Q: Closing Apps on Apple Watch

If you have a frozen or wonky app, or just want to close an app to save battery life because it's an app that is constantly using location services or something, you can force it to close by opening it, holding in the side button until you see the Power Options.  Release the button and then press it again and it will close the app and go back to the icons.

Copied from a Macworld article and tested too:

Start by opening the app you want to close – we realise that sounds like a crazy statement, but since there is no way of double tapping to see which apps are still running in the background you will have to open it first.

Once the app is on your Watch screen press and hold the side button below the Digital Crown for a few seconds. The next screen you see features buttons for Power Off, Power Reserve and Lock Device. When you see this screen press and hold the side button again until you see the app you were running disappear and be replaced by the home screen. 

The inability to close an app becomes more significant when the app keeps the watch's heart rate monitor lights on constantly.  Runkeeper's new apple watch OS2 app has a stop button that rarely works, so you can spend hours trying to get the run to end.  Unless you end the run, the watch’s green lights stay on.  This happens even if you take off the watch (which you often do when trying to get the app to stop recording at the end of a run).  The lights stay on even if you are in a darkened room or a movie theater.  I care less about the power consumption (from the green lights and GPS function) than the fact that my watch now disturbs people around me.  Worse yet, I often don’t see the problem because my arm is down and the watch facing away from my body, so don’t just turn the watch off.

While I tend to be a bit of an Apple fanboy, the Chernobylesque philosophy that has all the early commenters asking "why would you ever need to close an app?", rather than saying that there is no way to close an app, makes this support stream much less useful.  Even a fanboy should remember that, even though Apple programmers are the best and never make mistakes, they let third parties create apps.  Accordingly, there should be some safety measures in case those third parties create an app that needs to be closed (like Runkeeper's app).

Swut wrote:

 

all the early commenters asking "why would you ever need to close an app?", rather than saying that there is no way to close an app, makes this support stream much less useful.

Very often, asking "Why?" enables us to give better answers. Or to answer the real question underlying what the person actually wrote. Often, people posting here don't have enough knowledge to ask the correct question. A very good example is the surprisingly oft asked, "How do I get rid of a virus on my phone?" Asking "Why do you think you have a virus?" is much more productive than simply saying that there aren't any to get rid of. And, for the record, the fact that there is no way to close the apps was, in fact, stated once the situation became clear.

But, please, if you think you have a better way of answering people's questions, do so. Everyone would be glad of the help. You've certainly lurked long enough to have gotten the lay of the land.

There actually is a way... so you're wrong Meg St. Clair of course apple will put a force close feature into their tech.

If you go to an app that you want to close hold down the bottom button to get the shut down menu, then release the button then hold it down again whilst in that menu for 3 seconds and that app you were in will force close down...

just do not do it frequently as Meg was right about one thing.... There really is no need to close any apps as if you are having battery life problems it is impossible that it is due to an over running app....

most likely to be battery damage ... you should only force close an app if it is frozen or bugging out.

Thanks for providing the real answer to the original question.

Because it saves battery life and makes you Iphone run better the more apps that are open the slower the phone gets and starts to get buggy so there is every need to close your apps when done with them

<Edited by Host>

xUKx 5TING3R wrote:

 

Because it saves battery life and makes you Iphone run better the more apps that are open the slower the phone gets and starts to get buggy so there is every need to close your apps when done with them think ..

A couple of articles that you may find of interest:

"Apple’s software SVP says quitting multitasking apps not necessary, won’t offer improved battery life":

http://9to5mac.com/2016/03/10/should-you-quit-ios-apps-answer/

http://www.wired.com/2016/03/closing-apps-save-battery-makes-things-worse/

xUKx 5TING3R wrote:

 

Because it saves battery life and makes you Iphone run better the more apps that are open the slower the phone gets and starts to get buggy so there is every need to close your apps when done with them think you might want to own an iPhone for abit longer before you give out crap advice

The advice that Meg has provided is not "crap advice" as you call it.  Force closing apps does not save battery life, and actually makes you use more when you open the app again. The app is no longer open and/or running in the background. It is more of a task switcher which will allow you to open an app faster as it is suspended in the background. It is only necessary for force close an app is if it is malfunctioning. I've never routinely force closed apps, and I've had iPhones since the first one. Meg is a long time iPhone owner/user as well, and her advice is highly respected here, as witnessed by her points, which can only be awarded when users find her advice to solve their issues. You might want to study up on the use of the device yourself.

Actully with an iPhone it does my partner never closes them and her iphone battery doesn't last aslong as mine when I close my apps after finishing with them and as for force closing them if you have a samsung you have a little app bit that tells you the active apps and has a close button so closing then when there not in use is not force closing force closing would be when your phone freezes and you have to hold the lock button and home button together it does complete save battery you can ask anyone who has had more than one iPhone just the same as clearing the notification and turning the phone off help stop it from being buggy so come back when you've owned an iPhone since the first one

xUKx 5TING3R wrote:

 

Actully with an iPhone it does my partner never closes them and her iphone battery doesn't last aslong as mine when I close my apps after finishing with them and as for force closing them if you have a samsung you have a little app bit that tells you the active apps and has a close button so closing then when there not in use is not force closing force closing would be when your phone freezes and you have to hold the lock button and home button together it does complete save battery you can ask anyone who has had more than one iPhone just the same as clearing the notification and turning the phone off help stop it from being buggy so come back when you've owned an iPhone since the first one

The fact that her battery does not last as long as yours could be do to any number of factors. But, it's almost certain that none of them is the fact that you "close" your apps.

There also seems to be something wrong with the keyboard your using to type your posts. None of your punctuation is working, making your post almost incomprehensible.

xUKx 5TING3R wrote:

 

Actully with an iPhone it does my partner never closes them and her iphone battery doesn't last aslong as mine when I close my apps after finishing with them and as for force closing them if you have a samsung you have a little app bit that tells you the active apps and has a close button so closing then when there not in use is not force closing force closing would be when your phone freezes and you have to hold the lock button and home button together it does complete save battery you can ask anyone who has had more than one iPhone just the same as clearing the notification and turning the phone off help stop it from being buggy so come back when you've owned an iPhone since the first one

Wow, for someone who so sure of themselves you certainly don't make a strong argument.

You're saying your friend uses the EXACT same applications for the EXACT length of time and travels EXACTLY in your footsteps all day long?  Not to mention you both are on the phone at the EXACT same place for the EXACT length of time?  Incredible!

Oh and is it safe to assume you both bought the EXACT same phone, at the EXACT same time, from the EXACT same manufacturing lot?

Now if you respond to "well not exactly ...." to any one of those conditions then your argument starts to loose face.  Are you beginning to see how many unknown variables there are in your statement? 

Do you understand why you haven't convinced us you know more than the engineers that designed and built the product?  (As others have provided links to in this thread.)