I have Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh set to Off for all apps. But under Setttings -> Microsoft Outlook the Background App Refresh setting is enabled and grayed out and can't be changed, so I turned off Cellular Data for Outlook. I'm still getting notifications and updates from Outook. How and why is this possible with Cellular Data Off? I turned off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. How can I stop Outlook from updating in the background? It's using up alot of battery. I've tried rebooting the phone but it didn't help.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Disabling Background App Refresh
- Thread starter tandit
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Outlook can't do anything in Airport mode 
If you unhappy with using Outlook - why not uninstall it?
Unless Outlook is required for your job, you may be better off with some other mail app.
If you unhappy with using Outlook - why not uninstall it?
Unless Outlook is required for your job, you may be better off with some other mail app.
I found this a few releases ago - I had to turn on the general background app refresh - then go into each app and turn off = then back into general background to turn off the general setting. That allowed me to turn off individual apps.
I also found that some new apps or app updates defaulted to allow - so I had to go through process again.
Try that
I also found that some new apps or app updates defaulted to allow - so I had to go through process again.
Try that
If you turn off the main Background App Refresh setting it makes the individual ones irrelevant which is why they are grayed out (visually showing up their state, which only applies if the main setting is enabled).
As as notifications go, those come through a separate APNS service for notifications, which doesn't have much to do with Background App Refresh or app's data usage.
I want to only update when I open the app, like I could do with Mail.
[automerge]1570586779[/automerge]
So how would I turn off these push notifications?
Does this stop the push notifications, data usage, and battery drain? Or does it just suppress the display of messages?
Well, notifications use APNS which is an Apple push notification service that is there for pretty much any and all notifications in general. I'm not aware of a way to disable that service -- which would disable any and all notifications -- without basically just enabling airplane mode, for example.
If you disable new message alerts from within the app itself it shouldn't be checking for and sending notifications.