How to stop apps from running in the background on Android

Battery anxiety is a major trigger for smartphone users, even though phone makers have managed to pack larger batteries in their devices. While there are a number of causes for mobile batteries to deplete faster, one cause that gets overlooked is apps running in the background. Apps running in the background on your Android device can consume battery and data, and lead to reduced performance.

If your Android phone‘s battery drains faster than expected and you are constantly finding yourself plugging in your device for charging, then it might be time to look at how many apps are running in the background. While it is easy to find active apps, Android also offers tools to stop apps from running in the background. Here’s a step-by-step guide to stop apps from doing so on Android.

How can I stop apps from running in the background?

Once you find out that your Android phone’s battery life as well as performance is being compromised by apps running in the background, the simple solution is to kill them. Below are the steps to stop apps from running in the background on phones running Android 9 and higher.

Step 1: Go to Settings

Step 2: Scroll down to Apps

Step 3: Select the app you want to stop and then tap Force stop

Step 4: Tap Ok when asked for confirmation

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The above step will clear the battery or memory issues until you restart your phone. However, if you don’t use any of those apps then this might be the best time to uninstall them from your device.

How do I stop background apps?

While you can force stop apps from running in the background, some phones also allow you to control background activity through the app settings. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Go to the Settings menu on your phone

Step 2: Select Apps or App Management depending on your device

Step 3: Scroll through the app list and select the app you want to restrict from running in the background

Step 4: Tap on battery or battery usage and then select “Restrict Background Activity or “Don’t Allow Background Activity”

The above steps will limit the app from running when it’s not in use. Stopping apps will limit their ability to send timely notifications, and thus, you should not restrict essential apps like messaging, email, or system services from running in the background.

How to find out which apps are running in the background

While the above methods require you to limit apps that consume data in the background and drain the battery in the process, you can also check which apps are running in the background first. Google buries this under developer options, and here’s how to check which apps are running in the background:

Step 1: Go to Settings

Step 2: Scroll down to System and navigate to Developer Options

Step 3: Tap Running services to see the apps that are currently running on your Android phone. This will also show the amount of RAM used by each app

Step 4: You can tap an item in the list and click the Stop button to forcefully close the service or application

If you can’t find Developer Options, then you need to enable it by tapping on the Build number until you see a message that says “You are now a developer!”

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In addition to finding the apps running in the background, you can also see apps consuming battery by going to Settings > Battery > Battery usage. Now, close any apps consuming excessive battery or any app you didn’t expect to see running. You can also enable battery saver mode from Settings > Battery > Battery Saver and click on the toggle next to Use Battery Saver or Power Saving, depending on the device.