The quickest way to close an app on Apple TV

To close an app on Apple TV, press and hold the Menu button on your remote while the app is open, then swipe up on the touchpad and release. The app will close when ready and return you to the home screen. This works on all Apple TV models running tvOS 12 and later.

If you have an older Apple TV (4th generation or earlier), press and hold the Menu button until the app preview shrinks, then press the Menu button again to close it. The method changed when Apple updated the remote design, so the experience depends on which remote came with your device.

You do not need to force-close apps on Apple TV the way you might on an iPhone. Apps pause when you leave them and use very little power. Closing an app is useful mainly when an app stops responding, when you want to clear its temporary data, or when you are troubleshooting a problem.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold Menu, then swipe up on the touchpad to close any app on Apple TV with the current remote design.
  • Older Apple TV remotes require you to hold Menu until the app shrinks, then press Menu again to close it.
  • Apps on Apple TV do not drain battery or storage by staying open, so closing them is optional unless the app is frozen or misbehaving.
  • If an app will not close using the Menu button method, restart your Apple TV by going to Settings > System > Restart.

Closing apps on the newer Siri Remote (2021 and later)

The Siri Remote that ships with Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) and later has a clickpad instead of a touchpad. To close an app, press and hold the Menu button at the top of the remote. The app will shrink into a preview card on the screen. While still holding Menu, swipe up on the clickpad, then release both.

If you are using the remote for the first time, the Menu button is the one at the very top with three horizontal lines. Do not confuse it with the power button on the side of the remote. Holding Menu is the key — a single press just takes you back one screen, but holding it triggers the close action.

Closing apps on the older Siri Remote (2015–2021)

If your Apple TV came with the aluminum Siri Remote (the one with a glass touchpad), the process is slightly different. Press and hold the Menu button until the app preview appears smaller on the screen. Then swipe up on the touchpad while still holding Menu, and release both at the same time.

The touchpad on this remote is sensitive to light touches. Make sure you are swiping upward on the pad itself, not clicking it. If the app does not close, try holding Menu a full second longer before swiping, as the timing matters more on this older model.

Closing apps on Apple TV 4th generation and earlier

Older Apple TV models use a different remote without a touchpad. To close an app, press and hold the Menu button until the app preview shrinks and shows a small X in the corner. Once you see the X appear, press the Menu button one more time to close the app completely.

This two-step process is slower than the newer method, but it works reliably on all older hardware. If you are not sure which Apple TV model you have, go to Settings > About to see the model name and year.

What to do when an app will not close

If an app is frozen and the Menu button method does not work, restart your Apple TV. Go to Settings > System > Restart and wait for the device to power down and turn back on. This usually takes about 30 seconds. A restart clears the app's memory and stops any process that might be stuck.

If a specific app keeps freezing, try deleting it and reinstalling it from the App Store. Sometimes the app's stored data becomes corrupted, and a fresh install fixes the problem. To delete an app, highlight it on the home screen, press and hold the select button (the center of the clickpad or touchpad), and choose Delete.

If restarting does not help and the entire Apple TV is unresponsive, unplug it from power for 10 seconds, then plug it back in. This is a hard reset and will force the device to shut down completely. Avoid doing this often, as it can occasionally cause data loss, but it works when a restart does not.

Why you might want to close apps on Apple TV

Unlike phones and tablets, Apple TV does not run out of memory or battery when apps stay open. Apps pause automatically when you switch away from them and use almost no power. You do not need to close apps to keep your Apple TV running smoothly.

Close an app if it is misbehaving, if you want to clear its cache (temporary stored data), or if you are troubleshooting a problem. Closing and reopening an app can fix issues like video not playing, audio cutting out, or the app crashing repeatedly. It is also useful if you want to log out of an app without deleting it entirely.

Switching between apps without closing them

You do not have to close an app to open a different one. Press the Menu button once to go back to the home screen, then select a new app. The previous app stays open in the background and will resume exactly where you left off when you return to it.

If you want to see all open apps at once, press and hold the TV/Home button on your remote. This shows a row of recently used apps at the top of the screen. You can swipe left or right to see more apps, and tap one to switch to it when ready. This is faster than going back to the home screen and searching for the app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does closing apps on Apple TV save power or storage?

No. Apps on Apple TV use minimal power when paused, and closing them does not free up storage space. Closing an app only clears its temporary data from memory, which is automatically cleared when you restart the device anyway. Close apps only to fix problems, not to improve performance.

What is the difference between closing an app and deleting it?

Closing an app stops it from running but keeps it installed on your Apple TV. You can open it again anytime. Deleting an app removes it completely from the device, and you have to read it again from the App Store if you want it back. Close an app to troubleshoot; delete it if you no longer want it.

Can I close multiple apps at once?

No. You can only close one app at a time using the Menu button method. If you want to close several apps, close them one by one, or restart your Apple TV to close all apps at once and clear their data from memory.

Why does my app close by itself when I switch to another app?

It does not actually close — it pauses in the background. When you open a different app, the first app stops running but stays in memory. If your Apple TV is low on storage or memory, it may unload the paused app to make room for the new one, which is why it sometimes feels like apps close automatically.

Do I need to close apps before restarting my Apple TV?

No. Restarting your Apple TV closes all apps automatically. You can restart the device with apps open, and the restart process will shut them down cleanly. You do not need to close anything first.