What is Background App Refresh? How does it affect data?

When you pay for data plans, you are alert to their consumption and want to manage your usage. But sometimes, you find that your data is consistently consumed, and your mobile battery is draining, and you don’t know why. 

This happens because of a feature we called Background App Refresh. Your apps update their content in the background so that you can see fresh updates when you open them. The feature is really cool to stay updated, but it will cost your battery drain, eat your mobile data, and slow your device.

So, What is Background App Refresh? Is it necessary? And what should eSIM users do? Let's learn everything in this blog!

How Does Background App Refresh Work?

A feature that allows your apps to continuously update their content while the user is not using them. The apps update their data while running themselves in the background as your device is connected to the Internet. When you open one of the apps, you will get a fresh feed or content that will make you feel updated and fresh. This includes apps like:

• Social Media Feed updating with new posts.
• Email apps fetching new messages.
• Weather Apps updating forecasts.
• New Apps loading new headlines.

iOS Vs. Android: How It Works?

• On iOS: Background App Refresh works when your device is connected to the Internet via Wifi or Cellular data. Apple allows users to manage their app-by-app.
• On Android, it operates through a feature called Background Data Usage, which can be controlled individually for each app.

Pros and Cons of Background App Refresh

Pros

• Keeps Apps Up to Date - No need to Refresh Manually.
• Smoother Experience - Faster Loading when opening apps.
• Ideal for Frequently Updated apps - Social media, email, and news apps benefit the most.

Cons

• Drains battery Life - Apps running in the background consume more battery.
• Consumes Mobile Data - Frustrating for eSIM users on limited data plans.
• Potential Security Risks - Some apps track connectivity even when not in use.

How Background App Refresh Affects Mobile Data Usage?

Most eSIM users are on limited data plans and background app refresh quickly burns through their allowance. To learn more, the following are some famous apps that run in the background and consume data:

Approx. Data Usage per Month (Background Refresh)

Facebook: 500MB – 1GB

Instagram: 700MB – 1.5GB

Twitter (X): 400MB – 800MB

News Apps: 300MB – 600MB

Email (Gmail, Outlook): 200MB – 500MB

If you are an eSIM user with a limited data plan, you need to disable the background app refresh to save data that lasts the whole month.

Does Background App Refresh Affect Battery Life?

The answer is yes. When apps run in the background, they continue to use your device's CPU and network connections, which results in faster battery drain.

How to Check Which Apps are Using the Most Battery?

• For iPhone: Tap Settings> Battery, check battery usage by app.
• For Android: Tap Settings> Battery> Battery Usage.

When you see usage of battery by apps, you will notice that there are apps that are using more battery. Try to disable Background App Refresh for those apps.

How to Manage Background App Refresh?

On iPhone

• Tap Settings
• Scroll down and tap General
• Select Background App Refresh
• Choose between options like
• Off (Completely disable)
• Wifi Only (Prevents Cellular Data use)
• Wifi & Cellular Data (Allow background updates on all networks)
• If you want to disable for a specific app, it can be possible.

On Android

• Tap Settings
• Tap Apps & Notifications> See All Apps.
• Select an app and go to Mobile Data & Wifi.
• Disable Background Data Usage for apps you want to stop working in the background.

Should you turn off Background App Refresh?

Keep it On If:

• You want to track real-time updates like stock market updates.
• You have a Wi-Fi only device with no mobile data connection.
• You have to buy an eSIM unlimited mobile data, and not have any problem with the battery drain.

Keep it Off If:

• You want to save battery and reduce data usage.
• Have an eSIM plan with limited data.
• Notice that some apps are consuming too much data in the background.

Note: If you rely on pay-as-you-go or travel eSIM, turn off background app refresh to avoid excess data charges.

Alternative Solutions to keep app updated without Background App Refresh

Well, the good thing about technology is it never comes alone, you always have an alternative. So if you want updated apps but dont want Background app refresh, you can:

• Manually Refresh Apps - Open apps when you need them.
• Use Scheduled Updates - Enable auto-update for essential apps only.
• Enable Low Data Mode - iOS and Android offer low data mode to restrict background data use.