Apple TV: How to Close Apps [4 Ways]

The App-switching view on Apple TV works like the multitasking feature on iPhone or iPad, but running too many apps at the same time may slow your Apple TV down to a sloth. Moreover, once an app freezes, your Apple TV may be completely trapped in a motionless state. So you search for how to close apps on Apple TV online and come to this blog to ask for answers. Thank you for your trust, and now let’s try different ways to close apps on your Apple TV as follows.

Using Physical Apple Remote

To close an app does not merely mean to exit it, otherwise it will still run in the background on your Apple TV. There are different ways to close apps on Apple TV with your physical Apple remote, and these ways make efforts to deal with different situations. From the simplest way to start, you will try your Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote to close apps on Apple TV in this part.

Force-quitting Apps

Despite different versions of Apple TVs with different remotes, there are similar steps to force close an app on Apple TV. So if you wonder how to truly close apps on Apple TV 4K, or Apple TV HD, you can find the corresponding solutions through App Switcher here.

Attention: Press the BACK button like < icon once, and it will return your Apple TV screen to the Home screen. But this doesn’t mean you completely close the app that is still running in the background.

How to close apps via App Switcher:

Step 1. Double-click the TV (TV screen icon) button on the Apple remote to enter the App Switcher interface.

Step 2. Choose the app you want to close and swipe up on the clickpad (Siri Remote 2nd generation or later) or touch surface (Siri Remote 1st generation).

Step 3. Then click the TV button again to go back to the Home screen.

Restart Apple TV

What’s more, you can try to restart your Apple TV to close all apps. And if you have no clickpad or touch surface button on your Apple remote, this way may be more suitable for you as closing apps Apple TV with a real remote.

How to close apps by restarting Apple TV:

Step 1. Open the Settings app to choose the System option.

Step 2. Click Restart to wait for your Apple TV to restart with no app running at that time.

Attention: The Reset option near the Restart option will clear all data and return your Apple TV to its default settings. Please be careful to click the needed option!

Alternatively, just disconnect the Apple TV from the power outlet and wait five seconds, then reconnect it.

Using Virtual Apple remote

If there is something wrong with your Apple remote or you can’t find your Apple remote, what can you do to deal with the problem of how to close out apps on Apple TV? Well, let’s continue to learn about how to leverage virtual Apple remotes to turn off Apple TV apps.

Apple TV Remote Feature

You might have noticed the Apple TV Remote feature on your Control Center, which looks like a television remote icon. To arrive the Control Center, you need to swipe down from the up-right corner or swipe up from the bottom line on your iPhone or iPad screen. However, you still find no remote icon on the Control Center. Then you should add this Apple TV Remote feature from Settings > Control Center > MORE CONTROLS, and tap the green + button in front of the remote button.

How to close apps by Apple TV Remote feature:

Step 1. Open the Apple TV Remote feature from the Control Center and connect to your Apple TV from the top of the screen by entering the passcode shown on the television screen.

Step 3. Pressingthe Menu or TV/Home button will close the app and take you back to the home screen.

Step 4. Or you can go to Settings > System > Restart to solve your frozen screen caused by applications.

Apple TV Remote App

The final way is provided for those who own Android mobile devices. This three-party Apple TV Remote App, named Universal Apple TV Remote App, is developed by BoostVision that a corporation whose aim is to deliver apps for users to interact between mobile phones and TVs more conveniently.

How to close apps with an Apple TV Remote App:

Step 1. Download and installthe Universal Apple TV Remote App from the app store.

Step 2. Ensure your Android device and Apple TV are under the same Wi-Fi. Open it to tap the top of the remote interface to connect your Apple TV from the devices list.

Step 3. Enter the PIN code to pair your Apple TV and then press the TV/Home button will close the app and take you back to the home screen.

Step 4. Or you can go to Settings > System > Restart to solve your frozen screen caused by applications.

To Sum Up

Closing apps Apple TV is a simple thing that has various ways to be conducted. This passage shows four methods to turn off an application, which mainly surrounds Apple’s physical remotes and virtual remotes. To close applications through force-quitting and restart Apple TV, I hope you will have a more wonderful and smooth viewing experience to enjoy!

How to Close Apps on Apple TV FAQ

Q: How Do I Close Running Apps on Apple TV?

You need to use Siri Remotes or Apple TV Remotes to force exit your running apps:

Step 1. Double-click the TV (TV screen icon) button on the Apple remote to enter the App Switcher interface.

Step 2. Choose the app you want to close and swipe up on the clickpad (Siri Remote 2nd generation or later) or touch surface (Siri Remote 1st generation).

Step 3. Then click the TV button again to go back to the Home screen.

Q: Can I Delete Apps From Apple TV?

Yes. You need to use Siri Remotes or Apple TV Remotes to delete apps:

Step 1. Select the app you want to delete, then press and hold the clickpad center (Siri Remote 2nd generation or later) or touch surface (Siri Remote 1st generation).

Step 2. Select Delete App and tap Delete or Offload.