How to Close Background Running Apps on Your iPhone

Is your iPhone feeling sluggish? Are you concerned about battery drain? Background apps might be the culprit. While iOS is designed to manage background processes efficiently, sometimes a manual cleanup is necessary. This guide will show you how to completely close background apps and optimize your iPhone’s performance.

Understanding iPhone Background Apps

When you use your iPhone, you often switch between different apps. You might check your email, browse social media, or listen to music. When you leave an app by returning to the home screen or opening another app, it doesn’t always close completely. Instead, it often enters a “suspended” state, running in the background.

What Does “Suspended” Mean?

Think of it like this: your iPhone’s memory is like a workspace. When you open an app, it’s like putting a project on your desk. When you switch to another app, you’re not necessarily putting the project away in a filing cabinet; you’re just setting it aside.

In this suspended state, the app is still in your iPhone’s memory, ready to be quickly reopened. This allows for faster app switching and a smoother user experience.

Why Background Apps Matter

While iOS (your iPhone’s operating system) is designed to manage these background processes efficiently, they can still have an impact:

• Battery Life: Even in a suspended state, some apps might occasionally perform tasks in the background, like checking for updates or syncing data. This can drain your battery.
• Data Usage: Certain apps may use cellular data or Wi-Fi in the background to refresh content, which can consume your data allowance.
• Performance: Over time, having many apps running in the background can consume memory and potentially slow down your iPhone.

Managing Background Apps

While iOS is smart about handling background processes, you can take steps to optimize your iPhone’s performance and battery life:

• App Switcher: Use the App Switcher (swipe up from the bottom and pause) to see recently used apps. You can swipe up on an app’s preview to completely close it.
• Background App Refresh: In your iPhone’s Settings, you can control which apps are allowed to refresh in the background. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You can turn it off entirely or customize it per app.

Step-By-Step Guide

Method 1: Force Closing Apps (App Switcher Method)

1. Access the App Switcher:
   • For iPhones with Face ID (no Home button): Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause briefly in the middle.
   • For iPhones with a Home button: Double-press the Home button.
2. View Background Apps: You’ll see a carousel of app previews.
3. Force Close Apps:
   • Swipe up on an app preview to completely close it.
   • You can use multiple fingers to close several apps simultaneously.

Method 2: Optimizing Background App Refresh

To prevent apps from constantly running in the background, adjust your Background App Refresh settings:

1. Open Settings: Launch the “Settings” app.
2. Go to General: Scroll down and tap “General.”
3. Select Background App Refresh: Tap on “Background App Refresh.”
4. Choose Refresh Settings:
   • You can choose to turn off Background App Refresh entirely, or customize it per app.
   • To turn it off completely: Tap “Background App Refresh” at the top and select “Off.”
   • To customize per app: Leave the top setting on “Wi-Fi” or “Wi-Fi & Cellular Data,” and then toggle individual apps on or off.

Why Turn Off Background App Refresh?

• Improved Battery Life: Disabling unnecessary background activity significantly reduces battery consumption.
• Reduced Data Usage: Prevents apps from using cellular data in the background.
• Enhanced Performance: Frees up system resources, leading to a smoother experience.

Important Considerations:

• Some apps, like email or messaging apps, rely on background refresh to deliver timely notifications. Disabling it entirely might delay these updates.
• Closing all background apps isn’t always necessary. iOS is designed to manage these processes efficiently.
• Force-closing apps too frequently can sometimes consume more battery as the iPhone needs to reload the app fully from scratch.

Maintaining Optimal Performance:

• Regularly update your iOS to ensure you have the latest performance improvements.
• Restart your iPhone periodically to clear temporary files and refresh system processes.
• Check app specific settings. Some apps have their own background refresh settings that can be adjusted within the app itself.

Conclusion

Background apps are a normal part of how your iPhone works. While iOS manages them effectively, understanding their impact and knowing how to control them can help you optimize your device’s performance and battery life. By mastering these techniques, you can effectively manage background apps, boost your iPhone’s performance, and extend its battery life.