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How To Keep Apps Running in the Background on iPhone

Holding iPhone turned to back

If you own an iPhone, you can keep apps running in the background to ensure they stay active. However, recent iOS updates are built to shut down some dormant apps in the background. If you’re experiencing this, you must find out how to keep apps running in the background. 

Quick Answer

A good way to keep apps running in the background iPhone is to enable the “Background App Refresh” feature. This will allow you to toggle “ON” the specific app you want to keep running in the background. Also, you’ll need to turn “OFF” the “Low Power Mode”. 

You can use this method whatever your reason for keeping an app running in the background. That said, we’ll break down the steps to follow to keep apps running in the background iPhone. 

The Importance of Apps Running in the Background 

Apple devices are designed to be self-operated to enable a quality user experience. For instance, your iPhone will suspend or shut down some apps if they’re not in use after a while. 

If you’re carrying out a task on a particular app and it shuts down, you will lose your progress. So, you must keep specific apps running while attending to other important things. 

Also, some in-app features won’t function if an iOS app becomes inactive after a while. For iOS apps to function at maximum capacity, they must be running in the background at all times. 

Other reasons for keeping apps running in the background iPhone include:

  • Background data fetching
  • Location updates permission. 
  • Constant Bluetooth connection.
  • Remote notifications generation. 

Apps like Google Map, Apple Music, Spotify, Netflix, WhatsApp, etc. will need to run in the background to ensure they function properly. So, let’s look at the steps to follow below. 

Warning

Having all your apps running in the background on your iPhone will use up a lot of battery power. Aside from that, there are privacy issues you might encounter. So, ensure you stop certain apps from running in the background. You should learn to keep only the important apps running in the background. 

How To Keep Apps Running in the Background iPhone 

You need to enable the “Background App Refresh” to keep apps running in the background. This feature allows you to refresh specific apps in the background on your iPhone. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to keep apps running in the background iPhone:

Step #1: Open Settings on Your iPhone 

The first step is to open the “Settings” app on your iPhone. Visit “Home” and scroll through the screen to find the “Settings” app. Once you see it, click the icon to open the “Settings” menu. 

Step #2: Click the General Icon From the Settings

On the “Settings” menu, scroll down to find “General”. Once you see it, click the “General” icon to open a menu that has options like “About”, “Software Update”, “iPhone Storage”, and so on. 

Step #3: Locate and Tap on Background App Refresh

The next step involves scrolling through the “General” menu display to locate the “Background App Refresh” option. Once you find it, tap on the icon to open the app’s display menu. 

Step #4: Select and Toggle ON the Apps You Will Like To Keep Open

Now, you will see a long list of all the apps on your iPhone. Choose the apps you want to keep open. If “Background App Refresh” is greyed out, turn it “ON” by clicking the button next to the app

Step #5: Enable Wi-Fi & Mobile Data Option 

Finally, make sure you enable the feature on both “Wi-Fi & Mobile Data”. This way, the selected apps will keep running in the background on mobile data and Wi-Fi connections. 

That’s all you need to know on how to keep apps running in the background iPhone. 

Note

The Low Power Mode on iPhone will prevent apps from automatically running in the background. So, you have to turn OFF this mode to ensure apps can run smoothly in the background.

Conclusion

Having your favorite apps shut down when you don’t need them can be frustrating. To prevent that, you must adopt the best means of keeping those apps running in the background. We have explained the steps you need to carry out to make this happen. 

Once you enable Background App Refresh on each app, it will keep them running in the background even when you are not using them. The method is simple and reliable. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Why do apps automatically close on my iPhone?  

Some apps can automatically close on your iPhone for different reasons. It could be that those apps have been open for a long time, and the system has decided to shut them down to free up space. The other reason could be that those apps have crashed. Hence it gets shut down. 

How can I keep an app open at all times on my iPhone? 

A good way to keep an app open on your iPhone is by enabling Background App Refresh or installing App Launchers. You can enable Background App Refresh by turning on the apps you want from Settings. Also, you can install app launchers as an alternative method. 

How long will an iOS app keep running in the background while it is inactive?

When an iOS app is inactive, it will keep running in the background for about 10-15 minutes, after which it will go to the suspended state. Once an app is in the suspended state, it will become idle. This means it will go frozen and stop using the CPU.  

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