The fastest way to close an app on iPhone depends on which model you have

On newer iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X and later), swipe up from the bottom of the screen to the middle, pause for a moment, then swipe up on the app card you want to close. On older iPhones with a home button, double-tap the home button to see open apps, then swipe up on the app you want to close. You can also simply press the home button or swipe to the home screen — the app will pause in the background, which is usually all you need.

Most of the time, you do not need to manually close apps at all. iOS manages background activity automatically, stopping apps from draining your battery or using data when you are not looking at them. Closing an app is useful when an app is frozen, misbehaving, or you want to force it to start fresh the next time you open it.

Key Takeaways

  • On Face ID iPhones, swipe up from the bottom and pause, then swipe up on the app card to close it.
  • On home button iPhones, double-tap the home button and swipe up on the app you want to close.
  • Pressing the home button or swiping to the home screen pauses the app without fully closing it, which is fine for most situations.
  • Force-closing an app by holding the power button and volume button together, then swiping the power slider, will shut down all apps at once.

Closing apps on Face ID iPhones (iPhone X and newer)

Start at any screen on your iPhone. Swipe up slowly from the very bottom of the screen — the area below the home indicator — and stop about halfway up the screen. You will see thumbnail cards of your open apps stacked on top of each other.

Find the app you want to close and swipe up on its card. The card will disappear, and the app is now closed. You can close multiple apps this way by swiping up on each one. When you are done, swipe down or tap the home indicator to return to your home screen.

Closing apps on home button iPhones (iPhone 8 and earlier)

Double-tap the home button at the bottom of your iPhone. The screen will show a row of app cards representing your open apps. Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close.

Once you see the app, swipe up on its card. The card will disappear from the list. You can close as many apps as you want this way. When you are finished, press the home button once to return to your home screen.

When you do not need to close an app

Closing an app is not the same as stopping it from running. When you press the home button or swipe away from an app, it enters a paused state. iOS freezes the app where you left it and does not let it use your battery, data, or processing power unless you open it again. This is why you rarely need to manually close apps.

You should close an app if it is frozen and not responding to taps, if it is behaving strangely, or if you want it to reload completely the next time you open it. Otherwise, leaving apps in the background is normal and expected on iPhone.

Force-closing all apps at once

If your iPhone is running slowly or many apps are misbehaving, you can force-close everything at once by restarting your phone. On Face ID iPhones, press and hold the power button and either volume button together until the power-off slider appears. Drag the slider to the right to turn off your phone. Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears.

On home button iPhones, press and hold the top (or side) power button until the power-off slider appears. Drag it to the right, wait a few seconds, then press and hold the power button again until you see the Apple logo. This closes every app and gives your iPhone a fresh start.

What happens to an app after you close it

Once you close an app, it stops running entirely. Any unsaved work in that app is usually lost — for example, if you close a note-taking app without saving, your draft will disappear. Most apps save your progress automatically, but not all do, so be aware of what you are closing.

The next time you open the closed app, it will start fresh. Some apps remember where you were (like Safari remembering your open tabs), while others start from the beginning. This depends on how the app is designed, not on how you closed it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does closing apps save battery?

Not significantly. iOS already pauses apps in the background, so they use almost no battery whether you close them or leave them open. Closing apps manually makes almost no difference to battery life. If your battery is draining quickly, the problem is usually a specific app using data in the background, not the number of open apps.

Can I close multiple apps at once?

You can close them one at a time using the methods above, but there is no way to select and close multiple apps in a single action. The fastest way to close everything is to restart your iPhone, which shuts down all apps at once.

What if an app will not close?

If swiping up on an app card does nothing, restart your iPhone. Press and hold the power button and volume button (or just the power button on older models) until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off your phone. Wait a few seconds and turn it back on. This will force-close the stuck app.

Does closing an app delete it?

No. Closing an app only stops it from running. The app remains installed on your iPhone and all your data inside it stays there. To remove an app completely, you need to delete it by pressing and holding its icon on the home screen and choosing "Remove App."

Why do I see some apps in the app switcher even though I did not open them?

iOS sometimes keeps recently used apps in the switcher even if they are not actively running. This does not mean they are using battery or data. You can close them the same way you close any other app, but it is not necessary.