Does Closing Apps Save Battery Life On Android And Iphone

Many smartphone users believe that swiping away background apps regularly helps preserve battery life. It’s a common habit: after using a messaging app or checking social media, people instinctively return to the home screen and swipe up to “close” the app. But does this actually help? Or is it a myth perpetuated by outdated advice and misunderstanding of how modern operating systems work? The truth is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Understanding how iOS and Android manage apps in the background—and what truly drains your battery—can help you make smarter decisions about device usage.

How Modern Smartphones Handle Background Apps

Both Android and iOS are designed with sophisticated memory and power management systems. When you press the home button or swipe an app out of the recent apps list, the app doesn’t necessarily keep running—it often enters a suspended or inactive state. In this state, it consumes minimal resources and uses almost no battery.

On **iOS**, when you switch away from an app, it moves through several states: active, inactive, background, and finally suspended. A suspended app remains in RAM but isn’t actively using CPU or network resources. It can be quickly resumed when reopened. Apple’s system automatically terminates apps from memory when space is needed, so keeping apps open in the background doesn’t clog your phone indefinitely.

Similarly, **Android** uses a lifecycle model where apps transition between foreground, background, paused, and stopped states. Modern versions of Android (especially Android 6.0 and later) aggressively manage background processes. Apps in the background may be restricted from running services, accessing location, or syncing data unless explicitly allowed by the user or system policies like Doze mode.

In both cases, merely having an app appear in the recent apps list doesn’t mean it’s draining your battery. What matters is whether the app is actively performing tasks like playing audio, tracking location, refreshing content, or syncing data.

Tip: Closing apps manually only saves battery if the app is misbehaving and actively consuming resources in the background.

The Myth of “Closing Apps to Save Battery”

The idea that closing all background apps improves battery life stems from early smartphones with limited RAM and poor multitasking capabilities. On those devices, having too many apps open could slow performance and increase power use. Today’s devices are far more efficient.

When you force-close an app and then reopen it, the system has to reload it entirely from storage into memory. This process—called a cold start—uses more CPU power and energy than resuming a suspended app. In other words, frequently closing apps might actually worsen battery life over time due to repeated reloading.

Apple has long maintained this stance. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of product marketing, once stated:

“Closing apps isn’t necessary and doesn’t help battery life. In fact, it can make things worse because relaunching apps uses more power.” — Greg Joswiak, Apple

Google has echoed similar guidance for Android. The Android development team emphasizes that the operating system is built to optimize app lifecycle management without user intervention.

What Actually Drains Your Smartphone Battery?

If closing apps isn’t the solution, what should you focus on instead? Real battery drain comes from active processes and hardware components. Here are the top culprits:

• Screen brightness and display time: The display is typically the largest power consumer. Higher brightness and longer screen-on time directly reduce battery life.
• Location services: Apps constantly accessing GPS, even in the background, can significantly impact battery.
• Network activity: Poor cellular signal forces the phone to work harder to maintain connection. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 5G also consume power when active.
• Background app refresh and push notifications: Some apps regularly sync data or check for updates, especially email, social media, and weather apps.
• Audio and video playback: Streaming music or video, especially over cellular networks, uses substantial energy.
• Sensor usage: Fitness trackers, augmented reality apps, and motion detection features keep sensors active, drawing continuous power.

These factors have a much greater impact on battery life than the mere presence of an app in the recent apps list.

When Closing Apps *Does* Help Battery Life

There are specific scenarios where closing an app can indeed improve battery performance—particularly when an app is malfunctioning or poorly optimized.

For example, a navigation app might continue tracking your location even after you’ve closed it, either due to a bug or because it’s designed to provide turn-by-turn directions in the background. Similarly, a social media app might get stuck in a loop, repeatedly trying (and failing) to upload a video, causing excessive CPU and network usage.

In such cases, force-closing the app stops the rogue process and prevents further drain. You’ll know an app is misbehaving if:

• Your phone feels warm in one specific area (often near the processor).
• Battery usage in settings shows unusually high consumption by a single app.
• The app continues to run background tasks long after you’ve stopped using it.

