Why closing apps on your iPhone is pointless
Closing apps on your iPhone seems simple, yet thousands of users struggle with this seemingly basic function every day. You swipe up, long-press, but nothing happens. The frustration mounts as you think all those open apps are draining your battery.
But here's the surprise: forcefully closing apps is completely pointless . In fact, Apple's own engineers have been warning for years that this ritual actually drains your battery. iOS manages apps smarter than you ever could—they automatically go to sleep without draining your battery.
The only time you need to intervene? When an app really crashes. Then four simple actions are enough to get you back on track. Forget all the myths you've heard. We'll show you when closing is truly necessary and when you can just keep scrolling.
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The Truth About Closing Apps on Your iPhone
Systematically closing all apps on your iPhone is a persistent habit that many users have developed. The reasoning behind it seems logical: open apps use battery power, so close them for better performance. But nothing could be further from the truth. Apple's own software engineers have repeatedly confirmed that compulsively closing apps is actually counterproductive.
iOS, your device's operating system, manages apps much smarter than you think. When you leave an app by going to the home screen or opening another application, it automatically goes into sleep mode. In this state, the app uses little to no energy. The system only keeps a snapshot in memory, so you can quickly pick up where you left off.
When should you close apps?
There are specific situations where closing an app does make sense:
- The app is unresponsive or has crashed
- You notice that a specific app is causing problems (such as excessive battery consumption)
- An app continues to use location services in the background when it is not necessary
- You want to remove privacy-sensitive information directly from working memory
- An app is behaving strangely after an update
The battery consumption mystery
The idea that open apps drain your battery stems from a misunderstanding of how modern smartphones work. When the first iPhone was released in 2007, multitasking was still limited. Today, iOS uses advanced technologies to save energy. Apps you're not actively using are automatically "frozen." They remain visible in the app switcher, but don't consume any processing power or battery.
In fact, repeatedly closing and restarting apps actually uses more energy. Every time you reopen an app, it has to load completely from scratch. This process uses more of your processor and battery than simply waking the app from sleep mode.
The right way to close apps
For iPhones with Face ID (no Home button):
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold in the middle
- The app switcher appears with all recently used apps
- Swipe left or right to find the app you want
- Swipe up on the app preview to close it
For older models with a home button:
- Double-click the Home button quickly
- The app switcher opens with thumbnail previews
- Navigate to the app you want to close
- Swipe up on the preview to close
Manage background refresh
Instead of constantly closing apps, it's better to manage background refresh. This is a feature that allows apps to update their content when they're not active. This is useful for many apps (such as weather or news apps), but for others, it's unnecessary energy consumption.
You can find this setting under Settings > General > Background Refresh. Here, you can control whether each app is allowed to refresh in the background. By being selective about which apps are allowed to do this, you'll actually save battery life without having to constantly close apps.
Tips for optimal battery management
Do you really want to improve your battery life? Then focus on these proven methods:
- Turn on automatic brightness for your screen
- Use the power saving mode when needed
- Limit location services to apps that really need them
- Turn off push email and choose manual retrieval
- Reduce the number of widgets on your lock screen
- Update regularly to the latest iOS version for optimizations
Common problems and solutions
Sometimes closing apps doesn't work as expected. The app switcher is slow to respond, or apps don't seem to want to close. In these cases, restarting your device often helps. Press and hold the power button and a volume button simultaneously until the power-off screen appears. After restarting, everything usually works smoothly again.
Another common problem is that certain apps keep crashing. This can be caused by corrupt cache files or incompatibility with the current iOS version. First, check if there are any updates available for the problematic app. If that doesn't help, delete the app completely and reinstall it.
The psychology behind closing
Compulsively closing apps often has more to do with a sense of control than technical necessity. It gives users the feeling that they are actively maintaining and optimizing their device. This need for control is understandable, especially considering the price of modern smartphones. But trust that Apple's engineers have done their job well. The operating system is designed to function optimally without constant user intervention.
Conclusion for daily use
The most important lesson? Stop obsessively closing apps on your iPhone. It's not only unnecessary, but can actually be counterproductive to your battery life. Only close apps when they crash or behave erratically. Otherwise, trust iOS to do the heavy lifting for you. Focus instead on other ways to save your battery, like adjusting your screen brightness or limiting background refresh. This way, you'll truly get the most out of your device without causing yourself unnecessary work.
Closing apps: when it is and isn't necessary
Closing apps on your iPhone turns out to be largely pointless . iOS handles memory and battery management perfectly well, without you having to constantly intervene. Only close apps that crash or behave strangely—otherwise, you can just scroll through the rest.
Want to really save your battery? Adjust your screen brightness or limit background refresh. This way, you'll work efficiently with your phone, without worrying about open apps that are already asleep.
