Most smartphones these days come preinstalled with apps. We also download our favorite apps from the App Store or Play Store.
Without apps, our smartphones are almost lifeless. Not only do they make our lives more convenient, but they also keep us entertained and informed.
However, like all software, apps can sometimes have glitches. One common problem is when an app won’t open or close properly.
If you’re having this issue on your iPhone, don’t worry – it’s usually a quick and easy fix. In this article, we’ll show you how to handle your iPhone when an app won’t close.
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Why won’t your iPhone Turn off or Open Apps?
In a lot of cases, your iPhone won’t turn off or open apps because of a software issue. This can be caused by a number of things, like an update that didn’t install properly, or something that went wrong when you were downloading an app.
Other times, the app crashes on the backend, or a server is down, so the app can’t connect to the internet and do its job.
If you are lucky, when the app crashes, you will be able to go to the home screen and terminate the app from there. If that doesn’t happen, then you can try other things.
Fix for when your iPhone won’t Turn off or Open Apps
1. Force Quit Apps
The first thing you should do when your iPhone won’t turn off or open apps is to try to force quit the app. This can be done by double-tapping the Home button and then swiping up on the app’s preview screen. If the app is frozen, this should force it to quit.
Once you have been able to force quit the app, try opening it again. If it opens without any issues, then the problem was likely with the app itself and not your iPhone.
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2. Restart your device
If an app isn’t responding and you are unable to force quit it, try restarting your device. This will close all apps and give you a clean slate to start from.
To restart your iPhone, hold the power button for some time. A slider that says “slide to power off” will appear. Once it does, slide the slider to the right to turn off your device. When it has gone off, press the power button again to turn it back on.
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3. Update the apps
Developers are always working to improve their apps. It’s possible that a simple update will fix your problem.
Open the App Store and check for updates. If an app needs updating, it will say “Update” next to it. Tap Update to install the latest version of an app.
If you’re using an outdated version of an app, it might not work properly. It’s also possible that the app has been removed from the App Store by the developer.
If you can’t find an app in the App Store, try looking for it on the developer’s website or the support forum.
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4. Uninstall the App and Reinstall it
You may not find an update in the App Store, but that doesn’t mean one isn’t available.
If you can’t find an update for the app, try uninstalling it and reinstalling it from the App Store. This will install the latest version of the app that is available in the App Store.
Note that this fix is not viable if the issue is with all the apps on your phone. This would mean that there is a problem with the iOS software, not with the app.
Moreover, it wouldn’t make sense to delete all the apps and then reinstall them one by one.
5. Check for an iOS Update
In some cases, chances are that there’s a bug in the latest iOS version and your iPhone is unable to turn off or open apps because of that. In such a scenario, the best thing you can do is update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Connect your iPhone to a power source and WiFi network. Launch the Settings page on your iPhone
- Tap on General
- Tap on Software Update
- If an update is available, tap on Download and Install
After the update is downloaded and installed, reboot your iPhone and then try to access the app again.
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6. Reset All Settings
Resetting your phone might seem like a drastic measure, but it can sometimes fix problems that can’t be fixed any other way.
When you reset all settings on your iPhone, it doesn’t delete any of your data or apps. It simply resets the customized settings to their default state.
Here’s how you can do it:
- On your iPhone, launch the Settings page
- Then go to ’General’
- Hit the Reset button at the bottom of the page
- Then click on ‘Reset All Settings’
- Enter your passcode if prompted
- Hit on the Reset All Settings button again to finish
Your iPhone will now restart and all the settings will be reset to their defaults. After the reset is complete, check if you’re able to access the app without any issues.
7. Check the App Store Server
In case you are wondering why you aren’t able to see any update for the app or even when you try to delete and reinstall the app, it doesn’t seem to work, then there is a possibility that there might be some issue with the App Store server.
There’s not much you can do in this case except wait for Apple to fix the issue with the App Store server.
You can keep an eye on the Apple System Status page to see if there are any issues with the App Store server.
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8. Contact App Developer
If you’ve tried all of the above solutions and nothing seems to be working, then your last resort is to contact the app developer.
In order to contact the developer, you need to open the App Store on your phone or any other phone and search for the app. Once you’ve found the app, hit Reviews.
In the Reviews section, select App Support. This will take you to the developer’s website.
