What apps need to run in the background? Explained

There are some apps that are required to run in a phone background, while there are some that deserve to be hibernated.

When you’re told that you need to restrict or hibernate some apps doesn’t necessarily mean that you should kill all apps running in your phone background, definitely your phone will fail.

This now brings about this topic, what apps need to run in the background.

This applies to both android and ios devices, the apps which you shouldn’t kill or hibernate because they help in running your phone. When you turned them off, your phone becomes useless.

What apps need to run in the background

The system apps. The system apps need to run in the background of a mobile phone. Mind you, I’m not saying all system apps should run in the background, but rather some of them.

I’ve listed the useful system apps which you shouldn’t dare to kill or hibernate because you feel that they are killing your battery or of no use to you.

For Android phone

1. Android System/ Google play services 

As long as you are using the Android phone, don’t even try to kill off or hibernate these two apps from running in your phone background. If you stop or hibernate them, many apps in your phone will fail to open as they need the android system and the google play services to open or function.

What apps need to run in the background for android phone is the android system and the google play services.

2. Messaging and phone 

You don’t even dare try to hibernate messaging apps and phone app unless you want to replace them with a new one.

If you hibernate or kill off the two apps from your android phone, be rest assured that you won’t receive new messages and calls on your mobile phone though in many cases you can’t hibernate the phone app cause it is very compulsory in any mobile phone.

So whenever you see the two apps, kindly ignore them and move to the next apps.

3. Find my phone and settings 

Another app that answers this question of what apps need to run in the background is the find my phone and settings app. Find my phone is a typical system app that is hidden, while you can easily disable the settings app.

However, you need these two apps to run in your phone background. You can’t do without the system app, and disabling it will render your phone useless cause all the settings and configuration will be removed.

This also goes with find my phone. The find my phone helps you to locate where your phone though I prefer to use it to easily search for apps or features in my phone.

3. What apps need to run in the background: Biometrics 

Don’t even try to hibernate all biometrics apps or features in your android phone, doing so will expose your phone as it won’t be secured from a third party. There are up to six biometrics features and apps that runs in the background though it depends on the phone you’re using.

As long as you see iris, face, fingerprint, smartface services, etc kindly ignore them. They are important to your android phone.

What apps need to run in the background for android?

The biometrics apps and features, find my phone and settings apps.

4. Qualcomm/ Mediatek Processor

Based on the type of android phone you’re using, you will see the feature running in your android phone background. If it is Qualcomm Snapdragon, you will see com.qualcomm.embs and Co, same with the Mediatek.

If you see them, kindly ignore them and move on to the next. They are your phone processor, stooping them means stopping your phone from working or functioning.

5. Theme or Launcher

The fifth system or installed app that you shouldn’t touch is the theme or the launcher. All Android phones must work with a launcher or theme, either you use the phone’s pre-installed default launcher or you download one from the play store.

Going back to the question of what apps need to run in the background, theme or launcher is among the apps you shouldn’t kill off or hibernate on your android phone.

6. Edge screen/clock 

This is for Samsung phone user’s who has the edge screen feature on their phone. Honestly, the edge screen feature is pretty much helpful and I don’t see the reason why you should hibernate or disable it from your phone.

It gives room for easy navigation with hassle and tussle on your phone. If you don’t like the edge screen, you should deactivate it instead of stopping it from running in your phone background.

To deactivate the edge screen feature, kindly go to settings and scroll down to display. Open the display and scroll a bit, you will see edge screen.

Tap to open, and turn off the edge panel.

As the topic of the post is asking for what apps need to run in the background, I will suggest that you don’t hibernate or disable the edge screen feature cause it is very essential.

6. Email / Antivirus app

If you make use of the Google Gmail app and have an antivirus installed on your phone, I don’t see the reason why you stop them from running in your phone background. The apps are very good especially the antivirus app.

You can choose to disable the Gmail app and use your mobile browser to check your emails, but you shouldn’t ignore the antivirus app. I have ESET mobile antivirus and it has been of a lot helpful to me.

