The quickest way to close an app on iPad
To close an app on iPad, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause for a moment in the middle of the screen. This brings up the app switcher — a view showing all your open apps as cards. Find the app you want to close, swipe up on its card, and it will disappear from the list.
This method works on all modern iPads running iPadOS 13 or later. The pause is important: if you swipe too quickly, you'll just go to the home screen instead of opening the app switcher. A half-second pause after you start swiping usually does it.
If you have an older iPad with a home button, you can also double-click the home button to open the app switcher, then swipe up on the app card you want to close. Both methods accomplish the same thing.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause to open the app switcher, then swipe up on the app card to close it.
- You do not need to close apps regularly — iPads manage memory automatically and closing apps does not save battery.
- Force-closing an app (holding the app card for a moment before swiping up) is only necessary if the app is frozen or not responding.
- Apps you close will not delete any of your data or settings — they will open exactly as you left them next time.
Why you probably do not need to close apps
Many people close apps thinking it will speed up their iPad or save battery, but iPadOS handles this automatically. When you switch to a different app, the one you were using goes into the background and uses almost no power or memory. Your iPad only keeps a limited number of apps active at once, and it closes older ones on its own when it needs the space.
Closing apps manually does not meaningfully extend battery life. If your iPad is draining quickly, the problem is usually a setting that is on (like location services or background app refresh for specific apps), not the number of apps you have open. You can turn off background app refresh for individual apps in Settings > General > Background App Refresh if a particular app is using too much power.
Force-closing an app that is frozen or crashing
If an app stops responding, becomes very slow, or crashes repeatedly, force-closing it can help. This is different from a normal close: hold your finger on the app card in the app switcher for about a second until a menu appears, then tap "Remove App" or simply swipe up on the card with more force than usual.
Force-closing an app does not delete it or any of your data. It simply stops the app completely and clears it from memory. When you open it again, it will start fresh, which often fixes temporary glitches. If the same app keeps crashing, try restarting your iPad entirely — hold the power button and volume button together until you see the power-off slider, then slide to turn it off and turn it back on.
Closing apps in split-screen or slide-over view
If you have two apps open side by side (split-screen) or one app floating over another (slide-over), closing one does not close the other. To close the floating or side app, swipe up from the bottom as usual, find that specific app card, and swipe up on it. The other app will stay open.
If you want to exit split-screen view entirely and use just one app, swipe up from the bottom to open the app switcher, then swipe up on one of the two app cards. The remaining app will expand to fill the full screen.
What happens when you close an app
Closing an app does not delete it from your iPad. The app remains installed and ready to open whenever you want. Your data, settings, and any progress you made in the app are saved — the next time you open it, everything will be exactly as you left it.
The only exception is if an app is designed to clear its own data when you close it, which is rare and usually only happens with apps that handle sensitive information like banking or password managers. These apps will tell you in their settings if they do this. For most apps, closing is completely safe and reversible.
Closing apps versus deleting them
Closing an app and deleting an app are two different things. Closing just stops the app from running. Deleting removes it from your iPad entirely. If you want to delete an app, press and hold its icon on the home screen or in the app library, tap "Remove App," then tap "Delete App." You will need to confirm that you want to delete it.
If you delete an app by mistake, you can reinstall it from the App Store at no cost (assuming it was free to begin with). Your data may or may not be saved depending on whether the app stores information in iCloud — check the app's settings before you delete it if you are worried about losing something important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps make my iPad faster?
No. iPadOS manages memory automatically, and closing apps does not speed up your iPad. If your iPad feels slow, the issue is usually a background setting or a resource-heavy app, not the number of open apps. Restarting your iPad is more effective than closing individual apps.
Will closing an app delete my data?
No. Closing an app saves all your data and settings. The next time you open it, everything will be exactly as you left it. Deleting an app is different — that removes the app from your iPad, though you can reinstall it later.
What if the app switcher does not appear when I swipe up?
Make sure you are swiping from the very bottom of the screen and pausing for a moment before releasing. If you swipe too quickly, you will go to the home screen instead. Try again with a slower, deliberate swipe. If you have an older iPad with a home button, double-click the home button instead.
Can I close multiple apps at once?
You can close apps one at a time in the app switcher, but there is no built-in way to close all open apps at once. Since closing apps does not benefit your iPad, there is no real reason to do this regularly.