Close an app by swiping it away from the App Switcher
The fastest way to close an app on iPhone is to swipe it away in the App Switcher. Open the App Switcher by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and pausing (on iPhones with a home button, double-tap the home button instead). You will see thumbnails of all your open apps stacked on top of each other.
Find the app you want to close and swipe it upward off the screen. The app will disappear from the list and close completely. You can close multiple apps this way by swiping each one away in turn. This method works the same on all recent iPhone models.
Closing an app this way does not delete it — the app remains installed on your phone and you can open it again anytime. You are only stopping it from running in the background.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of your screen and pause to open the App Switcher, then swipe any app upward to close it.
- Closing an app stops it from running in the background but does not delete the app from your phone.
- Most apps do not need to be manually closed — iOS manages background activity automatically and closes apps when your phone needs memory.
- Force-closing an app (holding down until red icons appear, then tapping the minus sign) should only be used if an app is frozen or crashing.
- Restarting your iPhone closes all open apps at once and often fixes problems better than closing individual apps.
When you actually need to close an app
You do not need to close apps regularly to keep your iPhone running well. iOS automatically manages which apps run in the background and closes them when your phone needs the memory. Closing apps manually does not make your battery last longer or speed up your phone in any meaningful way.
Close an app only when it is frozen, crashing, or behaving strangely. If an app stops responding to taps, swipe it away and open it again. If an app keeps crashing when you open it, close it, restart your phone, and try again. These are the situations where closing actually solves a problem.
Force-close an app that will not respond
If an app is completely frozen and will not respond to taps, you can force-close it. Open the App Switcher by swiping up from the bottom and pausing. Find the frozen app and hold your finger on it until red minus icons appear at the top of the app thumbnails. Tap the red minus icon above the app you want to close.
Force-closing is stronger than a regular swipe-away close. Use it only when an app is truly stuck. After force-closing, wait a few seconds before opening the app again — this gives your phone time to clear out whatever caused the problem.
Restart your iPhone to close everything at once
If multiple apps are misbehaving or your phone feels sluggish, restarting is often more effective than closing individual apps. Restarting closes every open app, clears temporary memory, and gives iOS a fresh start. This fixes many problems that closing single apps will not.
To restart, press and hold the volume up button and the side button together until the power-off slider appears. Drag the slider to turn off your phone, wait 10 seconds, then press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears. Your phone will restart with all apps closed.
Understand what happens when you close an app
When you swipe an app away, it stops running when ready. Any unsaved work in that app is lost — if you were typing a message or editing a photo, that work disappears unless you saved it first. Some apps save your place automatically, but not all do.
The app does not use battery or memory while it is closed. However, if you close an app and when ready open it again, it takes longer to load because it has to start from scratch instead of resuming where it left off. This is why closing apps does not actually speed up your phone in the long run — you are just making apps slower to open.
Apps that should stay open in the background
Some apps need to run in the background to work properly. Navigation apps like Apple Maps or Google Maps should stay open while you are driving so they can track your location and give you directions. Music apps need to run in the background so your music keeps playing when you switch to another app.
Fitness apps track your steps and movement in the background. Messaging apps may need to stay open to receive notifications. If you close these apps, they cannot do their job. Let them run in the background — iOS will close them automatically if your phone needs memory for something else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps make my iPhone battery last longer?
No. Closing apps does not meaningfully extend battery life. iOS manages background activity automatically, and apps that are not actively running use very little power. If your battery drains quickly, the problem is usually a setting like screen brightness, location services, or a specific app using too much power — not the number of open apps.
What is the difference between closing an app and deleting it?
Closing an app stops it from running but leaves it installed on your phone. You can open it again anytime. Deleting an app removes it completely from your phone. To delete an app, press and hold its icon on your home screen, tap "Remove App", then tap "Delete App". You can reinstall it later from the App Store.
Why does an app keep crashing even after I close it?
If an app crashes repeatedly, closing and reopening it may not fix the problem. Try restarting your iPhone, updating the app through the App Store, or checking if you have enough free storage space. If the app still crashes, uninstall it and reinstall it fresh from the App Store.
Can I close all apps at once without restarting?
No, there is no button to close all apps at once. You can only close them one by one in the App Switcher, or restart your phone to close everything. Restarting is faster if you want to close many apps.
Is it bad to leave apps open in the background?
No. Leaving apps open does not harm your iPhone. iOS automatically closes apps when it needs memory, and apps in the background use minimal power if they are not actively doing something. You can safely leave apps open without worrying about damaging your phone.