Why apps run in the background and what it costs you
Apps keep running after you close them for reasons that benefit the app maker more than you. A messaging app might stay active to deliver notifications instantly. A fitness tracker might collect location data continuously. A social media app might refresh your feed even when you are not looking at it. Each one drains your battery, uses your internet data, and can access your location, camera, or contacts without you actively using the app.
The real cost is threefold: your device slows down because background processes compete for your processor and memory; your battery drains faster; and apps collect data about you — where you go, what you do, when you sleep — even when you have forgotten they are running. On a phone with dozens of apps, background activity can cut your battery life in half.
You can stop most apps from running in the background. The steps differ between Android and iPhone, and the control you have varies by app, but you are not stuck with the default behavior.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn it off for individual apps or all apps at once.
- On Android, go to Settings > Apps, select an app, tap Battery > Battery Optimization, and choose "Don't optimize" or "Optimize" depending on what you want.
- Some apps — like messaging and phone apps — may need background access to work properly, so turning it off for everything can break notifications.
- Restarting your device clears temporary background processes, but apps you have installed will resume running in the background unless you have disabled them.
- Apps can still collect data when you are using them actively; stopping background activity only prevents collection when the app is closed.
How to stop background apps on iPhone
Open Settings and tap General. Scroll down and tap Background App Refresh. You will see a toggle at the top of the screen — turn it off to disable background refresh for all apps at once. If you want to keep it on for some apps and turn it off for others, leave the master toggle on and scroll through the list below it, turning off the toggle next to individual app names.
Apps you disable here will not refresh their content, check for messages, or update their data when you are not actively using them. This is the most direct way to save battery and prevent data collection. However, some apps — particularly messaging, email, and phone apps — may not deliver notifications properly if you turn off their background refresh. Test this after making changes: send yourself a text message or email and see if the notification arrives.
iPhone also has a separate setting called Low Power Mode that reduces background activity system-wide. Go to Settings > Battery and toggle on Low Power Mode. This is a gentler approach that slows down background processes rather than stopping them entirely, and you can turn it on and off as needed.
How to stop background apps on Android
The process on Android varies slightly depending on your device manufacturer and Android version, but the core steps are the same. Open Settings and tap Apps (sometimes called Application Manager or Installed Apps). Find the app you want to control and tap it. Look for a Battery or Power section — on some devices this is under Advanced or App Info. Tap Battery Optimization or Battery Usage.
You will see options like "Optimize" or "Don't optimize." Choose "Don't optimize" if you want the app to run freely in the background, or "Optimize" if you want the system to restrict its background activity. Some Android devices also let you choose "Restricted," which is the most aggressive setting and may prevent the app from running in the background at all.
Android also has a Doze mode that automatically restricts background activity when your device has not been used for a while and is not plugged in. You cannot turn off Doze entirely, but you can add apps to a whitelist so they keep running even in Doze mode. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Optimization, tap the menu (three dots), and select Whitelist or Advanced Settings to see which apps are exempt.
Which apps should keep background access
Some apps genuinely need to run in the background to work as intended. Messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or iMessage need background access to deliver notifications when you are not looking at your phone. Phone apps need it to ring when someone calls. Email apps need it to check for new messages. Navigation apps like Google Maps or Apple Maps need it to track your location during a drive.
Fitness apps that track steps, distance, or workouts need background access to collect data from your device's motion sensors. Calendar apps need it to remind you of upcoming events. Alarm apps need it to go off at the time you set. If you turn off background access for these apps, they will not work properly.
Apps that do not need background access include social media apps (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), news apps, shopping apps, and games. These apps benefit from background refresh because it pre-loads content so the app opens faster, but you do not need that convenience. Turning off background access for these apps saves battery and prevents data collection with no real downside.
The difference between background refresh and background data
On iPhone, Background App Refresh controls whether an app can refresh its content in the background. On Android, Battery Optimization controls whether the system restricts an app's CPU and memory use. These are not the same as stopping an app from using data.
An app can be restricted from running in the background but still use data when you open it. Conversely, an app can be prevented from using cellular data (through a separate setting) but still run in the background on Wi-Fi. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular and scroll down to see which apps have permission to use cellular data. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Permissions > Permissions Manager and tap a permission type like Location or Camera to see which apps have access.
If you want to stop an app from collecting location data, you need to revoke its location permission, not just its background access. The same is true for camera, microphone, and contacts. Background access controls whether the app runs; permissions control what the app can see.
What happens when you restart your device
Restarting your phone clears temporary background processes and frees up memory, which is why a restart often makes a slow device feel faster. However, restarting does not permanently stop apps from running in the background. When you turn your phone back on, apps you have installed will resume their background activity unless you have disabled it through the settings described above.
A restart is useful as a temporary fix if your device is sluggish or your battery is draining unusually fast. It can also clear a stuck app that is consuming resources. But if you want lasting control over background activity, you need to change the settings for individual apps or enable system-wide restrictions like Low Power Mode or Doze.
Why some apps ignore your background settings
Some apps continue to run in the background even after you have disabled background refresh or battery optimization. This happens because apps can use other methods to stay active. A messaging app might use push notifications to wake itself up when a message arrives. A fitness app might use a foreground service that displays a persistent notification and keeps the app running regardless of your battery settings.
If an app is draining your battery despite your efforts to stop it, the problem may be that the app is using a foreground service. On Android, you will see a notification from the app at the top of your screen when this is happening. You can tap and hold that notification to see options for stopping it, though some apps will not let you. On iPhone, apps cannot use foreground services the same way, so this is less common.
The most reliable way to stop an app from running in the background is to uninstall it. If an app is draining your battery or collecting data you do not want to share, and disabling background access does not help, removing the app entirely is the only may provide solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off background app refresh break my notifications?
It depends on the app. Messaging, email, and phone apps may not deliver notifications if you turn off their background refresh. Test by sending yourself a message after disabling background access. If notifications stop working, turn background refresh back on for that app. Social media and news apps will lose notifications, but that is usually not a problem.
Does stopping background apps really save battery?
Yes, but the amount varies. On a device with many apps running in the background, you might see a 10 to 20 percent improvement in battery life. On a device with few background apps, the improvement will be smaller. The biggest battery drain usually comes from location tracking and screen brightness, not background apps, so do not expect a dramatic change.
Can I stop all background apps at once?
On iPhone, yes — toggle off Background App Refresh in Settings > General. On Android, there is no single master switch, but you can enable Doze mode or use Low Power Mode to restrict background activity system-wide. You will still need to check individual apps if you want fine-grained control.
What is the difference between closing an app and stopping it from running in the background?
Closing an app (swiping it away) removes it from your screen, but it may still run in the background. Stopping background access prevents the app from running after you close it. Closing an app is temporary; disabling background access is permanent until you change the setting again.
Do I need to turn off background access for every app?
No. Focus on apps you do not use regularly or apps that do not need real-time notifications. Messaging, email, phone, and navigation apps should keep background access. Social media, games, and shopping apps can have it turned off without affecting their core function.