Block Background Apps [Hidden Android Setting]

A simple trick to reclaim both memory and battery power effortlessly.

What to Know

If you’ve ever noticed your battery draining faster than usual, chances are some apps are running silently in the background—a common issue on both Galaxy and Pixel devices. From my personal experience, you can open your Settings, tap on App battery usage or Battery, and see which app is misbehaving.

Once identified, simply select it, and either disable, Force stop, or prevent it from running by toggling Allow background usage. On some phones like the Pixel, enabling Developer options lets you access Running services, where you can view and manage actively running processes in real time.

Users with a Galaxy can go a step further and mark problematic apps as Restricted to ensure minimal usage. Regularly checking these settings helped me control rogue apps and greatly extend my phone’s standby time.

Stop Android Apps From Running in the Background

When I first noticed my Android phone lagging and the battery draining unusually fast, I knew some apps were quietly active in the background. Depending on the manufacturer and version, the interface to control this can vary, especially between Pixel, Samsung, or Galaxy devices. To get started, Open your Settings, go to Apps, then Select the app that’s causing problems. From there, Force stop it and hit OK when prompted. This is a quick way to stop unnecessary activity, but not always a permanent fix.

To ensure the app doesn’t start again after restart or relaunch, you should check if it’s allowed to launch on startup. Under App battery usage or Battery, look for Allow background usage and restrict it. If you’re using a Google device like a Pixel, or a Samsung one like a Galaxy, you’ll also find advanced options under Mobile data usage where you can turn off Mobile data access for that app.

This helps when background data usage eats up your limit. You can also mark apps as Restricted, so they don’t consume system memory or clear your performance.

If none of this helps and an app keeps reactivating, I’ve found it best to either uninstall or remove the app completely from the device. Some apps just don’t play fair. However, if you don’t want to delete them, disable background features or kill the app from running services in Developer options.

Over time, these steps helped me take full control of app usage and battery life without compromising on functionality.

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How Background Apps Affect Your Android Battery

Many Android users don’t realize how severely multiple apps running in the background can drain the battery and slow down the device. From my experience, one major factor in poor battery life is having too many open tabs in Google Chrome or any other mobile browser, which silently consume resources like CPU power and memory even when you’re not actively using them.

By simply tapping the square or three lines icon on the screen, you can see all windows or background processes still active and manually close them to reduce battery strain and improve performance.

I regularly audit the installed apps on my phone to avoid questionable ones from unknown sources outside the Google Play app store. Such apps often run persistently in the background, causing unexpected problems and security risks.

Practicing good digital hygiene by uninstalling or not installing apps with unclear safety reputations has helped me constrain rogue usage, and maintaining this habit makes a noticeable difference in overall battery life and system stability.

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How to See Which Apps Are Running in the Background

One of the most overlooked tricks I use to alleviate the burden on my Android phone’s system resources is regularly checking which apps are running in the background. On my Pixel and Samsung Galaxy, I always enable Developer options by going to Settings > System, then tapping Build Number seven times to turn on developer mode. Once done, I Scroll to Running services where I can see a list of currently active apps, how much RAM each item is using, and what’s consuming most of the battery power.

I make it a habit to manually press the Stop button on any app that I forgot was active, especially ones that consume excessive memory or aren’t optimized for battery use. This practice has helped me extend battery life dramatically. For Galaxy users, using Device care or toggling Power saving features can identify background apps more easily.

On any device, it’s also worth checking Battery usage stats in Settings, where you can pinpoint which apps consume the most energy.

If you ever feel like your phone drains faster than you’d expect, switching on Battery Saver or Use Battery Saver can restrict background activity for many non-essential apps. This not only reduces battery drain but also ensures apps don’t secretly eat up memory and processing power when not in use.

I’ve found that enabling this feature overnight gives me a more stable and responsive phone by morning.

Limit problematic background apps

One method I use to limit problematic apps that run in the background and cause high demand on my Android phone is through the built-in features available in Settings. Start by going to Settings, tap Apps, then See all apps. From there, find and select any app that seems to be constantly running or causing an issue. Often, these are apps you rarely Launch or no longer use but have forgotten to uninstall.

What’s worked well for me is using the Pause app activity if unused toggle, a smart feature from Google that automatically puts unused apps to sleep. You can access it by tapping into the app’s settings, then Scroll to Unused app settings and make sure the option is turned on. This helps control memory consumption and stops background execution without needing to install third-party tools or constantly monitor usage. It’s a silent fix that handles the cleanup efficiently.

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Frequently Ask Questions

How do I turn off apps running in the background on Android?

I used to wonder why my battery drained so fast until I discovered how many apps were silently working in the background. The trick is to open the Quick Settings by swiping down from the top of the screen—not just once, but swipe down twice to see more options. You’ll notice a section that shows active apps; either tap the number at the bottom left or the one beside Settings and Power. From there, I tap on each active app and hit Stop to close it. Doing this daily helps me keep my phone responsive and battery-friendly.

How do I close programs running in the background?

While Android is my daily driver, managing programs on Windows is just as crucial when it comes to optimizing performance and freeing up system resources. I often press and hold CTRL, ALT, and then hit DELETE to bring up the Windows Security window. From there, I click on Task Manager or Start Task Manager, depending on the version, to open a detailed list of what’s running. By navigating through the Applications tab and then the Processes tab, I can close any unnecessary background tasks that might be slowing down my system. It’s a simple habit, but one that keeps both Android and PC experiences smooth and responsive.

How do I stop apps from running in the background on my mobile data?

To stop apps from using unnecessary background data, I always go to Settings, then dive into Network & internet where the Data Saver option lives. I toggle on the Use Data Saver feature, which instantly limits background consumption when apps aren’t in use. If I need to allow a few essentials to run regardless of the mode, I simply tap Unrestricted data and pick up to three apps to use even when Data Saver is active. This tiny adjustment helps me stretch my mobile data throughout the month without sacrificing performance.

How do I turn off background activity?

When my battery started draining faster than usual, I learned to manually turn off background activity for specific apps that didn’t need to run silently. I Launch the Settings menu, head into Apps, then See all apps to find and select the one I want to limit. Once inside, I scroll to the App battery usage section and Toggle off the Allow background usage feature, which immediately prevents that app from hogging power in the background while still keeping it functional when I need it.

How to disable unnecessary programs running in background?

To disable unnecessary programs silently running in the background, especially those apps I rarely use, I Start by opening Settings, navigate to Apps, and then tap on Installed apps. I Scroll through the list until I find the desired app, then hit More options on the side of the window. In Advanced options, I go to Background app permissions and under Let this app run in background, I simply choose Never. It’s a reliable method I’ve used countless times to Stop any app from draining resources quietly. Just Select what needs managing, and your device performance will thank you.