Turning Off Background Refresh on iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide for a Smoother Experience
Hi readers!
Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to turn off background refresh on your iPhone. Background refresh is a handy feature that allows apps to periodically fetch new content and updates even when you’re not actively using them. While it can be convenient, this feature can also drain your battery and consume data unnecessarily. If you’re concerned about your device’s performance or want to save power, disabling background refresh is a smart move.
Why Turn Off Background Refresh?
- Battery conservation: Background refresh can significantly drain your battery as apps constantly run in the background to retrieve updates. Turning it off can help extend your battery life, especially if you’re a heavy app user.
- Data saving: Apps can accumulate data usage in the background, even if you’re not interacting with them. Disabling background refresh can prevent unnecessary data consumption, which is particularly important if you have a limited data plan.
- Improved performance: With background refresh turned on, apps can slow down your iPhone by consuming processing power and memory. Disabling it can free up resources and improve your device’s responsiveness.
How to Turn Off Background Refresh
Individual App Control
- Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
- Toggle off the switch next to any app you want to disable background refresh for.
Global Control
- Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
- Tap Background App Refresh.
- Select Off.
Advanced Background Refresh Settings
- Wi-Fi Only: Only allow apps to refresh in the background when connected to Wi-Fi. This minimizes data usage.
- Wi-Fi & Cellular Data: Allow apps to refresh in the background when connected to both Wi-Fi and cellular data.
- Off: Completely disable background refresh for all apps.
Apps That Use Background Refresh Heavily
- Social media apps (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
- News apps
- Weather apps
- Email apps
- Productivity apps (Slack, Dropbox)
Table: Background Refresh Data Usage
| App | Data Usage with Background Refresh On | Data Usage with Background Refresh Off |
|---|---|---|
| 100MB per day | 5MB per day | |
| 50MB per day | 2MB per day | |
| Gmail | 30MB per day | 1MB per day |
| Slack | 20MB per day | 0.5MB per day |
Conclusion
Turning off background refresh on your iPhone is a simple yet effective way to improve battery life, save data, and enhance your device’s performance. By following our step-by-step guide, you can now disable background refresh for specific apps or globally for all apps. Remember to check out our other articles for more tips and tricks on optimizing your iPhone and enhancing your mobile experience.
FAQ about Turning Off Background Refresh on iPhone
Why should I turn off background refresh?
Turning off background refresh can help conserve battery life and data usage.
How do I turn off background refresh for all apps?
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle it off.
How do I turn off background refresh for specific apps?
Go to Settings > Background App Refresh and toggle off the apps you don’t want to refresh in the background.
Will turning off background refresh affect my notifications?
Most notifications will still be delivered, but they may take longer to arrive.
What apps should I turn off background refresh for?
Consider turning it off for apps that you don’t use often or that use a lot of data, such as streaming apps or social media apps.
How do I know if an app is refreshing in the background?
If an app has a blue or orange circle next to its icon in the App Switcher, it is refreshing in the background.
Can I turn off background refresh for Wi-Fi only?
Yes, go to Settings > Background App Refresh > Wi-Fi Only.
How do I turn off background refresh while on cellular data?
Go to Settings > Background App Refresh > Wi-Fi and Cellular Data.
What is the difference between "Background App Refresh" and "App Refresh"?
Background App Refresh allows apps to refresh in the background without user interaction. App Refresh allows apps to refresh when opened or when they receive a push notification.
What is an alternative to background refresh?
You can manually refresh apps by opening them and scrolling down.
