The application runs in the background on Android: what does it mean and how to remove it

Have you noticed that the battery of your Android smartphone is draining too quickly, and the list of active processes contains applications that you have not used for a long time? Most likely, they work in background a hidden state, when the app continues to perform tasks even after being minimized. This mechanism is useful for instant messengers, music players or navigators, but most applications waste device resources.

In this article we will take a detailed look at what does “works in the background” mean on Android, why this happens and how to completely disable background activity - from standard system settings to hidden parameters for experienced users. We will pay special attention to the differences in interfaces MIUI (Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO), One UI (Samsung) and EMUI/Magic UI (Huawei/Honor), and also consider cases when the background mode cannot be disabled without risk for functionality.

What is background mode on Android and why do you need it?

Background mode (background mode) is the state of an application in which it is not displayed on the screen, but continues to perform certain operations. For example:

• 📱 Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) check new messages.
• 🎵 Music players (Spotify, YouTube Music) play tracks.
• 📍 Navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Navigator) track the route.
• 🔄 Social networks (Instagram, TikTok) update the feed in anticipation of your return.

However, most applications abuse background work: games save progress through the cloud, stores (AliExpress, Wildberries) track your actions for advertising, and some services (Google Play Services) synchronize data even without your knowledge. This leads to:

• ⚡ Accelerated battery discharge (up to 30% additional consumption).
• 🐢 Slowdown of the phone due to occupied processor and RAM resources.
• 📶 Increased traffic (especially relevant for tariffs with limit).

⚠️ Attention: Some system processes (com.android.systemui, android.process.media) not turn off - this will lead to malfunctions of the phone. We will tell you how to distinguish critical services from unnecessary ones.

How to check which applications are running in the background

Before disabling background activity, you need to identify the main "culprits". To do this, use the built-in Android tools or third-party utilities.

Method 1: Through the battery settings

The easiest method is to look at consumption statistics energy:

1. Open Settings → Battery.
2. Tap on Usage batteries (or Battery on some firmware).
3. Select period Last charge or 24 hours.
4. Look at the list of applications sorted by consumption charge.

Applications marked Background activity or Works in the background are your main goals for optimization.

Method 2: Via developer menu

Advanced monitoring is available for advanced users:

1. Activate developer mode: go to Settings → About phone → Build number and tap on it 7 times.
2. Go back to Settings → System → For developers.
3. Find section Processes or Services — here are displayed all active background processes.

Application	Typical background activity	Is it possible to disable
Google Play Services	Account synchronization, application updates, geolocation	Partially (disabling completely is not recommended)
Facebook/Instagram	Updating the feed, activity tracking, displaying notifications	Yes (without losing the main functionality)
AliExpress/Wildberries	Behavior tracking for personalized advertising	Yes (completely)
WhatsApp/Telegram	Receiving messages, chat synchronization	No (will lead to notification delays)

How to disable background mode for individual applications

Android provides several ways to limit background activity. Methods differ depending on the system version and the manufacturer's firmware. data-i="122">Universal method (Android 8.0+)

Universal method (Android 8.0+)

Starting with Android Oreo (8.0), Google has introduced strict restrictions on background work, but some applications bypass them. To block background activity:

1. Open Settings → Applications.
2. Select the desired application (for example, Instagram).
3. Tap on Battery (or Battery).
4. Select Limit background activity or Optimize.
5. Enable option Limit background work (on some phones it is called Sleep when inactive).

For Xiaomi phones (MIUI)

Firmware MIUI known aggressive battery optimization, but sometimes it interferes with even useful applications. To configure the background mode:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Manage applications.
2. Select an application and tap on Permissions.
3. Find the item Autorun and disable it.
4. Go back and select Battery → No restrictions (for important applications) or Limit (for unnecessary ones).

For Samsung phones (One UI)

On devices with One UI (for example, Galaxy S23, Galaxy A54) the algorithm is different:

1. Open Settings → Device maintenance → Battery.
2. Tap on Background use.
3. Select an application and set the switch to position Sleep mode.

To completely disable background work:

1. Go in Settings → Applications, select the app.
2. Tap on Mobile data and disable Background data.

Make sure that the application is not a system one|Check if other apps are using it|Back up important data|Remember current notification settings-->

How to completely disable background work for all applications

If you want Globally limit background activity on your Android device, use these methods. They are suitable for advanced users, as they may affect the stability of the phone.

Method 1: Through developer mode

This method blocks background processes for all applications except system:

1. Activate developer mode (see instructions above).
2. Go to Settings → System → For developers.
3. Find the option Do not save actions (Don’t keep activities) and enable it.
4. Also disable Background processes (Background process limitby setting the limit to No background processes.

⚠️ Attention: These settings will close all applications when switching between them. Save important data before activation!

