How to Close All Open Apps on Your iPhone: A Definitive Guide

Alright, let’s cut to the chase. You want to know how to close all open apps on your iPhone, right? The short answer is, you can’t close all apps at once in one fell swoop. Apple designed iOS with the understanding that apps in the background aren’t necessarily draining your battery or slowing down your phone. But, if you’re convinced you need to manage those apps, here’s how you handle the situation, depending on your iPhone model:

• iPhone with Face ID (iPhone X and later): Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle. This reveals the App Switcher. Then, swipe left or right to browse through the apps, and swipe up on each app’s preview to close it individually.
• iPhone with a Home Button (iPhone 8 and earlier): Double-press the Home button to open the App Switcher. Then, swipe left or right to find the apps, and swipe up on each app’s preview to close it.

That’s the fundamental answer. But the real question is: should you be closing all your apps? Let’s delve deeper, because there’s more to this than meets the eye.

Why You Might Not Need to Close All Apps

Before we dive into the how, let’s tackle the why. Modern iPhones are incredibly efficient. iOS is designed to manage background processes intelligently. Apps in the background are often in a suspended state, meaning they’re not actively consuming resources like CPU or battery power. Closing them unnecessarily can actually increase battery drain, because the next time you open the app, your iPhone has to reload everything from scratch instead of pulling it from memory.

Think of it like this: it’s like constantly turning your lights off and on versus leaving them on a low-energy setting. The constant switching uses more power in the long run.

When Closing Apps Is Justified

However, there are specific scenarios where manually closing apps makes sense:

• An App is Frozen or Unresponsive: If an app is behaving erratically or completely frozen, closing it and restarting it is a good troubleshooting step.
• Excessive Battery Drain (Suspected): If you suspect a particular app is hogging battery life, even when it’s in the background, closing it can help diagnose the problem. Use Battery Health in Settings to get an exact percentage breakdown.
• Privacy Concerns: Some apps might continue to access your location or other data in the background. If you’re concerned about privacy, you might want to close these apps when you’re not actively using them. Check your privacy settings to determine which apps are always tracking you.

Advanced Tips for App Management

Okay, so you now understand why you might want to close apps. Here are some pro tips for managing apps effectively:

Force Quitting: The Nuclear Option

If a simple swipe-up doesn’t do the trick, you can force quit an app. This is more aggressive and should only be used as a last resort. Here’s how:

1. Bring up the App Switcher (as described earlier).
2. Locate the troublesome app.
3. Instead of swiping up, press and hold the app’s preview until the screen dims a bit.
4. A small “-” symbol should now appear in the upper left corner of the app preview.
5. Tap the “-” symbol to force quit the app.

Remember, only use this if the app is truly unresponsive.

Adjusting Background App Refresh

This is where you can really fine-tune your app management. Background App Refresh allows apps to update their content in the background. While this is convenient, it can also contribute to battery drain and data usage. You can disable this feature globally or for specific apps:

1. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
2. At the top, you can toggle Background App Refresh off completely. This isn’t usually recommended, as it affects all apps.
3. Below that, you’ll see a list of apps. Toggle the switch next to each app to control whether it can refresh in the background. This gives you much more granular control.

Understanding App Permissions

Pay close attention to the permissions you grant to apps. Many apps request access to your location, camera, microphone, and other sensitive data. Review these permissions regularly and revoke access if you’re uncomfortable.

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
2. Here, you’ll see categories like Location Services, Contacts, Photos, Microphone, Camera, etc.
3. Tap on each category to see which apps have access and change the permissions accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Let’s address some common questions people have about closing apps on their iPhones:

1. Does closing apps save battery?

Not necessarily. As mentioned before, iOS is designed to manage background processes efficiently. Closing apps unnecessarily can actually increase battery drain, because the system has to reload the app from scratch when you open it again. However, if an app is misbehaving or excessively using battery in the background, closing it can help.

2. Does closing apps free up RAM?

Yes, closing apps can free up RAM (Random Access Memory). However, iOS manages RAM dynamically. It automatically allocates and reallocates memory as needed. So, manually closing apps to free up RAM is usually unnecessary.

3. Will closing apps speed up my iPhone?

Potentially, but only in specific cases. If an app is causing performance issues or consuming excessive resources, closing it might improve performance. However, regularly closing apps won’t make a noticeable difference in overall speed.

4. How do I know which apps are draining my battery?

Go to Settings > Battery. Scroll down to see a list of apps and the percentage of battery they’ve consumed. This will help you identify which apps might be causing battery drain.

5. What is “Background App Refresh”?

Background App Refresh allows apps to update their content in the background, even when you’re not actively using them. This can be convenient, but it can also contribute to battery drain and data usage.

6. How do I turn off “Background App Refresh”?

Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You can turn it off completely or customize it for individual apps.

7. Should I always close apps when I’m done using them?

No, generally you should not close all apps when you’re done using them. iOS handles background processes efficiently, and closing apps unnecessarily can actually reduce battery life.

8. Is it harmful to close apps frequently?

It’s not harmful, but it’s usually unnecessary and could potentially decrease battery life.

9. What’s the difference between closing an app and force quitting an app?

Closing an app simply moves it to the background. Force quitting an app completely terminates the process, which is more drastic. Force quitting should only be used if an app is frozen or unresponsive.

10. How can I tell if an app is truly closed?

If you’ve swiped up on its preview in the App Switcher, the app is considered “closed.” However, some apps might still perform background tasks if Background App Refresh is enabled.

11. Why do some apps reopen automatically after I close them?

This can happen if Background App Refresh is enabled for those apps. They might be set to update their content periodically.

12. Are there any apps that I should always close?

It depends on your individual needs and privacy preferences. If you’re concerned about privacy, you might want to close apps that access sensitive data like your location when you’re not actively using them. If an app is consistently draining your battery, closing it might also be a good idea.

Conclusion

Closing apps on your iPhone isn’t always necessary, and in many cases, it can actually be counterproductive. Understanding how iOS manages background processes is key to optimizing battery life and performance. Focus on managing Background App Refresh, reviewing app permissions, and only closing apps when they are causing problems. By taking these steps, you can get the most out of your iPhone without unnecessarily micro-managing your apps. You can consider the manual app closing as a temporary solution, not a rule.