One of the great options on our Android phones and tablets is the background app refresh. Without cluttering the home screen we are staying up to date with everything that we want to connect in real-time thanks to this feature. If you are asking what is background app refresh on Android devices, we are here with an explainer.
This is one of the most important functions that our smartphones are doing without disturbing our use. To find out what it does and how you can use it to maximize your activities in real-time.
What is Background App Refresh
Many great features on our Android phone carry out essential functions but they do not come to the fore. Among them is the feature of background app refresh. It is basically a process that enables the apps to update the content when connected to the internet and you are not using them at the moment.
If you are aware of the fact that the applications use data even when you have not opened them recently, that is because they have been constantly exchanging data with the internet even when you are not using them.
Say, you have not opened your WhatsApp in a while. But when someone sends you a message there or tries to connect a call, it simply gets through and you get a notification on the screen. This happens because in the background WhatsApp is exchanging information and constantly updating itself.
Should We Use this Feature
The use of this feature has its own perks. But this does not mean there are no drawbacks such as you might not get notifications for new activities. However, snoozing notifications on Androids manually is also an option. So to help you know all about it, here we are with the information that an Android user needs to know.
By default, when you install an application the background app refresh for it is turned on. This translates into considerable data consumption especially if you do not have a Wi-Fi connection and rely on data packages.
This could inflate the bills at the end of the month for you. So you might consider turning it off, especially for the application that you seldom need or use. This could translate into lower data consumption and savings, especially if you have a limited package.
Another great reason to consider this course of action is that the background app refresh consumes battery. It is the same as using these apps on your mobile screen. Thus, consumption is not ignorable. Now if you want your device to give better battery consumption, this is the right choice.
If you don’t want to get distracted the best course of action is to leave the background app refresh open for your communication apps, for others it is your personal choice. This is possible because using the settings you can exactly determine this status for any app.
How to turn off background app refresh on Android
When it comes to iPhone, there is a dedicated section in the settings but for Android-run devices, there are several ways to achieve this. So if you want any application to stop using data when not running in the foreground, these are the methods.
- Go to the settings and head to ‘Apps’ and find ‘Apps and Notifications’, here locate ‘See all Apps.’
- Once there, tap the app that you want to disable contacting the internet frequently. Choose whether you want to turn it off completely or selectively i.e., for both data and Wi-Fi or only data. Open the ‘Mobile Data & Wi-Fi’ and disable ‘Background Data.’
- Now the app will consume data only when it is opened on the mobile phone screen and the device is connected to cellular data i.e 3G, 4G, or 5G. This will not affect its behavior for Wi-Fi connections.
- If you want the total restriction for an application the method is very simple. Go to ‘Batter’ and ‘Advanced’ and choose the ‘Background Restriction’ or ‘Restricted’ option based on the Operating system version.
Conclusion
This is all about the background refresh feature. We hope your queries about what is background app refresh on Android devices are answered clearly here. Still, if you feel like there is something that skipped our minds, do join us in the comments section below.