You’ve probably heard it a thousand times: “Close your background apps! They’re killing your battery!” But is that actually true? Or is it just one of those tech myths that keeps getting passed around like a chain message from the early 2000s?

Let’s dig into the truth about background apps, how they really affect your phone’s battery life, and what you can actually do to make your device last longer throughout the day.

First things first — what does it mean when an app is “running in the background”?

When you switch from one app to another, the first one doesn’t always close completely. Instead, it goes into a suspended or background state, where it may still be doing small tasks like:

This is totally normal — your phone is designed to handle multitasking. But depending on the app and how it’s coded, some can use more resources than others in the background.

The short answer: some do, but not all.

Most modern smartphones are really good at managing background activity. Apps that are properly optimized (like messaging or email apps) will use minimal battery while they’re not in use.

However, certain apps — especially poorly built ones or those that constantly track location or stream data — can drain your battery more than you’d expect.

Common culprits include:

The real issue isn’t background apps in general — it’s which ones are active and how they behave.

Many people think manually swiping up or force closing apps helps save battery. It feels productive, right?

But here’s the truth: force closing apps can actually use more battery.

When you force close an app, your phone has to fully reload it from scratch the next time you open it. This uses more energy than resuming it from a suspended state. Unless the app is misbehaving or frozen, it’s usually better to just leave it alone.

Want to know which apps are quietly sipping your battery juice?

On Android:

On iPhone:

Look out for apps that appear at the top of the list but that you rarely use. These are likely running too much in the background.

Instead of constantly closing apps, here are more effective ways to manage background activity:

On Android:

On iPhone:

Location tracking is one of the biggest battery drains.

Every ping wakes up your phone’s processor. Trim down notifications to essentials only.

Both Android and iOS offer power-saving modes that limit background tasks, screen brightness, and other energy-heavy features.

Activate it when your battery is low or when you know you’ll be away from a charger for a while.

Updates often include performance and battery usage improvements. App developers fix bugs and improve energy efficiency over time.

While it’s generally best to let your phone manage background apps, there are exceptions:

In these cases, closing or uninstalling the app can help resolve the issue.

If you want to go deeper, you can try tools like:

These give you more insights into battery health and background behavior so you can make informed choices.

Not completely — but you don’t need to obsess, either.

Think of background apps like a fridge light. It’s on for a reason, and it’s designed to use minimal energy. But if the fridge door is left open (like a GPS app running full blast), then yes — that’s a problem.

Smartphones are smarter than ever. Let them do their job, and instead focus on:

Closing every background app might feel satisfying, but it’s often a placebo. True battery savings come from knowing how your phone works, and taking control of the apps and features that matter most.

So go ahead — swipe less, manage smarter, and enjoy a longer-lasting phone.