The widespread belief among Apple users that closing background apps is beneficial seems to be more myth than reality. The practice of quickly swiping away apps from the iPhone’s multitasking display has become a common ritual, often done in the hope of saving battery life, enhancing phone performance, or even preventing social media companies from tracking activities. However, this belief, deeply ingrained among many, is largely unfounded.
In a revealing moment back in 2016, Apple’s software engineering chief, Craig Federighi, debunked the notion that closing background apps aids battery life, in a response to a customer email. Technically, most apps in the background aren’t actively running; they’re in a suspended state, and what you see in the multitasking view is essentially a snapshot for quick access, with minimal impact on battery consumption.
This misconception isn’t exclusive to iOS users; Android users are in the same boat. The act of closing and reopening apps actually consumes more battery than leaving them in their suspended state due to the energy required to restart the app.
Federighi also clarified that closing apps doesn’t boost the phone’s performance. iOS is designed to manage RAM and system resources efficiently, making the manual closing of apps unnecessary for optimizing performance.
Furthermore, when it comes to privacy concerns, force-closing apps doesn’t prevent tracking. According to reports, apps have the capability to collect data even when not actively running. The confusion often lies with the “Background App Refresh” feature, which when turned off can indeed limit background data collection, offering a real solution to the issues many believe are addressed by force-closing apps.
The origin of this myth can be traced back to the early days following the iPhone’s launch in 2007, with users on Apple’s community forums questioning the impact of background applications on battery life. This misunderstanding has persisted, fueled by assumptions based on desktop computing, where running multiple applications can slow down the system. However, iPhones operate differently, designed to keep apps in a ready state without a clear explanation from Apple to dispel the myth.
Apple itself has never stated that closing background apps would improve device performance, recommending force quitting only for unresponsive apps.
Despite Apple’s stance, the myth continues to influence millions, leading to unnecessary rituals of closing apps in a bid to improve their devices’ performance and battery life. It’s time to abandon this tech myth and embrace a more accurate understanding of how smartphones manage background processes.
