{"id":6801,"date":"2025-10-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/?p=6801"},"modified":"2025-10-24T09:47:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T16:47:23","slug":"how-to-shut-down-apps-running-in-the-background-on-your-smartphone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/how-to-shut-down-apps-running-in-the-background-on-your-smartphone\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Close or Stop Apps Running in the Background of Your Phone"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ever notice your phone acting a little sluggish or your battery draining faster than usual? It can feel like a mystery, but oftentimes, the culprit might be apps running in the background. These apps stay open (even when you\u2019re not actively using them) to refresh content, send notifications or pick up where you left off the next time you hop on. But sometimes, they end up using more power and data than you\u2019d like and leave you with that mystery phone lag or battery drain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re using an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/shopping\/choose\/device?filters=Android\">Android<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/shopping\/choose\/device?filters=Apple\">iPhone<\/a>, managing background apps is easy and straightforward. Here\u2019s how to check what\u2019s running in the background, close what you don\u2019t need and keep your phone operating smooth and fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Apps Run in the Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Apps don\u2019t really \u201cturn off\u201d when you leave them. Instead, they move into a background state, where they can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check for updates (like new emails or messages)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sync data or notifications<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stay ready for a quick reopen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This setup helps your phone run apps faster overall. But too many background apps can drain your battery and use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/how-much-mobile-data-do-i-need-each-month\/\">mobile data<\/a> unnecessarily\u2014especially if you\u2019re low on power or have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/what-is-mobile-data\/\">limited data<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Check What\u2019s Running on Your Phone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Check What\u2019s Running on Android (Version 13 and up)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use <strong>Quick Settings: Settings &gt; Apps<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Or go to <strong>Settings<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tap <strong>Developer Options<\/strong> (you may need to enable it first by going to <em>About phone &gt; Build number<\/em> and tapping it 7 times)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>Running services<\/strong> to see active apps and memory use<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Check What\u2019s Running on iPhone (iOS 17 and up)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Swipe <strong>up from the bottom<\/strong> of the screen and pause in the middle (on Face ID models)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swipe <strong>left or right<\/strong> to see open apps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Double-click the <strong>Home button<\/strong> on older models to view the same<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Close Apps on Android<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to shut down apps manually on Android phones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Swipe up<\/strong> from the bottom of your screen and hold<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scroll side to side<\/strong> to see all open apps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Swipe up<\/strong> on any app to close it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tap <strong>Clear all<\/strong> or <strong>Close all<\/strong> if you want to shut down everything at once<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Pro Tip: <\/em><\/strong><em>Closing apps that cause issues or drain battery is fine, but you don\u2019t need to close every app all the time. Android automatically manages memory for best performance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Close Apps on iPhone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Close Apps on iPhones With Face ID (iPhone X and newer):<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Swipe <strong>up<\/strong> from the bottom and pause mid-screen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swipe <strong>side to side<\/strong> through open apps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swipe <strong>up<\/strong> on an app card to close it<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Close Apps on iPhones With a Home Button (iPhone 8 and older):<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Double-press the <strong>Home button<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swipe through the open apps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swipe <strong>up<\/strong> to close any you\u2019re done using<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Turn Off Background App Refresh or Data Usage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, you don\u2019t need to close an app completely\u2014you just want it to stop using power or data when you\u2019re not in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Turn Off Background App Refresh on iPhone:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <strong>Settings &gt; General &gt; Background App Refresh<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toggle <strong>off<\/strong> globally or per app<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Turn Off Background App Refresh on Android:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <strong>Settings &gt; Network &amp; Internet &gt; Data Saver<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Turn <strong>Data Saver<\/strong> on<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Or to manage individual apps, go to <strong>Settings > Apps > [App name] > Battery <\/strong>or <strong>Mobile data &amp; Wi-Fi<\/strong> and turn off or restrict <strong>Background data<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Pro Tip:<\/em><\/strong><em> Turning off Background App Refresh for social media or streaming apps can extend your battery life up to 20%.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does Closing Apps Help Battery Life?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not always. Here\u2019s the reality:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Android<\/strong> automatically pauses unused apps to save power<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>iPhone<\/strong> suspends apps in a low-power state when idle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So closing apps constantly can actually make your phone work harder when reopening them. Only close apps that you notice make your phone freeze, drain battery or otherwise misbehave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips to Keep Your Phone Running Smoothly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Restart your phone at least once a week<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Update apps and software regularly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Turn off Background App Refresh for apps you don\u2019t always need<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid third-party \u201ctask killer\u201d apps\u2014they can slow your phone instead of speeding it up<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQs: Managing Background Apps on iPhone and Android<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Should I close apps running in the background?<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Usually, no. Both Android and iPhone manage memory automatically. Close apps only if they freeze or use too much battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do I see what apps are running on my phone?<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>On Android, go to Settings &gt; Developer Options &gt; Running services. On iPhone, swipe up (or double-click the Home button) to see running apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Does closing apps save battery life?<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Typically not much. Your phone handles most of that automatically. Turning off Background App Refresh helps more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do I turn off background app refresh?<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>iPhone: Settings &gt; General &gt; Background App Refresh. Android: Settings &gt; Apps &gt; [App name] &gt; Mobile data &amp; Wi-Fi or Battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the difference between closing and force stopping an app?<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Closing hides it from view. Force stop shuts down all background activity until you reopen it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep Your Apps in Check with Consumer Cellular<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Keeping your phone running at its best doesn\u2019t take much\u2014just a little housekeeping now and then, plus making the most of helpful tips from your wireless provider. Because knowing how to close background apps and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/what-is-mobile-data\/\">manage data<\/a> and battery use can make a big difference in how long your phone performs and lasts through the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re here to help with all of it. If you\u2019re looking for simple, affordable wireless service and award-winning support to keep your phone running great, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/shopping\/choose\/plan\"><strong>plans<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/shopping\/choose\/device\"><strong>devices<\/strong><\/a>. Or stop into one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/retailstores\"><strong>retail stores<\/strong><\/a> to chat and grab a fresh cup of coffee while browsing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u00a9 2025 Consumer Cellular, Inc. Terms and Conditions apply. New service activation on approved credit. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is subject to system limitations.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever notice your phone acting a little sluggish or your battery draining faster than usual? It can feel like a mystery, but oftentimes, the culprit might be apps running in the background. These apps stay open (even when you\u2019re not actively using them) to refresh content, send notifications or pick up where you left off [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":8732,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.13 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>How to Close or Stop Apps Running in the Background of Your Phone - Our Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to close apps running in the background on Android and iPhone. Find out what background apps do, when to close them and how to turn off Background App Refresh to save battery and data.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/how-to-shut-down-apps-running-in-the-background-on-your-smartphone\/\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Susan Thomas\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Close or Stop Apps Running in the Background of Your Phone - Our Blog","description":"Learn how to close apps running in the background on Android and iPhone. 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