Want to close an app on your iPhone 18 Pro? You can return to the Home Screen with a simple swipe or force close an app from the App Switcher if it’s frozen or unresponsive.
Since iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max don’t have a Home button, you’ll use gestures to navigate between apps. Here’s how to close running apps, force quit an unresponsive app, or close multiple apps at once.
How to Close Apps on iPhone 18 Pro
To close an app on iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max and return to the Home Screen, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
The app will close from view, and you’ll return to the Home Screen.
However, this gesture doesn’t force quit the app. iOS may keep it suspended in the background so you can resume where you left off.
How to Force Close Apps on iPhone 18 Pro
If an app freezes, becomes unresponsive, or isn’t working properly, force closing it and reopening it may help.
Here’s how to force close an app on iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max:
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle to open the App Switcher.
- Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close.
- Swipe up on the app preview to force close it.
Force-close an app from App Switcher - Return to the Home Screen and reopen the app.
If the app still freezes after reopening, try restarting your iPhone.
If your iPhone remains unresponsive, see our guide on how to restart or force restart iPhone 18 Pro for the next troubleshooting steps.
Note: You generally don’t need to force close apps that are working normally. iOS manages background apps automatically, and force closing apps unnecessarily doesn’t improve battery life.
How to Close Multiple Apps on iPhone 18 Pro
Although iOS doesn’t have an option to close all apps at once, you can dismiss multiple app previews simultaneously using a multitouch gesture.
To close multiple apps on iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max:
- Open the App Switcher by swiping up from the bottom and pausing in the middle.
- Place two or three fingers on separate app previews.
- Swipe up with your fingers to close multiple apps at the same time.
Closing multiple apps on iPhone
You can repeat the gesture to close more apps without swiping each preview individually.
Can You Close All Apps on iPhone 18 Pro at Once?
No, iOS doesn’t provide a built-in option to close all apps on iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max at once. You can, however, swipe up on multiple app previews in the App Switcher to close several apps simultaneously.
How to Quickly Open the App Switcher on iPhone 18 Pro
If you frequently switch between apps, you can use Back Tap as a shortcut to open the App Switcher.
To set it up:
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
- Scroll down and tap Back Tap.
- Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
- Tap System and select App Switcher from the list.
Now, double-tap or triple-tap the back of your iPhone to open the App Switcher without using the swipe-up gesture.
