Turn Off Background Apps on LG V20: A Simple Guide

This guide shows you how to close background apps on the LG V20, which can free up memory, improve battery life, and help the phone feel snappier. You’ll learn the quickest methods using the built-in Recent Apps screen and the Settings menu. No special tools or apps are needed.

What You’ll Need

• Your LG V20 phone
• About 2 minutes of time

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Recent Apps screen. Tap the square-shaped Recent Apps button (it’s the rightmost of the three navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen). This shows all apps that are currently running in the background.
2. Close a single app. Swipe the app’s preview card to the left or right to dismiss it. This stops the app from running in the background.
3. Close all apps at once. Look for the “Clear All” button (usually a trash can icon or text) at the bottom or top of the Recent Apps screen. Tap it to close every app in the list.
4. Use the Settings menu for a deeper view. If you want to see exactly which apps are using resources, go to Settings (the gear icon in the app drawer or notification shade).
5. Navigate to Battery & power saving. In Settings, tap Battery & power saving, then Battery usage. Here you’ll see a list of apps and how much battery they’ve used.
6. Force stop an app from Settings. Tap on an app in the battery usage list, then tap Force stop. This is a stronger action than swiping away—it stops the app completely, even if it’s designed to run in the background (like a messaging app). Use this for apps that are misbehaving or that you don’t use often.
7. Restart your phone (optional). If you want to clear everything at once, hold the power button and tap Restart. This closes all background processes and gives you a fresh start.

Common Mistakes

• Swiping away apps that you’ll need soon. Closing an app like your music player or a navigation app will stop it from working, so you’ll have to reopen it later.
• Force stopping system apps. Some apps are part of the Android system. Force stopping them can cause errors or make your phone unstable. If you’re not sure what an app does, don’t force stop it.
• Expecting a huge battery boost. On modern Android, background apps are usually paused, not actively draining battery. Closing them won’t give a dramatic improvement in battery life, but it can free up RAM.
• Using a third-party “task killer” app. These apps are not recommended. They can interfere with how Android manages memory and often cause more problems than they solve.

Tips

• Use the Recent Apps screen for quick cleanup. It’s the fastest way to close a few apps you’re done with.
• Check battery usage regularly. If an app is using a lot of battery, it’s worth force stopping it or uninstalling it if you don’t need it.
• Limit background activity for specific apps. Go to Settings > Apps, tap an app, then Battery, and choose Restrict background. This prevents the app from running in the background while still allowing it to work when you open it.
• Keep your phone’s software updated. Updates often include optimizations that improve battery and memory management.

Troubleshooting

If the Recent Apps screen doesn’t show any apps: It might be that you have no apps running, or the screen is empty because you’ve already cleared them. Try opening a few apps first, then check again.

If “Clear All” is grayed out: This usually means there are no apps to clear, or the phone is in a special mode. Check if you’re on the home screen instead of the Recent Apps screen.

If an app keeps restarting after you force stop it: Some apps are designed to restart automatically (like email or messaging). You can disable them entirely if you don’t want them running, but be aware that you won’t receive notifications from them. Go to Settings > Apps, tap the app, and tap Disable if the option is available.

If your phone is still slow after closing apps: Closing background apps won’t always fix performance issues. Try restarting your phone, clearing the cache partition (via recovery mode, but this is advanced), or checking for software updates. If the problem persists, you may need to free up storage space or consider a factory reset as a last resort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does swiping away an app in the Recent Apps screen actually close it?
A: Yes, it stops the app from running in the background. However, some apps may have background services that restart automatically.

Q: Will closing background apps save battery life?
A: It can help a little, but Android is already good at managing background apps. The biggest battery drains are usually screen brightness and apps that use GPS or constant data.

Q: What’s the difference between swiping away an app and force stopping it?
A: Swiping away just removes it from the Recent Apps list and stops it from being active. Force stopping is a deeper action that kills the app’s process and prevents it from running until you open it again.

Q: Can I set my LG V20 to automatically close background apps?
A: Yes, you can use the “Restrict background” option for individual apps in Settings > Apps > [App] > Battery. There’s also a “Smart Settings” feature that can optimize battery, but it doesn’t specifically close apps.

Q: Is it safe to close all background apps?
A: Yes, it’s generally safe. You might miss notifications from apps that you close, but they’ll restart when you open them again.

Q: Why do some apps reappear in the Recent Apps screen after I clear them?
A: This happens because the app has a background service that restarts it, or because you’ve opened it again. It’s normal behavior for some apps.

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