Here’s a common tech misconception: all of the default settings on your phone are there because they’re good for your device.
Well, yes and no.
It’s not that any one setting is necessarily bad, but some settings can, if used over time, deplete your battery in a major way. And if battery concerns are on your mind, the best course of action is to become familiar with the settings that have the greatest effect on your battery and change the way you use them. So many tech experts agree: this is the one default setting ruining your battery life. And here’s what you can do about it.
Background App Refresh
A number of tech experts are on the same page about this one: background app refresh is a total battery drainer — and the way to avoid this is by turning it off.
“Gmail and Facebook, for example, do a lot of work in the background to keep your accounts in sync when you’re not using them,” says Tech Expert Cindy Corpis, CEO of SearchPeopleFree. “This is usually unneeded, so if you can, stop them completely or delete the app if it is no longer required. There’s an area on the iPhone where you can turn off background app refresh.”
The background app refresh includes showing notifications on your home screen, automatic updates, and gets you new information upon opening the app next time, says Tech Expert Olivia Tan, founder of CocoFax. “Even after closing down multiple apps you use every day, these apps run in the background without your consent.,” Tan says. “This default setting doesn't slow down your iPhone when it's new, but it slows down after a few months of usage. You can turn off background refresh apps with Setting > General > Background App Refresh and toggle off the Background App Refresh. “
