Apple Adds Multitasking Support for MobileMe iDisk App

Apple updated the MobileMe iDisk app for iPhone and iPad Tuesday, an update that adds support for multitasking for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 users. App multitasking was added to iOS 4, but apps require a rewrite that takes advantage of the new feature. With this support, Apple has specifically added the ability to play music on your iDisk in the background while running other apps.

The company’s patch notes for the update, which is version 1.2:

  • Multitasking support for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS (iOS 4 required).
  • Quickly switch to another app and back to iDisk
  • Play audio from your iDisk while using another app
  • When app is opened, the last file or directory viewed is displayed
  • Option to open iDisk documents in compatible apps such as iBooks
  • When sharing a file, an email can be sent from any configured email account
  • The URL for a shared file can be copied and pasted
  • Various stability improvements

The app works for both iPhone and iPad, and the new feature requires iOS 4 or later. iPad still uses iPhone OS 3.2, and thus can not yet take advantage of the new feature.

While iPhone 3G can run iOS 4, the patch notes specify that multitasking is available only to iPhone 3Gs and iPhone 4.

MobileMe iDisk is a free app, but it requires an annual subscription to the MobileMe service.