In iOS 6 and previous versions you had to double-tap the Home button to show the tray containing all the apps which were running in the background, using up all the smartphone or tablet’s precious resources (particularly RAM). You’d then tap and hold any one of them to make them all wiggle, and press the red cross to close the app.
It was never a good system, and most people didn’t realise you didn’t actually have to tap the ‘x’ – pressing anywhere on the icon would close the app.
In iOS 7, you still double-tap the Home button to bring up the list of running apps, but it’s now a full-screen affair, no matter whether you’re using an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
As well as the icon, you also get a larger thumbnail of what was on screen when you last used the app, so it’s easier to see at a glance which app is which.
To close an app, you simply swipe upwards on the thumbnail to dismiss it – just as on an Android tablet or smartphone. Swipe left and right to scroll through the list of apps.
If you have lots of running apps, it’s quicker to use two fingers to simultaneously dismiss two apps.
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
