How to force quit an app on ipad

The iPad features an excellent app switcher complete with a nice look and a multitude of nice multitasking features, as well as the ability to perform critical functions like force quitting apps.

This article covers force quitting apps on any iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini, as long as it’s running a modern version of system software. We’ll show you how to force quit out of an app on the app switcher for iPad that comes with iPadOS 14, iPadOS 13, iOS 12, iOS 11, and later releases.

Obviously you’ll need to updated to a minimum of iOS 11 or later to have the new app switcher and properly follow this guide. It’s worth mentioning that forcibly quitting apps on iPad with iOS 11 follows the same general mechanics as prior versions of iOS when closing out of apps, but the interface has been redesigned, and there are now more than one way to access the app switcher too.

How to Forcibly Quit Apps on iPad with iPadOS 14, iPadOS 13, iOS 12, and iOS 11

1. Access the App Switcher in iPadOS 14 / 13 / iOS 12 / iOS 11 on iPad by either swiping up from the bottom of the screen, or by double-pressing the Home button


2. Within the app switcher, locate and identify the app(s) which you wish to forcibly quit


3. Swipe up on the app you want to quit, pushing the app preview panel off of the top of the screen to quit that app


4. Repeat with other apps to force quit if necessary
5. When finished press the Home button to return to the home screen

The brief video below demonstrates an iPad forcibly quitting apps. As you can see the app switcher is accessed, and then apps are quit by the swipe up gesture. This particular video is shown with iOS 11 but it’s the same in iPadOS 13 and later too.

If you’re force quitting an app on iPad for troubleshooting purposes, typically relaunching the app is the next step.

If a particular app is repeatedly needing to be force quit due to experiencing difficulties, it’s also a good idea to try and update the app via the App Store.

Force Quitting Multiple Apps Concurrently on iPad with App Switcher in iPadOS 13 / iOS 12 / iOS 11

You can also forcibly quit multiple apps at the same time from the app switcher in iPadOS 13 or iOS 12 or 11.

To force quit multiple apps at the same time, access the App Switcher as usual (double-tap the Home button or swipe up from the bottom of the screen via the Dock), and then tap and hold on multiple app preview panels. Then while tapping on multiple apps with multitouch, swipe up on them all together, pushing each off the top of the screen.

You can force quit multiple apps this way rapidly if need be by continuously swiping up on every app visible on the app switcher.

As you can see, force quitting apps on iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini is quite simple once you learn how. Master the technique and you’ll be glad you did.

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Sometimes, an app gets stuck on a screen or stops responding. If you force quit the app on your iPhone or iPad, it “unsticks” everything. We’ll show you how!

What Does Force Quitting Do?

When you close an app on your iPhone or iPad and go back to the Home screen, you don’t actually quit the app; it’s still running in the background. You can think of it as “pausing” the app.

If an app crashes, is stuck, or generally behaving badly, force quitting is likely the best option. This actually quits the app, and when you open it again, it loads up fresh. Any temporary issues you were experiencing with that app should be fixed.

RELATED: How to Force-Quit an Application on Any Smartphone, Computer, or Tablet

How to Force Quit Apps on an iPhone

The process of opening the App Switcher and force quitting an app on an iPhone is slightly different depending on which model you have and which version of iOS it uses.

First, let’s talk about the newer iPhones (X, XS, XS Max, XR, or later) which have the notch at the top of the screen and don’t have a Home button.

On your iPhone, stay in the troublesome app or open the one you want to force quit. Swipe up from the bottom (the Home bar) of the iPhone screen.

Hold your finger on the display as you approach the middle of the screen. When you see a preview of the app in card size, lift your finger to open the App Switcher.

You can now scroll horizontally in this interface to see all the previously opened apps. When you see the app you want to quit, swipe up on its preview. The card should disappear through the top of the display.

If you use an iPhone X that runs iOS 11, you have to tap and hold the app preview, and then tap the red “-” (minus sign) button to quit the app.

If you’re iPhone has a physical Home button, just double-press it to open the App Switcher, and then swipe up on the app preview to quit that app.

How to Force Quit Apps on an iPad

The method to force quit apps on an iPad is similar to the one for iPhone, but the interface is different.

If you have a newer iPad Pro with Face ID (that runs iOS 12, iPadOS 13, or higher), swipe up from the bottom of the screen to the middle area, hold for a second, and then let go to reveal the App Switcher.

You see a grid of previously opened apps. Find the one you want to force quit and swipe up on the preview to dismiss it.

If your iPad has a physical Home button, double-click it to open the App Switcher. If you run iOS 12 (or iPadOS 13) on an older iPad with a Home button, you can still swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the App Switcher.

After you quit the app, find it on the Home screen (or use Spotlight search to locate it), and then tap on it to open it again. The app should now work fine.

If you still have issues, try our tips to fix a crashing app. If all else fails, we recommend you restart your iPhone or iPad.

How do I close a frozen app on my iPad?

How do you force quit out of an app?