The Silent Data Drain
By default, iOS allows most applications on your iPhone to continue running silently in the background even after you close them. This feature, called Background App Refresh, allows apps like Twitter or Apple News to secretly connect to the internet, download the latest content, and have it ready and waiting for you the exact second you open the app. While this eliminates loading times, having dozens of apps constantly pinging the internet in the background is a massive drain on both your daily battery life and your cellular data allowance. If you prefer to save power and only load data when you explicitly ask for it, you should turn this feature off globally.
How to Turn Off Background App Refresh
You can revoke background networking permissions via the General settings menu.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on General.
- Tap on Background App Refresh.
- At the very top of the next screen, tap on the master Background App Refresh button.
- You will see three options: Off, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi & Cellular Data.
- Tap Off to completely disable the feature globally.
The Impact on Your Workflow
The change is instantaneous. Your apps will now remain completely frozen when not actively displayed on your screen. The next time you open a social media app, it might take two or three seconds to fetch the latest posts, but your phone’s standby battery life will increase dramatically. Importantly, turning this off does not stop push notifications. You will still instantly receive alerts for text messages, emails, and breaking news; the apps simply won’t download the heavy images or videos associated with those alerts until you actually open them.