Many iPhone users have grown accustomed to closing all their background apps, which can become tedious, since it has to be done manually. This has left people wondering why Apple doesn’t add a Close All Apps button, similar to what you’d find on many Android devices.
Well, it’s because iOS takes a different approach to app management than Android. Apple believes users shouldn’t have to worry about battery optimization and RAM allocation. Those things should be taken care of automatically.
Android puts more of that control in the hands of developers and users. Which may sound appealing, but quickly creates confusion. Which apps are optimized to run in the background, and which will be draining the battery? Which apps will clear their RAM after becoming inactive, and which will still take up RAM despite not being used for days? It creates an inconsistent and unoptimized experience, and puts the burden of app and battery management onto users. Which is why they have to clear background apps on a regular basis, so they can be sure the battery isn’t being drained unnecessarily.
On the other hand, Apple thinks this is a ridiculous way to run your operating system. So they designed iOS to automatically clear RAM from background apps and then put them in a super low power mode, taking up virtually no battery power. Apple also forces these behaviors onto third-party apps, delivering a consistent and efficient experience for users. So if you have an iPhone and keep closing all its background apps, you’re undoing many of the efficiency benefits of iOS, and wasting more battery in the process, since apps now have to go through an energy-intense relaunching process every time they’re opened.
That’s why Apple hasn’t added a Close All Apps button on iPhone. Doing so would provide no benefit to the user. In fact, the only time you should manually close an app is if it’s unresponsive or not functioning properly.
Now I should mention that there is a benefit to Android’s approach to app management, and it has to do with multitasking. If you’ve ever went back to Safari after using other apps, you may have noticed it reload the webpage you already had open. That’s because iOS automatically emptied the RAM from that website. Android devices typically don’t do this, which means you wouldn’t have to wait on that website to reload.
So while it may be satisfying to swipe up and close all your apps, it’s not something you should do if you care about maximizing battery life.
