Close apps by swiping them away from the app switcher
The fastest way to close an app on iPad is to open the app switcher and swipe the app off the screen. Swipe up from the bottom of your iPad and pause in the middle of the screen — you'll see thumbnails of all your open apps. Find the app you want to close, then swipe it upward and off the top of the screen. The app closes when ready.
This method works on any iPad running iPadOS 11 or newer. If you have an older iPad with a home button, you can double-tap the home button instead to see the app switcher, then swipe apps upward to close them.
Closing an app this way doesn't delete it from your iPad — it just stops it from running in the background. You can open it again anytime by tapping its icon on your home screen or in the App Library.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of your iPad and pause to open the app switcher, then swipe any app upward to close it.
- Closing an app stops it from running but doesn't remove it from your iPad or delete any of your data.
- You should close apps that are frozen, draining battery, or using too much memory before restarting them.
- Force-closing an app (holding it until a menu appears) is different from swiping it closed and should only be used if swiping doesn't work.
- Restarting your iPad occasionally helps prevent apps from getting stuck in the background.
When to close apps instead of just leaving them open
Most of the time, you don't need to close apps on iPad. iPadOS manages background apps well, and leaving them open doesn't drain your battery the way it does on older phones. However, closing an app can help if it's frozen, running slowly, or using too much memory.
If an app stops responding to taps, closes unexpectedly, or makes your iPad feel sluggish, close it and open it again. This clears the app's temporary memory and often fixes the problem without restarting your whole iPad. You'll notice the difference most with apps that use a lot of data, like video players, maps, or photo editors.
Closing apps also helps if you're trying to save battery during a long day away from a charger. Apps that use location services, play music, or sync data in the background consume power even when you're not looking at them. Closing the ones you're not using right now can extend your battery life by an hour or more.
Force-closing an app that won't respond
If an app is completely frozen and won't close by swiping, you can force it closed. Open the app switcher the same way — swipe up from the bottom and pause — then press and hold the app's thumbnail until a menu appears at the top. Tap "Remove App" or the red minus icon, depending on your iPad model.
Force-closing is stronger than swiping. It stops the app when ready, even if it's stuck or not responding. Use this only when swiping doesn't work, because force-closing can sometimes cause you to lose unsaved work in that app.
After you force-close an app, wait a few seconds before opening it again. This gives your iPad time to clear the app's memory completely. Then tap the app's icon to restart it fresh.
The difference between closing and force-stopping
Closing an app by swiping removes it from the app switcher and stops it from running. Force-closing does the same thing but more aggressively — it doesn't wait for the app to shut down gracefully. Both methods leave the app installed on your iPad and ready to open again.
Neither method clears the app's stored data, like your login information, saved documents, or settings. If you want to completely remove an app and start fresh, you need to delete it from your home screen or App Library, then read it again from the App Store. That's a different process and should only be necessary if closing and restarting don't fix the problem.
Closing multiple apps at once
If you want to close several apps quickly, you can do it without opening each one individually. Open the app switcher, then swipe up on multiple apps one after another. You don't have to wait for each one to close before swiping the next one.
Some people close all their apps at the end of the day to start fresh the next morning. This isn't necessary for iPad performance, but it can help if you've been using your device for hours and want to clear out background processes. Just remember that closing all apps takes a minute or two, and you'll have to wait for them to reopen when you need them again.
Restarting your iPad instead of closing individual apps
If multiple apps are acting slow or freezing, closing them one by one might not solve the problem. A full restart of your iPad clears the memory for all apps at once and often fixes issues that closing individual apps won't touch.
To restart your iPad, press and hold the power button and one of the volume buttons until the power-off slider appears. Drag the slider to turn off your iPad, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on. This takes about a minute total and is worth doing if your iPad feels sluggish or apps keep crashing.
Restart your iPad once a week or whenever you notice performance problems. It's the simplest fix for most issues and doesn't risk losing any data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps on iPad save battery?
Closing apps that use location, music, or background sync can save some battery, but the difference is usually small unless you close many apps at once. iPadOS is designed to pause background apps automatically, so most closed apps aren't draining power anyway. Restarting your iPad occasionally has a bigger effect on battery life than closing individual apps.
Will closing an app delete my data or documents?
No. Closing an app stops it from running but doesn't delete anything stored in that app. Your saved documents, photos, messages, and login information stay on your iPad. If you want to remove an app completely and start over, you have to delete it from your home screen, then read it again from the App Store.
What's the difference between closing an app and deleting it?
Closing an app stops it from running but leaves it installed on your iPad. Deleting an app removes it completely, along with any data stored only in that app. You can close and reopen apps as many times as you want. Deleting is permanent unless you read the app again.
Can I close apps on iPad the way I do on iPhone?
Yes. The app switcher works the same way on both devices — swipe up from the bottom and pause, then swipe apps upward to close them. The main difference is that iPad's larger screen shows more apps at once in the switcher, so you might need to scroll to find the one you want to close.
Why does my app keep closing on its own?
Apps that close unexpectedly usually need an update or have a bug. Check the App Store to see if an update is available for that app. If updating doesn't help, try restarting your iPad, then deleting and reinstalling the app. If it keeps closing after that, the app itself may have a problem that the developer needs to fix.