Background App Refresh: Should You Keep It On or Off?

Have you ever wondered why your iPhone battery seems to drain faster than expected, even when you’re not using it? The answer might lie in a tiny yet powerful feature called background App refresh. While this feature keeps your apps updated and running smoothly, it could also be silently draining your battery. So, should you keep it on or off?

Below, we’ll show how you can optimize the background app refresh of your iPhone to get the best performance and battery life. We’ll also discuss how it differs between Android and iPhone to keep your phone running efficiently, no matter what brand it is.

Why Should You Control Background App Refresh?

App refresh management improves your phone’s performance and saves battery life. Applications such as social media or news update themselves even when you are not using them. On the iPhone, iOS Background App Refresh lets an app pull in new data, but this can also slow down battery life faster. Start by keeping the background updates in line. It will help if your phone is not making it long enough between charges.

Other than that, another good thing is reducing or turning off the Android app background refresh when not in use, and iOS does something similar with the App Refresh. Most of the time, the apps that refresh themselves in the background waste much data without one’s knowledge. If you disable background app refresh for some apps, they won’t update until you open them.

Turn Off or Custom App Refresh on iPhone

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Open the Settings App on your iPhone.
• Scroll down to tap General > Background App Refresh.
• Choose from one of the following options:

1. Wi-Fi & Cellular: All apps can refresh using mobile data and Wi-Fi.
2. Wi-Fi Only: Apps can only refresh using Wi-Fi connections.
3. Off: Completely turn off Background App Refresh for all apps.

How Does It Work?

• Turn Off Background App Refresh for All Apps
• Tap Off from the Background App Refresh menu.
• It will completely cut off all apps running in the background and refresh only when you open them.
• When it is turned off, this saves your battery and further reduces the usage of cellular data.
• The iPhone does not cut off apps from networks, unlike the background app refreshes Android option.

Customizing for Individual Apps

• Open the Settings App, then General, and then App Refresh.
• Scroll down the list of apps.
• Tap Off next to those you rarely use, like those used for streaming or social media.
• Let App Refresh stay tuned for apps requiring frequent refreshes, like messaging or maps.
• Like in Android app background refresh, this helps save battery and data by allowing only essential apps to refresh.
• You can even refresh the background app on the Apple Watch here.

When to Turn App Refresh On?

Having enabled background app refresh on some apps, which in turn require real-time updates, can be pretty handy. Messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, also benefit from having app background refresh because messages and notifications can pop up right on the App without it being opened. Like news apps, fitness applications are better served when the App refreshes when the background setting is turned on. These apps rely heavily on refreshing themselves to provide updated information for you when you need it.

The best solution for those on data diets is to turn on the background app refresh when they are on Wi-Fi. The good news is that the apps will refresh in the background without affecting your mobile data if you have a limited data plan. Considering which apps to enable using App Refresh, it would be better to include only those applications you use daily or normally. In this way, one can manage it wisely and balance performance with data consumption accordingly.

Tips to Further Boost iPhone Performance and Extend Battery Life

• Dim the screen and activate auto-lock to save battery life when the phone is unused. 
• Turn off the background refresh for apps that do not require refreshing every minute to conserve the battery. 
• Limit the push notifications of non-essential applications to decrease battery consumption by frequent alerts.
• Decide whether to keep the background refresh application iPhone ‘on’ or ‘off,’ according to your usage, and turn it on for apps you need and turn it off for other apps.
• Clear the caches of apps and other unnecessary files to free up your phone’s memory for storage and help with the speed generally.
• In the case of Samsung or other Android devices, you can limit the app refresh for Samsung on the respective device for data-consuming apps. 
• When the battery level is low, the application of the Low Power Mode will automatically turn off App Refresh, among other power-consuming features.

Conclusion

Managing Background App Refresh on the iPhone is an easy yet powerful way to regain performance and prolong battery life. You can tailor which apps update in the background to refresh the key while pausing others for power saving. Whether fully turning it off or restricting it to Wi-Fi, this setting can affect data consumption and prevent battery drain. 

Optimization of App Refresh is one of the most effective ways to ensure that your iPhone works smoothly. The point is that not all apps serve their purpose with updates running in the background, unlike WhatsApp or fitness trackers. By being mindful of changing these settings, you will save battery and data from going to waste needlessly. Knowing how and when to turn App Refresh on or off will help casual and power users who manage several devices make the most out of their iPhones. 

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