Is there an app that turns off apps running in background?

No, there is no such app nor need of one.

See this article for further explanation:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4211

Best of luck.

The vast majority of apps cannot and do not run in the background. For more info on Multitasking...

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4211

http://whenwillapple.com/blog/2010/04/19/iphone-os-4-multitasking-explained-agai n/

http://www.macworld.com/article/1164616/how_ios_multitasking_really_works.html

http://speirs.org/blog/2012/1/2/misconceptions-about-ios-multitasking.html

Well I believe there is a need for one.

An app called SYS Activity Manager (and reportedly, other similar apps too) shows camera running in background.

I can receive emails, VoIP calls and texts, updates from my city's transit service app and they don't even show in the double tap menu. Some of them happen even without notification for them turned off. Lord knows how many other apps run like that.

So yes, for some of us who run their phones on something called "battery" and "wireless data", there is a serious NEED for viewing what apps are running in background and a way to pick and close them.

As a new iPhone4 owner, I too have been looking for a way to close all of the apps that are running in the background. It seems the more apps I download, the shorter my battery life gets.

I found SEVERAL websites that explain how to turn off all of the apps that are running in the background.

http://www.theiphonemom.com/how-to-turn-off-apps/

http://www.wikihow.com/Close-iPhone,-iPad-and-iPod-Touch-Apps

When I followed these instuctions on TheiPhoneMom's website, I was amazed at all of the apps that seemed to be running! Camera, Videos, Photos, eBay, Clock, Calender, Calculator and on and on.... No wonder my battery was running down after about 8 hours!

• Tap the home button twice.
• At the bottom of the screen you’ll see a row app icons. These are the apps that are running. Slide your finger to move forward or backward through the apps. Chances are you’ll have more than the four that first show up.
• Touch one of the app icon’s and hold your finger on it until they all start wiggling. A small red circle will appear at the top left of the icon.
• Tap on the red circle and the app icon will disappear. The app is now no longer running in the background.
• When you’re done shutting things down tap the home button and the apps will stop wiggling.
• Tap the home button again to return to your home screen.
• These steps will work even if you are currently using an app. In other words, you don’t have to be on the home screen to bring up the row of running apps.

I just did this "tweak" so I'll have to see how well it really effects my battery life. I'm hoping for the best...

Excuse me for saying so, but it seems like most of you responders didn't understand the question or work for Apple. The original question was "how do I turn off apps running in the background or is there an app that does that" and your response was "no there isn't one and you don't need it!". I've been working with Windows based computers for the last 20+ years and this is my first iPhone4 after purchasing an iPod Touch, so I'm not computer stupid, maybe just Apple niave. Basically, you are telling us we are a bunch of idiots for even asking.. Check out the links above and yes, you CAN turn off all of the apps that are running in the background.

I normally don't sign up for websites because I know it get's into a debate and degrades into nothing that had to do with the original topic, but some of these replies show me the arrogants of the responders or the lack of understanding to the original (and following) questions.

Flame me all you want....

iPhone4user

If you have twenty or so running (not exceptional for kids playing with the iPhone): just turn off the iPhone (with the Power button and slider), then turn on.

iPhone4user2014 wrote:

Excuse me for saying so, but it seems like most of you responders didn't understand the question or work for Apple. The original question was "how do I turn off apps running in the background or is there an app that does that" and your response was "no there isn't one and you don't need it!". I've been working with Windows based computers for the last 20+ years and this is my first iPhone4 after purchasing an iPod Touch, so I'm not computer stupid, maybe just Apple niave. Basically, you are telling us we are a bunch of idiots for even asking.. Check out the links above and yes, you CAN turn off all of the apps that are running in the background.

No, we're not telling you you're idiots for asking. We're telling you that this is not a Windows computer, that what you think you should be doing based on your Windows experience is not correct. And personally, I'm more inclined to believe what Apple says about how their devices work than random answers on Wikihow.

However, you my believe what you wish and use your device in the way you see fit. If you want to spend your time deleting apps from the Recents tray (which is what you're doing, not necessarily closing out running apps), it's your time to spend.

Best of luck.

In Windows you can not stop drivers, and other system software components that run to keep the system going, you are getting problems doing that. You can stop running applications. That you can do in iOS and OSX, not running internal system pieces of software. Like Meg says.

Thank you of cource there is a need for an auto turn off for apps have you ever found your battery almnost dead due to mapquest or safari running all night who checks their double tap every 15 minutes.?

