Osegi
Mobile·2 min read

Does closing apps save battery? Why swiping them away rarely helps

Swiping apps away after every use feels responsible, but on Android and iOS it usually does little for battery life. A few exceptions are worth knowing.

SUMODialoediviewergiftdetect

If you swipe every app off your screen after using it, you may be doing a lot of work for very little battery. Closing background apps does not reliably save charge, and sometimes it costs you more.

The reason is how phones work. Android and iOS are built to manage apps and resources on their own. Apps you are not using get suspended, or their background activity is cut back. So an app sitting in your recent apps list is not necessarily draining the battery. Reopening an app you just killed can even burn extra power, because the phone has to load its data and start it again from scratch.

When does closing an app actually help?

There are exceptions, mainly apps that keep working in the background: location tracking, music, navigation, voice recording and file downloads. Closing an app makes sense in a few cases:

  • The app has frozen or turned sluggish, and a restart may fix it.
  • It keeps draining power abnormally because of constant background activity.
  • The phone gets hot or the charge drops fast after you launch a particular app.
  • An app keeps accessing your location. Check its permissions and, if you don't need constant tracking, allow access only while the app is in use.

What to do instead to save battery

A few settings do more than swiping:

  • Lower the screen brightness or turn on auto-brightness.
  • Switch on power saving mode when the charge runs low.
  • Reduce background refresh for apps that don't need it.
  • Cut back on location services when they aren't needed.
  • Keep the operating system and apps updated.

How do I see which apps use the most battery?

On iPhone, open Settings, then Battery. You can see each app's power use over different periods, both while in use and in the background. On Android, go to Settings, then Battery, then Battery usage or Battery consumption, depending on the phone and system version.

So the habit isn't always effective. Managing background activity and checking what actually drains your phone will do more for your charge through the day.

Apps worth a look

SUMO: the number puzzle

Tap the right tiles, add them up, hit the target. Easy to learn, hard to master. Free, for all ages.

Tags:batteryandroidiossmartphone tipsbackground apps

More from this day

See all →

More in: Mobile

See all →