Many iPhone users believe that closing apps running in the background is essential for optimal performance and battery conservation. However, this widely held belief is largely a misconception. Understanding when and how to properly close apps on your iPhone can actually improve your user experience and prevent unnecessary actions.
Understanding iPhone App Management: Suspension, Not Running
It’s crucial to first understand how iPhones manage applications in the background. Contrary to popular belief, apps in the App Switcher are not typically “running” in the traditional sense. Instead, they are in a state of suspension. This means they are inactive, not consuming significant system resources or battery power. Think of it like pausing a movie – it’s still ready to resume instantly, but it’s not actively playing.
This efficient system is a core feature of iOS, designed to enable seamless multitasking and quick app switching without constantly draining your battery or slowing down your device.
Why Force Quitting Apps Can Be Counterproductive
Closing apps from the App Switcher unnecessarily can actually be detrimental to your iPhone’s performance and battery life. Here’s why:
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Battery Life Myth Debunked: Force quitting apps doesn’t save battery; in fact, it can worsen it. When you close an app, you’re essentially forcing your iPhone to completely shut it down. The next time you want to use that app, your iPhone has to expend significantly more energy to reload it from storage than it would to simply resume it from its suspended state in RAM. Apple’s own battery usage settings (Settings > Battery) can illustrate how minimal background battery drain typically is for suspended apps.
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Performance Myth Debunked: Similar to battery life, force quitting apps does not make your iPhone faster. Launching an app from a suspended state in RAM is much quicker than initializing it from storage every time. Closing apps forces your iPhone to work harder and longer when you want to reuse those apps, leading to a potentially slower experience overall.
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iOS Handles RAM Management Expertly: Modern iPhones have sophisticated RAM management systems. iOS is designed to intelligently manage RAM, automatically closing apps in the background when necessary to free up memory for active tasks. Manually closing apps interferes with this efficient system and offers no benefit. With iPhones now boasting several gigabytes of RAM, letting iOS handle memory management is far more effective than manual intervention.
When Should You Actually Close an App on Your iPhone?
While routinely closing apps is unnecessary, there are specific situations where it’s advisable:
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Misbehaving Apps: If an app is frozen, unresponsive, or malfunctioning, force quitting it is a valid troubleshooting step. This forces the app to restart completely, often resolving glitches or crashes.
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Excessive Battery Drain (Rare): Occasionally, an app might malfunction and consume an unusual amount of battery in the background. You can identify such apps in Settings > Battery. If you notice an app using a disproportionate amount of background battery and you don’t need to use it immediately, force quitting it can temporarily stop the drain. However, if this is a recurring issue, consider updating or reinstalling the app.
How to Properly Close Apps on iPhone (Using the App Switcher)
Despite the limited need, knowing how to close apps on your iPhone is still useful for those specific situations mentioned above. Here’s how to do it using the App Switcher:
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Access the App Switcher:
- On iPhones with Face ID (no Home button): Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold briefly in the middle of the screen.
- On iPhones with a Home button: Double-press the Home button.
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Locate the App: The App Switcher will display previews of your recently used apps. Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close.
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Close the App: Swipe up on the app preview to force quit it. The app preview will disappear, indicating it’s closed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, closing apps on your iPhone should not be a regular habit. Trust iOS to manage background apps efficiently. Force quit apps only when they are misbehaving or, in rare cases, excessively draining battery. Understanding this distinction will help you optimize your iPhone experience and avoid unnecessary battery drain and performance slowdowns caused by repeatedly restarting apps. Instead of constantly closing apps, focus on enjoying the seamless multitasking capabilities that your iPhone offers.
