It’s a debate that has raged for years. Does quitting iPhone apps in multi-tasking view save system memory and conserve battery life?
Most up-on-this-kinda-think folks say no, yet many of us still swipe off dozens of open apps in a forlorn attempt to keep an iPhone going throughout the day and beyond.
Now Apple’s iOS boss Craig Federighi has offered a definitive verdict on the matter, after a customer sent an email to his boss Tim Cook.
A 9to5Mac reader called Caleb contacted the CEO asking: “Do you quit your iOS multitasking apps frequently and is this necessary for battery life? Just wanted put this controversy to rest!”
Federighi jumped in with “No and No.”
So that’s that then.
As it happens, the only effect it has is to resolve glitches and provide a fresh slate when apps aren’t performing up to scratch.
The only thing to do with a particular app that’s drinking down battery life is to switch off background updates or to get rid of it completely.
Back in 2014, it was reported closing apps can actually worsen the battery life of your iPhone as reopening them forced the iPhone’s RAM to summon all of the information all over again.
Former Genius Bar employee Scotty Loveless wrote (via Lifehacker): “By closing the app, you take the app out of the phone’s RAM . While you think this may be what you want to do, it’s not. When you open that same app again the next time you need it, your device has to load it back into memory all over again.
“All of that loading and unloading puts more stress on your device than just leaving it alone. Plus, iOS closes apps automatically as it needs more memory, so you’re doing something your device is already doing for you. You are meant to be the user of your device, not the janitor.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
