Switch apps faster from the bottom edge

How to switch faster

On an iPhone without a Home button, you do not need to open the app switcher every time you want to return to the last app. Swipe left or right along the home indicator at the very bottom of the screen. That takes you straight to a recently used app.

Keep swiping to move through the apps you opened most recently. For moving back and forth between two apps, one swipe is usually enough.

When it saves time

This is useful when you are comparing information between two apps: Calendar and Messages, Safari and Notes, or a password manager and a login screen. You keep your flow because you do not have to open the overview and hunt for the right app card.

Use it when you are switching between two or three apps repeatedly. The more recently you used them, the more predictable the order feels.

Good to know

This gesture applies to iPhones with Face ID and the bottom home indicator. On iPhones with a Home button, app switching works differently; you usually double-click the Home button to open the app switcher.

If the gesture does not work at first, start right at the bottom edge. Most failed attempts happen because the swipe begins too high and the current app handles it as its own navigation gesture.