In today’s fast-paced digital world, smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives. With a plethora of apps available at our fingertips, it’s easy to lose track of which ones are running in the background, draining precious battery life and slowing down your device. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to regain control over your Android phone’s performance by stopping apps from running in the background.
Why Should You Stop Apps Running in Background?
Before diving into the methods to stop apps running in the background, it’s essential to understand why you should do so. Here are some compelling reasons:
Battery Life: Background apps consume a significant amount of battery power, leading to faster battery drain and reduced usage time between charges.
Performance: Running multiple apps in the background can hog system resources, causing your device to slow down and become sluggish.
Data Usage: Some apps continue to fetch data in the background, consuming your mobile data without your knowledge, potentially leading to extra charges or exceeding your data limit.
Methods to Stop Apps Running in Background:
1. Use Android’s Built-in Tools:
- Recent Apps Menu: Open the recent apps menu by tapping the square button or swiping up from the bottom of the screen (depending on your device). Swipe away the apps you want to close or tap on “Clear All” to close all background apps.
- App Settings: Navigate to Settings > Apps (or Application Manager). Select the app you want to stop from running in the background, then tap on “Force Stop” or “Stop” to halt its background processes.
- Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage. Here, you’ll find a list of apps consuming your device’s battery. Tap on the app you want to optimize, then select “Battery Optimization” and choose “Optimize” or “Optimize Battery Usage” to prevent it from running in the background unnecessarily.
- Head to Settings > Apps > [App Name]. Look for the option that allows you to restrict background data usage or disable it altogether. This prevents the app from using data when it’s not actively being used.
- There are numerous third-party task manager apps available on the Google Play Store that offer advanced features for managing background apps and optimizing device performance. Some popular options include Greenify, AVG Cleaner, and CCleaner.