LG V10: How to Close and Turn Off Background Apps

To close and turn off background apps on the LG V10, open the Recent Apps screen (tap the square button at the bottom right), then swipe each app card left or right to dismiss it. To fully stop background processes, go to Settings > Battery & power saving > Battery usage, tap an app, and select Force stop. This article explains the difference between closing and force-stopping, how to manage background activity, and how to fix common issues like apps restarting on their own.

What “Background Apps� Actually Means on the V10

Android apps run in two main states: foreground (what you are currently looking at) and background (still active but not visible). On the LG V10, background apps can still use CPU, RAM, and network data—for example, a music player keeps playing, an email app syncs, or a location service updates. The Recent Apps screen shows a mix of apps you recently used and apps that are actively running in the background. The V10 runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box (later updated to 6.0 Marshmallow), and both versions handle background apps similarly.

How to Close Apps from the Recent Apps Screen

The quickest way to close an app is through the Recent Apps screen. Here’s the exact process on the V10:

Tap the square button (bottom-right corner of the screen) to open Recent Apps.
You’ll see a carousel of app cards. Swipe a card left or right to dismiss it. This removes the app from the list and stops its foreground activity.
To close all apps at once, tap the X icon at the bottom of the screen (or the “Clear all� button, depending on your software version).

Note: Swiping an app away from Recent Apps does not always kill background processes. Some apps (like music players or alarm clocks) keep running in the background intentionally. For those, you need to force stop them.

Force Stopping an App (the Real “Turn Off�)

Force stopping is the only way to completely shut down an app’s background processes. Here’s how:

Go to Settings (gear icon in the app drawer or notification shade).
Scroll to General tab, then tap Battery & power saving.
Tap Battery usage.
You’ll see a list of apps with battery percentages. Tap the app you want to stop.
Tap Force stop and confirm.

Alternatively, you can go to Settings > General > Apps, select the app, and tap Force stop. This is the same as the battery usage method—both lead to the app info screen.

Force stopping an app will stop it until you open it again. It will not uninstall the app or delete your data. Some system apps cannot be force-stopped (the button is grayed out) because they are essential for the phone to function.

Why Apps Keep Restarting (and How to Stop That)

If you close an app and it comes back a few minutes later, it’s usually because:

The app has a background service that restarts it (e.g., messaging apps, weather widgets).
You have auto-sync enabled for that app (e.g., email, cloud storage).
The app is a system app that Android keeps alive for stability.

To prevent an app from restarting, you can:

Disable auto-sync for that app: Settings > Accounts & sync, then turn off sync for the specific account.
Restrict background data: Settings > Data usage > app-specific, then check “Restrict background data.� This stops the app from using mobile data in the background, but it may still run.
Disable the app if you don’t use it: Settings > Apps > select the app > Disable. This prevents it from running at all, but only works for apps that allow disabling.

On Android 6.0 Marshmallow, you also have a Doze mode that automatically limits background activity when the phone is idle. You don’t need to configure it manually—it’s built in.

Using the “Smart Cleaning� and Battery Saver Tools

The LG V10 has a built-in Smart Cleaning tool that helps manage storage and memory. To access it:

Go to Settings > General > Smart Cleaning.
Tap Clean to remove temporary files and close background apps.

This tool is a convenient way to free up RAM and storage in one tap. However, it doesn’t give you fine-grained control over which apps stay open. For that, use the force stop method above.

Also, the V10 has a Battery Saver mode (Settings > Battery & power saving > Battery saver) that limits background activity when the battery is low. You can set it to turn on automatically at 15% or 5% battery, or manually. This is a system-wide way to reduce background app usage without closing each app individually.

Common Problems and Fixes

“Force stop� is grayed out: This happens for system apps that are currently in use. Try closing the app from Recent Apps first, then force stop. If it’s still grayed out, the app is essential—leave it alone.
Apps keep restarting after force stop: Some apps (like Google Play Services) are restarted by the system. You can’t permanently stop them without rooting the phone, which is not recommended.
Phone is slow even after closing all apps: The V10 has 4GB of RAM, so it usually handles many apps well. If it’s slow, check for apps that are using excessive CPU in Settings > Battery usage. Also, clear cached data via Smart Cleaning.
Background apps use too much data: Restrict background data for specific apps as described above, or turn off mobile data entirely when you don’t need it.

Background Apps vs. Battery Life: What Actually Matters

Many users obsess over closing all background apps to save battery, but on modern Android, that’s often counterproductive. The V10’s system is designed to manage background apps efficiently. Force-stopping an app that you use frequently (like Gmail) will cause it to restart and re-sync, which uses more battery than just leaving it alone. The best approach is:

Close apps you won’t use again soon (e.g., a game you finished).
Force stop apps that misbehave (e.g., an app that drains battery abnormally).
Let the system handle normal background apps.

If you want to see which apps are actually using battery, check Settings > Battery & power saving > Battery usage. The list shows percentages, and you can tap an app to see details like CPU time and data usage. That’s the most accurate way to know what to close.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does swiping an app away from Recent Apps close it completely?

No. Swiping removes the app from the Recent Apps list and stops its visible activity, but background processes (like music playback or sync) may continue. To completely stop an app, use Force stop in Settings.

Why do some apps restart after I force stop them?

Apps that have a persistent background service (like messaging apps) or are part of the system (like Google Play Services) will restart automatically. The system does this to maintain functionality. You can’t permanently stop these without disabling the app or rooting the phone.

Will closing background apps save battery?

Sometimes, but not always. If an app is actively using CPU or data, closing it will save battery. However, if the app is just sitting in RAM, closing it may use more battery when you reopen it because it has to reload. The V10’s system already manages background apps well, so only close apps that are actually draining battery.

Is it safe to force stop system apps?

No. System apps are essential for the phone to work. Force-stopping them can cause crashes, errors, or even a boot loop. Only force stop apps you recognize as third-party apps.

How do I stop background data usage on the V10?

Go to Settings > Data usage, tap the app you want to restrict, then check “Restrict background data.� This stops the app from using mobile data when it’s in the background, but it may still use Wi-Fi. You can also turn off auto-sync in Settings > Accounts & sync.

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

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