What Will Happen If You Force Stop an App?

When using a smartphone, it’s not uncommon to encounter an app that becomes unresponsive or slow. In such cases, force-stopping that app will help you in resolving issues related to the app performance. However, it can also have unintended consequences that users should be aware of. It is important to know what force stop means and this guide will help you gain insight into what will happen if you force stop an app on your Android or iPhone.

What Will Happen If You Force Stop an App?

You will get to know what will happen if you force stop an app further in this article. Keep reading to learn more about it in detail.

Does Force Stop Mean Uninstall?

No, force close does not mean uninstalling. It simply means that your app will stop running temporarily. As a result, when you force-close an app, the app’s processes and services are stopped immediately.

What is Force Stop App?

Force-closing an app on a mobile device means forcibly terminating its background processes and activities to free up system resources and address issues with the app’s functionality. This can be done through the device’s settings or by using third-party apps. When an app is force-closed, it is prevented from running in the background until the user explicitly opens it again.

Also Read: What is Background App Refresh on Android?

What Will Happen If You Force Stop an App?

Force-stopping an app on a mobile device or computer will immediately halt its processes and prevent it from running in the background. This can free up memory and resources on the device, potentially improving its performance. However, force-stopping an app may cause it to lose any unsaved data or progress.

Is Force Stopping an App OK?

Yes, forcing an app to close is okay, but it can have some consequences. When you force-close an app, you are effectively closing it and erasing its data from memory. This can help resolve certain issues, such as the freezing or crashing of the app.

Is It Better to Force Stop or Disable an App?

Yes, it is better to force-close an app than to disable it, because force-closing an app will immediately close its background processes and clear its cache. On the other hand, disabling some apps can cause other apps or system features to stop working properly, so it’s important to be cautious when disabling apps.

Is It Harmful to Force Stop an App?

Yes sometimes, it can be harmful to force-close an app because it abruptly terminates its processes and can cause data loss or corruption. It can also be useful to conserve system resources by stopping unnecessary background processes.

Also Read: Is There Android 14 Clone App Feature?

How to Force Stop an App?

The steps to force close an app are as follows:

Option I: On Android

Below are the steps to force close apps on your Android device.

Note: Since Android smartphones do not have the same Settings options, they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Hence, ensure the correct settings before changing any on your device. These steps were performed on Redmi (MIUI) phone, as shown in the illustrations below.

1. Launch the Settings app.

2. Now, tap on Apps.

3. Then, tap on Manage apps > desired app.

4. Then, tap on Force stop.

5. Finally, when prompted, tap on OK, as shown.

Also Read: Top 7 Fixes for Background App Refresh Not Working on iPhone

Option II: On iPhone

Let’s how to force close apps on iPhone.

A. For iPhone X and Later

1. Swipe upwards from the bottom of your home screen and then stop at the middle of your screen. Doing so will show you all the apps that are running currently.

2. Swipe up on the desired app preview to close it.

B. For iPhone 8, iPhone SE, and iPod touch

1. Press the home button twice to see the list of applications that are recently used.

2. Swipe up on the desired app preview to force close it.

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So, we hope you understood what will happen if you force stop an app on Android and iPhone. You can let us know any queries or suggestions about any other topic you want us to make an article on. Drop them in the comments section below for us to know.