Quitting All Your iPhone Apps to Save Battery Life Doesn't Work

From iPhone power users to your technology-challenged parents who insist on FaceTime calling you when you're not on WiFi, almost everyone with an iPhone knows that closing all the open apps in multitasking helps preserve battery life. Duh. You may think of the practice as common knowledge, but it's actually -- and officially -- a giant lie.

As first reported by 9to5mac, an iPhone user emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook in hopes of finally getting a definitive answer as to whether quitting all your apps results in better battery life. But instead of getting a response from Cook himself, Apple software chief Craig Federighi chimed in and effectively busted the widespread myth. Screenshots verified by the Apple rumor site show the user, identified only as Caleb, asked Cook, "Do you quit your iOS multitasking apps frequently and is this necessary for battery life?" to which Federighi simply replied, "No and no." Well then.

Federighi's response is perhaps Apple's strongest on-the-record opposition to the superstitious practice, according to the report. After all, an official Apple support page explains the ability to force quit your apps is there mostly for when one freezes or doesn't work properly. Additionally, the support pages notes the apps that appear in multitasking "aren't open," but actually "in an efficient standby mode" that allows you to quickly switch from app to app. The dozens of apps you see in multitasking aren't destroying your phone's battery life after all.

Basically, good luck kicking that habit...

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Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist and has totally done this. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.