I noticed apps keep running in the background, even when I close them, draining my device’s battery and slowing it down. I’m looking for a way to stop this, whether it’s settings I need to adjust or a tool to use. Can anyone guide me on this?
Ugh, isn’t it SO annoying when apps act like needy toddlers, just running wild in the background no matter what you do? It’s like, ‘Calm down, Spotify, I closed you TEN MINUTES AGO.’ Anyway, here’s the deal:
First, check your device’s settings. If you’re rocking Android, dive into Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Battery and look for something like ‘Background activity’. Turn that OFF. On iPhones, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You can toggle specific apps or nuke them all at once (satisfying).
But no—some apps are drama queens. They think they’re ~special~ and ignore your settings. For those, you might need a third-party app killer (ironic, considering we’re trying to avoid extra apps, but hey). Greenify is decent for Android, and iOS doesn’t really allow them, because Apple thinks it knows best.
Also, sometimes the issue isn’t the app, but your settings. Optimize your battery settings via Power Saver modes (Android) or Low Power Mode (iPhone). Oh, and delete apps you don’t actually use. Seriously, do you REALLY need 5 photo editing apps?
And let’s not even start on apps like Facebook and Instagram. Even if you think they’re off, they’re still there, lurking in the shadows, like some techy horror villain. Deleting/chucking them might genuinely improve your phone AND your sanity.
Trust me though, nothing is 100% foolproof because phones these days basically assume you want 50 things open at all times. So yeah, your best bet? Be ruthless. Yank those permissions. Teach your apps who’s boss.
Yeah, @sternenwanderer made some decent points, but let’s be real, turning off background activity isn’t always a silver bullet. There’s always that ONE app that refuses to chill, no matter how hard you try. You nuke the settings, and boom, it’s back like a clingy ex.
Here’s a few tweaks that might work better, depending on your device:
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Force stop apps manually: Go to settings, find the app, and hit “Force Stop.” It’s the digital equivalent of slamming a door in their face, but it works—until the app restarts itself (looking at you, social media apps).
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Restrict data usage: Another trick—restrict background data via your settings. This stops those greedy apps from using the internet without your permission. Yes, Instagram, that means you don’t NEED to auto-load cat memes for my 3 a.m. doom scroll.
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Disable notifications entirely: Less obvious, but some apps keep running because they insist on pinging you nonstop. Turning off notifications for apps you barely care about will stop them from acting like attention-hungry divas.
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Delete and reinstall apps: A weird one, but sometimes apps collect so much junk that they essentially run themselves into the ground. Deleting and reinstalling cleans out the garbage and might reset bad behaviors.
To be fair, some apps should stay in the background—messaging apps, maps, anything you rely on for real-time stuff. But everything else? Nope. If these steps still leave you banging your head on your keyboard, just consider uninstalling unnecessary apps altogether. I mean, do you really need 3 weather apps telling you it’s raining?
Also, just me or do some power-saving modes barely do anything? It’s like the phone’s trying but… weak effort. Anyway, strip down your apps to the essentials, tweak those permissions, and if an app still refuses to care about your sanity, maybe it’s time to give it the boot entirely.