Why and when to close apps on your iPhone 14
Closing apps on iPhone 14 stops them from running in the background and using your battery, memory, and data. You do not need to close apps constantly — iOS is designed to manage them automatically — but closing an app that is frozen, draining battery unusually fast, or behaving strangely often fixes the problem without restarting your phone.
The most common reason to close an app is when it stops responding to taps, loads infinitely, or crashes repeatedly. Closing it and reopening it usually restarts the app's connection to your phone's system. If an app is using data or battery even when you are not using it, closing it temporarily can show you whether that app is the culprit.
You should also close apps before troubleshooting other phone problems. If your phone is slow, your Wi-Fi keeps dropping, or your screen is unresponsive, closing all open apps and then testing again tells you whether an app is causing the issue or whether the problem is with your phone itself.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, then swipe up on any app card to close it.
- You can close multiple apps at once by swiping up on several cards in quick succession without waiting between swipes.
- Closing an app does not delete it — it only stops it from running, and you can reopen it anytime from your home screen.
- If an app is frozen or crashing, closing it and reopening it usually fixes the problem without restarting your phone.
How to close a single app using the app switcher
The app switcher is the fastest way to close one or more apps. Start by swiping up from the very bottom of your screen — the area below the home indicator (the thin line at the bottom). Swipe slowly and deliberately; if you swipe too quickly, you may open Control Center instead.
Your open apps will appear as cards stacked on top of each other. Each card shows a preview of what the app looked like when you last used it. Swipe up on the card of the app you want to close. The card will disappear, and the app is now closed. If you have only one app open, you will see only one card; if you have ten apps open, you will see ten cards.
After you close an app, you can swipe up on another card when ready to close a second app, or you can tap anywhere outside the app switcher to return to your home screen. Tapping outside the switcher does not close any apps — it just closes the switcher view.
Closing multiple apps at once
If you want to close several apps quickly, you do not need to wait between swipes. Open the app switcher by swiping up from the bottom, then swipe up on the first app card you want to close. While the card is still animating away, swipe up on the next card. You can repeat this for as many apps as you want to close in one session.
This is useful if your phone is running slowly or if you are troubleshooting a problem and want to start fresh. Closing all your open apps takes about ten seconds and does not harm your phone in any way.
What happens when you close an app
Closing an app stops it from running in the background when ready. The app is not deleted from your phone — it remains on your home screen and in your app library, and you can open it again anytime by tapping its icon. Closing an app does not erase any data the app has saved, such as messages, photos, or login information.
When you close an app and then reopen it, the app usually returns to the same place you left it. If you were reading an article in a news app, the article is still there. If you were halfway through typing a message, the text may still be in the compose box (though this depends on how the app is designed).
Closing a frozen or unresponsive app
If an app is frozen and will not respond to taps, you can still close it using the app switcher. Open the switcher by swiping up from the bottom as usual. The frozen app's card will appear, but tapping it will not do anything. Swipe up on the frozen app's card to close it, just as you would with any other app.
After you close the frozen app, wait a few seconds, then tap its icon on your home screen to reopen it. The app should start fresh and respond normally. If the app freezes again when ready, the problem is with the app itself, not your phone. In that case, check the App Store to see if an update is available for that app.
The difference between closing an app and force-quitting
Closing an app through the app switcher is the normal, safe way to stop an app from running. Force-quitting is a more aggressive action that you use only when an app is so frozen that you cannot even swipe it away in the app switcher. On iPhone 14, you force-quit an app by holding down the power button and one of the volume buttons together until the power-off slider appears, then releasing and waiting for your phone to restart.
Force-quitting restarts your entire phone, not just the frozen app. It takes longer and is harder on your battery than closing a single app. Use it only when closing the app through the app switcher does not work, or when your entire phone is frozen and unresponsive.
When you do not need to close apps
Modern iPhones, including iPhone 14, are designed to manage apps automatically. iOS pauses apps that you are not using and removes them from memory when your phone needs space for other tasks. You do not need to close apps every time you finish using them, and closing apps constantly does not make your phone faster or extend your battery life in any meaningful way.
The only time you should close apps regularly is if you notice a specific problem: an app is draining your battery, using too much data, or behaving strangely. In that case, close the problematic app and monitor whether the problem stops. If it does, you have found the culprit and can decide whether to update the app, reinstall it, or stop using it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps make my iPhone faster?
Closing apps does not make your iPhone faster in the long term. iOS manages apps automatically and pauses ones you are not using. Closing all your apps might make your phone feel slightly more responsive for a few seconds, but the effect does not last. If your phone is slow, the problem is usually something else, such as low storage space or a need to restart your phone.
Will closing an app delete my data or messages?
No. Closing an app does not delete anything. Your messages, photos, login information, and any other data the app has saved remain on your phone. When you reopen the app, your data is still there.
What if I cannot swipe up to close an app?
If swiping up from the bottom does not open the app switcher, make sure you are swiping from the very bottom edge of the screen, below the home indicator. Swipe slowly and deliberately. If the app switcher still does not appear, restart your phone by holding the power button and a volume button until the power-off slider appears, then slide to power off and turn your phone back on.
Can I close apps while using them?
Yes, but you will lose your place in the app. If you are in the middle of something — typing a message, editing a photo, or reading an article — closing the app may cause you to lose unsaved work. Most apps save your progress automatically, but not all do. It is safer to use the app's own exit or back button to leave the app normally.
Do I need to close apps before updating them?
No. You can update apps while they are running or closed. The App Store handles the update in the background. However, if an app is behaving strangely before an update, closing it and reopening it may fix the problem before you even need to update.