Why and how to close apps on your iPhone
Closing apps that are running in the background can help your iPhone run faster and use less battery. When you switch between apps without closing them, they stay open in memory and continue using your phone's resources. You close apps by swiping them away from the app switcher — a screen that shows all your open apps at once.
Most of the time, iOS manages background apps well enough on its own. But if your phone feels slow, your battery drains quickly, or an app is frozen or misbehaving, closing it and reopening it often fixes the problem. The process takes about 10 seconds once you know where to look.
Key Takeaways
- You access the app switcher by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (iPhone X and newer) or double-tapping the home button (iPhone 8 and older).
- Once in the app switcher, swipe up on any app card to close it; the app disappears from the list.
- Closing an app does not delete it — it simply stops it from running in the background.
- You can close multiple apps at once by swiping up on several cards in quick succession.
- If an app is frozen or crashing, closing and reopening it usually solves the problem without losing your data.
How to close apps on iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and newer
On newer iPhones without a home button, you open the app switcher by swiping up from the very bottom of the screen and pausing for a moment. Start your swipe at the bottom edge and drag upward about halfway up the screen, then stop. You should see a grid of app cards showing all your open apps.
Once you see the app cards, find the app you want to close. Press and hold on the app card until a small menu appears above it. Tap the red circle with a minus sign, or swipe up on the card itself. The app card will disappear, and the app is now closed. Repeat this for any other apps you want to close.
If swiping up does not open the app switcher, make sure you are swiping from the absolute bottom edge of the screen — not from the middle or top. The gesture needs to start at the home indicator line at the bottom.
How to close apps on iPhone 8 and older models
On iPhone 8, 7, 6, and earlier models, you have a physical home button at the bottom. To open the app switcher, press the home button twice quickly — do not hold it down, just tap it twice in rapid succession. The screen will show a stack of app cards.
Swipe left or right through the cards to find the app you want to close. Once you see it, swipe up on the card to close it. The card will slide off the top of the screen. You can close multiple apps by swiping up on each one.
If double-tapping the home button does not open the app switcher, try again with a quicker double-tap. Some people hold the button too long, which triggers Siri instead.
Closing multiple apps at once
If you want to close several apps quickly, you do not have to close them one at a time. In the app switcher, you can swipe up on multiple cards in quick succession. Swipe up on the first app, then immediately swipe up on the next one while the switcher is still open. Most people can close three to five apps this way before needing to pause.
There is no built-in option to close all open apps at once. If you want to close everything, you will need to swipe through and close them individually. On most iPhones, you have between 10 and 20 apps open at any given time, so this usually takes less than a minute.
What happens when you close an app
Closing an app stops it from running in the background and frees up memory for other tasks. The app is not deleted from your phone — it stays on your home screen or in your app library, and you can open it again anytime. Any data you saved in the app (messages, photos, notes) remains there.
If you were in the middle of something when you closed the app, you may lose unsaved work. For example, if you were typing an email and closed the Mail app without sending it, the draft may or may not be saved depending on how long you had been typing. Most apps auto-save after a few seconds, but not all do.
When to close apps versus when to leave them open
You do not need to close apps after every use. iOS is designed to manage background apps automatically, and closing apps constantly can actually make your phone work harder because it has to reload them from scratch each time you open them.
Close an app if it is frozen, crashing, or behaving strangely. Close it if your battery is draining unusually fast and you suspect a particular app is the culprit. Close it if your phone feels sluggish and you want to free up memory. Otherwise, let iOS manage them in the background.
If you notice one app consistently drains your battery or causes problems, you may want to check for updates in the App Store or consider uninstalling it. Closing it repeatedly is a temporary fix, not a solution.
Troubleshooting when an app will not close
Occasionally, an app card will not swipe away, or the app switcher will not open at all. If the app switcher will not open, restart your iPhone. Press and hold the power button and volume down button together (on newer models) or the power button alone (on older models) until the power-off slider appears. Drag it to turn off your phone, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.
If a specific app card will not swipe away, try swiping more forcefully or from a different angle on the card. Make sure you are swiping upward, not sideways. If it still will not close, restart your phone and try again. A restart clears temporary glitches that prevent apps from closing properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps save battery?
Closing apps saves some battery, but the effect is usually small unless an app is actively running in the background. If your battery drains quickly, closing apps is worth trying, but the real battery drain usually comes from screen brightness, location services, or a misbehaving app. Check your battery settings to see which apps use the most power.
Will closing an app delete my data?
No. Closing an app does not delete any data stored in that app. Your messages, photos, notes, and other saved information stay on your phone. The only thing you might lose is unsaved work — for example, text you typed but did not send.
Can I close the Phone or Messages app?
Yes, you can close any app, including Phone and Messages. However, you will still receive calls and text messages even when these apps are closed. iOS handles incoming calls and messages separately from the app itself, so closing the app does not prevent you from being reached.
What is the difference between closing an app and force-closing it?
Closing an app normally (by swiping it away) is the standard way to stop an app. Force-closing is a stronger action you use when an app is completely frozen and will not respond. To force-close an app, open the app switcher, press and hold the app card until options appear, then tap "Remove App" or swipe up harder. Force-closing is rarely needed, but it works when a normal close does not.
How many apps can I have open at once?
Your iPhone can handle dozens of apps open at the same time without crashing. iOS automatically closes apps in the background when it needs memory for other tasks, so you do not have to worry about hitting a limit. The app switcher shows all your open apps, and you can scroll through to see how many you have.