Abstract: A user device includes a display screen and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS) that runs user applications, including sending flows to the user applications, each flow including a series of inputs that are sent over time to a given user application and determines a lifecycle of the given user application, to preload-launch a user application, including preloading the user application in a background mode that is invisible on the display screen, and, upon user access to the preloaded user application, transferring the user application to a foreground mode that is visible on the display screen, and, in response to identifying that preload-launching of the user application includes a flow that is predefined as an uncommon flow, to replace the flow with one or more alternative flows that are not defined as uncommon flows.

Abstract: A method includes, in a processor (44) of a user device (24), preloading one or more user applications (26) in a background mode, in which activities associated with preloaded user applications are hidden from a user of the user device. An activity, which is invoked in the processor and is associated with a given preloaded user application, is detected. An assessment is made by the processor, whether the activity is a preload-initiated activity that is invoked due to preloading of the given user application, or whether the activity is a user-initiated activity that is invoked due to an action by the user. If the activity is assessed to be a preload-initiated activity, the activity is handled using a first handling scheme. If the activity is assessed to be a user-initiated activity, the activity is handled using a second handling scheme, different from the first handling scheme.

Abstract: A user device includes an interface and one or more processors. The interface is configured to communicate over a network. The one or more processors are configured to evaluate a pre-load scheduling condition with respect to a user application installed in the user device, and to schedule pre-loading of the user application depending on the pre-load scheduling condition.

Abstract: A method includes, in a user device (24) that is configured to communicate over a network (32), preloading an application (26) in a background mode in which content presented by the application is hidden from a user of tire user device. At least part of the content presented by the application is pre-rendered in an off-line pre-render mode in which fetching of content over the network to the user device is not permitted. In response to an action by the user that requests to access the application, a switch is made to presenting at least the pre-rendered content to the user in a foreground mode.

Abstract: A user device includes an interface and one or more processors. The interface is configured to communicate over a network. The one or more processors are configured to evaluate a pre-load scheduling condition with respect to a user application installed in the user device, and to schedule pre-loading of the user application depending on the pre-load scheduling condition.

Abstract: A method includes, in a processor of a user device, deciding to preload a user application, which has one or more User Interface (UI) displays whose state is retained by the processor in a memory of the user device. At least part of the user application is preloaded, and a state of the preloaded user application is restored, in a background mode, to match the retained state of the one or more UI displays.

Abstract: A method includes, in a user device (24) that runs an Operating System (OS-48), deciding to preload at least a User-Interface (UI) display of a user application (26). At least the UI display is preloaded in a simulated-foreground mode in which the UI display is (i) processed in a foreground mode by the user application, but (ii) kept in a background mode by the OS and hidden from a user of the user device.

Abstract: A user device includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory is configured to store one or more user applications installed in the user device. The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS) of the user device, including maintaining a data structure that tracks activity of the user applications, and to pre-load a user application before the user application is accessed by a user, including preventing the data structure from tracking the pre-loaded user application.

Abstract: A method includes, in a user device (24) that is configured to communicate over a network (32), preloading an application (26) in a background mode in which content presented by the application is hidden from a user of tire user device. At least part of the content presented by the application is pre -rendered in an off-line pre-render mode in which fetching of content over the network to the user device is not permitted. In response to an action by the user that requests to access the application, a switch is made to presenting at least the pre -rendered content to the user in a foreground mode.

Abstract: A user device (24) includes an audio output device (58) and one or more processors (44). The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS—48), including running an OS component for coordinating outputting of audio generated by user applications (26) to the audio output device, to preload a user application, and, while the user application is in a preload state, to inhibit the audio generated by the preloaded user application using the OS component.

Abstract: A user device includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory is configured to store one or more user applications installed in the user device. The one or more processors are configured to select one or more operations, which are to be performed in normal launching of a user application but not in background pre-loading of the user application, to pre-load the user application before the user application is accessed by a user, including skipping the one or more selected operations, and to complete the one or more skipped operations in response to the user accessing the user application.

Abstract: A user device includes a display screen and one or more processors. The display screen is configured to display content to a user. The one or more processors are configured to pre-load a user application by running at least part of a program code of the user application in a background, including enabling the program code of the user application to pre-render a visual display of the user application in the background, and, in response to the user accessing the user application, to transfer the pre-rendered visual display to a foreground, thereby displaying the visual display to the user on the display screen.

Abstract: A user device (24) includes an audio output device (58) and one or more processors (44). The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS-48), including running an OS component for coordinating outputting of audio generated by user applications (26) to the audio output device, to preload a user application, and, while the user application is in a preload state, to inhibit the audio generated by the preloaded user application using the OS component.

Abstract: A method includes, in a processor of a user device, deciding to preload a user application, which has one or more User Interface (UI) displays whose state is retained by the processor in a memory of the user device. At least part of the user application is preloaded, and a state of the preloaded user application is restored, in a background mode, to match the retained state of the one or more UI displays.

Abstract: A user device includes an output device and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS), to query a component of the OS that possesses information indicative of a user application that the user is currently expected to access, and to preload the user application in a background mode that is unnoticeable on the output device.

Abstract: A user device includes a display screen and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS) that runs user applications, including sending flows to the user applications, each flow including a series of inputs that are sent over time to a given user application and determines a lifecycle of the given user application, to preload-launch a user application, including preloading the user application in a background mode that is invisible on the display screen, and, upon user access to the preloaded user application, transferring the user application to a foreground mode that is visible on the display screen, and, in response to identifying that preload-launching of the user application includes a flow that is predefined as an uncommon flow, to replace the flow with one or more alternative flows that are not defined as uncommon flows.

Abstract: A user device includes a display screen and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to preload one or more user applications in a background mode, in which User Interface (UI) displays associated with preloaded user applications are invisible on the display screen, to detect a launch of a UI display that is associated with a given preloaded user application, to assess whether the UI display is a preload-initiated UI display that is invoked due to preloading of the given user application, or whether the UI display is a user-initiated UI display that is invoked due to an action by the user, to handle the UI display using a first handling scheme if the UI display is assessed to be a preload-initiated UI display, and, if the UI display is assessed to be a user-initiated UI display, to handle the UI display using a second handling scheme, different from the first handling scheme.

Abstract: A method includes, in a user device configured to execute User Interface (UI) tasks that process one or more UI displays presented to a user, assigning to each UI task among the UI tasks (i) a priority selected from at least a Foreground (FG) priority and a Background (BG) priority, and (ii) an association with a UI display being processed by the UI task. The UI tasks are scheduled for execution in accordance with a schedule that (i) gives precedence to the UI tasks having the FG priority over the UI tasks having the BG priority, and (ii) for any UI display, retains in-order execution of the UI tasks associated with the UI display. The UI tasks are executed in accordance with the schedule.

Abstract: A method includes issuing, by an application running in a user device, a request to fetch over a network content that includes multiple content items. The request is received by a software agent running in the user device and, in response to the request, a chain of fetch operations is executed for fetching the requested content. Each of the fetch operations in the chain includes (i) receiving from the application an identification of one or more additional content items identified by the application within a content item fetched in a preceding fetch operation in the chain, (ii) evaluating a criterion, and (iii) deciding, depending on the criterion, whether or not to fetch the one or more additional content items.

Abstract: A user device includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory is configured to store one or more user applications installed in the user device. The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS) of the user device, including maintaining a data structure that tracks activity of the user applications, and to pre-load a user application before the user application is accessed by a user, including preventing the data structure from tracking the pre-loaded user application.