Background App Refresh on Android, Explained

If you have too many apps on your device, your phone is likely trying to perform too many tasks at once — they’ll be constantly updating as they send and receive new data. This will not only drain your phone’s battery faster, but it may also cause your phone to overheat, which can damage your phone’s battery. If your phone starts to overheat — perhaps because you have too many apps, or maybe you’re watching a video — use CPU Cooler to quickly cool down your device:

The CPU Cooler will return your device to its normal temperature by closing background apps that are taking up too much of your phone’s power. This will eliminate lag time and help your smartphone to run faster.

Read More: How to Change Your Default Apps on Android

Background App Refresh

If you have a lot of apps on your device, odds are you have a lot of apps that are connected to the Internet. Apps that you’re not currently using may still be performing tasks in the “background” of your device. Your background apps are constantly running and refreshing themselves, whether by using cellular data or your Wi-Fi. Naturally, this can increase your data usage, consume a lot of RAM, and drain your phone’s battery life. It can also lead to poor performance since your phone is trying to do too much at once.

The Biggest Offenders

The apps that affect your phone’s performance the most include: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter, your email app, Google Maps, and Google Docs/Sheets. Games and music apps can also take up a lot of your phone’s power. Social networking and messaging apps are by far the worst, though, especially if they have a wide variety of functions, like Facebook. At a minimum, Facebook lets you read articles, shop online, browse the web, upload photos, and communicate with your friends — that’s a lot of information for one app.

Stop Apps From Refreshing

One way that you can close background apps is by using DFNDR’s Memory Booster feature. Memory Booster will show you all of the apps that are running in the background, and allow you to quickly close them all. This will free up your RAM and speed up your device. Click here to boost your phone by closing background apps:

Another way to stop background apps from refreshing is to uninstall or disable them. You can force them to stop updating by going to “Settings,” followed by “Apps,” and then “App Manager.” Then, choose the app you want to disable, click on it, and then click “force stop.”
PSafe Newsroom

The dfndr blog is an informative channel that presents exclusive content on security and privacy in the mobile and business world, with tips to keep users protected. Populated by a select group of expert reporters, the channel has a partnership with dfndr lab's security team. Together they bring you, first-notice news about attacks, scams, internet vulnerabilities, malware and everything affecting cybersecurity.

Share
Published by
PSafe Newsroom

Recent Posts

24 Billion Passwords Exposed? How to Check If You’re Affected.

A massive password leak has triggered a global security alert: Cybernews researchers identified an exposed…

57 years ago

That QR Code on Your Bar Table During the Game: Would You Scan It Without Thinking?

A QR code on a bar table could hide a phishing link. Learn how to…

57 years ago

Could You Spot a Fake Login Page in 5 Seconds? Take the Phishing Test

Before you keep reading, imagine this: You receive a message warning that your account is…

57 years ago

Is Mobile Data Always Safer Than Public Wi-Fi? Myth or Fact?

You’re at an airport and need to open your banking app. Which would you choose:…

57 years ago

Jury Duty Scam: Fake Arrest Warrants Are Targeting Americans

What would you do if someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal called and said…

57 years ago

World Cup 2026 Streams: How to Tell Safe Links from Dangerous Ones

Kickoff is minutes away. You search for a 2026 World Cup stream and receive a…

57 years ago