When it comes to managing apps on an iPhone, most of us are guilty of frequently swiping them away to “close” them.
It’s a common belief that doing so saves battery life and improves performance. However, an Apple employee recently shared a surprising revelation that completely challenges this notion.
The Shocking Advice From an Apple Employee
This eye-opening advice came to light after a TikToker named Fordy Lip Sync shared his experience in an Apple store on April 17, 2025.
He explained how he was troubleshooting his iPhone when he asked the technician about closing apps, only to be met with a response that left him “mind blown.”
As Fordy recalled, the Apple employee told him: “Don’t close your apps”. The employee’s reasoning? Closing apps uses more battery and more data.
According to the technician, when you close an app, it doesn’t just disappear from your phone; instead, your device expends energy to reload and reopen it when you access it again. In fact, the technician further advised: “Just swipe away from them. Leave them open. They just freeze them.”
This was news to Fordy, who had always assumed that closing apps was the key to keeping his phone in good working order. But, as the technician explained, apps don’t truly “close” when you swipe them away.
Instead, they enter a suspended or frozen state, where they’re not using any active system resources.
How Does Leaving Apps Open Save Power?
According to UNILAD, it turns out that when you swipe apps away, you’re not freeing up as much power or resources as you might think.
Apps that appear in the “recently used” list aren’t actually using your phone’s resources. Instead, they’re in a standby mode, ready to be opened quickly without consuming significant power.
This is why Apple’s own support forum has clarified that “When your recently used apps appear, the apps aren’t open, but they’re in standby mode to help you navigate and multitask.”
“Every time you close your apps, it uses data and battery to open them back up again,” the Apple employee explained.
For this reason, you’re better off simply leaving apps in their frozen state, where they’re not actively using any resources.
Is This Advice Really Accurate?
One user, for instance, commented, “But my phone doesn’t feel clean then.” Others pointed out how visually unappealing it is to see multiple apps open.
On the other hand, some users have backed up the Apple employee’s claim, stating that they leave apps open regularly without experiencing any performance issues. One user remarked, “I always leave my apps open and also have 410 tabs open on safari. My phone works fine.”
Another one, a former Apple employee, confirmed that the advice was correct, pointing out that “Work for a network and confirm it doesn’t use more power or data.”
Apple’s Official Stance
Apple itself has also weighed in on the issue. In the company’s discussion forum, they further explain that recently used apps are not using up system resources. Instead, they are in a suspended state, ready to be quickly reopened.
Apple advises that you should only force-close apps if they are unresponsive. “Apps fall into a sort of suspended state where they aren’t actively in use, open or taking up system resources.”
Leave Your Apps Open, But Don’t Overdo It
The consensus seems to be that leaving apps open isn’t harmful and may even be beneficial for your phone’s performance.
However, that doesn’t mean you should go overboard. While there’s no harm in leaving a few apps open, it’s still a good idea to force-close apps that are unresponsive or causing issues.
The bottom line? “Just swipe away from them. Leave them open.” Apps in standby mode aren’t draining your battery or data, and keeping them in this frozen state means you won’t waste energy reopening them each time.
