Closing apps does not meaningfully save battery on modern iPhones
Apple's operating system suspends apps you are not using, so they consume almost no power while sitting in the background. When you close an app and reopen it later, your iPhone actually uses more battery because it has to reload the app from scratch instead of resuming it from memory. The exception is an app that is actively running a task — playing music, using GPS, or recording — but closing the app switcher does not stop those tasks.
The habit of closing apps comes from older iPhones and Android devices that did not manage background processes well. Modern iPhones (iPhone 6s and newer) handle this automatically. Closing apps out of habit is not harmful, but it will not extend your battery life and may slightly shorten it.
Key Takeaways
- Suspended apps in the background use almost no battery because iOS pauses them automatically.
- Reopening a closed app uses more battery than resuming a suspended one because the phone has to reload it entirely.
- Apps that actively run tasks — GPS, music playback, video recording — do drain battery, but closing the app switcher does not stop them.
- To save battery, turn off location services, reduce screen brightness, and enable Low Power Mode instead of closing apps.
How iOS suspends apps in the background
When you switch away from an app on your iPhone, iOS when ready pauses it. The app stays in memory, but it is not executing code or accessing the processor. This is called app suspension, and it is the default state for any app you are not actively looking at.
The operating system does this to protect battery life. A paused app cannot drain power because it is not doing anything. Only apps that have permission to run specific background tasks — like a music player, a navigation app, or a fitness tracker — continue to consume power after you leave them. Even then, iOS limits how much processing they can do and how often they can check for updates.
You can see which apps are using background activity by opening Settings > General > Background App Refresh. This list shows apps that have asked permission to work in the background. You can turn off background refresh for individual apps here if you want to save battery.
Why reopening a closed app uses more battery
When you close an app by swiping it out of the app switcher, you are telling iOS to remove it from memory entirely. The next time you open that app, your iPhone has to load it fresh from storage, which takes processor power and time. A suspended app, by contrast, is already in memory and can resume when ready.
This reload process is called a cold start, and it is more battery-intensive than a warm resume. If you close and reopen the same app multiple times in a day, you are forcing your phone to do this work repeatedly. Over time, this pattern uses more battery than straightforward leaving the app suspended would have.
The difference is small for a single app, but if you close several apps throughout the day, the cumulative effect is measurable.
Apps that actually drain battery while running
Some apps continue to use significant battery even after you stop actively using them. These are apps with legitimate reasons to run in the background: music players, navigation apps, fitness trackers, and video streaming services. They drain battery because they are supposed to be working.
Closing the app switcher does not stop these apps. If Spotify is playing music in the background, swiping it away from the switcher will pause the music, but that is because you are stopping the task, not because closing the app saves battery. The app itself is not what drains power — the task is.
To stop a background task, you can either pause it within the app (like hitting pause on a music player) or turn off background refresh for that app in Settings. Closing the app switcher is a shortcut that stops the task, but it also forces a cold start the next time you open the app.
What actually saves battery on your iPhone
If you want to extend battery life, focus on these settings instead of closing apps:
- Enable Low Power Mode. Go to Settings > Battery and turn on Low Power Mode. This reduces processor speed and background activity across the system.
- Reduce screen brightness. The display is the largest battery drain on your phone. Lower brightness or enable Auto-Brightness in Settings > Display & Brightness.
- Turn off location services for apps that do not need it. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and disable it for apps like social media or news apps.
- Disable background app refresh for apps you do not need to update constantly. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn it off for individual apps.
- Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular data when you are not using them. These radios consume power even when idle.
When closing apps might make sense
Closing apps does not save battery, but there are other reasons you might want to do it. If an app is frozen or behaving strangely, closing and reopening it can fix the problem. If you want to may support an app is not running a background task you did not authorize, closing it is one way to stop it (though turning off background refresh is more reliable).
Some people close apps for privacy reasons — to make sure an app is not collecting data in the background. This is a valid concern, but the solution is to check app permissions in Settings > Privacy & Security, not to close the app switcher.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing all my apps at night help battery last longer?
No. Suspended apps use almost no battery overnight, so closing them provides no benefit. Your phone will actually use more battery the next morning when it reloads those apps from scratch. Enable Low Power Mode or turn off background app refresh if you want to preserve battery overnight.
Will closing apps make my iPhone faster?
Closing apps does not make your iPhone faster. Modern iPhones manage memory automatically, and suspended apps do not slow down the phone. If your phone feels slow, restart it or check Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see if you are running out of space.
What is the difference between closing an app and force-quitting it?
Closing an app (swiping it away) suspends it. Force-quitting (swiping up and holding, then swiping up again) removes it from memory entirely. Force-quitting is useful if an app is frozen, but it uses more battery than closing because the app has to reload next time you open it.
Can I leave my iPhone running all day without closing apps?
Yes. Suspended apps do not drain battery, so leaving them open is fine. Your battery life depends on screen time, location services, and background tasks — not on how many apps are in your switcher.
Should I turn off background app refresh for everything?
You can, but it depends on which apps you use. Turning off background refresh for email, messaging, or calendar apps means they will not update until you open them. Turn it off for apps you do not need constant updates from, like games or social media.