How to Restart an App on iPhone

To restart an app on an iPhone, open the app switcher, swipe the problem app off the screen, and then open the app again. Force-closing removes the app from active use, while reopening it starts a fresh app session.

This process can fix a frozen screen, buttons that do not respond, content that will not load, or an app that behaves unexpectedly.

How do you restart an app on iPhone?

The quick answer to “how to restart an app on iPhone” is to close the app from the app switcher and reopen it from the Home Screen or App Library. The app switcher is the screen that shows recently used apps as cards.

1. Open the app switcher. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe up from the bottom edge and pause near the middle of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, quickly press the Home button twice.
2. Swipe left or right until you find the app that is frozen or not working correctly.
3. Swipe the app’s preview card upward until it disappears.
4. Return to the Home Screen or open the App Library.
5. Tap the app to open it again.

If you searched for “how to restart app in iPhone” or “how to restart an iPhone app,” these are the steps you need. You normally do not need to close every other app.

Is restarting an app different from restarting the iPhone?

Restarting an app closes and reopens one app. Restarting the iPhone turns the entire device off and back on, which also refreshes system processes and connections.

• Restart the app first when only one app is frozen, slow, or showing an error.
• Restart the iPhone when several apps are affected, the app switcher will not respond, or parts of the phone interface are also frozen.
• Try both when the problem returns immediately after the app is reopened.

Closing an app does not restart the iPhone, and returning to the Home Screen does not necessarily close the app. You must swipe its preview away in the app switcher to force-close it.

What should you do if the app will not close or restart?

If the app switcher is unresponsive, wait briefly and try the correct gesture again. Start the upward swipe at the very bottom edge on an iPhone with Face ID, then pause rather than lifting your finger immediately.

If the screen does not react anywhere, restart the iPhone using the controls for your model. If the normal power controls do not respond, use Apple’s force-restart instructions for that iPhone model. A force restart reboots the phone; it does not erase your apps or account data.

If the app closes but freezes again as soon as it opens, check whether other apps and websites work. That distinction helps show whether the problem is limited to the app or involves the phone’s connection.

What should you do when an iPhone app keeps crashing?

An app that repeatedly closes by itself is crashing. If restarting the app does not stop the crashes, work through these steps in order:

1. Open the App Store, select your account icon, and check whether an update is available for the affected app.
2. Restart the iPhone, then test the app again.
3. Confirm that the iPhone has free storage available in Settings.
4. Offload the app through iPhone Storage settings. Offloading removes the app itself but keeps its stored documents and data for later reinstallation.
5. Reinstall the offloaded app and test it.
6. If offloading does not help, delete and reinstall the app only after confirming that important information is synced or backed up and that you know how to sign in again.

Deleting an app can remove information stored only on the device. Have your account details and any required verification method ready before reinstalling.

How do you restart an app on different iPhone models?

The answer to “how to restart an app iPhone” depends mainly on whether the iPhone has a Home button. The force-close action is otherwise the same.

• On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe upward from the bottom edge and pause in the middle. Find the app preview and swipe it upward.
• On an iPhone with a Home button, quickly press the Home button twice. Find the app preview and swipe it upward.

After the preview disappears, open the app again from its icon. If the app switcher does not appear, repeat the gesture more slowly or make sure both Home button presses are quick.

What does it mean when restarting the app does not fix the problem?

Restarting may not help when the problem is connected to an account, the app provider’s servers, or the internet connection rather than the app session itself.

• An account issue is more likely if the app opens normally but rejects a password, asks repeatedly for verification, or shows an account restriction.
• A server issue is more likely if the app reports an outage, maintenance, or unavailable service and other users are reporting the same problem.
• A connection issue is more likely if several apps cannot load online content or the same action fails on both Wi-Fi and cellular service.

Read the exact error message before taking another step. Try signing in through the provider’s official site only if that service offers browser access. Do not repeatedly reset a password when the error says the service is unavailable.

Where can you get help if the app remains broken?

Check the app provider’s official status page or support section for a current outage or known problem. Open {site} if the page is associated with the affected service, then look for Help, Support, Service Status, or Contact Us.

Before contacting support, note the app name, what you were doing when it failed, the exact error message, and which troubleshooting steps you tried. Do not send a password, one-time verification code, or full payment-card number.

If several unrelated apps or the iPhone interface remain unresponsive after a device restart, use Apple Support. If only one app fails and no outage is listed, contact that app’s support team through its official support channel.