Key Takeaways
The Hidden Cost of Apps Running in the Background
Most people assume an app stops consuming power the moment they swipe away from it. That assumption is wrong — and it's costing you hours of battery life every day.
Modern operating systems on both Android and iOS allow apps to continue running processes in the background. This is by design: it lets your email client fetch new messages, your fitness tracker log steps, and your navigation app recalculate routes. But when dozens of apps are doing this simultaneously, the cumulative drain is substantial.
Both iOS and Android have settings menus specifically for Background App Refresh (iOS) and background activity restrictions (Android). Most users have never opened these menus. Reviewing them and disabling background refresh for apps that don't genuinely need it — social media, news aggregators, shopping apps — is one of the fastest ways to extend daily battery life.
For a broader look at how storage-hungry and activity-heavy apps affect device performance, see our guide to keeping smartphone storage under control.
Leaving background app refresh enabled for every installed app.
Why it happens: Background refresh is turned on by default, and most users never revisit this setting after initial setup.
Granting always-on location access to apps that don't need it.
Why it happens: Apps often request the broadest location permission during onboarding, and users tap 'Allow' without reading the detail.
Keeping push notifications active for every installed app.
Why it happens: App install prompts ask for notification permission immediately, and approving them feels harmless in the moment.
Running the screen at maximum brightness with a high refresh rate at all times.
Why it happens: Phones ship with display settings optimized for visual appeal in stores, not for battery conservation.
Ignoring the built-in battery usage screen on your phone.
Why it happens: Most users don't know this screen exists or assume their phone manages power automatically without their input.
Settings and Habits That Quietly Accelerate Drain
Beyond background activity, several default settings actively work against battery longevity — and most users never change them.
~80%
Battery drain from screen, radios, and background apps
Industry analyses of smartphone power consumption consistently attribute the majority of drain to these three categories rather than processing tasks alone.
20–30%
Potential battery saving from location permission changes
Switching apps from 'always on' to 'while using' location access is widely cited by device manufacturers as one of the highest-impact individual adjustments users can make.
Location services are a primary offender. Apps that request "always on" location access — rather than "only while using" — ping your GPS hardware continuously. Check which apps have always-on location access in your phone's privacy settings and restrict it to only those that have a clear, ongoing need, such as navigation or emergency apps. Our article on privacy settings most people never touch covers location permissions in depth.
Push notifications are another underestimated drain. Each notification requires your phone's wireless radio to wake up, receive data, and alert you. With 50 or more apps sending notifications, this adds up quickly. Trimming unnecessary notifications also reduces the temptation to check your phone constantly — a topic covered in our guide to smarter notification settings.
Screen settings matter more than most people expect. High refresh rates (90Hz or 120Hz), maximum brightness, and always-on display features all place a heavy continuous load on the battery. Enabling adaptive brightness and using auto or scheduled refresh-rate controls can meaningfully extend screen-on time.
Don't Force-Quit Apps Obsessively
A common belief holds that manually closing every app from the recent apps screen saves battery. In practice, on modern iOS and Android, force-quitting apps can actually increase battery use because the system must fully reload them the next time you open them. Reserve force-quitting for apps that are genuinely misbehaving or frozen.
It's also worth noting that software updates can sometimes temporarily increase battery consumption as the system re-indexes files and optimizes storage. If drain spiked right after an update, our explainer on post-update slowdowns can help you understand what's happening and how long it typically lasts.
Battery behavior isn't just a phone concern — many of these same principles apply to laptops. Our article on charging habits that shorten battery lifespan is a useful companion read.