How to Switch Apps and Force Quit Apps on iPad

Introduction

As you use your iPad throughout the day, it’s common to open multiple apps and move between them frequently. Knowing how to quickly switch between open apps—and how to properly close them when needed—can make your iPad feel faster and easier to manage. Understanding the difference between switching apps and quitting apps is especially important, since they serve different purposes.

Switching Between Apps

The iPad is designed to let you move between apps quickly without closing them. This makes multitasking smoother, especially when you’re going back and forth between things like Mail, Safari, and Notes. When you switch apps, the app you leave stays open in the background, allowing you to return right where you left off. This is ideal for everyday use and is how the iPad is meant to be used most of the time.

Being comfortable with app switching helps you work more efficiently and reduces the need to constantly reopen apps. It’s one of the most important navigation skills to master on the iPad.

Quitting Apps

Quitting an app is different from simply switching away from it. In most cases, apps do not need to be closed manually, as iPadOS manages memory automatically. However, there are times when quitting an app makes sense—such as when an app becomes unresponsive or isn’t behaving correctly.

Knowing how to properly quit an app gives you a simple troubleshooting step when something doesn’t seem right. It’s also helpful to understand that quitting apps routinely is not necessary and does not improve performance or battery life in normal use.

Wrap Up

Switching between apps and knowing when to quit them are basic skills that can greatly improve your experience on the iPad. By understanding how apps stay open in the background and when it’s appropriate to close them, you’ll use your iPad more confidently and efficiently. These small habits help keep everything running smoothly as you move from task to task.