Remove Apps From iPhone App Switcher & iMessage

This guide shows you how to remove apps from the iPhone App Switcher (the card view you see when you double-click the Home button or swipe up from the bottom) and how to manage apps within the iMessage app drawer. You’ll learn the correct gestures, how to force-quit an app, and how to hide or delete apps from the iMessage app strip. No special tools or software are needed—just your iPhone.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone running iOS 17 or later (steps are similar on older versions).
• Your Apple ID password if you plan to delete an app entirely (for offloading, you won’t need it).
• About 2 minutes of your time.

Step-by-Step

Removing Apps from the App Switcher

1. Open the App Switcher. On iPhones with Face ID, swipe up from the bottom edge and pause in the middle of the screen. On iPhones with a Home button, double-click the Home button.
2. Scroll through the cards. Swipe left or right to find the app you want to remove. Each app appears as a full-screen card, and you can see a snapshot of its last state.
3. Swipe up on the app card. Place your finger on the card and flick it upward, off the top of the screen. The card will disappear with a small animation. This removes the app from the switcher, but it does not close the app’s background processes—it simply clears it from the list.
4. Repeat for other apps. You can swipe up on multiple cards quickly. To remove all apps at once, use the “Clear All” button if you see it (on some iOS versions, you can tap and hold a card to reveal a “Close All” option).

Removing Apps from the iMessage App Drawer

1. Open a conversation in Messages. Tap any existing thread or start a new one.
2. Tap the “+” button. This is located to the left of the text input field, next to the camera icon. It opens the app drawer, which shows a horizontal row of app icons.
3. Swipe left on the app row. The row is scrollable. Look for the “More” button (three dots) at the far right of the row. Tap it.
4. Tap “Edit.” This appears in the top-right corner of the screen that pops up. You’ll see a list of all apps that can appear in the drawer.
5. Remove an app from the drawer. Tap the red minus icon next to the app you want to remove, then tap “Remove.” This hides the app from the drawer but does not delete it from your iPhone.
6. Reorder or add apps back. While in Edit mode, you can drag apps up or down using the three-line handle to change their order. To add an app back later, tap the green plus icon.
7. Tap “Done.” Save your changes. The app will no longer appear in the drawer.

Force-Quitting an App (When Needed)

Sometimes you want to fully close an app to fix a glitch. The App Switcher gesture is the same, but you need to swipe up and hold briefly? Actually, no—just swipe up normally. On iOS, force-quitting is done by swiping up on the card, just like removing it from the switcher. The difference is that force-quitting terminates the app’s background processes, while removing from the switcher does not. To force-quit, swipe up on the card and then tap the app icon to relaunch it—that’s it.

Common Mistakes

• Thinking removing from App Switcher closes the app. It does not. The app may still run in the background. To truly close it, you need to force-quit, but Apple recommends letting iOS manage background apps for better battery life.
• Swipe too slowly. If you swipe up slowly, the card may just bounce back. You need a quick, decisive flick.
• Deleting an app instead of removing from iMessage drawer. When you tap the minus icon in Edit mode, you get two options: “Remove from Favorites” (which just hides it) and “Delete App” (which deletes it from your phone). Make sure you choose the right one.
• Using the wrong gesture on older iPhones. On iPhones with a Home button, double-click the Home button, not swipe up from the bottom (that opens Control Center).

Tips

• Use the App Switcher to quickly switch between apps. Instead of removing apps, just swipe left or right to find the one you want.
• Clear all apps at once. On iOS 16 and later, you can tap and hold a card, then tap “Close All” to remove every app from the switcher. This is a timesaver if you have many apps open.
• Customize the iMessage drawer to your liking. You can keep only the apps you use most (like Photos or Memoji) and hide the rest. This makes the drawer less cluttered.
• Offload unused apps. If you want to free up storage without deleting data, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap the app, and choose “Offload App.” The app icon remains, but its data is kept.
• Restart your iPhone if the App Switcher glitches. A quick restart often fixes unresponsive gestures.

Troubleshooting

• App Switcher doesn’t open. Make sure you’re swiping from the very bottom edge of the screen. If you have a case, it might be blocking the gesture. Try removing the case. If it still doesn’t work, restart your iPhone.
• App card won’t swipe away. This can happen if the app is frozen. Try swiping up with more force, or restart your iPhone. If the app is truly stuck, you may need to force-restart your phone (press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears).
• iMessage “+” button not showing the app drawer. Make sure you’re in a conversation, not the main Messages list. If you still don’t see it, go to Settings > Messages and check that “iMessage Apps” is enabled.
• Removed an app from the drawer but it reappears. This can happen if the app is set to “Suggested” in the Edit screen. Tap “Edit,” then tap the green plus icon next to the app to add it back, then tap the red minus to remove it again, and choose “Remove from Favorites” this time.
• Can’t find the “More” button in the drawer. Swipe left on the row of app icons until you see the three-dot icon. If you have many apps, it may be several swipes away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does removing an app from the App Switcher close it?

No. It only removes the card from the list. The app may still run in the background. To force-quit, use the same swipe-up gesture, but that’s not recommended for regular use because iOS manages background tasks efficiently.

How do I delete an app from my iPhone entirely?

Press and hold the app icon on the Home Screen until the context menu appears, then tap “Remove App” and choose “Delete App.” You can also go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap the app, and select “Delete App.”

Can I remove the built-in Apple apps from the iMessage drawer?

Yes, you can hide most built-in apps like Photos, Camera, and Memoji from the drawer using the Edit method described above. However, you cannot delete the Messages app itself.

Why do some apps not appear in the iMessage drawer?

Apps need to support iMessage extensions to appear there. If an app doesn’t have an iMessage extension, it won’t show up. Also, check that the app is installed and updated.

Will removing an app from the App Switcher affect my battery life?

No. In fact, force-quitting apps can actually hurt battery life because the app has to reload from scratch when you open it again. Letting iOS manage background apps is more efficient.

How do I restore a hidden app to the iMessage drawer?

Open the drawer, tap the “More” button, then tap “Edit.” Tap the green plus icon next to the app you want to add back, then tap “Done.” The app will reappear in the drawer.

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