How to Close Apps on iPad (All Models)

Apple’s iPadOS software automatically deals with the opened apps on your iPad. When an app is opened but you aren’t using it actively, that app will remain in a suspended state and won’t drain the battery or eat up any resources. However, there can be instances when an app becomes unresponsive or isn’t performing as intended. In such cases, you should close that app on your iPad and then re-open it again to get it working. In this guide, we’ll tell you how to close apps on iPad. No matter which generation iPad you own, we’ve mentioned steps for both newer and older iPads.

How to Close Apps on iPad Without Home Button

The modern iPad lineup and the most recent models do not have a Home button. With the introduction of Face ID on iPads, they use a gesture-based interface just like iPhones. While the interface might feel slightly different on iPadOS than iOS, the core functionality is the same. Here’s how to force quit apps on iPads with a Face ID:

• From the bottom of your iPad (no matter if you’re in Portrait or Landscape mode), swipe up and pause in the middle.

• Swipe left or right to find the app you wish to close.
• Now, place your finger on the app icon and swipe it up. This will close an app on your iPad.

• Repeat the above steps for other apps you wish to close.

How to Close Apps on iPad with a Home Button

The steps to force quit apps on an iPad vary from model to model. If you own an iPad with a Home button, it’s even easier to access the app switcher and quit the opened apps on your iPad. Let me show you the steps to do it:

• Double-press the Home button on your iPad to see your recently opened apps.
• Now, swipe left or right to locate the app you want to close.
• Swipe up on the app’s preview card to close it.

How to Close All Apps on an iPad

Unfortunately, there’s no direct way to close all apps on an iPad. You have to access the App switcher and then close each app one by one. That said, there’s a super-cool iPhone trick that works for iPads too. It’s a great hack for users like me who often keep multiple apps open on their iPhones or iPads, and then get annoyed when it’s time to close them one by one. Here’s what you need to do:

• From the bottom of the screen, swipe up and pause in the middle to bring up your recently opened apps. For iPads with the Home button, simply double press the Home button to see recently opened apps.
• Now, use your three fingers to swipe up and close three apps at once on your iPad. Repeat this to close more apps.

• You can use this hack to close two, three, or more apps at once, as long as you can manage to adjust your fingers on those app preview cards.

If you’ve closed an iPad app because it wasn’t working well, you should open it and check if the issue is gone now. If closing and re-opening an app doesn’t fix the issues, you can turn off your iPad, wait for some time, and then turn it on. Just like closing apps, the steps to restart an iPad depend on which model you own. For complete steps, check out the detailed guide on how to restart any iPad model.