Close an app by shutting down the program completely
Closing an app means stopping it from running in the background. On most devices, apps keep running even after you stop looking at them — they use battery, memory, and data. Closing an app stops all of that until you open it again. The steps differ depending on whether you use a phone, tablet, or computer, and whether it runs iOS, Android, Windows, or Mac.
You do not need to close apps constantly. Modern devices manage background apps reasonably well on their own. But closing an app is useful when it is frozen, draining your battery unusually fast, or using data when it should not be.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen or use the app switcher to close apps one at a time.
- On Android, open Settings, go to Apps, select the app you want to close, and tap Force Stop.
- On Windows, close the app window or use Task Manager to stop apps that will not close normally.
- On Mac, quit apps using Command+Q or by right-clicking the app icon in the Dock and selecting Quit.
- Closing all apps at once is usually not necessary and can slow down your device when you reopen them.
Close apps on iPhone
On iPhone, the easiest way is to use the app switcher. Swipe up from the very bottom of your screen and hold for a moment. You will see all your open apps displayed as cards. Swipe up on any card to close that app. You can close multiple apps this way by swiping up on each one.
If you have an older iPhone with a home button, double-tap the home button instead. The app switcher will appear the same way, and you swipe up on each app card to close it.
If an app is frozen and will not respond, closing it this way and reopening it usually fixes the problem. You can also go to Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage to see which apps are using the most space, though this does not close them — it just shows you information.
Close apps on Android
On Android, open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap Apps (the name varies slightly by phone brand — it might say Application Manager or Manage Apps). Find the app you want to close in the list and tap it. You will see a button that says Force Stop. Tap that button.
You can also close apps using the recent apps menu. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or tap the recent apps button, which looks like three horizontal lines or a square, depending on your phone). You will see your recent apps. Swipe up on any app to close it, or tap the X button if one appears.
Force Stop is stronger than a normal close — it stops the app completely and clears it from memory. Use this if an app is frozen or misbehaving. A normal close through the recent apps menu is gentler and is fine for everyday use.
Close apps on Windows
On Windows, the simplest way is to close the app window. Click the X button in the top right corner of the app window. The app will close immediately.
If an app will not close or is frozen, use Task Manager. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard. Task Manager will open and show all running programs. Find the app you want to close, click it to select it, and click the End Task button at the bottom right. The app will stop running.
If you want to see which apps are running in the background even when you are not looking at them, Task Manager shows that too. Some apps start automatically when you turn on your computer. You can disable this by right-clicking an app in Task Manager and selecting Disable, which prevents it from starting next time you restart.
Close apps on Mac
On Mac, the standard way to close an app is to press Command+Q while the app is open. This quits the app completely. You can also click the app name in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then select Quit [App Name].
Another way is to right-click (or Control+click) the app icon in the Dock at the bottom of your screen and select Quit from the menu that appears. If you just want to hide the app without closing it, select Hide instead.
If an app is frozen and will not quit, press Command+Option+Esc to open the Force Quit window. Select the frozen app and click Force Quit. This stops the app immediately, similar to Force Stop on Android.
When to close apps and when not to
You do not need to close apps after every use. Phones and computers are designed to manage apps running in the background. Closing all your apps constantly can actually slow things down because your device has to reload them from scratch each time you open them.
Close an app when it is frozen or not responding, when it is draining your battery unusually fast, or when it is using data when it should not be. You can check battery and data use in Settings on your phone (Battery in iPhone Settings, or Battery in Android Settings). If one app is using far more than others, close it and see if the problem improves.
If you want to prevent an app from running in the background at all, you can disable background activity in Settings rather than closing it each time. On iPhone, go to Settings, select the app, and turn off Background App Refresh. On Android, go to Settings, Apps, select the app, and turn off permissions for location, camera, or microphone depending on what you want to block.
What happens when you close an app
When you close an app, it stops running and is removed from your device's active memory. Any unsaved work in that app is usually lost — for example, if you close a note-taking app without saving, your notes will not be there when you reopen it. Most apps save automatically, but some do not, so be aware of this.
Closing an app does not delete it from your device. The app is still installed and takes up the same storage space. You can reopen it anytime by tapping or clicking its icon. The next time you open it, it will start fresh — any temporary files or cache the app created will be cleared.
If you want to completely remove an app from your device, you need to uninstall it, which is a different process. Closing just stops it from running right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to close apps to save battery?
Not significantly. Modern phones manage background apps well enough that closing them does not make a huge difference in battery life. If one specific app is draining your battery unusually fast, closing it will help, but closing all apps constantly will not extend your battery much. Turning off location services, reducing screen brightness, and disabling background refresh for apps you do not need have a bigger impact.
What is the difference between closing an app and force stopping it?
Closing an app is a normal shutdown — the app saves what it needs to save and stops running. Force stopping is a hard stop that bypasses the app's normal shutdown process. Use force stop only when an app is frozen or misbehaving. For everyday use, a normal close is fine.
Will closing an app delete my data?
No. Closing an app does not delete any data stored on your device. Photos, messages, documents, and other files remain intact. Unsaved work within the app itself may be lost, but your device's files are safe. Uninstalling an app is what removes it and its data from your device.
Can I close multiple apps at once?
On iPhone and Android, you can close apps one at a time using the app switcher, but there is no built-in way to close all apps simultaneously. On Windows and Mac, closing all apps at once is not necessary — you can simply shut down your computer. Closing apps individually as needed is the normal approach.
Why does my app keep closing on its own?
Apps close unexpectedly when they crash, usually because of a software bug, insufficient memory, or a conflict with another app. Try closing and reopening the app. If it keeps crashing, restart your device. If the problem continues, uninstall and reinstall the app, or contact the app maker for support.