Method 2: Via ADB (for advanced)

If you are ready to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can forcefully stop background services for specific applications:

adb shell cmd appops set  RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND deny
adb shell cmd appops set  RUN_IN_BACKGROUND deny

To find out the name of the application package, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep -i "application_name"

For example, for Facebook the command will look like this:

adb shell cmd appops set com.facebook.katana RUN_IN_BACKGROUND deny

What to do if, after disabling the background mode, the application stopped working?

If the messenger (for example, WhatsApp) has stopped showing notifications, return the settings to their original state and instead of completely disabling background work, use battery optimization. To do this:

1. Open the application settings.

2. Select Battery → Optimize.

3. Set the mode Limited optimization (if available).

This will allow the application to run in the background, but with less resource consumption.

What applications cannot be disabled in the background

Not all background ones processes are harmful. Some are critical for the stable operation of the phone or security. Never turn it off:

• 🔒 System services (com.android.phone, com.android.systemui) - they are responsible for calls, notifications and the interface.
• 📡 Google Play Services (com.google.android.gms) - without them many applications will not work, including Google Maps and Gmail.
• 🛡️ Antiviruses and security managers (for example, Google Play Protect) - disabling them increases the risk of virus infection.
• 🔔 Messengers (if you are interested notifications) - WhatsApp, Telegram check for new messages in the background.

Also be careful with:

• 🎮 Games with the cloud saving (Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile) - turning off the background can lead to loss of progress.
• 💳 Banking applications (SberBank Online, Tinkoff) - some of them require background synchronization for push notifications about payments.

How to reduce battery consumption without completely disabling the background mode

If you need notifications from instant messengers or other important applications, but want to save battery, use these tips:

1. Optimize synchronization

Many applications update data more often than necessary. To reduce the synchronization frequency:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts (or Users and accounts).
2. Select an account Google or another service.
3. Disable synchronization for unnecessary data (for example, Google Play Movies or Google News).

2. Use "Adaptive" battery"

Starting from Android 9 Pie, the system has a function Adaptive batterythat automatically limits background activity for rarely used applications:

1. Open Settings → Battery.
2. Tap on Adaptive battery (or Battery optimization).
3. Enable the function and add to exceptions only the most important applications.

3. Set up "Sleep mode" for applications

Some firmware (for example, MIUI or ColorOS) allow you to install sleep schedule for applications:

1. Go to Settings → Battery → Sleep mode.
2. Add applications that should "fall asleep" at a certain time (for example, at night).
3. Install the period when background activity will be blocked.

What to do if the background mode turns on by itself

Sometimes applications automatically resume background work, even after manual shutdown This happens for several reasons:

• 🔄 Auto-update — the application receives new permissions after the update.
• 📱 Reset settings — after rebooting the phone, some parameters return to factory settings.
• 🤖 System optimizations —Android can independently enable background work for “important” applications.

To avoid this:

1. Disable auto-update for problematic applications in Google Play.
2. Use third-party utilities like Greenify (requires root-rights) to force "freeze" applications.
3. Check permissions after each OS update.

⚠️ Attention: On some phones (for example Huawei or Honor) after the update EMUI/Magic UI energy saving settings are reset. Always check the battery parameters after a firmware update.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about the background mode on Android

Is it possible to disable the background mode for Google Play Services?

Partially. Complete disabling will lead to malfunctions of many applications (for example, Google Maps or GmailHowever, you can limit its activity:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Google Play Services → Battery.
2. Select Limit background activity.
3. Disable unnecessary permissions (for example Geolocationif you do not use Google services).

This will reduce battery consumption, but some functions may work slower.

Why did notifications stop coming after turning off the background mode?

This normal behavior for instant messengers and social networks. To return notifications:

1. Open the application settings (for example, WhatsApp).
2. Go to Notifications and make sure they are turned on.
3. Return the battery settings to mode No restrictions.

Alternative: use light versions applications (for example, Messenger Litethat consume less resources.

How disable background mode for all applications at once?

Without rootrights this is 100% impossible, but you can limit the activity as much as possible:

1. Activate Mode developer and enable Do not save actions.
2. Set a limit No background processes in the developer settings.
3. Use applications like Greenify (requires ADB or root).

Please note that this will greatly affect multitasking - applications will close when switching.

Will the phone work faster if you turn off the background mode?

Yes, but not always noticeable. The main improvements:

• ⚡ Battery will last longer (by 15-30%).
• 🐢 Speed work will increase if you have little RAM (for example, on phones with 2-3 GB of RAM).
• 📱 Heating devices will decrease.

However, on flagships (for example, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or Xiaomi 13 Pro) the difference may be minimal due to a powerful processor.

Which applications are most often to blame for background battery consumption?

According to statistics, the most energy consumed in the background is:

1. Facebook and Instagram — due to the constant synchronization of the feed and advertising.
2. TikTok — updates content even when closed.
3. Google Chrome — keeps tabs and background processes open.
4. AliExpress/Wildberries — tracks activity for personalized offers.
5. Games (Genshin Impact, Free Fire) — saves progress to the cloud.

We recommend starting optimization with them.