You know that feeling when an app on your iPad just isn't cooperating? Maybe it's frozen, acting sluggish, or you simply want to make sure it's completely closed to save battery life or improve performance. Well, you've come to the right place! Quitting an app on your iPad is a fundamental skill that every user should master. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every method to ensure your apps behave exactly as you want them to. Let's dive in!
Step 1: Identify Your iPad Model (and its Home Button Status!)
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of quitting apps, it's helpful to know which type of iPad you're using. Why? Because the method for bringing up the App Switcher (our primary tool for quitting apps) differs slightly depending on whether your iPad has a physical Home button or not.
- Do you have a Home button? This is the circular button below the screen. If you have one, your iPad model likely predates the most recent designs.
- No Home button? If your iPad's screen extends almost to the edges and lacks a physical button, then you're rocking a more modern model (like iPad Pro, iPad Air 4th Gen and later, iPad mini 6th Gen and later, and some newer base model iPads).
Got it? Great! Knowing this will make the next steps much clearer.
Step 2: The Classic "Swipe Up" Method: Your Go-To for Quitting Apps
This is the most common and effective way to truly close an app on your iPad. It involves bringing up the App Switcher, which displays all your currently open applications.
2.1: Accessing the App Switcher
The way you access the App Switcher depends on your iPad model:
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For iPads without a Home button (Gesture-Based iPads):
- Gently place your finger at the very bottom edge of the screen, in the center.
- Slowly swipe your finger upwards towards the middle of the screen. Don't lift your finger immediately!
- Pause your finger in the middle of the screen for a second or two until you see all your open apps appear as a series of cards. This pause is crucial! If you swipe too quickly, you'll just go to the Home screen.
- Voila! You're in the App Switcher.
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For iPads with a Home button:
- Double-press the Home button quickly.
- You'll see all your open apps appear as a series of cards, just like with the gesture-based iPads. This method is much quicker and more direct.
2.2: Swiping an App Away to Quit It
Once you're in the App Switcher, you'll see a carousel of app previews. Think of them as open windows. To quit an app:
- Locate the app you want to close. You might need to swipe left or right through the app previews to find it.
- Place your finger on the app's preview card.
- Swipe that app's card upwards off the top of the screen. It will visually "fly away."
- Congratulations! That app is now completely closed. It's no longer running in the background.
2.3: Quitting Multiple Apps (The Power User Move)
Want to clear out a bunch of apps at once? No problem! While in the App Switcher:
- You can swipe multiple apps upwards simultaneously using multiple fingers. If you have a few fingers free, try using two or three fingers to swipe away several app cards at the same time. It's surprisingly satisfying!
Step 3: Force Quitting a Frozen or Unresponsive App (When Things Get Tricky)
Sometimes an app is so badly behaved that the standard swipe-up method just isn't enough, or you can't even get to the App Switcher. This is where a force quit comes in. This method is more drastic and should generally be reserved for when an app is truly frozen or unresponsive.
3.1: The "Classic" Force Quit (for iPads with a Home Button)
If your iPad has a Home button, this is your go-to for a stubborn app:
- Press and hold the Home button and the Top (or Power) button simultaneously.
- Keep holding them until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen. This indicates your iPad is restarting.
- Release both buttons.
- Once your iPad has restarted, the problematic app will be fully closed.
3.2: The "New" Force Quit (for iPads without a Home Button)
For iPads without a Home button, the force quit procedure is a bit different:
- Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
- Immediately after, quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
- Then, press and hold the
Top (or Power) button. - Keep holding the Top button until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.
- Release the Top button.
- Your iPad will restart, and the troublesome app will be closed.
Important Note: Force quitting should be used sparingly. While it's effective for frozen apps, regularly force quitting apps isn't necessary for general performance and can, in some rare cases, slightly delay the app's next launch as it has to load everything from scratch.
Step 4: Understanding the Difference: Quitting vs. Background App Refresh
It's important to differentiate between quitting an app and simply allowing it to run in the background.
- Quitting an app (as described in Step 2) completely closes the app. It's no longer using any system resources (CPU, RAM) until you reopen it. This is what you do when an app is misbehaving or you truly want it shut down.
- Background App Refresh is an iOS feature that allows certain apps to check for new content in the background even when they're not actively open. For example, a news app might refresh its feed so that when you open it, the latest articles are already there. This is not the same as an app being fully open and running.
4.1: Managing Background App Refresh (Optional but Recommended)
If you're concerned about battery life or data usage, you can manage which apps are allowed to refresh in the background:
- Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
- Here, you can:
- Turn off Background App Refresh entirely (not recommended as it can affect app functionality).
- Select "Wi-Fi" or "Wi-Fi & Cellular Data" (if you want to control when apps refresh).
- Toggle off individual apps that you don't want refreshing in the background. Turning off Background App Refresh for an app does not quit it, but it prevents it from using resources when not actively in use.
Step 5: When to Quit an App (and When Not To)
While knowing how to quit an app is vital, understanding when to do it is equally important.
5.1: Reasons to Quit an App:
- The app is frozen or unresponsive. This is the most obvious reason.
- The app is behaving erratically (e.g., crashing repeatedly, strange visual glitches).
- You suspect the app is draining your battery excessively (you can check battery usage in Settings > Battery).
- You want to completely clear an app's memory before restarting it, especially for resource-intensive tasks like video editing or gaming.
- For privacy reasons, you want to ensure an app is no longer tracking your location or activity.
5.2: When Not to Bother Quitting Apps:
- To "save battery" under normal circumstances: iOS is very good at managing background processes. Apps in the App Switcher are often in a suspended state, using minimal resources. Constantly quitting and reopening apps can sometimes use more battery than just letting iOS manage them, as the app has to fully load each time.
- To "speed up your iPad": While clearing out a truly misbehaving app can help, habitually clearing all apps in the App Switcher is generally unnecessary and won't significantly improve your iPad's overall speed. iOS is designed to keep frequently used apps in a suspended state for quick re-launching.
By following these steps, you'll be a master of app management on your iPad, ensuring smooth performance and troubleshooting those occasional hiccups with confidence.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to quit an app that is completely frozen and unresponsive?
- Force quit the app by restarting your iPad using the hardware buttons (Volume Up + Volume Down + Power for new iPads, Home + Power for older iPads).
How to quit an app without using the Home button?
- Swipe up slowly from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle to bring up the App Switcher, then swipe the app's card upwards to quit it.
How to quit multiple apps at once on iPad?
- In the App Switcher, use two or three fingers to swipe multiple app cards upwards off the screen simultaneously.
How to check if an app is truly quit on iPad?
- Open the App Switcher. If the app's card is no longer visible, it has been successfully quit.
How to prevent apps from running in the background on iPad?
- Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle off the apps you don't want refreshing content in the background.
How to see all open apps on iPad?
- Swipe up slowly from the bottom and pause (no Home button) or double-press the Home button (with Home button) to open the App Switcher, which shows all open apps.
How to force close an app on iPad Pro?
- Quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then press and hold the Top (Power) button until the Apple logo appears.
How to improve iPad performance by quitting apps?
- Quit only apps that are misbehaving or known to be resource-intensive. Generally, regularly quitting all apps isn't necessary for performance improvement.
How to restart an app after quitting it on iPad?
- Simply tap on the app's icon on your Home screen or in your App Library to relaunch it.
How to tell if an app is draining battery after quitting it?
- If an app is fully quit using the methods above, it shouldn't be draining battery. You can check battery usage in Settings > Battery to see which apps are consuming power.