Closing unused apps on an iPhone
This short guide is a reference tool to help refresh your knowledge or practise what you have learned in the Closing unused apps on an iPhone online video course. You’ll learn how to find open apps on your phone and close them.
About apps
When you switch between apps on your iPhone, they can remain open in the background. Closing apps you’re not using can help your phone run smoothly and save battery.
You can close apps at any time when your phone is unlocked, whether you are using an app or web page, checking your messages or making a call.
Finding and closing apps
There are two ways to check which apps are open on your iPhone, depending on your model.
- If your iPhone has a physical Home button, you can find your open apps by double-pressing the Home button.
- If your iPhone does not have a Home button, place your finger at the bottom of the screen and swipe up slowly without removing your finger, then pause in the middle of the screen.
Once you’ve pressed the Home button or swiped up on the screen, a carousel of app preview cards appears. Each card represents one open app.
- Swipe left or right through the carousel to find the app you want to close.
- Swipe the app card upwards until it disappears off the screen to close it.
- Repeat the steps for any other apps you want to close, or tap a card to open the app instead.
When you have finished closing apps, tap anywhere outside the cards or swipe up from the bottom of the screen to return to your Home screen.