7. What apps need to run in the background: Social apps

The social apps I’m talking about are Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, telegraph, Skype, Linked In, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

Take a look at the social apps you have on your phone, which of them do you think should run in your phone background based on your usage. For me, I use WhatsApp and Skype a lot more, so I don’t stop them.

Facebook takes lots of space so I try to hibernate it until I see the need to use my Facebook.

Don’t miss > How to refresh a page on android phone

For iPhone

The most, essential and compulsory apps that need to run in the background of the Iphone include the followings;

  • iCloud Drive
  • iTunes Store
  • Mail
  • Clock
  • iBooks
  • Podcasts
  • Messages
  • Phone
  • Settings
  • Find My Friends
  • Find My iPhone

If you see these apps running in your phone background, don’t stop or hibernate them more especially the iTunes store, iCloud Drive, phone, settings, find my phone, messages, and clock.

However, to generally answer the question on what apps need to run in the background, they include the system apps and the apps which you use or open every day. 

You should list out all your daily apps, and go through them. Social apps like Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, telegram, skype should be ignored if you make use of them. You receive tons of messages or notifications from these apps.

If you have some widget apps running in your phone background and you have the widgets on your home screen or homepage, you don’t stop the widgets. If you no longer want the widget app, kindly remove the widget from your home screen and hibernate the widget app.

With this, I do hope to have properly answered the question of what apps need to run in the background.

Do I need apps running in the background?

Practically yes. You need apps running in the background cause they help your phone to function and work properly. If you disable or stop the apps, your phone might stop or not work properly.

Don’t miss > Where are emails stored on my android phone

Why would I want apps to run in the background?

For the purpose of receiving text messages and calls, making calls, and have some customization on your phone. When you stop social apps on your phone, you won’t receive messages or notifications on your phone.

If you stop the clock, phone, message app, settings app, launcher or theme app, iCloud or google play services feature, your phone will break.

This also applied to some features and apps in Microsoft windows and not just mobile.

What happens when you stop background apps

When you stop background apps, the app functions will stop working on your phone. Just like I said, stopping the iCloud, iTunes Store, Google play services, android system, settings app, phone app, and the messaging app will break your phone.

Try to avoid system apps unless the system apps are worthless to your phone and also to you. For the apps you installed from the store, you can stop the apps you deemed not useful to you at that very moment.

Does closing apps save battery?

Definitely yes. Closing apps save battery a lot, both on mobile or the computer. When lots of apps run in the phone background, they consume both the battery and the ram of the device.

If you close some of the apps especially the ones you’re not using at that moment, it saves lots of battery and ram in a mobile phone or on the computer.

Don’t miss > 5 Best walking app for android phone

Why do apps run in the background

Apps do run in the background in order to stay open and active. If an app is running in the background, it shows the app is active and same time functioning on your phone.

Apps like settings, android system, Google play services, phone, and messaging app, iTunes and the play store, clock, etc need to be open and active in a mobile phone.

The phone app helps you to receive and make calls, same with message app. You need the calendar app to be active to know the date and receive an alarm or a notification about an event.

You need the settings app to be active to use some of the settings and configurations on your phone. Also goes with WhatsApp and other apps.

This question of why do apps need to run in the background is because of the help our phone to function and offer services to us. Without the essential apps, our phones will be useless or worthless.

Remember, we’re still on the topic of the post, what apps need to run in the background.

How do I know what apps are running in the background

For Android;

what apps need to run in the background

To know the apps running in the background of your phone, kindly go to the settings app on your phone. Scroll down to About phone and tap to open.

Tap on software information and you will see the build number. You will have to tap on the build number seven good times consecutively until you enable the developer option on your phone.

Press back twice and below the phone, you will see the developer options.

Tap on the developer option, scroll a bit and you will see running services. Tap to open and right there you will see all the apps running in your phone background.

This is how to check apps running in background Samsung or any other Android phone.

Don’t miss > Symptoms of cell phone battery dying you should know

This is where I come to the conclusion of the post on what apps need to run in the background. Remember not to stop the essential system apps on your mobile phone.

About Kennedy

I'm Amaechi Uchenna by name, a mobile tech enthusiast who love writing articles about tips and tutorials especially relating to gadgets.

Leave a Comment