With all the functionalities that today’s smartphones are capable of, making sure that your battery remains full throughout the day is extremely important. However, it is a lot easier said than done. If you think Wi-Fi and mobile data are the only things that can drain your battery quickly, then you might be wrong. One of the factors that contribute toward draining your battery is the background processes that quietly work in the background. Background processes like background data usage in Android and background data refresh in iPhone consume a lot of your phone battery without you even realizing it. In this blog, you will learn everything you need to know about background app refreshes. We will start with absolute basics-
Understanding Background App Refresh
Background app refresh is a functionality that enables your iPhone apps to automatically search for new data even if they are not open on your phone. In Android devices, the feature is titled Background App Usage and pretty much works the same way. One of the examples of this function is your email app that regularly checks for any new email, and your Facebook app constantly updating your news feed or checking your messages or notifications. Your email and social media apps constantly run in the background to look for any new details even if you are not using them.
Well, it is not all bad as it helps you get the latest info when you open the app. Enabling apps to refresh in the background minimizes the waiting time that comes with fetching new information whenever you open the app. The downside of this is that it can cause performance issues when it comes to data usage and battery life.
Do Background Apps Consume Data?
Switching between text messages, email updates, photos, videos, and social media, your smartphone burns a lot of data on a daily basis. However, what is significant to realize is the fact that your phone might be consuming data about things that do not really serve you, or you do not actually need them. For example, the background apps that consistently work in the background and keep on consuming the data without you even realizing it. While having one such app does not make much of a difference, having 5 or 6 of them can seriously have an effect on your data plan and battery.
Do Background Apps Affect Your Battery Life?
Apart from possibly draining your data plan, background data usage and background data refresh can also adversely affect the battery life of your phone. While the features can be valuable, you might not need the latest information on every application installed on your phone. Restricting the number of apps having permission to refresh and operate in the background will be quite valuable to the battery life of your phone. If you are not convinced, just turn off an app, say Facebook, that updates frequently. You will experience great improvement in battery life.
If you think that your data limits and battery life are a concern, then you can use a few quick ways to stop background apps from running.
How to Turn Off Background App Refresh?
Process to Turn Off Background App Refresh on Your iPad and iPhone
- On your iPhone, open settings, then select General, and then Background App Refresh.
- Select the option “Background App Refresh” and turn it off.
Process to Turn Off Background Refresh for a Specific App on Your iPhone or iPad
- Similarly, go to settings, then General, and then select “Background App Refresh.”
- You will find a list of apps that are using Background App Refresh. You can choose to turn it off for each app.
Process to Turn Off Background Usage on Your Samsung Galaxy (Android)
- From your Android phone, select “Settings”, then select “Connections”, and then “Data Usage.”
- In the Mobile section, select “Mobile Data Usage.”
- From the usage graph below, select an app.
- Select “Allow Background Data Usage.”
- You can select the apps that you want to restrict from refreshing in the background.
Process to Turn Off Background App Data on Your Google Pixel
- Select “Settings,” then select “Network & Internet” and then choose “Data & Server.”
- Select the turn off switch to turn it off.
More Tips to Help You Preserve Battery Life and Data
Beyond handling background app refresh, you can employ some additional techniques to streamline the performance of your device:
- Regularly Track Your Data Usage: Find out which apps consume the highest data by assessing the data usage statistics of your phone. This allows you to recognize data hogs and make informed choices on which apps genuinely need background access.
- Utilize Wi-Fi When Available: Use only Wi-Fi networks instead of mobile data whenever available. This can help you save your data. However, do keep in mind that background refresh can still impact your battery life even when you are connected to Wi-Fi.
- Strategically Update Your Apps: Ensure that your apps remain updated, as new versions of apps bring key optimizations that can bring down data and battery consumption. Allow automatic updates when you are connected to Wi-Fi.
- Allow Low Power Mode: Both Android and iOS devices provide various power-saving modes that restrict background activities automatically when your battery is low.
Conclusion
Handling background apps is vital for improving battery life and managing usage of data on your smartphone. While features ensure great convenience by keeping the apps up to date with the latest information, it comes at a high cost. By choosing to disable background app refresh for apps that do not need consistent updates, you can greatly enhance the performance of your device. Take some time to check the settings and customize apps that do not need background access or constant updates. Try it for a day and see how much of an impact it makes on your phone's performance.
