Meveryone thinks that closing background apps saves battery power, which is just a myth. If you are one of the people who kill background apps instantly after using them, we have to tell you that it does no good for your battery life. Instead, it negatively affects your smartphone's battery performance.
The myth that shutting down background apps saves battery power has been religiously revered over the years by iPhone and Android users. In fact, many online portals are inundated with questions like "Do background apps drain battery?", "Do background apps save battery?", "Do you have to force quit applications to save battery? " and many other questions.
It's about time we stepped in as Mythbusters.
Does closing background apps save battery?
No, closing background apps doesn't save your battery.
The main reason behind this myth of shutting down apps in the background is that people confuse "opening in the background" with "running". When your apps are open in the background, they're in a state where it's easy to relaunch them. This doesn't mean that background apps are using a lot of your resources.
Resources can be accessed by apps open in the background only when a background process is involved, such as downloading a file, tracking location, playing audio. This applies to Android and iOS devices.
In fact, closing background apps uses more battery. When you force quit an app, you are using some of your resources and battery to shut it down and remove it from RAM. In addition, the resources will be used when you open it again, which will lead to increased battery usage.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, vice president of engineering for Android once tweeted, "(shutting down background apps) might get very slightly worse unless you and the algorithm are ONE (you kill something, the system wants to get it back, etc.). "
Does closing apps save data?
Closing background apps wouldn't save much of your data unless you restrict background data by changing the settings on your Android or iOS device. Some apps use data even when you don't open them. Background data refers to data that apps use to verify notifications.
Therefore, if you turn off background data, notifications will be stopped until you open the app. By limiting background data, you will definitely save money on your monthly mobile data bill.
What can be done to optimize battery life?
If you want to improve the battery life of your smartphone, you can use the following tips instead of closing background apps:
Turn off notifications for frequently used apps
Reducing notifications is one of the most effective ways to maximize battery life. Disabling notifications for some apps can be helpful. If you don't want to miss the notifications, you can also increase the app sync time. However, very few apps allow you to increase the time interval for notifications syncing.
Minimize data usage
You can restrict background data for infrequently used apps. This can be done by revoking the permission granted to applications to use background data.
Turn off vibration for notifications and calls
The vibration when receiving notifications and calls is definitely a handy feature. However, whenever your phone vibrates, a small vibration motor installed on your device runs and consumes battery. You can turn off vibration if you want to maximize battery life.
Use adaptive brightness
Most smartphones have the ability to track which services are hogging your battery. You will be surprised to see that "Screen" will be at the top of the list of services. You can extend the battery life of your mobile phone by using adaptive brightness or keeping it to a minimum indoors.
Disable background apps
If you plan to save battery juice, you can try disabling apps running in the background. Go to Settings> Apps and navigate to the specific app you want to force stop and turn off background data. This will stop apps from running in the background to save battery life.
Battery performance and apps running in the background
The myth revolving around the relationship between shutting down background apps and battery performance has been shattered. You don't save your battery by frequently quitting background apps, but this habit worsens your smartphone's battery performance. You can adopt the tips mentioned above to improve battery life on Android and iPhones.
Also read: How to Track iPhone Application Usage and Limit Screen Time?
