Why and when to close iPhone apps
Closing an app on your iPhone stops it from running in the background and using your phone's memory and battery. Most of the time, iOS manages this automatically — when you switch to another app, the one you left pauses and uses almost no power. You only need to manually close an app if it is frozen, behaving strangely, or draining your battery noticeably.
The most common reason to close an app is when it stops responding to taps or gets stuck on a loading screen. Closing it and reopening it usually fixes the problem. You might also close an app if you notice your battery dropping fast while a particular app is open, or if an app keeps crashing.
Do not close apps just to "free up memory" — this is a common misunderstanding. Closing apps you are not using does not speed up your iPhone. In fact, closing and reopening apps uses more battery than letting iOS manage them in the background.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, then swipe up on the app card to close it.
- On iPhones with a home button, double-tap the home button instead to see all open apps, then swipe up to close one.
- Closing an app is only necessary if it is frozen, crashing, or using excessive battery — iOS handles background apps efficiently on its own.
- After closing an app, wait a few seconds before reopening it so the system can fully release its memory.
Closing apps on iPhones without a home button
Most current iPhones (iPhone X and newer) do not have a physical home button. To close an app on these models, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen. You will see a row of app cards showing all the apps currently running.
Find the app you want to close in this list. Swipe up on its card — the same direction you swiped to open the switcher. The card will disappear, and the app is now closed. You can close multiple apps this way by swiping up on each one.
If you swipe up too slowly, you might open the Control Center instead (the screen with brightness and volume controls). If this happens, swipe down to close it and try again, swiping more quickly from the very bottom edge of the screen.
Closing apps on iPhones with a home button
If your iPhone has a physical home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), the process is different. Double-tap the home button — tap it twice quickly, not a long press. You will see a row of app cards showing all open apps.
Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close. Once you see it, swipe up on its card to close it. The card will slide off the top of the screen. You can close as many apps as you need this way.
If nothing happens when you double-tap the home button, make sure you are tapping quickly enough. A slow double-tap might just open the app instead of the switcher.
Force-closing a frozen or unresponsive app
Sometimes an app becomes completely unresponsive and will not close normally. If swiping up on the app card does nothing, you need to force-close it. The steps depend on whether your iPhone has a home button.
On iPhones without a home button: swipe up from the bottom to open the app switcher, then press and hold the app card for a second or two. A menu will appear with a red "Remove" button at the top. Tap it to force-close the app.
On iPhones with a home button: double-tap the home button to open the switcher, then press and hold the app card until a red "Remove" button appears at the top. Tap it to force-close the app.
After force-closing an app, wait at least 10 seconds before opening it again. This gives your iPhone time to fully release the app's memory and reset its processes.
What happens after you close an app
When you close an app, it stops running when ready. Any unsaved work in that app is usually lost — for example, if you were typing a message and did not send it, that text will be gone when you reopen the app. Some apps save your work automatically, but not all.
Closing an app does not delete it from your phone or remove any of your data. The app is still installed and all your saved information (photos, messages, settings) remains intact. Closing just stops the app from running.
When you reopen a closed app, it starts fresh. If the app was in the middle of downloading something or syncing data, that process stops and restarts when you open it again.
When you should not close apps
Do not close apps that are actively working on something important. If an app is downloading a file, uploading a photo, or syncing data, closing it will interrupt that process. Wait for the task to finish first.
Do not close apps repeatedly thinking it will improve performance. Closing and reopening apps actually uses more battery than letting them sit in the background. iOS is designed to manage background apps efficiently without your help.
Do not close apps just because they are not your favorite or you have not used them in a while. Having apps installed does not slow down your iPhone. Only close an app if it is actually causing a problem.
Troubleshooting if an app will not close
If an app will not close even after you swipe up on it or try to force-close it, restart your iPhone. Press and hold the power button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears. Drag it to turn off your phone, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.
If the same app keeps freezing or will not close, try deleting and reinstalling it. Open the App Store, search for the app, and tap the cloud icon to reinstall it. This removes any corrupted files that might be causing the problem.
If restarting your iPhone or reinstalling the app does not help, the problem might be with the app itself rather than your phone. Check the App Store to see if an update is available — the developer may have fixed the issue in a newer version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps save battery?
Closing apps does not meaningfully save battery on modern iPhones. iOS pauses apps in the background automatically, so they use almost no power. Closing and reopening apps actually uses more battery than leaving them alone. Only close an app if it is frozen or draining battery visibly while you are actively using it.
Will closing an app delete my data?
No. Closing an app does not delete any saved data, photos, messages, or settings. It only stops the app from running. All your information stays on your phone. The only thing you might lose is unsaved work you were in the middle of — like a draft message you had not sent.
What is the difference between closing and force-closing an app?
Closing an app normally (swiping up on the card) is the standard way to stop an app. Force-closing is only necessary when an app is frozen and will not respond to normal closing. Force-closing is more abrupt and should only be used when the app is not working properly.
Can I close multiple apps at once?
You can close multiple apps one at a time by swiping up on each card in the app switcher, but there is no way to close all open apps at once. iOS does not provide a "close all" button. Closing them individually takes only a few seconds.
Why does my app keep closing on its own?
If an app closes without you closing it, the app is likely crashing. This usually means the app needs an update or has a bug. Open the App Store, search for the app, and check if an update is available. If updates do not help, try deleting and reinstalling the app.