How To Quit Apps On the iPhone X, XR, XS and XS Max
Since the iPhone X-series models have no Home button, new users sometimes struggle with how to exit apps and get back to the Home screen. The Home indicator line at the bottom of the screen is the key to doing this. However, it is important to realize that this line is at the bottom of the screen in any orientation. So it won't appear on the right when you are playing a game in horizontal mode, but at the bottom of the screen under the game or sometimes over the graphics at the bottom of the game.
Comments: 13 Responses to “How To Quit Apps On the iPhone X, XR, XS and XS Max”
Robert
6 years ago
This pushing up slowly does not work on my iPhone X because for years I have kept all my few apps in two folders in the middle of the Dock. Closing my apps requires pushing all the way up the screen. I don't want to cover up my background picture on the screen with apps. Phone on the left & Calendar on the right. Most commonly used apps (2 pages) next to Phone and less commonly used apps (3 pages) next to Calendar.
Richard
6 years ago
I do not think this is how you quit apps on the iPhone X. The method demonstrated only pushes the current app to the background but it is still running. If you go to the switcher after pushing the current app you will see it is still there. The way you "quit" an app on iPhone X is actually two parts. One you need to push the app up and slightly left to get to the switcher. From there you "grip" the app with your finger (thumb usually) and flick it up. The app is now gone from the switcher.
Richard: I point that out in the video. Most people refer to this as "quitting" but it actually isn't. What you mean is actually force-quitting the app, which is something typical users should never have to do in practice. In fact, it can be bad as you may lose data such as your place in a game and such.
Greg
6 years ago
This also works on my iPad although there is no bar or line at the bottom. Sometimes easier than using the home button. Thanks.
Ian MacGregor
6 years ago
Gary, I've heard so much conflicting information on this. When you use an app and then swipe up the home Indicator, is the app you just exited still in RAM and using battery power? Is it suspended and not using any CPU or battery? From what I see between my Mac and iPhone (same iCloud account), exited apps on iPhone are suspended from activity.. though many people say they are still running, consuming CPU and battery.
Ian: Apps are very dynamic today in modern operating systems. It isn’t like decades ago when they would get assigned a block of memory and hold it until they are quit. In general an app that is not on screen is suspended and not using memory or processor power. But some apps will use a little bit, such as an app that tracks you bike route or streams some music. Typical users never have to force-quit apps or worry about any of this.
Lynda Farabee
6 years ago
Ahhh....video made for me! Thanks.
So I apparently I am "force quitting" my apps? Quit them using the white bar, then flick them out of switcher. This is bad? You're suggesting to just leave them in switcher area "forever."
Lynda: Force-quitting apps is unnecessary in almost all cases and could mean you lose data (game state, document progress, etc) by force-quitting. Just go to the next app.
John.P.
6 years ago
Something i might add is that if you are on one of the other app screens and you want to get back to the first one, A quick swipe up from the bottom will take you straight back there : )
Margaret B
6 years ago
Gary I have an iPhone 6S with the latest iOS. On an older iPhone (4S) Apple Shop told me to quit any Apps I had finished using by double tapping the Home Button and then swiping the resulting Apps upward. I was told this properly quit the Apps so they were not continuing to use up battery power. I have got into such a habit of doing this at regular intervals. Do I continue to do this please?
Margaret: No. There is no need to do that unless an app is misbehaving. It was a little more common years ago, but even then I wouldn't have recommended it. You can always look in Settings, Battery to see which apps are using battery and weight that against how much you are using them. But a typical user doesn't need to force-quit apps or worry about energy use details.
Lynda Farabee
6 years ago
If I'm understanding this correctly, we just let the switcher fill up with apps? Don't ever flick them away (unless the app gets wonky)?
This pushing up slowly does not work on my iPhone X because for years I have kept all my few apps in two folders in the middle of the Dock. Closing my apps requires pushing all the way up the screen. I don't want to cover up my background picture on the screen with apps. Phone on the left & Calendar on the right. Most commonly used apps (2 pages) next to Phone and less commonly used apps (3 pages) next to Calendar.
I do not think this is how you quit apps on the iPhone X. The method demonstrated only pushes the current app to the background but it is still running. If you go to the switcher after pushing the current app you will see it is still there. The way you "quit" an app on iPhone X is actually two parts. One you need to push the app up and slightly left to get to the switcher. From there you "grip" the app with your finger (thumb usually) and flick it up. The app is now gone from the switcher.
Richard: I point that out in the video. Most people refer to this as "quitting" but it actually isn't. What you mean is actually force-quitting the app, which is something typical users should never have to do in practice. In fact, it can be bad as you may lose data such as your place in a game and such.
This also works on my iPad although there is no bar or line at the bottom. Sometimes easier than using the home button. Thanks.
Gary, I've heard so much conflicting information on this. When you use an app and then swipe up the home Indicator, is the app you just exited still in RAM and using battery power? Is it suspended and not using any CPU or battery? From what I see between my Mac and iPhone (same iCloud account), exited apps on iPhone are suspended from activity.. though many people say they are still running, consuming CPU and battery.
Ian: Apps are very dynamic today in modern operating systems. It isn’t like decades ago when they would get assigned a block of memory and hold it until they are quit. In general an app that is not on screen is suspended and not using memory or processor power. But some apps will use a little bit, such as an app that tracks you bike route or streams some music. Typical users never have to force-quit apps or worry about any of this.
Ahhh....video made for me! Thanks.
So I apparently I am "force quitting" my apps? Quit them using the white bar, then flick them out of switcher. This is bad? You're suggesting to just leave them in switcher area "forever."
Lynda: Force-quitting apps is unnecessary in almost all cases and could mean you lose data (game state, document progress, etc) by force-quitting. Just go to the next app.
Something i might add is that if you are on one of the other app screens and you want to get back to the first one, A quick swipe up from the bottom will take you straight back there : )
Gary I have an iPhone 6S with the latest iOS. On an older iPhone (4S) Apple Shop told me to quit any Apps I had finished using by double tapping the Home Button and then swiping the resulting Apps upward. I was told this properly quit the Apps so they were not continuing to use up battery power. I have got into such a habit of doing this at regular intervals. Do I continue to do this please?
Margaret: No. There is no need to do that unless an app is misbehaving. It was a little more common years ago, but even then I wouldn't have recommended it. You can always look in Settings, Battery to see which apps are using battery and weight that against how much you are using them. But a typical user doesn't need to force-quit apps or worry about energy use details.
If I'm understanding this correctly, we just let the switcher fill up with apps? Don't ever flick them away (unless the app gets wonky)?
Lynda: Right. That's how the vast majority of people use iOS. It is designed for that.