Why closing apps matters for performance

Closing apps you are not using frees up memory and processing power, which keeps your device running faster. When apps stay open in the background, they consume resources even when you are not looking at them — some check for updates, refresh content, or track your location. Closing them stops that drain.

On phones especially, open apps can also drain your battery faster. On computers, too many open programs can slow down everything else you are trying to do. The method for closing an app depends on what device you use and what operating system it runs.

Key Takeaways

  • On iPhones, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, then swipe up on each app card to close it.
  • On Android phones, swipe up from the bottom or use the recent apps button, then swipe up or tap the X on each app you want to close.
  • On Windows computers, click the X button in the top right corner of any window, or use Alt+F4 as a keyboard shortcut.
  • On Mac computers, click the red close button in the top left corner of the window, or press Command+W to close the active app.
  • Closing an app is different from uninstalling it — closing just stops it from running, while uninstalling removes it from your device entirely.

Closing apps on iPhones

To close an app on an iPhone, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen. This opens the app switcher, which shows all your open apps as cards stacked on top of each other. Swipe up on any app card to close it — the card will disappear from the switcher.

You can close multiple apps at once by swiping up on each one in turn. When you are done, press the home button or swipe down from the top to exit the app switcher. Closing apps this way does not delete them from your phone — they remain installed and you can open them again whenever you want.

Closing apps on Android phones

The method varies slightly depending on your Android phone model and which version of Android it runs. Most phones let you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see your recent apps. Swipe up on any app to close it, or look for an X button in the corner of the app card and tap that instead.

Some older Android phones have a dedicated recent apps button — usually a square icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap that button to see open apps, then swipe up on the ones you want to close. If you cannot find the recent apps button, try swiping up from the bottom instead, which works on most newer Android phones.

Closing apps on Windows computers

The simplest way to close an app on Windows is to click the X button in the top right corner of the window. This closes the app when ready. If you have multiple windows open from the same program, closing one window does not close the others — you need to close each window separately.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut Alt+F4 to close the active window or app. This works in almost every Windows program. If an app is frozen and will not close, you can force it to close by opening Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc), finding the app in the list, clicking it, and then clicking the End Task button.

Closing apps on Mac computers

To close an app on a Mac, click the red close button in the top left corner of the window. You can also press Command+W to close the active window or app. If you have multiple windows open in the same app, closing one window does not close the app — you need to close all its windows or use Command+Q to quit the app entirely.

Command+Q closes the app and all its windows at once. If an app is not responding, you can force it to close by pressing Command+Option+Esc to open the Force Quit window, selecting the app, and clicking Force Quit. This is the Mac equivalent of Windows Task Manager.

The difference between closing and uninstalling

Closing an app stops it from running but leaves it installed on your device. You can open it again at any time. Uninstalling an app removes it completely from your device — you would need to read and install it again if you wanted to use it later.

For most people, closing apps is the right choice when you are done using them for now. Uninstalling is only necessary if you want to remove an app permanently to free up storage space or because you no longer need it.

When closing apps does and does not help

Closing apps helps most on phones, where memory is limited and battery life matters. On computers with plenty of RAM, closing apps has less noticeable effect on speed unless you have dozens of programs open at once. Modern operating systems are designed to manage memory fairly well on their own.

Closing apps does not help if the real problem is a slow internet connection or a problem with a specific website or service. If your phone or computer feels slow overall, restarting the device usually helps more than closing individual apps. If a particular app keeps crashing or freezing, closing and reopening it can sometimes fix the problem temporarily, but uninstalling and reinstalling the app is more likely to solve it permanently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does closing an app delete my data or unsaved work?

Closing an app does not delete the app itself, but it may lose any unsaved work you had open in that app. Most apps save your data automatically, but some do not. If you have unsaved documents or changes, save them before closing the app.

Will closing apps make my phone or computer faster?

Closing apps frees up memory and battery on phones, which can make your device feel faster and last longer. On computers, the effect is usually smaller unless you have many apps open. Restarting your device often helps more than closing individual apps.

Can I close an app without losing my place in it?

Most apps remember where you were when you closed them. When you open the app again, it usually returns to the same screen or page. However, this depends on how the app is designed — some apps reset to the home screen when you close and reopen them.

What if an app will not close?

If an app is frozen and the normal close method does not work, use Task Manager on Windows (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) or Force Quit on Mac (Command+Option+Esc) to force it closed. On phones, try restarting the device if an app consistently will not close.