If your iPad feels sluggish, you want to stop a stuck app, or you are just trying to switch between accounts, knowing how to close apps on iPad is useful. The good news is that the process is fast once you know where to swipe. In most cases, you do not need to force close apps often, but when an app freezes, drains battery, or keeps behaving oddly, closing it can help.
This guide shows you exactly how to close apps on an iPad, step by step. You will learn the main method for newer iPads, what to do on older models, and a few useful alternatives if an app still will not quit. The instructions are simple, quick, and easy to follow, even if you have never done it before.
Quick Summary
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause to open the App Switcher.
- Find the app you want to close.
- Swipe the app preview up and off the screen to force close it.
If you have a Home button, double-press it instead to see your open apps, then swipe the app up to close it.
Tutorial – How to Close Apps on iPad
The steps below will show you how to fully close an app using the App Switcher. This is the fastest way to stop an app that is frozen, misbehaving, or taking up too much memory.
Step 1: Open the App Switcher
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle of the display, or double-press the Home button on older iPads.
After you do this, you should see a row or stack of app previews on your screen. These are the apps currently open or recently used.
Step 2: Find the app you want to close
Look through the app cards and locate the app you want to shut down.
If you do not see it right away, swipe left or right through the open app previews until you find it. Each card shows a live snapshot of that app.
Step 3: Swipe the app up to close it
Place your finger on the app preview and swipe it straight up and off the screen.
When the app disappears, it has been closed. This works like turning off the app completely in the background, not just hiding it.
Step 4: Repeat for any other apps you want to close
If more than one app is causing trouble, swipe each one up individually.
You can close several apps one by one from the App Switcher. After you are done, tap the screen or swipe up from the bottom to return to the Home Screen or your current app.
Alternative Methods or Edge Cases
If you have an iPad with Face ID
Use the same gesture, swipe up from the bottom and pause to open the App Switcher.
This is the standard method for iPad Pro, iPad Air, and newer iPad models without a Home button.
If your iPad has a Home button
Double-press the Home button instead of using the swipe-up gesture.
Older iPads use the physical button to bring up the App Switcher, and the closing process is the same after that.
If an app is frozen and will not close normally
Try force quitting it from the App Switcher first.
If that does not work, restart your iPad. A full restart often clears a stuck app better than closing it manually.
If you only want to stop notifications
Open Settings, tap Notifications, then choose the app and turn off alerts.
This does not close the app, but it can stop constant pop-ups, banners, and sound alerts without deleting anything.
If you want to remove the app entirely
Press and hold the app icon on the Home Screen, then tap Remove App.
Choose Delete App if you want it gone from the iPad, or Remove from Home Screen if you just want to hide it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to close apps on iPad all the time?
No. iPadOS is designed to efficiently manage apps in the background. In most cases, you only need to close an app if it is frozen, bugging out, or using something it should not.
Will closing an app delete my data?
No, closing an app does not delete your files, messages, or account data. It simply shuts the app down from memory. Your data stays on the iPad or in the cloud unless you delete the app or remove the account separately.
Why is the app still showing after I closed it?
Some apps can reopen background services, or you may be seeing a recent app preview rather than a fully active session. If the app keeps coming back, try restarting the iPad or checking whether it is set to refresh in the background.
How do I reopen a closed app?
Tap the app icon on the Home Screen, in the App Library, or use Spotlight Search. It will launch fresh, just like opening it for the first time.
Is closing an app the same as deleting it?
No. Closing an app only stops it from running. Deleting an app removes it from the iPad and usually removes local data tied to that app unless it is synced to an account.
Can I close all apps at once?
Not directly. iPad does not offer a simple built-in “close all” button for every app. You need to swipe each app away one at a time.
Tips
- Only close apps when you need to. iPadOS is built to handle background apps well, so frequent force quitting is usually unnecessary.
- If an app is acting strange, closing and reopening it is often faster than restarting the whole iPad.
- Keep your iPad updated. Many app crashes and performance issues are fixed in iPadOS updates.
- If one app keeps freezing, check whether that app also needs an update from the App Store.
- Closing an app does not sign you out. If you need to switch accounts, you may need to do so in the app’s settings.
- If your iPad feels slow, try closing just the problematic app first before shutting down everything else.
Troubleshooting
- If the App Switcher does not open, make sure you are using the correct gesture for your model. iPads with Face ID use a swipe-up and pause gesture, while older models use the Home button.
- If an app will not close, restart the iPad by powering it off and back on. This can clear a frozen app that ignores normal closing.
- If the app keeps crashing after you reopen it, delete the app and reinstall it from the App Store. This often fixes corrupted app data.
- If the screen feels unresponsive, clean it and try again. A dirty screen or wet fingers can interfere with swipe gestures.
- If background behavior is the issue, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn it off for specific apps.
- If you want a stronger reset, sign out of the app inside its settings, then sign back in. This is useful for mail, messaging, and work apps.
Conclusion
Closing apps on iPad is simple once you know the right gesture. Open the App Switcher, find the app, and swipe it away. That is usually all it takes to stop a frozen app or clear out something that is misbehaving.
If one app keeps giving you trouble, you now have a few backup options too, including restarting the iPad, updating the app, or deleting and reinstalling it. With these steps, you can keep your iPad running smoothly without any guesswork.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.