The quickest way to close an app on Apple Watch
To close an app on your Apple Watch, press and hold the side button (the one below the digital crown) until you see the app switcher appear. Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close, then swipe up on that app's card. The app will disappear from the switcher and close.
This method works the same way on all Apple Watch models. The side button is the physical button on the right edge of your watch, below the rotating crown. Holding it down for about a second triggers the app switcher — you'll see a stack of app cards appear on your screen.
If you only want to switch between apps without closing them, you can swipe left and right through the cards and then press the side button again to return to the app you select. Swiping up is what actually closes the app and removes it from memory.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold the side button until the app switcher appears, then swipe up on the app card to close it.
- The side button is located on the right edge of your Apple Watch, directly below the digital crown.
- Closing apps can help free up memory and battery life if your watch is running slowly.
- Apps you close will restart from the beginning the next time you open them, not from where you left off.
When you might need to close an app
Most of the time, you don't need to close apps on your Apple Watch. The watch is designed to manage apps in the background automatically, and closing them rarely improves performance. However, if an app is frozen, unresponsive, or draining your battery noticeably, closing and reopening it can sometimes fix the problem.
If your watch feels sluggish or an app keeps crashing, close the problematic app and wait a few seconds before opening it again. This forces the app to start fresh and can clear temporary glitches. If the same app keeps misbehaving, you may want to delete it and reinstall it from the App Store on your iPhone instead.
The difference between closing and deleting an app
Closing an app temporarily stops it from running but keeps it installed on your watch. The app remains in your app library and on your home screen, ready to open again whenever you want. Deleting an app removes it entirely from your watch — you'll need to reinstall it from the App Store if you want it back.
To delete an app instead of just closing it, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, go to the App Store tab, find the app, and tap "Remove" or "Delete App". You can also press and hold an app icon on your watch's home screen and select "Remove" from the menu that appears.
Force-closing an app that won't respond
If an app is completely frozen and won't close using the normal method, you can force-close it. Press and hold the side button to open the app switcher, find the frozen app, and swipe up on it with more force or a quicker motion. If that doesn't work, try pressing and holding the side button for 10 seconds until you see the power-off screen, then release the button — this will force all apps to close without shutting down your watch.
Force-closing should only be your last resort when an app is truly unresponsive. It's more aggressive than a normal close and can occasionally cause other issues. If you find yourself force-closing the same app repeatedly, deleting and reinstalling it from your iPhone is usually more effective than closing it over and over.
How app closing affects your watch's performance
Apple Watch automatically manages memory and closes apps running in the background when it needs space for new ones. Manually closing apps rarely makes a noticeable difference to speed or battery life unless you have many apps open at once. The watch's operating system is built to handle background apps efficiently, so closing them won't dramatically improve performance the way it might on an older phone.
If your watch is running slowly, the problem is usually not too many open apps but rather a need to restart the watch entirely. To restart your Apple Watch, press and hold the side button until the power-off slider appears, drag the slider to the right, wait for the watch to turn off, then press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps on Apple Watch save battery?
Closing apps has minimal impact on battery life in most cases. Apple Watch is designed to manage background apps efficiently, and the battery drain from a closed app versus an open one is usually negligible. If your battery is draining quickly, the issue is more likely a malfunctioning app or a watch that needs to be restarted entirely.
Will I lose my data if I close an app?
Closing an app does not delete any data stored within it. Your saved information, settings, and progress remain on your watch. When you reopen the app, it will start fresh from the beginning rather than picking up where you left off, but any data you saved before closing will still be there.
Can I close multiple apps at once?
No, you can only close one app at a time using the app switcher. You must swipe up on each app card individually. If you want to close all apps quickly, restarting your watch is faster — press and hold the side button until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to shut down.
What's the difference between the side button and the digital crown?
The digital crown is the rotating dial at the top right of your watch. The side button is the flat button directly below it. The side button opens the app switcher and powers your watch on and off. The digital crown is used to scroll through lists and menus.