In the age of smartphones, we have countless apps at our fingertips that can make our lives easier. Many of these apps continue running in the background even when we are not actively using them. This allows them to update content, download data, and provide notifications. However, background app refresh can use up battery life and mobile data. So should you turn it off?
What does background app refresh do?
Background app refresh allows apps to run in the background when you are not actively using them. There are a few key things background app refresh enables apps to do:
- Update content – Apps can download updated news articles, social media posts, emails, etc. to provide you with real-time information.
- Sync data – Apps like fitness trackers can sync your activity data with the cloud.
- Provide notifications – Apps can notify you about messages, events, and other timely information.
- Location services – Apps may update your location in the background for weather, maps, and other location-based services.
Without background app refresh, apps are essentially “asleep” unless you open them. They cannot provide notifications, update content, or leverage other background functions.
Background app refresh drains battery life
One of the biggest potential downsides of background app refresh is reduced battery life. When apps are constantly running and communicating with the cloud in the background, it uses a lot of power. Some key ways background apps drain your battery:
- CPU usage – The app CPU has to power the background processing.
- Internet data – Apps use mobile data or WiFi to sync and update.
- Location services – GPS and other location tracking uses battery.
Apple estimates that background apps account for up to 80% of battery drain. Android’s system battery stats break down battery use per app and function. You will likely see high battery drain from background CPU usage and network access.
Background battery drain example
Here is an example of how background app functions can drain battery life over the course of 1 day:
| App | Background Function | Estimated Battery Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Background refresh and location services | 18% | |
| Gmail | Push notifications | 12% |
| Background refresh | 9% | |
| Snapchat | Background updates | 8% |
| Total | 47% |
As you can see, background functions can regularly drain 35-50% of your battery in a single day.
Background app refresh uses mobile data
In addition to battery life, background app activity also uses your monthly mobile data bandwidth. Some examples of how background apps consume mobile data include:
- Downloading news articles and social media posts
- Streaming background music
- Syncing documents and photos into the cloud
- Receiving push notifications
- Updating apps
- Using location services like GPS and traffic monitoring
This data usage can add up quickly, especially if you do not have an unlimited data plan. Streaming music alone can use 150MB per hour. Heavy background usage can consume over 1GB per day. Table 2 shows estimated daily data consumption for popular apps:
| App | Estimated Background Data Use Per Day |
|---|---|
| 300MB | |
| Snapchat | 250MB |
| Messenger | 180MB |
| 150MB | |
| Pandora | 150MB |
| Total | Over 1GB |
This gives a sense of how quickly background app data can add up. Heavy users and multimedia apps can use 2GB+ per day.
Should you restrict background activity?
Given the battery and mobile data costs, is it wise to limit background app activity? There are pros and cons to consider.
Pros of restricting background access
- Extend battery life – Reducing background CPU usage and network access provides direct savings on battery.
- Reduce cellular data usage – Downloading less in the background can help avoid data overage charges.
- Improve performance – Too many background apps can slow down your device.
- Enhanced privacy – Location tracking and data syncing is limited.
Cons of restricting background access
- Lose real-time updates – Apps cannot refresh content with the latest information.
- No notifications – You may miss important alerts and notifications.
- Data sync issues – Content and settings may not sync properly across devices.
- Unintended impacts – Some apps need background access to function properly.
Tips for managing background apps
There are balanced ways to limit background access without completely disabling it. Here are some tips:
Understand app needs
Determine which apps actually require regular background refresh vs. ones that do not. For example, disabling background for a social media app may be fine, but doing so for email or messaging could cause issues.
Restrict battery-intensive features
Location services and mobile network data tend to consume the most power in the background. Disable location tracking for apps that do not really need it.
Use manual fetch
Rather than having apps automatically sync, use manual fetch to retrieve data only when you open the app.
Enable ‘Low Power Mode’
This feature pauses all background activity in situations when battery life is critical. Allow background access the rest of the time.
Stop unused apps
Completely force quit apps you have not used for a long time or that run too often in the background when not needed.
Set time limits
You can restrict specific apps from using background data or refreshing except during certain time windows, like when you are active on WiFi.
Best practices by app category
Here are some best practices tailored to different types of apps:
Social media apps
- Disable background data use and disable location services.
- Fetch new data manually or enable background access only during active usage.
Messaging apps
- Enable background data for reliable notifications.
- Restrict background data to WiFi only to reduce cellular usage.
Email apps
- Enable background data on primary email app for reliable new mail notifications.
- Limit fetch frequency to 30 minutes or hourly during inactive periods.
Streaming audio
- Disable background streaming unless downloading for offline listening.
- favor downloading over streaming via mobile data.
Navigation/mapping
- Only enable location services when app is actively in use for navigation.
How to control background apps on iOS
On iOS, here is how to view and control background app settings:
View app battery usage
Go to Settings > Battery to see battery usage by app and breakdown by background vs. foreground usage.
Disable app refresh
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle off for apps you want to restrict.
Location services
Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Tap on each app to customize location access.
Background restrictions
In Settings > General > Background App Refresh you can disable background mobile data for specific apps.
How to control background apps on Android
On Android, you manage background apps in Settings > Apps & Notifications > Advanced.
Stop apps
Tap the app and select Force Stop to completely disable it.
Restrict app data
In the app info screen, disable “Allow background data usage” and “Allow app while Data saver on” options.
Disable auto-sync
Toggle off the “Auto-sync data” option for selective apps.
Notifications
Customize notifications for each app.
Battery optimization
Set battery optimization to “Don’t optimize” for apps that need background access. Optimize the rest.
Conclusion
Background app refresh provides useful always-on functionality – at the expense of battery life, mobile data, and performance. Carefully restricting background access provides the best compromise. Analyze your actual app usage and needs to determine which require regular background access vs. those that can be limited.