Smartphones have upgraded their features immensely in recent years. From automatic detection to other AI features, there is a lot that has changed the way people use their phones. One such amazing feature of Android phones is background app refresh. If you are an Android owner and want to know more about this feature then you have come to the right place. In our today’s doc, we will be discussing background app refresh on Android 10, 11 or other versions and related details on it. Along with knowing more about how to turn on or off this feature, you will also learn how to turn this Background app refresh feature off for different Android models like Samsung and Xiaomi devices. So, let us begin with our guide right away and help you turn off this feature for your mobile phone.
What is Background App Refresh on Android?
Background app refresh is a smartphone feature that allows app in our Android or iPhone to update their content from the internet.
- It helps to automatically download updates and new content on a smartphone.
- Background app refresh feature is enabled by default on Android, iPhone, iPad, and Apple watch.
- This feature helps to keep the phone apps updated.
- It can also drain the battery and can use up all your data.
- The feature is pre-installed on smartphones.
- Background app refresh Android runs in the background all the time even while not using the apps.
- It helps to present you with brand-new information and content of the app on opening it each time.
- This feature is mostly used by social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and others.
- Even though this feature is enabled automatically, it can be turned off from the smartphone itself.
Need to Turn OFF Background App Refresh on Android
Background app refresh is a great feature for Android phones that helps to keep your apps updated with new content. However, this process can also take up a lot from your smartphone. Let us look at some reasons that make it unavoidable to turn off this feature below:
- Data Usage: Updating different mobile phone features like email apps, photos, videos, and the messaging app requires a lot of data. In case you are not connected to a Wi-Fi network, your phone can be drained out of all the data it has due to regular updates of these apps. Hence, it can become a costly issue for you if the data limit goes overboard.
- Battery Drainage: This feature can also drain the battery of your smartphone due to its regular consumption of your phone’s features.
Background App Refresh on Samsung Device
Even though background app refresh on Samsung smartphone feature can help you keep your device’s performance and applications up-to-date with new information and content, it can also degrade your phone’s performance. Therefore, if this feature is an issue, you can follow the steps below to turn it off:
1. Launch the Settings application on your Samsung phone.
2. Next, in the Settings menu, select About phone.
3. Now, tap on the Build number option four times to activate the Developer options on your device.
4. Next, go back to Settings and select System in it.
5. Then, select Developer options.
6. Now, tap on the Background process limit option.
7. Finally, select the No background process option.
Also Read: How to Kill Android Apps Running in the Background
Background App Refresh on Android Motorola Device
If your Motorola device is getting slow due to the background app feature, you can turn it off to save the battery and data of the device. To know more about how to disable background app refresh on Android Motorola phone, look at the steps below:
1. Launch the Settings of your Android Motorola device.
2. Now, launch Apps & Notifications in Settings.
3. Next, select See All Apps.
4. Tap on the app you want to disable refresh for and then select the Mobile Data & Wi-Fi option.
5. Finally, turn off the Background Data slider.
Background App Refresh on Android Realme Device
You can also turn off background app refresh on Android Realme device by disabling mobile data usage for specific apps that are regularly updated and are the reason for the slow performance of your device. To know how to disable background data usage of apps, follow the steps below:
1. Tap on the Settings gear icon on your Android Realme phone.
2. Now, select the Connections tab.
3. Next, tap on the Data usage option.
4. Then, select Mobile data usage.
5. Select the app you want to turn off mobile data usage for.
6. Finally, toggle off Allow background data usage option in it.
Read the next section to know about background app refresh on your Xiaomi Android smartphone.
Also Read: How to Hide Data Usage Details in T-Mobile
Background App Refresh on Android Xiaomi Device
Next comes background app refresh on Android Xiaomi phone which can drain the battery of your device. Hence, to ensure proper device operations without the loss of battery, you can attempt to restrict background activity that will help you save battery as well as the data of your device.
1. Launch the Settings app of your Xiaomi device.
2. Now, launch the Battery & performance option in it.
3. Now, tap on Manage apps battery usage.
4. In the next screen, select Choose apps.
5. Now, select an app for which you want to restrict the activity.
6. Finally, select Restrict background activity.
Background App Refresh on Android 12
Background app refresh Android 12 can be turned off by restricting the battery usage of the apps with new content and information. This can also be performed for social media apps that can drain a lot of battery. You can follow the steps below to turn on these restrictions:
1. Locate the app you want to apply the restrictions for.
2. Now, hold and press the app icon to invoke the menu.
3. Select App info from the shortcut menu.
4. Next, locate the Battery life option and tap on it.
5. Select the Restricted option to apply limited battery usage.
Background App Refresh on Android 11
Data usage is one of the main things that catch the eye of background app refresh on Samsung Android 11 users. Due to high data usage in keeping all apps up-to-date, you can cross the limit of your data each month which can cost you a lot of money. Therefore, you can turn off background data usage of your Android 11 with the help of the following steps:
1. Open Settings of your Android 11 phone and open the Connections tab.
2. Next, select Data usage in it.
3. Now, open the Mobile section and select Mobile data usage.
4. Now, open the app from the usage list.
5. Finally, turn off Allow background data usage.
Background App Refresh on Android 10
Background app refresh on Android 10 feature works similarly to the one in Android 11. The only difference between both operating systems is the update privacy policy. Therefore, you can use the same steps to turn off background app refresh feature as done for Android 11.
Also Read: 10 Reasons Android is Better Than iPhone
How to Turn ON or OFF Background App Refresh Process
Depending upon your requirement and device performance, you can either turn on the feature or turn it off if your smartphone is draining out of battery and data. You can turn it on or off using the steps below:
1. Open Settings of your Android device and tap on Connections.
2. Open the Data usage option and select Mobile data usage from the Mobile section.
3. Select an app and turn on Allow background data usage.
4. You can also turn off the Allow background data usage option if not required.
Follow the above steps for each app if you would like to restrict from this feature on your Android phone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Is there an automatic background app refresh for Android?
Ans. Background apps on your Android do not use your phone’s resources on their own. However, Android phones automatically refresh background apps periodically. This results in the consumption of your Android phone and its data.
Q2. What happens on turning off background app refresh feature?
Ans. On turning off this feature, your device will save a lot of battery and it will also not lag.
Q3. Why do so many apps run in the smartphone background?
Ans. One of the major reasons behind more apps running in the background of your device is the installation of more software. This adds to more processes to those preinstalled on your operating system.
Q4. Should I turn off background apps running on my Android phone?
Ans. Turning off the background apps on your Android phone is extremely beneficial as it helps in saving the battery of your device.
Q5. Why is it important to enable background app refresh?
Ans. Enabling this feature helps in letting the app idle. It helps the app to pick up data from the internet and deliver notifications.
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We hope that our guide on background app refresh in Android helped let you know about ways to turn off the feature on different Android devices. Please do let us know about your thoughts, views, and suggestions if you have any by leaving them in the comments section below.
