Closing apps on iPhone does not meaningfully save battery in most cases, and Apple's own engineers have said so publicly. Modern iPhones suspend apps automatically when you switch away from them, so they use almost no power while backgrounded. Force-closing apps can actually waste battery because restarting them from scratch uses more energy than resuming a suspended app.
Key Takeaways
- Suspended apps on iPhone consume negligible battery because the operating system pauses them automatically when you leave them.
- Force-closing an app and reopening it later requires the app to restart from scratch, which uses more battery than resuming it would have.
- Apps that drain battery are usually those running in the background intentionally—like navigation, music, or location services—not the ones sitting idle in your app switcher.
- If battery life is poor, check Settings > Battery to see which apps are actually consuming power, then disable background activity for the heavy users you do not need running constantly.
- Closing apps is harmless but unnecessary; the real battery savings come from turning off features like location, Bluetooth, and background app refresh for specific apps.
Why suspended apps use almost no power
When you open an app on iPhone and then switch to another one, iOS does not keep the first app running at full speed. Instead, it suspends the app—freezing its processes in memory so it can resume when ready when you return. A suspended app is essentially paused; it cannot execute code, refresh data, or communicate with the network unless you explicitly allow it to do so in the background.
Because suspended apps are not executing, they draw almost no battery. The power cost is limited to keeping the app's data in RAM, which is negligible compared to the cost of actually running code. This is why you can have dozens of apps in your app switcher without noticing any battery drain.
What actually happens when you force-close an app
When you swipe an app out of the app switcher, you are not saving battery—you are removing it from RAM and forcing it to fully shut down. The next time you open that app, iOS must load it from storage, initialize all its systems, and restore its state from scratch. This startup process uses more battery than straightforward resuming the app would have.
If you close an app you use regularly, you are creating extra work for your phone every time you reopen it. The battery cost of that repeated startup can exceed what the app would have consumed sitting suspended in the background.
Which apps actually drain your battery
The apps that hurt battery life are those running in the background intentionally. Navigation apps like Google Maps or Apple Maps use GPS constantly, which is power-hungry. Music and podcast apps stream data over cellular or Wi-Fi. Social media apps refresh feeds and check for notifications. Location-based apps like weather or fitness trackers request your position regularly.
You can see which apps are consuming the most power by opening Settings, tapping Battery, and selecting Battery Usage. The list shows you the percentage of battery each app has used over the last 24 hours or the last 10 days. Apps at the top of that list are the ones actually draining your phone, not the ones sitting idle in your switcher.
How to reduce battery drain from background activity
If an app is using significant battery, you have several options that actually work. Open Settings > Apps (or Settings > General > iPhone Storage, then tap the app name). Look for Background App Refresh and toggle it off for apps you do not need updating constantly. This prevents the app from checking for new data when it is not in use.
For location-heavy apps, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, tap the app, and change it from Always to While Using or Never. This stops the app from tracking your position in the background. You can also disable notifications for apps that do not need them—each notification check uses a small amount of power, and frequent notifications add up.
If an app is still draining battery after you disable background refresh and location access, and you rarely use it, uninstalling it is more effective than closing it repeatedly.
The difference between closing and disabling background activity
Closing an app (swiping it away) is temporary and harmless but pointless. The app will relaunch the next time you open it, and you have gained nothing. Disabling background app refresh is permanent and actually useful—it stops the app from waking up and consuming power when you are not using it.
Think of it this way: closing an app is like turning off your car engine every time you park. Disabling background refresh is like turning off the engine's idle-air-control system so it does not rev when you are not driving. One is pointless theater; the other is a real setting that changes behavior.
When closing apps might help (rarely)
There are narrow cases where force-closing an app can help. If an app has frozen or is behaving erratically, closing and reopening it can clear a corrupted state. If an app is actively running in the foreground and consuming power—like a game or video player—closing it stops that consumption when ready. But these are about stopping active use, not about battery savings from backgrounded apps.
If your phone is overheating and you need to cool it down quickly, closing active apps can help because you are stopping the CPU from working. But again, this is not about battery; it is about thermal management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing all my apps at night save battery while I sleep?
No. Suspended apps use almost no power overnight, so closing them provides no benefit. Your phone will use more battery the next morning reopening them than it would have by leaving them suspended. Let them stay in the switcher.
Why does my battery drain so fast if I am not using my phone?
Check Settings > Battery > Battery Usage to see which apps are consuming power. Usually it is background app refresh, location services, or mail checking. Disable background refresh for apps you do not need updating constantly, and turn off location access for apps that do not require it.
Is it bad to have a lot of apps in my app switcher?
No. The app switcher is just a visual list of recently used apps. Having many apps there does not drain battery or slow your phone. iOS manages memory automatically and will suspend or remove apps as needed.
Should I close apps before I charge my phone?
No. Closing apps before charging makes no difference to charging speed or battery health. Plug in your phone and let it charge; what is running in the background does not affect how quickly the battery fills.
Will closing apps make my iPhone faster?
Closing apps will not make your phone faster in normal use. iOS handles memory and app switching efficiently. If your phone feels slow, the issue is usually a full storage drive, too many notifications, or a background process like indexing. Restarting your phone is more effective than closing apps.