The sneaky two-second tweak every Apple TV owner needs to know

Key Takeaways

Apple TV 4K may slow down due to open apps, and force-closing them can improve speed.
Instructions for force quitting apps include double-clicking TV icon, selecting app, and swiping up.
If closing apps doesn’t work, reinstall or perform a hard reset.

Like all streaming devices, the Apple TV 4K isn’t free from problems here and there. To its credit, the Apple TV 4K is my main streaming device, and I can’t imagine going back to a world without one. I have a first-gen device, and while it still works, there’s no denying it’s getting older and older by the day. One thing I notice is when I have too many apps open at the same time, things don’t move as quickly as I want them to. The Apple TV 4K is typically blazing fast, so it’s very noticeable when it isn’t. The simple fix to this is force-closing the app — it won’t always solve the problem, but in my case, it’s worked way more often than it’s failed.

The process is just a few steps, and within a matter of seconds, you can open your app back up and get back to binging your next show. All you have to do is follow the instructions I laid out below. If you still have problems, there are some additional things you can try, too.

Apple TV 4K (2022)

Brand: Apple
Bluetooth codecs: 5.0
Wi-Fi: 6

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How to force-quit an app on Apple TV 4K+

Get that app running smoothly again

If you’re stuck on an app and need to reset, make sure you have your Apple TV 4K remote handy — you’ll need it. While there’s no dedicated button for closing an app, if you hit the TV icon twice, you’ll bring up a screen that shows all of your open apps. From there, scroll to the one you want to close and swipe up on your remote. Hitting the up arrow also works if you don’t have the swipe enabled.

Go to your Apple TV 4K home screen.
Double click the TV icon on your remote.
Scroll to the app you want to close
Swipe up or double tap the up button on your remote.

Following these steps will close the app down, and you can do it for all of your apps if you’re having speed problems.

The Apple TV 4K puts all of its apps in a rest mode of sorts that allows you to hop right back to where you left off, but that’s going to be an issue down the line if it’s doing that for 30 apps at a time. The process takes just a matter of seconds, and the only downside is losing your place once you open the app back up. That’s not really a huge issue for things like Netflix or Max, so it’s not the same as having a long boot-up time for a video game like you have on your Xbox or PlayStation.

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What to do if that doesn’t work

Perhaps a bigger fix is necessary

Apple / Pocket-lint

If you’re still having trouble with the app even after closing it down, you might have to uninstall it and reinstall it. Oftentimes, that’s a way to get an app running smoothly again, and it will also come with all the needed updates. If you still have problems, you might find some fixes by giving your Apple TV 4K a hard reset. That means all the content you have installed will be wiped away, but it gives your device a clean slate that should get things running well again.

Performing a hard reset is typically a last resort and should only be done when you’ve exhausted all the other options. Luckily, apps on the Apple TV 4K install much quicker than programs on a game console or PC. If you do have to wipe everything away, you won’t have to wait hours for everything to install again. The most annoying thing will be signing back into all the streaming services, but that’s a small price to pay if it fixes all of your issues.