Open Radar

 
Summary:
After tapping iOS 9’s new back button, the current app is shown sliding to the right, revealing the previously used app. However multitasking (either a horizontal swipe or a vertical the swipe to zoom out) then shows the old current app to the left, with nothing on the right. This breach of the spatial model can be confusing and makes iOS harder to use.

Steps to Reproduce:
Say we have two apps, where it is possible to link from one to the other. Let’s use Mail linking to Safari as an example. The attached video shows Mail linking to Maps.

1. Tap a web link in Mail. Safari is opened, sliding from the right, so the apps are arranged [Mail][Safari].
2. Tap the back button to return to Mail. Safari slides to the right, consistent with the order above.
3. Explore the apparent spatial order of the apps by swiping left and right with four fingers, or by swiping up with four fingers. The order is [Safari][Mail].

Expected Results:
The order of the apps should remain [Mail][Safari]. The back button should not change the recency order. Tapping the back button should be the same as swiping with four fingers to go back. (The animation is different — reveal vs. slide — but that’s another issue.)

Actual Results:
The destination of the back button is brought to the front of the recent apps list, so the order becomes [Safari][Mail].

Version:
iOS 9 (13A4325c)

Notes:
A demonstration video is attached.

Configuration:
iPad Air

Attachments:
'back button app ordering.mp4' was successfully uploaded.