The Myth That Costs You Battery

Closing all open applications from the iPhone multitasking view is one of the most widespread habits among users trying to extend their device battery life. However, Apple has officially confirmed that this practice not only fails to help, but can actually produce the opposite effect.

According to the company, iOS automatically manages applications running in the background, keeping them in a suspended state that consumes minimal system resources. Constantly swiping them away from multitasking offers no real advantage for performance or battery duration.

Why Does It Consume More Battery?

The problem arises when those applications are reopened. Each restart forces the system to reload all necessary processes for operation, a task that demands significantly more processor work and, consequently, greater energy consumption.

For international readers: The multitasking view on iPhone (accessed by swiping up from the bottom edge on newer models, or double-pressing the home button on older devices) shows all recently used apps. Many users habitually swipe these away, believing it improves performance—a practice Apple now discourages.

Apple Official Recommendation

The company recommends force-closing an application only when it presents errors, freezes, or stops responding correctly. Outside those situations, the operating system is designed to manage apps efficiently without requiring manual user intervention.

The belief that closing applications frees up memory or improves performance remains one of the most extended among iPhone users worldwide. Nevertheless, iOS already performs this management automatically, optimizing available resources to avoid unnecessary energy expenditure throughout the day.