App acting up on your Fire tablet? Fret not! Find out here instead how to force close apps on an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet and effectively re-start them.
First, How to Talk about Clouds and the Sky
Is it partly cloudy or partly sunny? Do we count the clouds in the sky or the minutes in the sun? Does this cloud look like an orca’s fin or like fifth an okta?
Fortunately, it might be both: the unit for cloudiness is, after all, the okta. Its history, use, and meaning…
Well, these shall wait for another sunny day; for now, let us clear the Kindle Fire sky of cloudy apps and slash its okra (perhaps increasing app speed to boot):
How to Close (and Force Stop) Apps on an Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet
Time needed: 3 minutes
To force-quit any app on Kindle Fire so you can truly restart it:
- Open the Settings app on your Kindle Fire.
- Select Apps & Games under Device.
- Now tap Manage All Applications.
- Swipe right to the All tab.
Running apps: Choose the RUNNING tab to show only apps and background programs that are currently open.
- Tap the app you want to force close.
Sort by size: Tap the dots menu button (⠸) and select Sort by size to change the sort order.
- Now select FORCE STOP.
Grayed out: If FORCE STOP is grayed out, the app is not currently running.
- Tap OK under Force stop?.
How to Restart Apps on Kindle Fire
To restart a stuck app on your Kindle Fire:
- Quit the app using the steps to force close an app. (See above.)
- Tap the Home button.
- Re-launch the app using the Kindle Fire Home screen.
Still not working? If the app is still stubborn, try this:
– In Settings, open Apps & Games and go to the All tab.
– Tap the app.
– Now tap CLEAR CACHE.
Still no luck? Tap CLEAR DATA as well to reset and restart the app.
How to Close (and Force Stop) Apps on a Kindle Fire Tablet: FAQ
Can I close apps using the task switcher?
No. You can easily and helpfully clean up the task switcher by removing windows from it, but this will not necessarily stop the processes associated with the closed windows.
To remove a screen from the Kindle Fire task switcher:
- Tap the task switcher (
) in the bottom Kindle Fire navigation bar.
No navigation bar: If you do not see the navigation bar and task switcher button, try tapping in the middle of the screen. - Swipe across any window you want to remove from the task switcher to either the right or the left.
‘X’ marks the spot: You can also wait for an ✕ to shop up in the window’s top right corner and tap that.
Only windows: This will not automatically stop the app to which the window belongs.
(How to close, force stop and restart apps on an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet tested with Fire OS 5.6; updated February 2024)