Swipe up from the bottom to close an app, or use the app switcher
To close an app on your iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle of the screen. This opens the app switcher, which shows all your open apps as cards. Find the app you want to close, then swipe it up and off the top of the screen. The app closes when ready.
On older iPhones with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), double-press the home button instead to open the app switcher, then swipe the app card upward to close it.
You can close multiple apps at once by swiping up on several cards in quick succession. This is useful if you want to clear out apps you are no longer using, though it is not necessary for performance — iOS manages background apps automatically.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold to open the app switcher, where you can see all open apps as cards.
- Swipe any app card upward and off the top of the screen to close that app when ready.
- On iPhones with a home button, double-press the home button to open the app switcher instead of swiping.
- Closing apps does not significantly improve battery life or performance, since iOS suspends background apps automatically.
- You can close multiple apps at once by swiping up on several cards in sequence.
Why you might want to close an app
Closing an app is useful when an app is frozen or not responding. If an app stops reacting to taps or gets stuck on a loading screen, closing it and reopening it often fixes the problem. This forces the app to start fresh instead of continuing from a broken state.
You may also want to close an app if it is draining your battery visibly. Open Settings, tap Battery, then Battery Usage to see which apps are using the most power. If one app is using far more than others, close it and consider whether you need to keep using it.
Closing apps for general "cleanup" or to free up RAM is not necessary. iOS automatically suspends apps running in the background, so they use very little power or memory. Closing every app regularly will not make your iPhone faster or last longer on a charge.
The difference between closing and force-closing an app
Closing an app normally (swiping it away in the app switcher) lets the app shut down gracefully. The app saves its state and closes cleanly, which is the preferred method.
Force-closing is different. If an app is completely frozen and will not respond, you can force it to close by holding down the power button and volume button together until the power-off slider appears, then release and wait for the iPhone to restart. However, this restarts your entire phone, not just the app. A better option for a frozen app is to go to Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage, find the app, tap it, and choose Offload App — this closes the app without restarting your phone.
What happens when you close an app
When you swipe an app away, it closes when ready and stops running. Any unsaved work in that app is lost, so make sure to save documents or drafts before closing. Most apps save your place automatically, so reopening them will show you where you left off, but not all apps work this way.
Closing an app does not delete it from your iPhone. The app remains installed and you can reopen it anytime by tapping its icon on the home screen or in the App Library. Closing just stops it from running in the background.
How to close apps on older iPhones
If your iPhone has a home button (iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s, or earlier), the process is slightly different. Double-press the home button to open the app switcher. You will see your open apps displayed as cards, similar to newer iPhones. Swipe upward on any card to close that app.
On these older models, the app switcher shows apps in a horizontal row rather than a grid. You can swipe left and right to see more apps, then swipe up on the one you want to close.
Closing apps without using the app switcher
You can also close the current app you are using by pressing the home button (on older iPhones) or swiping down from the top-left corner of the screen (on newer iPhones without a home button). This takes you back to the home screen and closes the app you were viewing.
This method is faster if you only want to close one app and do not need to see what else is open. However, it does not let you close multiple apps at once or see which apps are running.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps save battery on my iPhone?
Not significantly. iOS automatically pauses apps running in the background, so they use very little battery. Closing apps regularly will not noticeably extend your battery life. If a specific app is draining power, close it and check your battery usage in Settings to confirm the improvement.
Will closing an app delete my data or messages?
No. Closing an app does not delete any data stored in that app. Your messages, photos, documents, and settings remain on your iPhone. When you reopen the app, your data is still there. The only thing you lose is unsaved work you were actively creating in that moment.
What if an app will not close when I swipe it away?
This is rare, but if swiping does not work, try swiping more forcefully or from a different part of the card. If the app still will not close, go to Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage, find the app, and tap Offload App. This closes and temporarily removes the app without deleting your data.
Can I close multiple apps at the same time?
Yes. Open the app switcher by swiping up from the bottom, then swipe up on multiple app cards in quick succession. You can close as many apps as you want this way, though there is no performance benefit to doing so regularly.
Is it bad to leave apps open in the background?
No. iOS is designed to manage background apps efficiently. Leaving apps open does not slow down your iPhone or drain battery significantly. You only need to close an app if it is frozen, misbehaving, or using excessive battery power.