How to Turn off Background App Refresh on iPhone or iPad Apr 1, 2021, 9:00 am EDT | 1 min read By default, your iPhone (or iPad) lets apps check for new data in the background. It can reduce loading times when switching back to an app, but it also reduces battery life, takes a bit of cellular data, and could allow some apps to spy on you. Here’s how to turn “Background App Refresh” off. First, open the “Settings” app on your iPhone. In “Settings,” tap “General.” In “General,” tap “Background App Refresh.” Next, you’ll see the “Background App Refresh” settings. If you’d like, you can disable Background App Refresh on an app-by-app basis here. Just tap the switch beside each app you’d like to disable to turn it off.