When it comes to iPhone usage, most people focus on downloading the right apps or customizing their settings—but knowing how to close apps properly is just as essential. Whether your iPhone is running slowly, freezing, or draining battery faster than expected, learning to close apps can help improve performance and reduce background activity. This detailed guide will walk you through the best methods to close apps on any iPhone model and explain when and why you should (or shouldn’t) do it.
📱 Understanding How Apps Work on iPhone
Before jumping into the “how,” it’s important to understand what happens when you close an app on an iPhone. Unlike traditional computers, iPhones don’t necessarily require you to close every app after use. iOS is designed to manage background apps efficiently. Most apps go into a suspended state—which means they aren’t using up resources unless they’re doing specific tasks like playing music or using GPS.
However, there are certain cases when closing apps becomes necessary:
- An app becomes unresponsive
- It’s consuming excessive battery
- You’re troubleshooting bugs
- You want to refresh an app session (especially for banking, email, etc.)
🔍 How to Close Apps on iPhones Without a Home Button (Face ID models)
If you have an iPhone X, XS, 11, 12, 13, 14, or newer, here’s how to close apps:
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Swipe Up From the Bottom: Start at the very bottom of the screen and swipe up, but pause in the middle of the screen. This action opens the App Switcher.
- View Open Apps: You’ll now see a carousel of all the apps currently open on your iPhone.
- Find the App to Close: Swipe left or right to locate the app you want to close.
- Swipe Up to Close: Once you’ve found the app, simply swipe it upward and off the screen to close it.
That’s it. The app is now fully closed and will not run in the background anymore.
🏠 How to Close Apps on iPhones With a Home Button (Touch ID models)
If you’re using an older iPhone model like the iPhone 8, 7, 6s, or SE (1st generation), follow these steps:
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Double-Press the Home Button: Quickly press the home button twice. This launches the App Switcher.
- Browse Through Apps: Just like newer models, you’ll now see a series of app windows.
- Close the App: Swipe up on any app card to close it.
This process ensures that the app is removed from memory.
🤔 Should You Close Apps Often?
A common myth among iPhone users is that closing apps frequently helps save battery. In reality, Apple recommends against closing apps too often, unless they’re misbehaving. That’s because reopening an app from scratch can actually consume more battery than resuming it from its suspended state.
✅ When You SHOULD Close Apps:
- The app is frozen or buggy
- You’re trying to save battery in low power mode
- An app keeps crashing or won’t refresh
- You’re using GPS-heavy or streaming apps no longer needed
❌ When You Should NOT Close Apps:
- Just to “clear” memory
- As a routine habit after every use
- Thinking it boosts performance (iOS already manages memory well)
⚡ Pro Tips for Managing Apps
To enhance your app management habits and improve your iPhone’s performance, keep the following pro tips in mind:
1. Use Low Power Mode
When your battery is low, instead of manually closing all apps, enable Low Power Mode. This limits background activity more effectively.
2. Check Battery Usage
Go to Settings > Battery to identify which apps are consuming the most power. You might find apps you need to close or uninstall.
3. Update Problematic Apps
Sometimes, apps crash because they’re outdated. Go to the App Store and update them regularly.
4. Restart the Phone
If multiple apps are crashing or freezing, a simple reboot can resolve several issues without needing to close each app manually.
🧠 Closing Apps vs. Force Quitting: What’s the Difference?
In the iPhone ecosystem, closing an app typically refers to swiping it away from the App Switcher. But force quitting goes a bit deeper. Although both actions involve removing the app from active memory, force quitting is often used in scenarios where:
- The app has frozen completely
- It’s stuck on a blank or loading screen
- It’s preventing your device from functioning properly
While they look the same, force quitting can sometimes lead to data loss in apps like note-taking, editing, or unsaved games, so use this feature cautiously.
🔄 How to Reopen a Recently Closed App
Did you accidentally close something important? Don’t worry—reopening it is easy:
- Go back to your Home Screen or use Search (Swipe Down).
- Tap the app icon again to launch it fresh.
If the app supports session saving or cloud syncing, it may reopen exactly where you left off.
🛠 Troubleshooting: App Still Not Working After Closing?
Sometimes, closing the app doesn’t fix the issue. Try the following:
- Reboot your iPhone
- Delete and reinstall the app
- Update your iOS software
- Clear Safari or app cache (in app settings, if available)
If the app still misbehaves, it could be an issue on the developer’s end—wait for an update.
🧽 How to Close All Apps at Once on iPhone (Can You?)
Many Android users are used to tapping a “Close All” button. But iPhones do not provide an official way to close all apps simultaneously. Still, you can swipe multiple apps at once in the App Switcher using multiple fingers. Here’s how:
- Use two or three fingers to swipe up multiple apps at the same time.
- It’s not a “one-tap” solution but helps save a few seconds.
🧩 Bonus: How to View Recently Used Apps
If you want to check what apps were recently used, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Screen Time > See All Activity
- Scroll down to view app usage
This will give you a breakdown of how long you’ve used each app and whether background activity is occurring.
🧼 Keep Your iPhone Clean: Periodically Review Open Apps
If you’re someone who keeps dozens of apps running in the background, consider periodically reviewing them—especially after a heavy app session (like gaming, navigation, or video editing).
Closing unused apps can reduce clutter and make it easier to switch between essential apps faster.
🧭 Final Thoughts
Knowing how and when to close apps on your iPhone is a small but impactful skill that can help you manage performance, save battery, and troubleshoot glitches. Apple designed iOS to be efficient, but your personal usage habits still matter. While you don’t need to obsessively close every app, using this feature wisely will improve your overall iPhone experience.
So the next time your app freezes, your battery drains faster than expected, or your phone feels sluggish—remember this guide. A few swipes may be all you need to get back on track.
Would you like a thumbnail or social caption for this article?