On the developer’s website, you should be able to find their contact information. Alternatively, you can also try contacting them through their social media channels.
9. Try an iOS System Recovery Software
System recovery software is a program that can check your iPhone for any system errors and repair them. This type of software is designed to work with all types of iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
If you are having problems with your iPhone, such as it won’t turn off or open apps, then you may want to try an IOS System Recovery Software. This type of software can help to fix many common iPhone problems.
System recovery software is available from a variety of different sources, both online and offline. You can find many different options by searching for “iPhone system recovery software” on your favorite search engine.
Once you have found a few different options, you can compare the features and prices of each to find the best one for your needs. Be sure to read reviews of the software before you buy it so that you know what others think of it.
When you have found the right software, download it and follow the instructions to install it on your computer. Once it is installed, connect your iPhone to your computer and launch the program.
Follow the instructions within the software to scan your iPhone for any errors. Once the scan is complete, the software will show you a list of any errors that it found.
Click on the “Repair” button to fix the errors. The software will then walk you through the process of fixing the errors. Once the process is complete, your iPhone should be working properly again.
To make it easier for you, I have listed some of the best iOS system recovery software below. Take a look.
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Top 5 iOS System Recovery Software
1. AnyFix
AnyFix is one of the best iOS system recovery software that can fix more than 130+ iPhone/iPad problems without loss of data, such as being stuck on the Apple logo, black screen, frozen screen, boot loop, crash, etc.
The professional iOS repair tool can help you get your iPhone/iPad out of any system issues in minutes. Meanwhile, it is compatible with the latest iOS 14 and all iOS devices, including iPhone 12/11 Pro/11/XS/XR/X, etc.
Just follow the simple steps below to fix your frozen iPhone/iPad:
Step 1. Launch AnyFix on your computer > Connect your device to your PC via a USB cable > Trust the computer on your device.
Step 2. On the main interface of AnyFix, choose “Standard Mode” > Click “Fix Now” to start fixing your iOS system.
Step 3. Download the firmware package according to your device info > AnyFix will start repairing your iOS system.
After the process, you can restart your device and check whether it returns back to normal.
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2. PhoneRescue for iOS
PhoneRescue for iOS is a data recovery tool for iOS that helps to retrieve lost items on your phone without too much hassle.
Now you can use it to repair your iOS system with only a few clicks. You will need to install it directly on your computer to use.
What Else Can PhoneRescue for iOS Do?
- Retrieve lost or deleted data from iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch directly, or from iTunes/iCloud backup files
- Recover lost data due to iOS upgrade, jailbreak, factory reset, etc.
- Support more than 20+ file types, including photos, videos, messages, contacts, notes, etc.
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3. Passvers
Passvers formerly known as FonePaw is another software that can help to fix iPhone issues. It is a professional iOS data recovery and management software that is used to solve various iPhone problems.
The software is easy to use and it can help you to fix various iPhone issues such as:
- My iPhone won’t turn off
- My iPhone won’t open apps
- My iPhone is unresponsive
- My iPhone is frozen
- My iPhone is slow
- Apps are crashing on my iPhone
- My iPhone screen is black
- My iPhone won’t charge
- My iPhone is overheating
- I can’t make or receive calls on my iPhone
If you are facing any of the above issues, then you can use Passvers to fix them. The software is available for both Windows and Mac computers.
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4. iMyFone Fixppo
If you haven’t heard about iMyFone Fixppo, it is a professional iOS repair tool that can help you fix various iOS issues, including iPhone won’t turn off, iPhone won’t open apps, etc. in minutes.
It has two modes: Standard and Advanced modes. The Standard mode fixes most common iOS issues and still lets you retain any data on your phone while the latter is used to solve more serious issues like iPhones stuck in a boot loop, etc.
Be sure to back up your data before using the Advanced mode.
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5. Dr.Fone
Last but not least is Dr.Fone. This is professional software that can help you fix various iPhone problems like recovery mode, the Apple logo, the black screen of death, and more.
The program has little or no learning curve and it comes with a user-friendly interface. Moreover, you can use it on all the latest iOS devices and versions.
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Final Words
Knowing how to fix your iPhone when it won’t turn off or open apps is important. These are simple tips that can help you get your device back to working properly.
If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to the experts at Apple support. They will be more than happy to help you troubleshoot your problem and get your iPhone up and running again.
