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To turn off Background App Refresh in iOS 26, go to Settings → General → Background App Refresh → Background App Refresh → Off. If you only want to reduce cellular-data use, choose Wi-Fi instead. You can also disable refresh for individual apps while leaving it enabled for the rest.
Background App Refresh controls one type of background updating. It does not automatically turn off notifications, Location Services, active downloads, calls, navigation, or every other background task.
Turn off Background App Refresh completely
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Background App Refresh.
- If iOS displays another Background App Refresh selection screen, tap it again.
- Select Off.
The wording or layout can vary slightly by iOS 26 build, language, region, or device-management configuration, but the control is located under Settings → General → Background App Refresh. Apple documents the same menu path and available choices in its battery-performance guidance.
What the three options mean
| Setting | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Disables Background App Refresh. | Maximum restriction of this specific feature. |
| Wi-Fi | Allows apps to refresh only while connected to Wi-Fi. | Reducing cellular-data use while retaining some convenience. |
| Wi-Fi & Cellular Data | Allows refreshes over Wi-Fi and mobile data. | Keeping background content preparation enabled. |
Choose Wi-Fi if cellular-data consumption is your main concern. Choose Off if you want to stop this refresh mechanism altogether.
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Disable Background App Refresh for selected apps
You do not have to disable the feature globally. To keep it available only for apps that benefit from it:
- Open Settings → General → Background App Refresh.
- Leave the main setting as Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi & Cellular Data.
- Turn off the switch beside apps that do not need to prepare content in the background.
Possible candidates include social-media, shopping, news, games, video, and entertainment apps that you use only occasionally. There is no universal list: keep refresh enabled for apps where having content ready sooner matters to you, and disable it elsewhere.
What is Background App Refresh?
Background App Refresh lets supported apps update or prepare content while you are using another app. For example, an app may be able to check for newer information so that some content is ready when you open it.
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It does not mean that an app is visibly open in the app switcher, nor does it mean that every app runs continuously or refreshes on a fixed schedule. iOS decides when background work is appropriate.
It is also not a master switch for all background activity. Notifications, Location Services, Mail fetch, automatic downloads, media playback, active calls, navigation, and other tasks use separate controls or system behavior.
What changes after you turn it off?
- An app may not have its newest content ready when you first open it.
- You may have to wait briefly while the app fetches current information after launch.
- The app can still update when you open it and it has an internet connection.
- Notifications are not automatically disabled.
- Location access is not automatically disabled.
- Existing downloads, active audio, calls, navigation, and other permitted activities are not necessarily stopped.
Will turning it off improve battery life?
It may reduce some background network and processing activity, but it is not a guaranteed battery-life fix. The improvement may be modest if the main drain comes from the display, video, gaming, weak cellular coverage, Location Services, notifications, or a particular app. Apple lists Background App Refresh among the factors that can affect power use, while also recommending the Battery settings for identifying the actual source of drain.
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To investigate:
- Open Settings → Battery.
- Review the daily-usage chart.
- Tap View All Battery Usage if that option is available.
- Look for activity attributed to Background Activity, Notifications, Location, a specific app, poor cellular coverage, or ongoing system work.
Use the result to target the cause rather than disabling unrelated features. Apple notes that weak signal conditions can increase battery use because the iPhone searches for a usable network. Battery life can also be temporarily worse for several days after an iOS update while update-related tasks finish. See Apple’s current iPhone battery-drain guidance for the relevant battery categories and recommendations.
Does it reduce cellular-data use?
Yes, especially if you change the setting to Wi-Fi or Off. That restricts cellular traffic used by Background App Refresh, but it does not block all cellular-data use.
Apps can still use mobile data when you actively open and use them. Streaming, automatic downloads, cloud synchronization, and messaging may also be governed by separate mechanisms. For more control, open Settings → Cellular and review which apps are allowed to use cellular data.
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Does turning it off stop notifications?
Usually, no. Background App Refresh and push notifications are separate systems, so disabling refresh is not a general notification-off command. To control notifications, go to Settings → Notifications, select an app, and change its notification permissions.
An individual app may use background refresh for preloading or synchronizing information related to a notification, so the exact experience can vary. Apple also treats notifications as a separate type of activity that can wake the device.
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No. Location access is controlled separately. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services, select an app, and choose an available permission such as Never, Ask Next Time Or When I Share, While Using the App, or Always.
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The choices shown depend on the app and its available permissions. Turning off Background App Refresh does not turn off Location Services. Apple explains the distinction in its privacy and Location Services documentation.
Why is Background App Refresh unavailable?
Try these checks in order:
- Confirm that you are looking under Settings → General, not Battery or Privacy & Security.
- Temporarily turn off Low Power Mode. Apple says Low Power Mode reduces or disables features including Background App Refresh. It automatically turns off after the iPhone charges above 80 percent.
- Check whether the iPhone is managed by an employer or school. A management profile may restrict certain settings.
- Check Screen Time restrictions if the setting appears locked. Restrictions vary by device configuration, so this is a troubleshooting possibility rather than a universal cause.
- Restart the iPhone and install any available iOS update.
If the setting repeatedly reverts, note the iOS build, iPhone model, and whether the device is managed before contacting Apple Support.
How to turn Background App Refresh back on
- Go to Settings → General → Background App Refresh.
- Select Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi & Cellular Data.
- Turn on the switches for any individual apps you want to refresh.
Restoring the feature does not necessarily force an immediate refresh. iOS and each app decide when background work is appropriate.
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Turning off Background App Refresh only tests one possible cause. If the battery still drains quickly, use Settings → Battery to identify whether the activity is coming from:
- Background Activity: work performed while the app was not actively on screen.
- Notifications: alerts waking or lighting the device.
- Location: authorized location use, including background location where permitted.
- Poor cellular coverage: network searching that can increase power use.
- A specific app: an app that may need updating, reconfiguration, or troubleshooting.
- Recent iOS setup or update work: temporary processing that may settle after several days.
Address the category shown by Battery first. For example, review notification or location permissions when those categories dominate, and investigate signal conditions when coverage is poor. Do not assume that disabling Background App Refresh will stop activity controlled by another system.
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