Background Activity even when turned off.

[Kagio]

So I turned off background activity for Whatsapp and Facebook, and days after that I checked the battery usage and both of them show several % of time used in background activity when tapped on them; what the hell?

Also noticed that in Whatsapp settings - chat - backup, the loading/uploading icon keeps beeing animated as if it where uploading stuff (even though I set iCloud not to use Cellular Network; and im not on WiFi).

Any thoughts?

 

[madsci954]

Facebook is using API's to get around that, so it's the app not the device. Only option is uninstall the app and use the Safari browser. Can't say the same for Whatsapp but it's probably the same thing.

 

[C DM]

Background refresh is different than background activity (background refresh can get an app to run for a bit at times which can result in background activity, but any app has the ability to run in the background, within certain limits, independent of background refresh).

 

[Kagio]

Background refresh is different than background activity (background refresh can get an app to run for a bit at times which can result in background activity, but any app has the ability to run in the background, within certain limits, independent of background refresh).

True but, are you suggesting that the time displayed when tapping an app in the battery usage list is specific for background activity and NOT background refresh? What woule be the point on that?

And if that is true; how come the time display for background activity is equal or greater than the time "On Screen" !? (For both apps)

 

[C DM]

True but, are you suggesting that the time displayed when tapping an app in the battery usage list is specific for background activity and NOT background refresh? What woule be the point on that?

And if that is true; how come the time display for background activity is equal or greater than the time "On Screen" !? (For both apps)

Right, background refresh can trigger background activity, but background activity can exist without and independent of background refresh. The time displayed is to show how much time an app or a service has been running in the background (and thus using up resources like battery to some degree). The amount of time can differ and is often less than usage time but can be more if the app or service is doing something in the background for longer periods of time.

 

[Mercenary]

Facebook ignores the background refresh setting and does some very naughty stuff to keep itself going because even though you said no Facebook thinks you meant yes.

 

[Kagio]

Right, background refresh can trigger background activity, but background activity can exist without and independent of background refresh. The time displayed is to show how much time an app or a service has been running in the background (and thus using up resources like battery to some degree). The amount of time can differ and is often less than usage time but can be more if the app or service is doing something in the background for longer periods of time.

So there is no way for me to stop apps fr performing background activity you say? You said is often less (background than on screen) well not my case

 

[Kagio]

Facebook ignores the background refresh setting and does some very naughty stuff to keep itself going because even though you said no Facebook thinks you meant yes.

This is exactly the behaviour im beeing witness of.

 

[Blaster13]

Facebook is using voip code to circumvent Apple. VoIP is allowed to run in background even when it's turned off.

 

[C DM]

So there is no way for me to stop apps fr performing background activity you say? You said is often less (background than on screen) well not my case

Disabling background refresh would be one thing to help with that, even though it won't disable it all, but at least it will help. The only other thing you can really do is close the apps that you don't want to potentially run in the background. Keep in mind that most apps are limited to a small amount of time they can run in the background (and usually only right after use) and generally won't have much background usage, but some apps that have some abilities like location tracking or VoIP (which various messengers have) can run in the background more often and/or more indefinitely (not all of them do that usually, but they can and sometimes do).

 

[Kagio]

Facebook is using voip code to circumvent Apple. VoIP is allowed to run in background even when it's turned off.

Any expected updates to avoid this? (From apple)

What about whatsapp

 

[C DM]

Facebook ignores the background refresh setting and does some very naughty stuff to keep itself going because even though you said no Facebook thinks you meant yes.

It's not that Facebook ignores it, it's that background refresh doesn't have an effect on the ability of an app to run in the background, which is a built-in ability available to all apps (it's generally limited for most apps with the exception of some that have certain functionalities, like location tracking or VoIP or music or a few others).

 

[aristobrat]

This is exactly the behaviour im beeing witness of.

Others have mentioned it, but there are several reasons why an app can run in the background.

App Refresh (which you have turned off) is just one of the reasons.

My experience has been what Blaster13 said. When I turned off App Refresh for Facebook for a day, and then looked at the Battery stats for it, Facebook said "Voice" next to it (which to me implies VoIP).

 

[C DM]

Any expected updates to avoid this? (From apple)

What about whatsapp

Basically just closing out the app is the only thing that can be done. There is no problem there per se for Apple to address aside from perhaps not granting certain abilities (that allow to bypass various background activity limitations) to apps that don't actually need or supposed to have them.

 

[lagwagon]

Any expected updates to avoid this? (From apple)

What about whatsapp

You can just fully close out Facebook from the app switcher after each use. I do this and my Facebook app never racks up any background usage. (And I'm usually on FB a few times a day.)

I don't use whatsapp, but if it's doing similar things, I would assume doing the same would also eliminate excess background activity.

 

[Kagio]

This is all unfair to our battery. I understand closing and openning apps is also bad for battery, since you remove apps from RAM memory, so next time opened uses more energy.

 

[Kagio]

You can just fully close out Facebook from the app switcher after each use. I do this and my Facebook app never racks up any background usage. (And I'm usually on FB a few times a day.)

I don't use whatsapp, but if it's doing similar things, I would assume doing the same would also eliminate excess background activity.

Yup, turns out doing that also impacta battery more than not doing so (supposing they are not behaving like facebook/whatsapp)

 

[lagwagon]

This is all unfair to our battery. I understand closing and openning apps is also bad for battery, since you remove apps from RAM memory, so next time opened uses more energy.

It's only "bad" for battery if you use it often enough that it would still even be in ram. Which in most cases apps can only "ask" iOS to keep running for a max of 15 minutes to finish a task. If you're also using 2-3 other apps between the time you open app 1. Odds are app 1 is already booted out of ram and would have to do a full launch anyways. Thus that benefit of it launching from ram and "saving" battery is totally gone.

 

[Kagio]

It's only "bad" for battery if you use it often enough that it would still even be in ram. Which in most cases apps can only "ask" iOS to keep running for a max of 15 minutes to finish a task. If you're also using 2-3 other apps between the time you open app 1. Odds are app 1 is already booted out of ram and would have to do a full launch anyways. Thus that benefit of it launching from ram and "saving" battery is totally gone.

Now THAT is new knowledge to me.

 

[lagwagon]

Now THAT is new knowledge to me.

Now, if you have a newer 6s or 6s+. The time it takes app 1 to get booted out of ram from using other apps will be longer. Due to its double the ram. So those battery benefits of opening apps from ram can last longer, it still happens, it just takes more usage in between to have app 1 booted out of ram prematurely.

 

[Merkyworks]

I have noticed that Facebook will have hours of background run time and only a couple minutes of active run time when I check though battery usage. I have since gotten in the habit of killing Facebook when done to avoid it running in the background.

 

[Blaster13]

Any expected updates to avoid this? (From apple)

What about whatsapp

As others have stated always force close Facebook app once finished using it. Or instead go to Facebook on safari and add it to home screen that way you can delete Facebook and messenger apps and not suffer this problem.

 

[Blaster13]

I believe this thread can now be closed as everyone has answered the thread starter.

 

[C DM]

I have noticed that Facebook will have hours of background run time and only a couple minutes of active run time when I check though battery usage. I have since gotten in the habit of killing Facebook when done to avoid it running in the background.

I wonder why that's the case for some people. I've always used Facebook but pretty much never had much background usage from it.

 

[Kagio]

I believe this thread can now be closed as everyone has answered the thread starter.

Sure thing, how do I do this? And how do I quote multiple comments? Y check multiple quote signs of different comments then tap on Reply (on any) and it only quotes the one I tapped reply of.