What is background mode and how to set it on your android phone.
A mobile phone is an advanced device that can be compared to a complete computer in terms of functionality. In addition, modern gadgets are capable of operating in various modes. Each of them affects the operation of certain applications, as well as the autonomy of the device. Here’s what background mode is on your Android phone and how you can control it.
what is background mode
When talking about the possibilities of throttling background processes, it is first important to understand what it is. Therefore, the background is a mode of operation in which an application works without direct user intervention. That is, for a program or game to run in the background, the owner of the mobile phone does not need to launch the software first.
The background mode is very important for the stable operation of a mobile phone. Suppose you have WhatsApp messenger installed on your device. If the app was not running in the background, only messages would be received or calls could be received when the app was launched. Of course, this option deprives WhatsApp of most of its functionality, and only the background mode allows you to fully appreciate it.
How are background processes different from active ones?
The difference between active and background processes is easily demonstrated using the WhatsApp example. When you turn on your mobile phone, the messenger automatically starts running in the background to display a notification of an incoming call or message at the right time.
But when you open the notification you have received to view the text of the message or answer the call, WhatsApp goes into automatic mode. If you decide to close the app, the messenger will work in the background again.
It is important. After closing, the application continues to work if your mobile phone has enough RAM. To close it definitively, the corresponding process must be unloaded from RAM.
Of course, another important difference between active and background processes is their impact on device battery life. Apps running in the background drain the battery more slowly than their active counterparts. This is for obvious reasons, but don’t assume that background processes have no effect on battery life either.
How to control these processes
The owner of an Android mobile phone can control the processes in the background. You can disable them or, conversely, enable them so that an important application runs in the background.
Why do you need to do this?
Although background mode is considered more optimal in terms of battery life, it still has a negative impact on the battery life of the device. If you turn on “background” for all apps at once, the mobile phone will not last more than 6-10 hours, even if you don’t touch the screen even once.
Therefore, it is extremely important for the user to monitor background processes. This will help optimize the device’s performance, prolonging its life on a single charge. Next, let’s look at some options for limiting background activity.
Prohibit background activity
For each application installed on your mobile phone, you can set background activity to be prohibited. This prevents the app from running in the background, but it can also cause problems with the display of notifications. However, it is worth trying to limit activity:
- Open the mobile phone settings.
- Go to “Apps & notifications”.
- Select the desired program.
- In the Battery tab, prohibit the app from running in the background.
The above algorithm is valid for Samsung mobile phones. If you have a device from another manufacturer, your plan of action may be different. Notably, on many phones there is no “Battery” tab on the app page, but there is a “Permissions” sub-section where you can prevent the app from running in the background.
Forced closure of the process
Another way to stop background processes is to stop them. As with the previous method, the operation can be done through the mobile phone settings. The instructions are as follows:
- Open device settings.
- Go to “Applications”.
- Select the program that interests you.
- Press the “Stop” button.
Do the same for all the apps whose running in the background you plan to restrict. If you don’t want to spend time closing each application individually, just unload all processes from RAM. To do this, open the list of running apps by swiping from the bottom of the screen to the center or by tapping the square button on the screen and then tapping the cross icon.
As a side note. Closing processes in this way is not the best option, because after restarting the app and exiting it, the app will still be running in the background.
Limiting activity on the network
The vast majority of applications only work when connected to the Internet. This applies to messengers and social network clients, as well as the most common games. Consequently, you can disable your background processes simply by restricting network activity:
- Run mobile phone settings.
- Go to “Applications” and then to “Special access”.
- Open the “Unlimited Data Access” tab.
- Move the sliders to the idle position.
The above instructions are relevant to Samsung mobile phones. If, for example, you have a Xiaomi device or another manufacturer, you will have to restrict network activity for each application separately:
- Open the phone settings.
- Go to “Applications” and then “All applications”.
- Select the desired program.
- Open the “Network Connections” tab.
- Uncheck all the boxes.
Do not forget that if you restrict access to the network, the applications will stop working fully. In particular, you will stop receiving notifications and you will have to manually allow network access every time you run it.
Cleaning the autoloader
Some Android OS apps may be assigned to autoload. This means that a given program starts at the same time the phone is turned on and does not require any additional action from the device owner. Of course, this fact also has a negative impact on autonomy and therefore the function must be deactivated:
- Open the mobile phone settings.
- Go to “Applications”.
- Select the program that interests you.
- Move the slider next to “Autorun” to the inactive position.
This is what the instructions for Xiaomi mobile phones look like. On other devices, the names of the menu items may be different, and sometimes the autostart option is not offered at all. In this case, to disable Autostart you will need to use third-party software such as Autostarts, available for download through the Google Play Store.
It is important. Autostarts allows manipulating autostart only if root rights have been obtained, which comes with a number of restrictions, including a ban on making transactions in banking applications.
Deactivation of synchronization
Finally, as another way to prohibit background activity, it’s worth considering disabling sync. The corresponding switch should be in the Control Center (notification bar) of your phone. If this option does not exist, do the following:
- Open the gadget settings.
- Go to “Sync” (you need to use the search bar to find it).
- Disable the “Automatic data synchronization” option.
By following the steps above, you will disable syncing for all apps. Consequently, they will only work after being forced to boot by the user.
Posible problems
The main problem that can be found when deciding to limit background processes is the disappearance of notifications. It’s okay for games to stop showing them, but if this happens in the case of messenger, the situation is dire. In such a situation, it is advisable to selectively disable restrictions for individual programs.
Also, the opposite problem sometimes occurs when background processes don’t want to be disabled. The important thing is that the application starts working as soon as it starts. Therefore, when the program is closed after restarting it, it returns to background mode.