We all know how to turn them off but we are himan and don't always dig and search under the screen for running programs... The iphone turn off is weak at best and a pian to use. Options should be available for running mapquest on long trips and forgetting about a safari google search away fro wifi.

Have you read any of this thread at all? iOS APPS DO NOT RUN CONTINUOUSLY IN THE BACKGROUND!!!

Read, digest and understand this: http://speirs.org/blog/2012/1/2/misconceptions-about-ios-multitasking.html

Or even read what Apple themselves say: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4211

jamesdaddio wrote:

who checks their double tap every 15 minutes.?

Take some personal responsibility.

Do you check to make sure the gas cap of your car is firmly closed?

Do you check to make sure that there's no traffic coming before you pull out of a parking space?

Do you check to make sure you have your wallet before you leave the house?

Do I need to go on?

Get in the habit. It's actually just as easy to close out apps manually as it is to launch an app, and then tell the app to close other apps... if you've been closing them regularly.

jamesdaddio wrote:

who checks their double tap every 15 minutes.?

Close out your navigation app when you reach your destination. Most of them have an "End" button to stop them from using up battery. Other than that, don't worry about it. Nothing is going on there that has any serious impact on your battery. Safari searches take seconds.

Let's regroup for just a moment. LadtTxn's original question was "Is there an app that turns off apps running in the background?" She asked about an iPhone 5 and I realize I "only" have an iPhone 4. I would assume that her question concerned battery life... That's how I got here.

Some of you have said, "The vast majority of apps cannot and do not run in the background", "No, there is no such app nor need of one", "Well, you can't and you don't need to on iOS", and then snozdop shouts out" iOS APPS DO NOT RUN CONTINUOUSLY IN THE BACKGROUND!!!" Multi-Tasking, drivers and other things, that in my opinion, really have nothing to do with the original question, are also brought up. Even jamesdaddio says, "have you ever found your battery almnost dead due to mapquest or safari running all night..." So I would assume (you know what that gets me) that the question is about battery life...

Well, I did the "tweak" that I found on TheiPhoneMom's website, which I posted before.

• Tap the home button twice.
• At the bottom of the screen you’ll see a row app icons. These are the apps that are running. Slide your finger to move forward or backward through the apps. Chances are you’ll have more than the four that first show up.
• Touch one of the app icon’s and hold your finger on it until they all start wiggling. A small red circle will appear at the top left of the icon.
• Tap on the red circle and the app icon will disappear. The app is now no longer running in the background.
• When you’re done shutting things down tap the home button and the apps will stop wiggling.
• Tap the home button again to return to your home screen.
• These steps will work even if you are currently using an app. In other words, you don’t have to be on the home screen to bring up the row of running apps.

Meg St._Clair replied' "If you want to spend your time deleting apps from the Recents tray (which is what you're doing, not necessarily closing out running apps), it's your time to spend." Which relates to my "Windows based" mind as, "you can clear out you Recently Visited Documents but it will have no effect on the performance of your computer". Absolutely true! But clearing out the History, cache and Temp files on a Windows computer sure does!

Anyway, I did the "tweak" above Saturday morning. Monday night was my first "day" back at work. After eight and a half hours at work, my iPhone still had half reading on the battery meter! That was after seven and a half hours listening to internet music and an hour watching vids on YouTube at breaks and lunch. Normally, at about the six or six and a half hour mark, my battery was in the "red" and needed to be recharged.

So you can say what you want, but there IS a need to turn off all of the apps that run in the background and drain your battery power. Now all you "experts" can Myth Buster me and tell me I didn't do my test right, but if my battery last twice as long as it did before....

"who checks their double tap every 15 minutes.?" I might from now on....

And Meg, where is that "End" button to stop them from using up battery." (???) Still haven't found it.....

So called experts...

iPhone4user2014

I didn't say that every app had an end button. I was specifically referring to navigation apps. Everyone I've used has an End Navigation or Exit navigation button or menu item. That is sufficient to stop them from using up battery in the back ground (and periodically telling you to make the next legal u-turn).

I'm so glad to see there people like TJ that take such personal responsibility for their apps and gas caps however we presently live in a world where we are inundated with multi tasking and immediate access. Apple has explained that apps will not continue to run however I seem to find safari or music always running in the background I guess artists are prone to personal irresponsibility if that is what phones have come down to and maybe that is why we have jail break.

I was refering to data time not battery life being used. If you are using say google maps on a trip or left safari on after a search on google and you are driving on this trip without wifi you are using data time ..