Force-closing becomes a troubleshooting step rather than a routine habit.

How to Identify Battery-Hungry Apps

Both platforms provide detailed battery usage reports:

1. On iPhone: Go to Settings > Battery. You’ll see a list of apps sorted by battery usage over the last 24 hours or 10 days. Look for apps with high background activity.
2. On Android: Navigate to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage. Tap on an app to see foreground vs. background consumption.

If an app consistently shows high background usage without justification (e.g., a calculator app using 30% of your battery), it may be faulty or malicious. Consider uninstalling or updating it.

Practical Tips to Maximize Battery Life

Rather than obsessing over closing apps, adopt these proven strategies to extend battery life:

Tip: Enable auto-brightness to let your phone adjust screen brightness based on ambient light, saving significant power.

Action	Impact	Platform
Reduce screen timeout	Prevents unnecessary screen-on time	Both
Disable background app refresh for non-essential apps	Reduces background data and CPU use	iOS & Android
Turn off Location Services for apps that don’t need it	Eliminates constant GPS polling	Both
Use Wi-Fi instead of cellular data when possible	Wi-Fi is generally more power-efficient	Both
Enable Low Power Mode (iOS) or Battery Saver (Android)	Temporarily limits background activity and visual effects	Both

Mini Case Study: Sarah’s Unexpected Battery Drain

Sarah, a freelance photographer, noticed her iPhone battery dropping from 70% to 20% in just two hours while she was editing photos. She didn’t make any calls or stream videos. After checking her battery usage, she found that a weather app was responsible for nearly 40% of the drain—even though she hadn’t opened it all day.

Upon investigation, she discovered the app had a bug that caused it to refresh every 30 seconds and access location continuously. She force-closed the app and disabled its background refresh in Settings. The next day, her battery lasted 30% longer under similar usage. The fix wasn’t about routinely closing apps—it was about identifying and stopping a problematic one.

Step-by-Step Guide to Optimize App Behavior and Battery Life

Follow this sequence to ensure your phone runs efficiently without unnecessary battery waste:

1. Check battery usage: Open Settings and review which apps are consuming the most power.
2. Identify background offenders: Look for apps with high background usage that don’t justify it (e.g., games, utilities).
3. Restrict background activity: On iOS, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and disable it for non-essential apps. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Battery and select “Restricted.”
4. Manage location permissions: Disable “Always” access for apps that don’t need constant location (e.g., set to “While Using” or “Never”).
5. Update apps regularly: Developers often release patches to fix battery-draining bugs.
6. Restart your phone weekly: This clears temporary glitches and resets misbehaving processes.
7. Use built-in battery-saving modes: Enable them during heavy usage or travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I close all apps every night before bed?

No. Closing apps nightly offers no meaningful benefit and may slightly reduce battery life due to increased reloads. Instead, rely on your phone’s built-in power management and focus on disabling unnecessary background features.

Why does my battery drain overnight even when I’m not using my phone?

Overnight drain is usually caused by background app refresh, push notifications, or location services. Check battery usage in the morning to identify the culprit. Enabling Airplane Mode or Do Not Disturb with connectivity off can prevent this.

Does restarting my phone save battery?

Restarting doesn’t directly save battery, but it can resolve software issues that cause abnormal drain. Think of it as a maintenance task, not a daily necessity.

Conclusion: Work With Your Phone, Not Against It

Closing apps manually is largely ineffective and often counterproductive. Modern Android and iPhone operating systems are engineered to manage app states efficiently, suspending unused apps and terminating them when needed. Your best strategy is to trust the system—but stay vigilant for apps that misbehave.

Instead of swiping away every app, invest time in configuring settings that truly matter: background refresh, location access, screen brightness, and battery saver modes. These adjustments deliver measurable improvements without disrupting your workflow.

Smartphone batteries are finite, but with informed habits, you can maximize their daily performance. Let go of outdated myths, embrace the intelligence built into your device, and focus on what really powers longevity.

💬 Have you noticed a difference after changing your app-closing habits? Share your experience or tips in the comments below—your insight could help others optimize their device usage!