Swipe up from the bottom to close an app on iPad

The fastest way to close an app on iPad is to swipe up from the very bottom of the screen. Put your finger at the bottom edge and drag upward about halfway across the screen, then lift. The app will slide off the top and close. This works on any iPad running iPadOS 12 or newer.

If you are using an older iPad with a home button, press the home button twice to see all your open apps, then swipe up on the app you want to close. The app will disappear from the list and shut down.

Closing an app this way does not delete it — it just stops it from running in the background. The app stays on your home screen and you can open it again whenever you want.

Key Takeaways

  • Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to close any app on newer iPads, or press the home button twice on older models.
  • Closing an app stops it from using battery and memory, which can speed up your iPad if it is running slowly.
  • Force-closing an app (holding the swipe longer) should only be used if an app is frozen and will not respond to a normal close.
  • You do not need to close apps regularly — iPadOS manages background activity automatically, and closing apps does not improve battery life as much as lowering screen brightness does.

Force-close a frozen app by holding the swipe

If an app is frozen and will not respond to a normal swipe-up close, you can force it to shut down. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen as usual, but hold your finger in place for about two seconds instead of lifting right away. The app will close when ready, even if it is stuck.

Force-closing is stronger than a normal close — it stops the app without letting it save what it was doing. Use this only when an app is actually frozen or crashing. For apps that are just running slowly, a normal swipe-up close is enough.

Use Settings to close apps running in the background

You can also see which apps are using battery and memory by going to Settings, then Battery, then Battery Usage. This shows you every app that has run in the last 24 hours and how much power each one used. Tap on any app name to see more details.

If you see an app using a lot of battery even though you are not using it, you can close it by swiping up from the app switcher (swipe up from the bottom and hold). You can also turn off background app refresh for specific apps in Settings > General > Background App Refresh, which stops them from running when you are not looking at them.

Restart your iPad if multiple apps are slow or crashing

If closing individual apps does not help and your iPad is still slow, restart the whole device. Hold the top button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off your iPad. Wait 30 seconds, then hold the top button again until you see the Apple logo.

A full restart clears out temporary files and resets all the apps at once. This fixes most slowness problems that closing individual apps cannot solve. After your iPad restarts, it will feel noticeably faster for the first few minutes.

Close apps to free up memory when your iPad is running out of space

Closing apps does not free up storage space on your iPad — it only frees up RAM, which is the temporary memory your iPad uses while apps are running. If your iPad is actually running out of storage (the kind you see in Settings > General > iPad Storage), closing apps will not help.

To actually free up storage space, you need to delete apps you no longer use, clear your browser cache, or delete photos and videos. Closing an app just stops it from using RAM right now, so your iPad can run other things faster.

Know when you should and should not close apps

You do not need to close apps regularly just to keep your iPad healthy. iPadOS automatically pauses apps you are not using and stops them from draining battery. Closing apps manually does not extend battery life as much as lowering your screen brightness or turning off location services does.

Close an app if it is frozen, crashing, or using a lot of battery in the background. Close an app if you want to start fresh with it — sometimes closing and reopening fixes glitches. But if your iPad is running fine, you can leave apps open without hurting performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does closing apps make my iPad battery last longer?

Not much. iPadOS pauses apps automatically when you are not using them, so they barely drain battery. Lowering screen brightness, turning off location services, and disabling background app refresh save far more battery than manually closing apps.

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

Closing an app stops it from running but leaves it on your home screen. Deleting an app removes it from your iPad entirely. To delete an app, press and hold its icon on the home screen, tap Remove App, then tap Delete App.

Can I close multiple apps at once?

No, you have to close them one at a time. Swipe up from the bottom to open the app switcher, then swipe up on each app individually. There is no button to close all apps at once.

Why does my app keep crashing even after I close it?

If an app crashes every time you open it, try restarting your iPad instead of just closing the app. If it still crashes after a restart, the app may need an update. Go to the App Store, tap your profile picture, scroll down, and tap Update next to the app name.

Is it bad to leave apps open all the time?

No. iPadOS is designed to handle many open apps without slowing down. Leaving apps open does not hurt your iPad. Close them only if they are frozen, crashing, or using too much battery in the background.