How to Close Screens on an iPad: The Definitive Guide

Closing screens on an iPad might seem intuitive, but mastering the various methods can significantly enhance your workflow and battery life. This comprehensive guide will demystify the process, covering everything from basic app closing to advanced multitasking management.

How to close screens on an iPad? There are several ways to close screens (more accurately, apps) on an iPad, depending on the model you own and the method you prefer. The most common methods include:

• Using the Home Button: On iPads with a physical Home Button, double-pressing it will open the App Switcher. Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close and then swipe the app card upward and off the screen.
• Using Gestures (Without Home Button): On iPads without a Home Button, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold briefly in the middle. This opens the App Switcher. From there, swipe left or right to find the app you want to close, and then swipe the app card upward and off the screen.
• Force Quitting (if necessary): While generally not recommended unless an app is frozen or unresponsive, you can force quit an app. Access the App Switcher using either of the methods above. Locate the problematic app, and swipe it upwards. If it doesn’t work immediately, press and hold the power button on the top (or side) of the iPad until the “slide to power off” slider appears. Then, release the power button and press and hold the home button (or the volume down button if your iPad has facial recognition instead) until the app quits.
• Quick App Switching: Quickly switch between recent apps by swiping left or right on the bottom edge of the screen. To close an app, you’ll still need to use the App Switcher method described above.

Understanding the iPad App Ecosystem

Before diving deeper, it’s crucial to understand how iPads handle applications. Unlike closing a program on a desktop computer, closing an app on an iPad doesn’t always mean it’s completely shut down. Many apps enter a suspended state when you switch away from them. This means they’re not actively using processing power, but they’re still stored in memory for quicker relaunch.

Why Close Apps?

While iOS and iPadOS are excellent at managing resources, closing apps can be beneficial in certain situations:

• Freeing Up Memory: Closing apps, especially resource-intensive ones like games or video editors, can free up memory and improve overall device performance.
• Extending Battery Life: While the impact is often minimal, consistently closing apps that use background activity (location services, background app refresh) can contribute to longer battery life.
• Troubleshooting: As mentioned earlier, force quitting an unresponsive app is a vital troubleshooting step.
• Privacy: Some users prefer to close sensitive apps to ensure they’re not inadvertently running in the background.

Advanced Tips for Managing iPad Apps

Beyond the basics, there are several advanced techniques for efficiently managing apps on your iPad.

Using Slide Over and Split View

iPadOS allows for powerful multitasking features like Slide Over and Split View. Slide Over lets you overlay a smaller app window on top of your main app. Split View lets you run two apps side-by-side. Closing apps within these environments requires a slightly different approach:

• Slide Over: To close an app in Slide Over, swipe up from the bottom of the Slide Over window to reveal the App Switcher within the Slide Over context. Then, swipe up on the app you wish to close.
• Split View: To close an app in Split View, drag the divider between the two apps all the way to one side. The app on the side you’re dragging towards will close.

The App Library

The App Library, introduced in iPadOS 14, automatically organizes your apps into categories. It also provides a quick way to find less frequently used apps. The App Library doesn’t directly impact how you close apps, but it can help you identify apps you might want to close to free up resources. You can access the App Library by swiping left past your last home screen.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 12 frequently asked questions to further enhance your understanding of closing screens on an iPad:

1. Does closing apps on my iPad really save battery? While modern iOS and iPadOS are very efficient at managing background app activity, closing apps that actively use background features (like location services or background app refresh) can contribute to some battery savings. The impact is generally smaller than it used to be, but it’s still a factor.

2. Is it harmful to constantly close all my apps? Constantly closing and reopening apps can actually decrease battery life in some cases. Opening an app from scratch requires more processing power than resuming a suspended app. It’s best to close only apps you’re not actively using or that are causing problems.

3. How do I know if an app is using background app refresh? Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Here you can see which apps have background app refresh enabled and disable it for specific apps or globally.

4. What’s the difference between suspending an app and closing it? Suspending an app puts it into a low-power state where it remains in memory but isn’t actively using processing power. Closing an app removes it from memory, requiring it to be fully reloaded the next time you open it.

5. How do I force quit an app that’s completely frozen? As mentioned previously, access the App Switcher, swipe up on the app that you wish to close, and press and hold the power button until the “slide to power off” screen appears. Release the power button, and press and hold the home button until the app quits. On devices without a home button, press and quickly release the volume up button, press and quickly release the volume down button, and press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.

6. Why can’t I see the App Switcher when I swipe up from the bottom? Ensure you’re swiping up from the very bottom of the screen and holding briefly in the middle before releasing. If you swipe up too quickly, you’ll simply return to the home screen. Also, be aware of assistive touch settings that might change gesture functionality.

7. Can I close all apps at once? Unfortunately, there’s no built-in way to close all apps simultaneously on an iPad. You must close them individually using the App Switcher.

8. How do I prevent apps from automatically running in the background? Turn off Background App Refresh for specific apps in Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You can also disable it globally.

9. What is the best way to manage memory on my iPad? Regularly close apps you’re not using, especially resource-intensive ones. Consider restarting your iPad periodically to clear the system cache. Ensure your iPad has sufficient storage space available.

10. Does updating to the latest iPadOS version improve app management? Apple frequently optimizes iOS and iPadOS for better performance and memory management. Keeping your iPad updated can often improve how apps behave in the background.

11. How do I close an app that is not responding inside Split View? Try closing the entire Split View by dragging the divider all the way to one side. If that fails, try force quitting each app individually from the App Switcher, even if they appear frozen.

12. Is there an app that can automatically close other apps on a schedule? Due to iOS’s security and privacy restrictions, there are no legitimate third-party apps that can automatically close other apps on a schedule. Such apps would require extensive system-level access, which Apple restricts.