Skip to main content

How to force quit a misbehaving app on your iPhone or iPad

Multitasking in iOS can be used for more than just switching between apps. Truth be told, iOS is very stable, and apps normally run without any issues. However, every once in a while, you will likely encounter a misbehaving app. If this happens to you, there’s no need to be concerned, as it happens to everyone from time to time.

Maybe an app has locked up and become unresponsive. If you press the home button and re-open the app, it may not fix the issue, in which case you will have to close out of the app. When you press the home button, your app will still be paused in the background, and some apps will still be running, particularly those designed to stream content. In these situations, it may be necessary to force quit the app. Here’s how.

Recommended Videos

Don’t get caught in the force quitting app trap

There’s a big misconception that closing all of your apps all the time will help your iPhone or iPad run faster. Others think it will help you conserve battery life. We want to make it clear that force quitting apps is only a good thing when an app is locked, unresponsive, or otherwise misbehaving.

If you force quite all your apps constantly, you’re forcing iOS to re-open everything from scratch. The best advice is to let iOS manage the apps. If iOS needs more memory, it will manage that on its own. The mobile operating system also manages background activity, so don’t worry about closing anything unless an app becomes unresponsive.

Force quitting a single app

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 1: Double-press the home button to bring up all open apps and swipe left or right to locate the app you want to close.

Step 2: Swipe up on the app you want to close.

Step 3: Press the home button to navigate to your home screen.

Force quitting multiple apps at once

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 1: Double-press the home button to bring up all open apps and swipe left or right to locate the apps you want to close.

Step 2: Using up to three fingers, swipe up on the apps you want to close.

Step 3: Press the home button to navigate to your home screen.

Force quitting an app using the home button

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 1: Hold the power button until you see “slide to power off” at the top of your display.

Step 2: Now, press and hold the home button until you are back on your home screen.

Carlos Vega
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Carlos has been involved in computers since 2000, when he earned his MCSE and A+ certifications. A love for technology turned…
iPhone theft victim sues Apple. It sparks a new hope for others, too
The iPhone 16 sticking out of someone's pocket.

Smartphones are the center of our digital existence. Not just because they open the doors for communication and social connection, but also due to their role as gatekeepers of our financial and professional lives. 

Needless to say, a stolen iPhone can upend your life in many ways, but it’s even harder to recover those precious files stored on the device. A few victims of iPhone theft may finally have a chance, thanks to a lawsuit against Apple over not offering enough help in recovery efforts.

Read more
New iPhone 17 Pro render keeps us guessing on the final design
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Render

Apple is to expected to announce the iPhone 17 series later this year, likely sometime in September if previous release patterns are anything to go by. By our calculations, that puts us around five months out, though math is not our strong point – we're writers here after all. 

What we do know however, is that in the upcoming months we are no doubt going to see more conflicting rumors about what we can expect from the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models in terms of design. A few months back, it was suggested the iPhone 17 Pro models would feature a new camera bar across their rear, taking on a more Pixel-like approach. 

Read more
Latest iPhone Fold rumor tells us a little more about the camera
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

Foldable phones have been around for over five years now and there are several options available. It's not just Samsung and Google in the folding space, but Motorola, Huawei, Oppo, OnePlus and Honor too. There is one company notably missing however, and that's Apple. 

The company has long been rumoured to be working on a folding iPhone, and there's talk of a larger folding device too. Both are speculated to enter mass production in late 2026 with a launch then happening towards the end of next year or early 2027. 

Read more