Quickly Clear Recent Apps List in Android Lollipop

In the older Android smartphones running on KitKat, you had to double-tap the home button on the screen to access the recently opened apps list so that you can quickly switch from one app to another. In the latest Android Lollipop, you can access the recent apps list by long-touching the home button for a couple of seconds. While the functionality of the recent apps list is basically the same in both the KitKat and Lollipop, you are given an option to clear the entire recent apps list in one go in the latter version. Unlike in KitKat where you had to remove every single app one-by-one, in Lollipop there is a wipe list option available.

Here is how you can quickly clear the recent apps list in Android Lollipop:

1. First of all you have to access the recent apps list in your Lollipop device. This can be easily done by long touching the home button (the central button at the bottom of your screen).
2. Once the recent apps list is visible, you can see all the apps that you have opened in the current session so far. There would be a cyan colored circular wipe button near the bottom-right corner that allows you to wipe the entire list in one go. Touch on this wipe button to erase the entire list.
3. When the list is erased, you can try long touching the home button once again to check if the list is cleared. This time you will only see the message that “Your recent screens appear here” – implying that the list is empty and when you open new apps (screens), then they will be added to this recent apps list.

Conclusion: Instead of removing apps one by one from the recent apps list, you can remove all the apps on one go using the new wipe list option in Android Lollipop. This will save you time and erase your recent apps activity in a fraction of a second.