because, even with dozens of apps open, the recent screen will show you the ones you interacted with first. But still, in my head, seeing the three apps I need and nothing more feels better.

So, today's poll focuses on habits. Do you still perform the cleaning ritual on your smartphone? Or it's never been a thing in the first place? Vote in our poll and share your peculiar smartphone habits in the comments section below. Keep it clean, though!

Free Galaxy A17 5G with Straight Talk

Get a free Galaxy A17 with Straight Talk. To claim this deal, you need to pair the phone with activation on a Silver Unlimited Plan or higher. This tier costs $45 per month. Offer valid through 01/10/27 while supplies last online.

Buy at Straight Talk