Huawei P9: Turn Off Background Apps

To turn off background apps on a Huawei P9, open the Recent Apps screen (tap the square navigation button) and swipe individual app cards away, or tap the trash can icon to close all at once. For a deeper clean, use the built-in Phone Manager app to stop apps that keep running or restarting in the background.

Why Background Apps Matter

Android apps often keep running in the background even after you leave them. On the P9, which runs Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with EMUI 4.1, this can drain the battery, use mobile data, and slow down the phone, especially if you have many apps installed. The P9 has 3GB or 4GB of RAM depending on the model, so it can handle a fair number of apps, but too many background processes can still cause lag.

Closing background apps is not always necessary—Android is designed to manage memory automatically—but it can help when the phone feels slow or when a specific app is misbehaving. It is also useful before playing heavy games or using the camera, since freeing RAM can improve performance.

How to Close Apps from the Recent Apps Screen

The quickest method is the Recent Apps screen, which shows all open apps as cards.

1. Tap the square navigation button at the bottom of the screen (the rightmost button in the default layout).
2. You will see a stack of app cards. Swipe an individual card left or right to close that app.
3. To close all apps at once, tap the trash can icon at the bottom of the screen.
4. You can also tap and hold a card to see options like Lock or App info.

Note that swiping an app away does not always stop it completely—some apps restart automatically or run background services. For a more thorough stop, use the Phone Manager method below.

Using Phone Manager to Stop Background Apps

Huawei includes a system app called Phone Manager (sometimes labeled as Phone Manager or Optimizer depending on the EMUI version). It provides a one-tap cleanup and also lets you manage which apps are allowed to run in the background.

1. Open the Phone Manager app from the app drawer.
2. Tap Cleanup or Optimize to close all background apps and clear cached files.
3. For more control, go to Protected apps (usually under Settings or Battery in Phone Manager). Here you can see which apps are allowed to keep running when the screen is off. Uncheck any app you do not need to run in the background.
4. You can also use Battery settings to find apps that consume power in the background and restrict them.

Phone Manager is the most effective way to stop apps that keep restarting, such as social media or messaging apps that run persistent notifications.

How to Prevent Apps from Auto-Starting

Some apps start themselves automatically when you boot the phone or when another app triggers them. EMUI has a built-in auto-start manager.

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps (or Advanced settings).
2. Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner (or look for Auto-launch).
3. You will see a list of apps with three options: Auto-launch, Secondary launch, and Run in background. Toggle off the ones you do not want to start automatically.
4. Alternatively, in Phone Manager, go to Auto-launch and disable apps there.

Disabling auto-launch for apps you rarely use can reduce background activity, but be careful not to disable system apps or apps you rely on for notifications (like WhatsApp or email).

Common Problems and Misconceptions

App still running after swipe? Some apps have foreground services (like music players or fitness trackers) that cannot be closed by swiping. You need to stop them from within the app or force stop them in Settings.

Force stop vs. swipe away: Swiping away an app removes it from the recent list but may not kill background processes. Force stop (in Settings > Apps > [app] > Force stop) completely halts the app until you open it again. Use force stop for misbehaving apps.

Does closing all apps save battery? Not always. Android can resume apps more efficiently than restarting them from scratch. Closing all apps can sometimes increase battery drain because the system has to reload everything. It is better to close only the apps you are not using and that are known to consume resources.

Background data usage: Even if an app is not visible, it may use data in the background. To stop this, go to Settings > Data usage > select the app and disable Background data. This is separate from closing apps.

Alternative Methods and Third-Party Apps

If the built-in options are not enough, you can use third-party task killers, but they are generally not recommended on modern Android because the system manages memory well. However, some users prefer them for convenience.

• Greenify (requires root or ADB for full features) can hibernate apps so they do not run in the background until you open them.
• SD Maid can clean app caches and leftover files, which can help performance but does not directly stop background processes.
• Developer options: If you enable Developer options (tap Build number 7 times in About phone), you can set Background process limit to a lower number, but this can break functionality and is not recommended for everyday use.

Remember that third-party apps may themselves run in the background, so they can be counterproductive.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop apps from running in the background on Huawei P9?

Use Phone Manager > Cleanup to close all background apps. For persistent apps, go to Settings > Apps > select the app > Force stop. To prevent auto-start, use Phone Manager > Auto-launch and disable the app.

Why do apps keep reopening after I close them?

Apps can be triggered by system events, other apps, or push notifications. Check the Auto-launch settings in Phone Manager and disable the app. Also, some apps have persistent services that restart them; force stopping may only work temporarily.

Does closing background apps improve battery life?

It can, but only if the app is actively using resources. Many apps are dormant and closing them has no effect. The biggest battery drains are screen brightness, network usage, and apps with location services. Use Phone Manager’s battery optimization instead of blindly closing everything.

What is the difference between swiping away and force stop?

Swiping away removes the app from the recent list but may leave background processes running. Force stop (Settings > Apps > app > Force stop) terminates the app and all its services until you open it again. Force stop is more thorough.

Can I set the P9 to automatically close background apps?

Yes, in Phone Manager, go to Battery > Close apps after screen lock, and select the apps you want to close automatically when the screen turns off. You can also enable the setting to close all apps except protected ones.

Is it safe to close all background apps?

Generally yes, but you may miss notifications from apps that were closed. Also, closing all apps can make the phone slower for a few seconds as it reloads them. It is safer to close only the apps you are not using.

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