Why and when to close apps on your iPhone
Closing an app on iPhone means stopping it completely, not just leaving it. When you close an app, it stops running in the background and stops using your phone's memory and battery. Most of the time you do not need to close apps — iPhone manages them automatically. But closing an app can help if it is freezing, draining your battery unusually fast, or behaving strangely.
The confusion happens because leaving an app (switching to another app) is not the same as closing it. An app you left open keeps running in the background until your phone runs out of memory or you manually close it. Closing an app forces it to stop immediately.
You should close an app if it is misbehaving, if your battery is draining faster than normal, or if you want to force it to refresh the next time you open it. You do not need to close apps just to free up space — that is a myth. iPhone handles background apps on its own.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, then swipe up on the app card to close it completely.
- On iPhone X and newer models, swipe up from the bottom; on iPhone 8 and earlier, double-tap the home button instead.
- Closing an app stops it from running in the background and using battery, but does not delete it from your phone.
- You only need to close apps if they are freezing, draining battery, or not working right — iPhone closes apps automatically when it needs the memory.
How to close apps on iPhone X and newer
On iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and newer models, there is no home button. To close an app, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen and hold for a moment. You will see all your open apps displayed as cards stacked on top of each other.
Find the app you want to close. Swipe up on that app card — flick it upward with your finger. The app will disappear from the switcher and close completely. You can close multiple apps this way by swiping up on each one.
If you want to close all open apps at once, swipe up on each card one by one. There is no button to close them all at once, so you will need to do this manually for each app.
How to close apps on iPhone 8 and earlier
On iPhone 8, 7, 6, and earlier models, you have a physical home button at the bottom. To close an app, double-tap the home button (press it twice quickly, not a long press). The app switcher will appear, showing your open apps as cards.
Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close. Once you see it, swipe up on that app card to close it. The app will disappear and stop running.
You can close multiple apps by swiping up on each card. When you are done, press the home button once to return to your home screen.
What happens when you close an app
When you close an app, it stops running immediately. Any data the app was processing stops, and the app no longer uses your battery or memory. The next time you open that app, it will start fresh from the beginning.
Closing an app does not delete it from your phone. The app is still installed and still takes up storage space. You can open it again anytime by tapping its icon on your home screen or in the App Library.
If an app was in the middle of something when you closed it — like uploading a photo or downloading a file — that action stops. Some apps will resume where they left off when you reopen them, but not all of them.
When closing an app actually helps
Close an app if it is frozen or not responding. If you tap the screen and nothing happens, or if the app is stuck on one screen, close it and reopen it. This forces the app to restart and usually fixes the problem.
Close an app if your battery is draining much faster than normal. Open the app switcher and close any apps you are not using. Some apps use a lot of battery even when you are not looking at them — closing them can help. You can also check Settings > Battery to see which apps are using the most power.
Close an app if it is behaving strangely — showing old information, not loading new content, or crashing repeatedly. Closing and reopening it gives the app a fresh start and often fixes these issues.
You do not need to close apps just to make your phone faster or to free up space. iPhone automatically closes apps in the background when it needs memory for something else. Closing apps manually does not speed up your phone in any meaningful way.
The difference between closing and force-closing an app
Closing an app (the way described above) is the normal way to stop an app. Force-closing is different — it is what you do when an app is completely frozen and will not close normally.
To force-close an app, open the app switcher the same way you would to close an app normally. Find the frozen app and press and hold on its card for a moment. A menu will appear with options including "Remove App" or "Close All". Tap the option to close it. The app will close even if it is not responding.
Force-closing is stronger than regular closing, but you should only use it when an app is actually frozen. For normal closing, just swipe up on the app card once.
Troubleshooting if an app will not close
If you swipe up on an app card and it does not close, try again. Sometimes the swipe does not register properly. Make sure you are swiping upward on the app card itself, not on the background.
If the app still will not close, try force-closing it instead. Press and hold on the app card until a menu appears, then tap the close option. If that does not work, restart your iPhone. Press and hold the power button and volume button together (or just the power button on older models) until the power-off slider appears. Slide it to turn off your phone, wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.
After your phone restarts, try opening and closing the app again. If it still will not close, the app may have a bug. Try updating it in the App Store — tap your profile icon, scroll down to the app, and tap Update if one is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps make my iPhone faster?
Closing apps does not make your iPhone faster in any noticeable way. iPhone manages background apps automatically and closes them when it needs memory. Closing apps manually might help slightly if your battery is draining fast, but it will not speed up your phone's performance.
Will closing an app delete my data or messages?
No. Closing an app does not delete any data. The app is still installed on your phone, and any messages, photos, or information inside the app remain saved. When you reopen the app, your data will be there.
Can I close multiple apps at once?
No, you have to close apps one at a time. Open the app switcher, then swipe up on each app card individually. There is no option to close all open apps with a single action.
What is the difference between swiping left and closing an app?
Swiping left on an app in the switcher just moves it out of view — the app is still running in the background. Swiping up on an app card closes it completely and stops it from running. Always swipe up to actually close an app.
Do I need to close apps before turning off my iPhone?
No. When you turn off your iPhone, all apps close automatically. You do not need to close them first. When you turn your phone back on, the apps will not be running until you open them.