What "running in the background" means and why it matters
When an app runs in the background, it stays active on your device even after you close it or switch to a different app. It can use your battery, your internet data, and your device's memory — sometimes without you knowing it's doing anything at all. Some background activity is useful: your email app checking for new messages, or your maps app tracking your location. Other background activity is wasteful or intrusive: an app collecting data about where you go, or a social media app refreshing its feed every few minutes when you're not looking at it.
The difference between what you see and what's actually running is the key to understanding why this matters. You close an app by tapping the X or swiping it away, but closing it on your screen does not always stop it from working. On both Android and iPhone, apps can keep running tasks in the background unless you tell them to stop. Learning where to find these settings and what each one does gives you real control over what your device is doing when you're not watching.
Key Takeaways
- Background app refresh is a setting you can turn off for individual apps or all apps at once, and it stops apps from updating their content when you're not using them.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh to see which apps are running in the background and disable the ones you don't need.
- On Android, go to Settings > Apps and look for battery usage or app permissions to see which apps are consuming power and restrict their background activity.
- Turning off location access, notifications, and microphone permissions for apps you don't actively use stops them from collecting data and running tasks in the background.
- Some apps will not work properly if you disable all background activity, so start by turning off background refresh for apps you use least often.
How to stop background activity on iPhone
On iPhone, the main control is Background App Refresh. Open Settings, tap General, then tap Background App Refresh. You will see a list of every app on your phone. The toggle next to each app name shows whether it can refresh in the background. Tap the toggle to turn it off for apps you do not need updating when you are not using them — for example, a news app, a game, or a shopping app.
You can also turn off Background App Refresh for all apps at once by toggling the master switch at the top of the screen. This is the fastest way to save battery, but some apps (like email, messaging, or maps) may not work as smoothly if you do this. A middle ground is to leave it on globally but turn it off for individual apps you use rarely.
Beyond Background App Refresh, check what permissions each app has. Go to Settings > Privacy and look at Location Services, Microphone, Camera, and Contacts. Tap each one and turn off access for apps that do not need it. An app that runs in the background and has location access is using your battery and collecting data about where you go. Removing that permission stops both.
How to stop background activity on Android
Android gives you more granular control, but the settings are scattered across different menus depending on your phone's manufacturer. Start by going to Settings > Apps (or process Manager on older phones). Tap the app you want to restrict. Look for a Battery or Battery Usage section, or a Permissions section. Some phones show a "Force Stop" button — tapping it closes the app completely and stops it from restarting in the background.
For finer control, go to Settings > Battery or Settings > Device Care (on Samsung phones) and look for Battery Usage or App Power Management. This screen shows which apps are using the most power. Tap an app and choose "Restrict" or "Optimize" to limit its background activity. You can also go to Settings > Apps > Permissions and turn off Location, Microphone, Camera, and other permissions for apps that do not need them.
On some Android phones, you can also go to Settings > Apps > Special App Access and look for options like "Modify System Settings" or "Draw Over Other Apps." Turning these off for apps you do not trust stops them from running hidden tasks or displaying content on top of other apps. The exact menu names vary by phone maker, so if you cannot find these options, search your Settings for "battery" or "app permissions."
The difference between closing an app and stopping background activity
Swiping an app away from your recent apps list does not always stop it from running. On both iPhone and Android, closing an app on your screen is just removing it from view. The app can still be active in the background, refreshing data, checking for notifications, or running other tasks. This is why you can get a notification from an app you closed five minutes ago.
Stopping background activity is different from closing an app. It tells your device not to let the app run tasks when you are not actively using it. The app will still open normally when you tap it, but it will not refresh its content, check for messages, or use your battery in the background. On iPhone, Background App Refresh is the main control. On Android, Battery Optimization or Force Stop are the main controls.
Which apps should you restrict, and which should you leave alone
Apps that send you notifications — like messaging, email, or calendar — need background activity to work properly. If you turn off background refresh for these, you will not get alerts when someone messages you or when a meeting is about to start. Leave background activity on for apps you actually want to hear from.
Apps you rarely open are good candidates for restriction. Games, shopping apps, news apps, and social media apps do not need to refresh in the background. Turning off background refresh for these saves battery and stops them from collecting data about your location or behavior when you are not using them. You can always turn background activity back on later if you find you miss the feature.
Apps that use location — like maps, weather, or fitness trackers — should stay on if you use them regularly, but turn off location access if you do not. An app running in the background with location permission is one of the biggest drains on your battery and one of the biggest privacy concerns. You can keep the app itself active but remove its location permission, and it will only know your location when you are actively using it.
What happens when you restrict background activity
When you turn off background refresh for an app, it stops updating its content until you open it again. A news app will not fetch new headlines. A weather app will not update the forecast. A social media app will not load new posts. The app will still work normally when you open it — it will just start fresh from where it left off, rather than having new content ready to show you.
You will also stop receiving notifications from that app, or receive them more slowly. If an app cannot run in the background, it cannot check for new messages or alerts. Some apps will queue up notifications and send them all at once when you open the app. Others will not send notifications at all. This is a trade-off: you save battery and privacy, but you might miss time-sensitive information.
If you restrict an app and find it does not work the way you want, you can turn background activity back on. There is no penalty for turning it on and off. Start by restricting apps you use least often, and only restrict apps you use frequently if you are sure you can live without their background updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will restricting background apps make my phone faster?
It may feel slightly faster because your device has more memory and processing power available, but the difference is usually small unless you have many apps running in the background. The bigger benefit is battery life. Fewer apps running means your battery lasts longer between charges.
Can I restrict background activity for all apps at once?
On iPhone, yes — go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle off the master switch at the top. On Android, there is no single master switch, but you can go through your Battery settings and optimize all apps at once. Be aware that this may break some apps that rely on background updates.
What if I restrict an app and it stops working?
Go back to the same settings menu and turn background activity back on for that app. There is no harm in turning it on and off. Start with apps you use rarely, and only restrict frequently-used apps if you are sure you can live without their background updates.
Does turning off background app refresh stop apps from collecting my data?
Partially. Turning off background refresh stops an app from collecting data when you are not using it. But removing location, microphone, and camera permissions is more important — those are the settings that control what data an app can access at all, whether it is running in the background or not.
Why do some apps keep running even after I force stop them?
Some apps are designed to restart themselves automatically, or other apps may restart them. If an app keeps restarting, you can uninstall it, disable it (if it came with your phone), or restrict its permissions so it cannot do much even if it does run. You can also check your phone's startup settings to see which apps are set to launch when your phone turns on.