Systems and methods for providing content

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computing system, that a software application has been backgrounded;

determining, by the computing system, that prefetch criteria are satisfied, wherein the prefetch criteria comprise at least a minimum background time threshold specifying a minimum amount of time the software application must be backgrounded before a prefetch request can be initiated, wherein the minimum background time threshold is computed dynamically based on a computation of an average amount of time between active sessions on the software application and excludes outlier periods of inactivity, wherein the outlier periods of inactivity are determined based on a selected number of standard deviations; and

generating, by the computing system, a request to prefetch one or more content items for the software application based on a determination that the prefetch criteria are satisfied.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request to prefetch one or more content items for the software application comprises a request to prefetch a plurality of content items for a plurality of feeds associated with the software application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the prefetch criteria further comprise a connection type criterion.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the connection type criterion requires a connection to a network using an unmetered connection.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the connection type criterion requires a connection to a network using a Wi-Fi connection.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting the request to a content provider;

receiving one or more prefetched content items in response to the request;

storing the one or more prefetched content items; and

loading at least some of the one or more prefetched content items based on a determination that the software application has been foregrounded.

7. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a method comprising:

determining that a software application has been backgrounded;

determining that prefetch criteria are satisfied, wherein the prefetch criteria comprise at least a minimum background time threshold specifying a minimum amount of time the software application must be backgrounded before a prefetch request can be initiated, wherein the minimum background time threshold is computed dynamically based on a computation of an average amount of time between active sessions on the software application and excludes outlier periods of inactivity, wherein the outlier periods of inactivity are determined based on a selected number of standard deviations; and

generating a request to prefetch one or more content items for the software application based on a determination that the prefetch criteria are satisfied.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the request to prefetch one or more content items for the software application comprises a request to prefetch a plurality of content items for a plurality of feeds associated with the software application.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:

determining that a software application has been backgrounded;

determining that prefetch criteria are satisfied, wherein the prefetch criteria comprise at least a minimum background time threshold specifying a minimum amount of time the software application must be backgrounded before a prefetch request can be initiated, wherein the minimum background time threshold is computed dynamically based on a computation of an average amount of time between active sessions on the software application and excludes outlier periods of inactivity, wherein the outlier periods of inactivity are determined based on a selected number of standard deviations; and

generating a request to prefetch one or more content items for the software application based on a determination that the prefetch criteria are satisfied.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the request to prefetch one or more content items for the software application comprises a request to prefetch a plurality of content items for a plurality of feeds associated with the software application.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the prefetch criteria further comprise a connection type criterion.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the connection type criterion requires a connection to a network using an unmetered connection.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the connection type criterion requires a connection to a network using a Wi-Fi connection.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to further perform:

transmitting the request to a content provider;

receiving one or more prefetched content items in response to the request;

storing the one or more prefetched content items; and

loading at least some of the one or more prefetched content items based on a determination that the software application has been foregrounded.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the prefetch criteria further comprise a connection type criterion.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the connection type criterion requires a connection to a network using an unmetered connection.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the connection type criterion requires a connection to a network using a Wi-Fi connection.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to further perform:

transmitting the request to a content provider;

receiving one or more prefetched content items in response to the request;

storing the one or more prefetched content items; and

loading at least some of the one or more prefetched content items based on a determination that the software application has been foregrounded.