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How To Close All Apps On Your iPhone: The Definitive Guide

So, you’re looking to close all apps on your iPhone. Let’s get straight to the point: you can’t actually close all apps on an iPhone with a single button or command. Apple’s iOS is designed to manage apps in the background efficiently. Instead, you’ll be closing individual apps from the app switcher.

Here’s the process, depending on your iPhone model:

iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X and later): Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold briefly in the middle of the screen. This brings up the App Switcher. Swipe horizontally to navigate between apps. To close an app, swipe up on the app’s preview card until it disappears from the screen.
iPhones with a Home Button (iPhone 8 and earlier): Double-click the Home Button to bring up the App Switcher. Swipe horizontally to navigate between apps. To close an app, swipe up on the app’s preview card until it disappears from the screen.

While it might seem tedious, this process is intentional. iOS is designed to intelligently manage background app activity. Most apps are either suspended (paused in their current state) or allowed limited background activity for things like fetching notifications. Force-closing every app isn’t usually necessary and can sometimes be counterproductive. Now, let’s dive deeper into understanding why and explore some common questions.

Understanding Background App Management in iOS

The iOS App Lifecycle

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, understanding how iOS manages apps is crucial. Think of it like a well-organized office. Not everyone is actively working on a project at every second. Sometimes, they’re waiting for input, taking a break, or simply filed away until needed.

Active: The app is in the foreground, actively being used.
Inactive: The app is running but not receiving events. This is a brief state when transitioning to another state.
Background: The app is still running but not actively visible. It might be performing tasks like playing music, downloading files, or checking for location updates (if permitted).
Suspended: The app is in memory but not executing any code. This is the most common state for backgrounded apps. iOS can quickly resume the app from this state.
Not Running: The app is completely closed and not in memory.

Why Force-Closing Isn’t Always the Answer

Contrary to popular belief, repeatedly force-closing apps doesn’t necessarily improve battery life or performance. In fact, it can sometimes hurt both. Here’s why:

Battery Life: When you force-close an app, you’re essentially telling the system to completely remove it from memory. When you reopen that app, your iPhone has to reload it entirely, which consumes more power than resuming a suspended app. Think of it like starting your car from a cold start versus simply accelerating from a cruising speed.
Performance: iOS is quite good at managing memory. It automatically frees up memory when needed. Force-closing apps can interfere with this process and potentially lead to more frequent app reloads, which can slow things down.

When Force-Closing is Useful

Despite the above, there are specific situations where force-closing an app is beneficial:

App Freezing or Crashing: If an app is unresponsive, frozen, or crashing repeatedly, force-closing it is a good first step to resolve the issue.
Battery Drain: If you suspect a particular app is excessively draining your battery in the background, force-closing it can help you troubleshoot. Note which app you closed and see if the battery drain improves.
Privacy Concerns: If you’re concerned about an app’s background activity, force-closing it can provide temporary peace of mind. However, remember that the app might resume its activity when you reopen it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is it necessary to close all apps on my iPhone every day?

No, it’s generally not necessary to close all apps daily. iOS is designed to efficiently manage background apps. Force-closing apps unnecessarily can even negatively impact battery life and performance.

2. Will closing apps save battery life on my iPhone?

Not always. Only close apps that are misbehaving or suspected of excessive battery drain. Force-closing all apps can actually increase battery consumption because reopening them requires more processing power.

3. How do I know which apps are using the most battery?

Go to Settings > Battery. Here, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of battery usage by app. This helps you identify apps that might benefit from being force-closed when not in use.

4. How do I stop apps from running in the background completely?

While you can’t entirely prevent background activity, you can limit it. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Here, you can disable background app refresh entirely or selectively disable it for individual apps.

5. Can I clear the app switcher without closing the apps?

No, clearing the app switcher means closing the apps. The app switcher simply displays the apps that are currently in a suspended or background state.

6. Will closing apps stop them from using my data?

Closing an app that’s actively using data will stop it temporarily. However, if background app refresh is enabled, the app might resume data usage in the background. To completely prevent data usage, disable cellular data for the app in Settings > Cellular.

7. Is there a faster way to close multiple apps at once?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a built-in way to close multiple apps simultaneously on iPhones. You have to swipe up on each app individually in the App Switcher.

8. Does closing an app prevent it from tracking my location?

Not necessarily. If an app has permission to access your location “Always” or “While Using,” it might still track your location even when in the background. To prevent location tracking, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and adjust the permissions for each app. Select “Never” or “While Using the App” depending on your preferences.

9. What’s the difference between “Suspended” and “Not Running” states?

A suspended app is in memory but not actively executing code. It can be quickly resumed. An app in the “Not Running” state is completely closed and removed from memory. Reopening it requires the system to reload the app entirely.

10. Will updating my iPhone’s iOS version affect how apps run in the background?

Yes, Apple often makes changes to background app management with each iOS update. These updates can improve battery life, performance, and security related to background app activity. Always keep your iPhone’s software up-to-date.

11. How do I know if an app is truly closed after swiping it away?

When you swipe up on an app in the App Switcher, it’s usually closed. You can confirm this by reopening the app. If it starts from scratch (e.g., showing the initial loading screen), it was likely completely closed. If it resumes where you left off, it was likely in a suspended state.

12. Should I close apps before updating my iPhone’s iOS version?

It’s generally a good practice to close all open apps before starting an iOS update. This can help prevent potential conflicts during the update process and ensure a smoother installation. However, it’s not strictly required in most cases.

In conclusion, while you can’t close all apps on your iPhone with a single action, understanding how iOS manages background apps and knowing when (and when not) to force-close individual apps can help you optimize battery life, performance, and privacy. Embrace the smart app management built into iOS, and only intervene when necessary.