The App Switcher shows every app you have open right now
To see all open apps on your iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause for a moment — do not swipe all the way to the home screen. A row of app cards will appear, showing every app currently running in the background. Each card displays the app name and a preview of what was on screen when you last used it. This is called the App Switcher, and it is the fastest way to see what is active on your device.
On iPhones with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), double-tap the home button instead. The App Switcher will appear the same way, showing your open apps as cards you can swipe through.
The App Switcher does not show every app installed on your phone — only the ones currently loaded into memory. An app that appears here is using system resources, even if you are not actively looking at it. Closing apps from the App Switcher can help you understand what is running and free up memory if your phone is running slowly.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold to open the App Switcher, which shows every app currently running on your iPhone.
- Apps in the App Switcher are using your phone's memory and battery, even when you are not actively using them.
- You can close individual apps by swiping up on their card in the App Switcher, which stops them from running in the background.
- Some apps are designed to run in the background for specific functions like music, navigation, or location tracking, and closing them may interrupt those services.
Closing apps from the App Switcher
Once you have the App Switcher open, you can close any app by swiping up on its card. The app will stop running when ready. This is different from just switching away from an app — closing it removes it from memory entirely.
You do not need to close apps regularly to keep your iPhone running well. iOS is designed to manage background apps automatically, and closing apps does not significantly extend battery life in most cases. Close an app only if you notice it is draining battery unusually fast, or if your phone is running slowly and you want to free up memory.
Some apps are designed to run in the background for essential functions. If you close an app that handles music playback, navigation, or location services, those features will stop working until you open the app again. Check the app's settings before closing it if you are unsure whether it needs to run in the background.
What the App Switcher does and does not show
The App Switcher displays only apps that are currently in memory — apps that have been opened at least once in your current session. It does not show every app installed on your phone. If you open an app and then close it, it may still appear in the App Switcher for a while, but it is not actively running.
Background app refresh is separate from the App Switcher. An app can be closed in the App Switcher but still have permission to refresh data in the background at scheduled times. You control background app refresh in Settings under General, then Background App Refresh. Turning it off for specific apps prevents them from updating data when you are not using them, which can save battery life.
Finding apps that are using location or microphone access
The App Switcher shows you what is open, but it does not tell you which apps are accessing sensitive features like your location, microphone, or camera. To see which apps have permission to use these features, go to Settings and scroll down to find the app name, then tap it. You will see a list of permissions that app has requested.
For a quicker overview of which apps are actively using location right now, go to Settings, then Privacy, then Location Services. Apps with an arrow icon next to their name are currently using your location. A purple arrow means the app used location recently; a gray arrow means it has permission but is not using it right now.
Similarly, you can check microphone and camera access in Settings under Privacy. If an app has access to your microphone or camera but you do not think it needs it, you can revoke that permission. The app will ask for permission again the next time it tries to use that feature.
Understanding background activity and battery drain
Apps running in the App Switcher use battery power, but the amount varies widely. An app that is paused in the background uses almost no battery. An app that is actively downloading data, playing audio, or tracking your location uses significant power. If your battery is draining faster than usual, the App Switcher can help you identify which apps are open, but it will not tell you which one is actually consuming the power.
To see which apps are using the most battery, go to Settings, then Battery, then Battery Usage. This shows you a percentage breakdown of battery use by app over the last 24 hours or the last 10 days. An app that appears high on this list is either running in the background constantly or using intensive features like GPS or video playback.
If a specific app is draining battery unusually fast, you have several options: close it from the App Switcher, turn off background app refresh for that app, disable location access, or uninstall it entirely. Start by checking the app's settings to see if there is a power-saving mode or a way to reduce how often it updates.
Multitasking and split view on iPad
On iPad, the App Switcher works the same way — swipe up from the bottom and hold. However, iPad also supports split view, which lets you run two apps side by side on the same screen. To use split view, open an app, then swipe up from the bottom to open the App Switcher, and drag a second app card to the left or right edge of the screen. Both apps will run simultaneously.
Split view is useful if you want to reference information from one app while working in another — for example, reading an email while taking notes, or checking a calendar while writing a message. You can adjust the size of each app by dragging the divider between them. Close split view by dragging one app off the screen entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps from the App Switcher actually save battery?
Closing apps saves battery only if those apps were actively running in the background. Most paused apps use almost no power. If you want to extend battery life, focus on turning off background app refresh for apps that do not need it, disabling location services, and reducing screen brightness instead.
Can I see which apps are running without opening the App Switcher?
Not directly. The App Switcher is the only built-in way to see all open apps at once. You can check battery usage in Settings to see which apps have been active recently, but that shows historical data, not what is running right now.
What happens if I close an app that is playing music or navigation?
The music or navigation will stop when ready. If you close Spotify while a song is playing, the song stops. If you close Apple Maps during turn-by-turn navigation, the directions stop. Open the app again to resume.
Why do some apps stay in the App Switcher even after I close them?
iOS keeps recently used apps in the App Switcher for quick access, even if they are not actively running. They are not consuming significant resources. Swiping up on the card removes them from the switcher, but they will reappear the next time you use them.
Can I prevent certain apps from running in the background?
Yes. Go to Settings, find the app name, and look for a Background App Refresh toggle. Turn it off to prevent that app from updating data when you are not using it. You can also revoke location, microphone, and camera access in Settings under Privacy for each app.