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Force an app to close in iOS


If an app isn’t responding, you can force it to close.

If an app is unresponsive and your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch still reacts to button presses, you can force the app to close:

  1. Press the Home button two times quickly. You'll see small previews of your recently used apps. (If you're using a model that doesn't have a home bottom swipe up from the bottom of the screen to view the list of apps, then swipe up on the individual app to close)
  2. Swipe left to find the app you want to close.
  3. Swipe up on the app's preview to close it.

Generally, there's no need to force an app to close unless it's unresponsive. When you press the Home button two times quickly, the recently used apps that appear aren't open. They're in an efficient standby mode to help you navigate and multitask.