The fastest way to close an app on iPhone
To close an app on iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, then swipe up on the app card you want to close. The app disappears from the switcher and stops running in the background. On iPhone models with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), double-tap the home button instead to open the switcher, then swipe up on the app.
You do not need to close apps to save battery or improve performance — iOS manages background activity automatically. Closing an app is useful when it is frozen, misbehaving, or you want to force it to reload from scratch the next time you open it.
If an app is completely unresponsive and you cannot swipe it away, force-close it by pressing and holding the side button and volume button together until the power-off slider appears, then release and wait for the phone to restart. This is a last resort and will restart your entire phone, not just the app.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and then swipe up on an app card to close it without restarting your phone.
- Closing apps does not meaningfully extend battery life or speed up your phone — iOS handles background processes on its own.
- Close an app when it freezes, crashes repeatedly, or you need it to start fresh the next time you open it.
- If an app will not respond to swiping, force-close it by pressing the side button and volume button together until the power slider appears.
- Deleting an app from your home screen is different from closing it and will remove it entirely unless you reinstall it later.
When closing an app actually matters
Most of the time, closing apps does nothing for your phone's speed or battery. iOS automatically pauses apps running in the background and prevents them from draining resources. Closing an app manually does not free up meaningful amounts of RAM or extend your battery life by a measurable amount.
Close an app when it is stuck or behaving badly. If an app crashes when you open it, close it and reopen it to see if the problem goes away. If it keeps crashing, try closing it, waiting a few seconds, and opening it again — sometimes a temporary glitch clears itself. If an app is frozen and buttons do not respond, closing it is faster than restarting your phone.
You might also close an app if you want it to forget where you left off. Some apps save your place in a video, article, or game. Closing the app and reopening it will not reset that — the app will return to the same spot. To truly start fresh, you would need to delete the app and reinstall it, which is a separate step.
How to close multiple apps at once
If you want to close several apps quickly, open the app switcher by swiping up from the bottom, then swipe up on each app card one at a time. There is no button to close all apps at once, so you will need to swipe each one individually.
On older iPhones with a home button, double-tap the home button to open the switcher, then swipe up on each app the same way. The process is the same — just the way you open the switcher is different.
The difference between closing and deleting an app
Closing an app stops it from running but leaves it installed on your phone. The next time you tap the app icon, it opens normally. Deleting an app removes it from your phone entirely, and you would need to read it again from the App Store if you want it back.
To delete an app, press and hold its icon on your home screen, tap "Remove App," then tap "Remove from Home Screen" to keep it in your library, or "Delete App" to remove it completely. If you delete it completely, you can still read it again later for free if the app itself is free, or you may need to repurchase it if it cost money.
Do not delete an app just to close it. If an app is misbehaving, close it first and see if that fixes the problem. Only delete it if closing does not help and you do not plan to use it again.
Force-closing an app that will not respond
If an app is completely frozen and swiping it away does not work, you need to force-close it. On iPhone X and newer, press and hold the side button and either volume button at the same time. Keep holding until the power-off slider appears on the screen, then release both buttons. Wait a few seconds and your phone will restart.
On iPhone 8 and earlier, press and hold the top (or side) button until the power-off slider appears, then release. Again, wait a few seconds for the phone to restart.
Force-closing restarts your entire phone, not just the frozen app. It takes about 30 seconds. After the restart, open the app again to see if it works. If the same app keeps freezing, try closing it normally (swiping it away) before you open it again, or delete and reinstall it.
Why your phone might feel slow even after closing apps
If your iPhone feels sluggish, closing apps will not fix it. The real culprits are usually a full storage drive, too many background tasks, or an app that is misbehaving even when you are not using it. Check how much storage you have left by going to Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage. If you have less than 1 GB free, delete photos, videos, or apps you do not use.
If storage is fine, restart your phone by pressing and holding the side button and volume button until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off the phone. Wait 10 seconds, then press the side button again to turn it back on. A full restart clears temporary files and resets background processes more thoroughly than closing individual apps.
If your phone is still slow after a restart and you have plenty of storage, one app might be the problem. Open Settings, tap Battery, then Battery Health & Charging. If the battery health is below 80%, battery degradation could be slowing things down. If battery is fine, go to Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage and look for apps using a lot of space — those are the ones most likely to cause slowdowns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps save battery on iPhone?
No. iOS pauses apps automatically when you are not using them, so closing them manually does not extend battery life. If your battery drains quickly, the problem is usually a misbehaving app, high screen brightness, or a degraded battery — not apps left open in the switcher.
What happens if I don't close apps?
Nothing bad. Apps stay in the app switcher until iOS needs the memory for something else, then it closes them automatically. You can leave apps open in the switcher indefinitely without harming your phone.
Can I close all apps at once?
No, there is no button to close all apps simultaneously. You must swipe up on each app card individually in the app switcher. If you have many apps open, this takes a minute or two, but it is not necessary for performance.
Will force-closing an app delete my data?
No. Force-closing restarts your phone but does not delete any apps or files. Your data stays on the phone. The app will open normally the next time you tap it.
Why does an app keep crashing even after I close it?
Repeated crashes usually mean the app has a bug, needs an update, or is running out of storage space. Open the App Store, go to Updates, and install any pending updates for that app. If it still crashes, try deleting and reinstalling it. If the problem continues, the app itself may have a problem that the developer needs to fix.