Before you start
- An Android phone running Android 9 or later (menu names vary by brand)
Do you actually need to close background apps?
Swiping apps away from the Recents screen doesn’t save much: Android already pauses apps you’re not using and reopening them from scratch costs more battery. The real savings come from stopping specific apps that keep working in the background, such as social media, shopping and games that sync, track location or show notifications.
Find those apps first: open Settings > Battery > Battery usage and look for apps with high background usage.
Method 1 Restrict an app’s background battery use
-
Step 1: Open the app’s settings
Go to Settings > Apps (or Apps & notifications) and tap the app. Shortcut: press and hold its icon and tap App info (ⓘ).
-
Step 2: Open battery options
Tap Battery or App battery usage.
-
Step 3: Choose Restricted
Select Restricted. The app can’t run in the background, so it may deliver notifications late. Optimized (the default) is a good middle ground; Unrestricted lets it run freely.
Method 2 Put apps to sleep on Samsung
-
Step 1: Open background limits
Go to Settings > Battery > Background usage limits.
-
Step 2: Turn on automatic sleep
Turn on Put unused apps to sleep. Apps you haven’t opened for a while are limited automatically.
-
Step 3: Choose deep sleeping apps
Tap Deep sleeping apps > + and select apps that should never run in the background. They only work while open on screen.
-
Step 4: Protect apps you need
Add messaging, alarm or fitness apps to Never auto sleeping apps so they keep notifying you on time.
Method 3 Stop background mobile data
-
Step 1: Open the app’s data usage
In Settings > Apps > [app], tap Mobile data (or Mobile data & Wi-Fi).
-
Step 2: Turn off background data
Turn off Background data (or Allow background data usage). The app can still use data while you use it.
-
Step 3: Or use Data Saver for everything
To limit all apps at once, turn on Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver (Samsung: Connections > Data usage > Data saver).
Method 4 Stop an app that is running right now
Force-stopping is a temporary fix; the app may start again later. Use the restrictions above for a permanent change.
-
Step 1: Check active apps
On Android 13 and later, swipe down twice from the top. At the bottom of Quick Settings, tap [number] active apps (or the small counter) to see apps running in the background.
-
Step 2: Tap Stop
Tap Stop next to the app. You can also use Settings > Apps > [app] > Force stop.
Troubleshooting
I stopped getting notifications
Restricted or deep-sleeping apps can’t receive messages in the background. Set messaging apps (WhatsApp, email, banking alerts) back to Optimized or add them to Samsung’s Never auto sleeping apps.
The app keeps restarting after Force stop
Force stop doesn’t prevent future starts. Use Restricted battery usage, or uninstall/disable the app if you don’t need it.
I can’t restrict a system app
Some preinstalled apps can’t be restricted. If you don’t use them, tap Disable in their App info page to switch them off.
Frequently asked questions
Does restricting background apps save battery?
Yes, especially for social media, shopping and location-heavy apps. The biggest savings come from a few heavy apps, not from restricting everything.
Should I clear the Recents screen regularly?
No. It doesn’t meaningfully save battery and makes apps slower to reopen. Clear it only if an app is misbehaving.
Is it safe to restrict all apps?
Not recommended. Messaging, alarms, calendar and navigation apps need background access to work properly.
Summary
Find heavy apps in Settings > Battery > Battery usage, set them to Restricted, and turn off their Background data. On Samsung, use Deep sleeping apps. Leave messaging and alarm apps alone so you don’t miss anything.
