How to Enable Background App Refresh on WiFi on iPhone or iPad

You may go through this write-up to understand everything about the Background App Refresh feature, i.e., what it is, how to enable it, and the way to turn it off on iPhone/iPad. 

It is no secret that updated applications perform a lot better. However, it may seem quite a hassle to update applications unless you enable the Background App Refresh option on your device.

So what is this feature, and how to enable Background App Refresh, let us answer all these questions through this article?

To begin with, let us understand what Background App Refresh is and its advantages.

What Is iPhone/iPad’s Background App Refresh and its Benefits

Simply put, Background App Refresh is a feature that allows applications to check for updates and the latest content through the internet even when you are not using these apps.

Having this feature enabled on your device gives you several benefits. Below are some of them.

Benefits of Background App Refresh

Keeping the Background App Refresh feature active helps you derive the following advantages.

• Cuts down the waiting time for new information to appear when you open an application
• Helps applications run smoothly

Now that you have an idea about the Background App Refresh feature, let us proceed toward enabling it on your device.

The process to Enable Background App Refresh

Below is how to enable Background App Refresh on iPhone and iPad.

• Tap Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
• Select the General setting.
• Choose Background App Refresh from the available options.
• Now, you may turn on the Background App Refresh as WiFi only or for both WiFi & Cellular Data. You may choose the option that seems more appropriate to you. Generally, it is beneficial to enable Background App Refresh on WiFi to avoid huge data charges.

Background App Refresh is advantageous. However, there are some instances where you may need to deactivate it on your device. For instance, you may require to turn off the Background App Refresh on your iPhone/iPad to save resources, cut down the data usage, etc. Thus, below is how to disable this feature in such scenarios.

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How to Turn Off Background App Refresh on iPad/iPhone

You may follow these steps to turn off the Background App Refresh feature completely.

• Open the Settings on your device.
• Launch the General setting.
• Toggle off the Background App Refresh feature.

Above was the process to turn off Background App Refresh on iPhone/iPad for all applications. Below is how to do it for a specific app on your device.

Steps to Turn Off Background App Refresh on iPad/iPhone for a Particular App

• Tap on your device’s Settings. 
• Navigate to the General settings of your device.
• Select Background App Refresh. 
• Find the application for which you wish to disable the Background App Refresh option.
• When you have found the app, tap on the Background App Refresh toggle to turn it off.

The above was all about how to enable the Background App Refresh feature and turn it off on your iPhone or iPad. Now, you may go through the next section to clear your doubts, if any.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below we try to clear all doubts you may have regarding the Background App Refresh feature on iPhone/iPad.

Q1. Should you enable Background App Refresh?

In our opinion, you should keep the Background App Refresh option enabled for applications you frequently use to keep them updated and smoothly functioning.

Q2. How do I enable Background App Refresh on my iPhone?

You may follow the steps shared in the guide above to activate your iPhone’s Background App Refresh option. These steps follow a simple path, i.e, Settings>General>Background App Refresh to do the needful.

Q3. What happens if I turn off the Background App Refresh on my iPhone?

If you disable the Background App Refresh feature on your device, you need to open the applications to update them and wait for a few minutes until the new content loads.

Q4. Does Background App Refresh drain iPhone battery?

The Background App Refresh feature updates applications even when they are closed. However, it drains your phone’s battery a bit to do so.

Q5. Why is the Background App Refresh grayed out on iPhone?

The Background App Refresh mode may be grayed out if low power mode is active on your device, you have this feature disabled for all applications, or you have “force quit” an application recently.

Q6. What happens if I turn off the Background App Refresh for WhatsApp?

You will not get updated information on WhatsApp for a few seconds when you open the application. However, you will continue to receive notifications even if you disable this feature.

Also Read: How to Fix Voicemail Not Working on iPhone

Background App Refresh Enabled

This article explained how to enable the Background App Refresh feature on iPhone/iPad. You may go through it to activate this option on your device.

Moreover, this article shared how to turn off the Background App Refresh on iPhone/iPad if you wish to deactivate it.

If any questions or confusion persists regarding this topic, you can write to us in the comments section below.