How to Stop Apps Running in the Background on Android

Apps running in the background can drain your battery, eat up data, and slow down your phone. This guide shows you how to find and stop those apps on any current Android version, using built-in settings—no third-party tools needed.

What You’ll Need

Your Android smartphone (Android 6.0 or newer is ideal; steps are similar on most versions)
Access to the Settings app (usually a gear icon in your app drawer or notification shade)
Optional: a charger, since some steps may use extra battery while you navigate

Step-by-Step

Open Settings. Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the gear icon, or find the Settings app in your app drawer.
Go to Apps or Application Manager. The exact name varies by manufacturer—look for “Apps,” “Apps & notifications,” “Application Manager,” or “App management.” On Samsung, it’s “Apps”; on stock Android, it’s “Apps & notifications.”
See all apps. Tap “See all apps” or “App info” if you don’t see the full list immediately. This shows every app installed on your phone, including system apps.
Sort by recent or battery usage (optional). Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner and choose “Sort by” then “Last used” or “Battery usage.” This helps you spot the worst offenders quickly.
Select the app you want to stop. Tap on the app’s name to open its info page. You’ll see buttons like “Force stop,” “Disable,” and “Battery.”
Tap “Force stop.” A confirmation dialog will appear explaining that the app may misbehave if you force stop it. Tap “OK” or “Force stop” to confirm. The app will close immediately and stop running in the background.
For apps that restart on their own, use “Disable” (if available). Disabling an app uninstalls its updates and prevents it from running entirely. You’ll find this option on the same app info page, usually below “Force stop.” Tap “Disable,” then confirm. The app will be removed from your app drawer and cannot run until you re-enable it.
Restrict background battery usage. On the app info page, tap “Battery” (or “Battery usage”) and select “Restricted” or “Optimized” instead of “Unrestricted.” This tells Android to limit the app’s background activity without fully stopping it.
Turn off background data (for data-hungry apps). On the app info page, tap “Mobile data & Wi-Fi” (or “Data usage”) and toggle off “Background data.” The app will only use data when you open it.
Use Android’s built-in battery saver. Go back to Settings, tap “Battery,” then “Battery Saver” (or “Power saving mode”). Turn it on. This automatically restricts background activity for most apps, though you can still whitelist important ones.
Check for “Restricted apps” in battery settings. On some phones (especially Samsung and Pixel), go to Settings > Battery > Background usage limits. Here you can put apps to “Deep sleep” or “Restricted” to prevent them from running in the background at all.

Common Mistakes

Force stopping system apps. Apps like Phone, Messages, or Settings are essential. Force stopping them can cause crashes or missed calls. Only force stop third-party apps you don’t need running.
Expecting Force stop to be permanent. Force stop only closes the app for now. The app will restart the next time you open it, or when a system event (like a reboot) triggers it. To prevent restarts, you need to disable the app or restrict its background activity.
Disabling apps you actually use. If you disable a messaging app, you won’t receive notifications until you re-enable it. Make sure you don’t need the app’s background services before disabling.
Ignoring the “Restart” button. Some apps have a “Restart” button on their info page instead of “Force stop.” Tapping Restart will close and immediately reopen the app, which doesn’t help.
Using third-party “task killer” apps. These are not recommended. They can interfere with Android’s built-in memory management and actually cause more battery drain. Stick to the built-in settings.

Tips

Use “Restricted” battery mode for apps you rarely use. This keeps the app installed but prevents it from running in the background, saving battery and data.
Check your battery usage page regularly. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery usage. You’ll see a list of apps and their percentage of battery used. Tap any app to see its “Background” usage—if it’s high, consider restricting it.
Reboot your phone after disabling apps. This clears any lingering processes and ensures the disabled apps don’t start up again.
Use “Digital Wellbeing” (on Pixel and some others). Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls > Dashboard. You can set app timers, which will pause the app for the rest of the day, effectively stopping it from running.
For social media apps, use the app’s own settings. Many apps (like Facebook or Instagram) have a “Background app refresh” or “Autoplay” toggle inside their own settings. Turn those off to reduce background activity.

Troubleshooting

The app keeps restarting after Force stop. This is normal for apps that are integrated with the system (like Google Play Services). You can’t permanently stop these, but you can restrict their background battery usage. Go to the app’s info page > Battery > Restricted.
I can’t find the “Force stop” button. Some apps (especially system apps) have it grayed out because they’re currently active. Close the app from your recent apps list, then try again. If it’s still grayed out, the app is essential to the system—don’t force stop it.
I disabled an app and now something is broken. Re-enable it immediately. Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps, tap the disabled app (it will say “Disabled” under its name), and tap “Enable.” If you can’t find it, use the search bar in the app list.
Battery still drains after stopping apps. Check if the issue is actually a misbehaving app or a hardware problem. Look at Settings > Battery > Battery usage. If no app shows high background usage, your battery may be old, or you may have a weak cellular signal (which drains battery). Try restarting your phone.
I don’t see “Background data” toggle. On newer Android versions, this option is under “Mobile data & Wi-Fi” or “Data usage” within the app info page. If it’s missing, your carrier or manufacturer may have removed it. Use the “Restricted” battery mode instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will force stopping an app delete my data?

No. Force stop only closes the app’s processes. Your saved data (like login info, files, and settings) is kept. Disabling an app also keeps your data, but it may uninstall updates and revert the app to its factory version.

What’s the difference between Force stop and Disable?

Force stop closes the app temporarily; it can be opened again and will restart on its own when triggered. Disable completely prevents the app from running, removes it from your app drawer, and stops it from updating. You must re-enable it to use it again.

Can I stop all background apps at once?

There’s no built-in button to stop all background apps simultaneously. However, you can use “Battery Saver” mode, which restricts background activity for most apps. Or you can go to Settings > Apps and manually force stop each app you don’t need.

Why do some apps restart even after I force stop them?

Apps can be restarted by system events, like receiving a push notification, a change in network connectivity, or a reboot. Also, some apps are “sticky”—they’re designed to restart automatically. To prevent this, disable the app or restrict its background battery usage.

Is it safe to disable pre-installed apps?

Generally yes, but be careful. Disabling apps like Facebook or YouTube that came with your phone is safe—they’ll just disappear. Disabling core system apps (like Phone, Contacts, or Settings) can cause problems. If in doubt, don’t disable it.

Will stopping background apps improve my battery life significantly?

It can help, especially if you have apps that are poorly optimized or run constantly (like social media or news apps). However, Android is already good at managing background apps. The biggest battery drains are usually screen brightness, weak signal, and GPS. Stopping a few misbehaving apps can give you a noticeable boost.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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