How to forum: Is there a simple way to shut down all apps on an iPad 3?

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1430

Wouldn't this restart do that too? I didn't look for a close all feature since you could google that.
Bob

Thanks for the link, but no, that just turns the power on/off, which is also what the other solution (holding both buttons until the device restarts, and not using the slider at all) I got from Googling does. The apps still appear. As noted above, I don't know if this means they are running in the background, or if it is just a list of recently used apps. I haven't noticed any decrease in performance if there are a lot of apps in the bar, but I know my sister's iPhone slows down if she doesn't close stuff periodically. Will this also happen with the wifi only iPad?

Isn't that normal? The screen on the iPad shows what apps can be launched so I am left to guess that a new to iPad user may think that icons on the screen mean they are running.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BpKelKliI0 covers some basic app control on the iPad.

I can't guess what bar you are asking about but maybe it's the one noted in the video?
Bob

This video does indeed show the bar I'm talking about. It also says that the apps are indeed running in the background, and you have to select each one's - sign to close it. So, we are back to my original question: Is there a way to close all the apps together and not have to select them individually?

"Update: Apple the removed the Process Killer app from the iTunes Apps store so you you can only close apps manually now."

So restarting is what I'm left with now. If you feel Apple was wrong to remove the Process Killer, then tell them. (not me.)
Bob

I'm not complaining to anyone about this. I am asking for clarification. If the answer is that the apps aren't really running, then great, I don't need to worry about it. But some of the answers I have found online for this issue do seem to indicate that running apps CAN cause problems for the device, so I was trying to ascertain how to deal with that. If I explained my issue unclearly, I apologize.

But in the video the answer to your other question about running too many apps and issues was answered.

HOWEVER I have met new iPad owners that think because the icons on the screen are showing, that apps are running. I'm not very good at explaining that at a beginners level.
Bob

The video to which you pointed me does not answer my question, nor do other solutions I have Googled, as I said earlier. Despite what you say, most of the online sources I have found while trying to get this answered, it seems that the apps ARE still running (and even your video says this--was this video created by beginners who failed to understand you?).

I'm surprised no one has mentioned what is a bigger issue with running lots of apps "in the background" - it drains the battery faster.

I first discovered this when I complained to my daughter that my iPhone4 was barely getting through the day on one overnight charge. She showed me how to "close", "turn off", "pick your phrase" the apps with the double tap and click each one individually. It made a real difference. Now when I forget about it I'm always amazed at how many apps I've had running in the background for days without using them. My iPad3 has a much longer battery life than my iPhone4 (or maybe I don't use it as much). I will many times go 2-3 days without a recharge and the battery life still shows 50% or better. So for me the issue is not degrading response time, but battery drain.

One of the questions was answered but I can't seem to word it so they understand. It's the one about stopping all apps at one time.

Apple changed so the app that could do that no long can. How do you convey this to the member in a way they understand seems to be a challenge. Or the member doesn't believe this happened.

Or the member is new to the iPad and thinks icons on the main screen are running as another new iPad owner thought. While others did explain that to him, sure enough they were asking someone else about it weeks later.
Bob

How can I word this so you will understand? R. Proffitt, I get the feeling you are just pretending to try to help when all that you are in fact doing is flaunting your supposed superior knowledge. People come here to get answers to questions, not to be made to feel stupid for asking them. If you can't frame your answers sensitively and so you sound like anything other than an arrogant and petulant middle schooler, you shouldn't be posting.

"There used to be an app that did this, but it doesn't exist now" is not helpful. "Google it" isn't helpful--do you really think that no one would think of that without you?

Performance degradation and battery drain are symptoms that unwanted apps probably are running in the background. What is not clear (and your responses, R. Proffitt, have taken both sides of this issue) is if tapping the minus sign on apps in the bar along the bottom of the screen actually closes the apps or just removes them from what I think of as a "quick launch bar." Mr. Sutton seems to find that his power drain is solved this way. I have closed apps this way, run an app that shows what is running on my device, and find that some of the (non-system) apps ARE still running in the background, and, while they continue to appear in the quick launch bar, they do appear to be stopped after I reboot the device by holding both buttons until the apple reappears on the screen, not just shutting down with the slide and restarting.

Since there is no way to exit apps, just to close them, I find it necessary to reboot my iPad periodically and not just shut it down. Mr. Sutton has found that clicking apps closed with their minus signs does help his iPhone, but hasn't run into the problem with his iPad 3. We all use different apps, so performance certainly will vary.

The answer to my original question seems , the only way to close all (non-system) background apps on an iPad is to do a reboot. The icons in the quick launch bar are not indicative of apps actually running, just apps used. There is no way to clear this bar other than by selecting each icon individually.

In this reply you have finally told us something new.

"Performance degradation and battery drain are symptoms that unwanted apps probably are running in the background. What is not clear (and your responses, R. Proffitt, have taken both sides of this issue) is if tapping the minus sign on apps in the bar along the bottom of the screen actually closes the apps or just removes them from what I think of as a "quick launch bar." Mr. Sutton seems to find that his power drain is solved this way. I have closed apps this way, run an app that shows what is running on my device, and find that some of the (non-system) apps ARE still running in the background, and, while they continue to appear in the quick launch bar, they do appear to be stopped after I reboot the device by holding both buttons until the apple reappears on the screen, not just shutting down with the slide and restarting."

If you don't believe this ends a task then you have to take this up with Apple. Here, I checked with a few iOS authors and they say it does. Apple says it does and you have your doubts.

I hope you can find someone that can re-write what we know so far in a way that helps you out.

However there are a few folk that even if an Apple staffer told them the answer they won't believe it. Those folk are rarely around for long for other reasons.

I think we are getting closer to the issue as we go back and forth on it.
Bob

Again, I've encountered folk that don't believe that either!

I didn't mean to mark this and can't see how to unmark it. I accidentally tapped the screen of my iPad.

So far, even the admin can't un-mark stuff. That may have changed but for now, it's a feature that is nice but wish for a fix.
Bob