Close apps by swiping them away from the app switcher
To close an app on iPhone, open the app switcher — the screen showing all your open apps — then swipe each one upward off the screen. On iPhones with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), double-tap the home button to open the app switcher. On iPhones without a home button (iPhone X and newer), swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle of the screen.
Once the app switcher is open, you will see cards representing each open app. Swipe upward on any card to close that app. The app disappears from the switcher and stops running in the background. Repeat this for each app you want to close. If you have many apps open, you may need to swipe multiple times to see all of them.
Closing apps this way does not delete them from your phone or erase any data they have saved. It only stops them from running in the background. You can reopen any closed app by tapping its icon on your home screen or in the App Library.
Key Takeaways
- Open the app switcher by double-tapping the home button (iPhone 8 and earlier) or swiping up from the bottom and pausing (iPhone X and newer).
- Swipe upward on each app card to close it; the app stops running but remains installed on your phone.
- Closing apps does not delete them or erase their saved data — you can reopen them anytime from your home screen.
- You do not need to close apps regularly to keep your iPhone running well; iOS manages background activity automatically.
- Closing an app before a major update can prevent conflicts, but restarting your phone is usually more effective.
Why you might want to close an app
You may want to close an app if it is using too much battery, running slowly, or behaving strangely. Closing it forces the app to stop what it is doing and clears it from memory. If the app starts misbehaving again when you reopen it, try restarting your phone instead — this clears the entire system and often fixes problems that closing a single app does not.
Before installing a major update to an app, closing it first can prevent the update from conflicting with a version still running in the background. However, most updates work fine even if the app is open. If you are having trouble with an update, restart your phone and then try updating again.
The difference between closing and force-quitting an app
Closing an app by swiping it away is a normal close. Force-quitting is different — it is what you do when an app is frozen or completely unresponsive. To force-quit an app, open the app switcher the same way, then press and hold the app card until a menu appears. Tap "Remove App" or the red minus icon, depending on your iPhone model.
Use force-quit only when an app is stuck or not responding to taps. A normal close is gentler and is what you should do most of the time. Force-quitting can sometimes interrupt what the app was doing, so save your work before you force-quit.
Closing all apps at once is not necessary
Your iPhone is designed to manage multiple open apps without slowing down. iOS automatically pauses apps running in the background and limits how much memory and battery they use. Closing all your apps regularly does not make your phone faster or extend battery life in any meaningful way.
The only time closing all apps makes sense is if you are troubleshooting a specific problem — like your phone running hot, battery draining very fast, or an app behaving oddly. In those cases, close the apps you suspect are causing the problem, or restart your phone entirely, which is usually more effective.
What happens when you close an app
When you swipe an app away, it stops running in the background when ready. Any unsaved work in that app is lost — for example, if you close a note-taking app without saving, the text you typed disappears. Most apps save your work automatically, but some do not, so check before closing if you have been typing or editing.
The app's icon remains on your home screen and in the App Library. All the app's settings, saved files, and login information stay on your phone. When you tap the app icon again, it opens fresh, and you can pick up where you left off if the app saved your progress.
Restarting your phone instead of closing individual apps
If you are having problems with multiple apps or your phone is running slowly, restarting is usually more effective than closing individual apps. To restart, press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears. Drag the slider to turn off your phone, wait a few seconds, then press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears.
A restart clears the entire system, not just one app. It closes all open apps, clears temporary files, and resets how iOS manages memory and battery. If your phone has been running for days without a restart, a restart often solves slowness, battery drain, and app crashes better than closing apps one at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps save battery on iPhone?
Not significantly. iOS pauses apps running in the background and limits their battery use automatically. Closing apps manually does not extend battery life in any measurable way. If your battery is draining fast, the problem is usually a specific app using too much power — check Settings > Battery to see which apps are consuming the most, then close or uninstall that one app.
Will closing an app delete my data or messages?
No. Closing an app does not delete anything. Your messages, photos, notes, and all saved data remain on your phone. The only thing you lose is any work you were doing in that app that was not saved — for example, text you typed but did not send.
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. Deleting an app removes it entirely — you have to reinstall it from the App Store to use it again. To delete an app, press and hold its icon on your 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 by swiping each card upward in the app switcher. There is no button to close all open apps at once. If you want to close many apps quickly, swipe up on each one in succession — it takes only a few seconds.
Should I close apps before updating them?
It is not necessary, but it can help prevent conflicts. If you are having trouble updating an app, close it first, then try the update again. If the update still fails, restart your phone and try once more.