How to Disable Background App Refresh in iPhones or iPads?

If you are concerned about your apps eating up your data in the background, when they are not actually in use, they have come to the right place. A quick and easy way to stop this background usage is by turning off a feature called Background App Refresh present in iOS. With this feature turned off, all the apps will stay in pause, and until they are on-screen under direct use by the user, they won’t transmit any form of data in the background.

Apple says that the Background App refresh feature “allows apps to refresh their content when on Wi-Fi or cellular in the background.” This basically means that the apps will have access to the internet connection even when the app is just running in the background. So obviously leaving it on will result in higher battery consumption, while turning it off might go along in saving you those extra minutes with the battery. Performance-wise though, nothing will change as iOS is very well optimized, and disabling or enabling this feature won’t jeopardize that.

Steps to Disable Background App Refresh Feature on iOS devices :

The steps are actually very easy and straightforward.

• Go to settings.
• Tap on “general,” which will take you to another menu.
• Here you will find an option called “Background App Refresh,” simply tap on it.
• Now you will see the toggle to turn this feature off or on. Since it is already running, tap on it, and it will be turned.
• Exit settings.

Now when the power saving mode is turned on in your device, this feature is automatically turned off. But it is obviously temporary and will stay like that until the battery saving mode is turned on. So the toggle to turn this feature on or off manually in settings will not work during that too. This is because the battery saving mode already restricts it. To be able to manually control the settings like it is mentioned in the above steps, make sure to keep the battery saving mode turned off.

Steps to Enable Background App Refresh Feature on iOS devices :

Now, if, for some reason, you feel like you need your apps running in the background with network connectivity, or if you feel that you need this feature for some of your particular applications, then you can turn it back on again for those particular apps. To do so, the process is similar.

• Go to settings.
• Tap on “general.”
• Tap on “Background App Refresh.”
• Change the toggle to on and then specifically select the apps you want to use this feature.
• Exit settings and you are done.

Now turning it on or off won’t make a difference in performance as mentioned above, but the apps might need a second to refresh if this feature is turned off. Again, this feature turned off is considered to be a battery saver for many. So if you are using an older iPhone with a lower capacity, then it is definitely something to keep in mind.

Now you might be turning this feature off out of concerns for your security, too, as some apps may send out your location or data information without your consent. Well, if you really want to protect your privacy, then the better alternative would be to specifically select which apps have what permission access. Now, for example, a drawing or designing app will not require your location information, but a food delivery service app will. So depending on the app, select on the permissions you want them to have access to, and you won’t have to worry about protecting your private information anymore. To do so, you will have to go into the “Private” section in the “settings” app. Here you will find the option to set the different permission for all your apps.

You can adjust this feature anytime you want on your iPhone or iPad. So whether you want a few of them or all of them or none of them running in the background, the decision is entirely up to you. Likewise, check out our iPhone Tips and Tricks, PC tips and tricks and Android Tips and Tricks for more such tips and tricks.