How to Make Your Android Phone Faster by Disabling Background Processes
Posted on April 28, 2025
Is your Android phone feeling sluggish? Are apps taking too long to open? You might be surprised to learn that numerous background processes could be draining your phone's resources without you even knowing it. In this comprehensive guide, I'll show you various methods to disable unnecessary background processes to significantly boost your Android phone's performance and extend battery life.
Note: While these methods are generally safe, some of them require caution. Be careful not to disable critical system processes or apps you rely on for important notifications.
Table of Contents
Understanding Background Processes
Before diving into how to disable background processes, it's important to understand what they are and why they might be slowing down your device.
What Are Background Processes?
Background processes are operations that apps run even when you're not actively using them. These include:
- Apps checking for updates or new content
- Email clients syncing your inbox
- Social media apps refreshing feeds
- Weather apps updating forecasts
- System services maintaining device functionality
Why They Impact Performance
These processes consume valuable system resources:
- RAM: Limits memory available for active apps
- CPU: Increases processor load, causing lag
- Battery: Significantly reduces battery life
- Data: Uses mobile data in the background
Basic Methods to Disable Background Processes
Let's start with some simple techniques that anyone can use to reduce background activity without diving into advanced settings.
1. Close Apps Properly
Many users simply press the home button when they're done with an app, but this leaves it running in the background. Instead:
- Access your recent apps (usually by swiping up from the bottom or tapping the square navigation button)
- Swipe away apps you're not actively using
- On some devices, you can tap "Close all" to clear all recent apps at once
Tip: Don't obsessively close all apps. Android is designed to manage memory, and constantly closing and reopening apps can actually use more battery than leaving some in memory.
2. Disable Background Data for Specific Apps
Prevent apps from using data in the background:
- Open Settings on your Android device
- Tap Apps or Applications
- Select the app you want to restrict
- Tap Mobile data & Wi-Fi or Data usage
- Toggle off Background data or Allow background data usage
Warning: Disabling background data may prevent apps from sending notifications or updating content until you open them.
3. Restrict App Background Activity
Most modern Android versions allow you to restrict what apps can do in the background:
- Open Settings on your Android device
- Tap Apps or Applications
- Select the app you want to restrict
- Tap Battery or Battery usage
- Select Restricted or toggle off Allow background activity
This prevents the app from running in the background and using resources when you're not actively using it.
4. Uninstall or Disable Unused Apps
The most effective way to prevent an app from running in the background is to remove it completely:
- Go to Settings > Apps
- Scroll through your app list and identify apps you rarely use
- For each unused app, tap on it and select Uninstall
- For pre-installed apps that can't be uninstalled, tap Disable instead
Tip: Consider using web versions of some apps (like Facebook or Twitter) through your browser instead of installing dedicated apps that run in the background.
Using Developer Options for Advanced Control
Developer options offer powerful controls over how your device manages background processes. Here's how to access and use these advanced settings:
Enable Developer Options
- Go to Settings > About phone (or About device)
- Find Build number (may be under Software information on some devices)
- Tap on Build number seven times in quick succession
- You'll see a message saying "You are now a developer!"
- Return to the main Settings screen and you'll find Developer options near the bottom
Limit Background Processes
One of the most effective ways to improve performance is to directly limit how many processes can run simultaneously:
- Go to Settings > Developer options
- Scroll down to find Background process limit (usually under the "Apps" section)
- Tap and select one of the following options:
- Standard limit: The default setting (usually allows around 20 processes)
- No background processes: The most aggressive setting, closes all background processes
- At most 1-4 processes: Recommended settings that balance performance and functionality
Recommended setting: "At most 4 processes" is a good balance for most users. It significantly improves performance while still allowing essential background activities.
Additional Developer Settings for Better Performance
While in Developer options, consider adjusting these settings as well:
- Don't keep activities: Enabling this will close activities as soon as you leave them, freeing up RAM (but may cause slower app reopening)
- Background check: Disable this to prevent apps from being reinstated after you've closed them
- Animate window/transition scales: Set these to 0.5x or off to make your phone feel faster by reducing or eliminating animations
Battery Optimization Settings
Modern Android versions include robust battery optimization features that can help limit background activity for better performance and longer battery life.
Enable Adaptive Battery
Adaptive Battery uses AI to learn your usage patterns and limit battery usage for apps you rarely use:
- Go to Settings > Battery
- Tap Adaptive Battery or Battery optimization
- Ensure it's toggled on
This feature becomes more effective over time as it learns which apps you use regularly.
Optimize Battery Usage for Individual Apps
You can choose how aggressively Android optimizes each app:
- Go to Settings > Battery > Battery optimization (or App power management on some devices)
- Tap the dropdown menu and select All apps
- For each app, decide whether to:
- Don't optimize: For essential apps you need running all the time
- Optimize: For standard battery optimization
- Restricted: For aggressive optimization (if available)
Recommendation: Set messaging apps, alarm clocks, and important notification apps to "Don't optimize." Set social media, games, and entertainment apps to "Optimize" or "Restricted."
Use Battery Saver Mode
Battery Saver mode significantly restricts background activities:
- Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver
- Toggle it on, or set it to activate automatically at a certain battery percentage
- Some devices offer customization options for Battery Saver mode
When active, Battery Saver reduces background activities, limits location services, and delays notifications for non-essential apps.
Manufacturer-Specific Tools
Different Android manufacturers often include their own tools for managing background processes. Here are some of the most common ones:
Samsung Devices
Device Care / Battery and Device Care:
- Go to Settings > Battery and device care
- Tap Battery
- Tap Background usage limits
- Enable Put unused apps to sleep and consider enabling Deep sleeping apps for apps you rarely use
You can also use the Optimize now button on the main Device Care screen for a quick optimization.
Xiaomi Devices
Security App:
- Open the Security app
- Tap Battery
- Tap App battery saver
- Configure battery usage for individual apps
- Also check Battery usage to identify battery-draining apps
OnePlus Devices
Battery Optimization:
- Go to Settings > Battery
- Tap Battery optimization
- Select apps to optimize or restrict
- Also check Advanced optimization for additional options
Google Pixel Devices
Adaptive Battery and App Restrictions:
- Go to Settings > Apps
- Select an app and tap Battery
- Choose between Unrestricted, Optimized, or Restricted
- Also ensure Adaptive Battery is enabled in Settings > Battery
Best Practices and Tips
Beyond the specific methods above, here are some general best practices to maintain optimal performance:
1. Regularly Restart Your Device
Rebooting your phone once a week clears temporary files, refreshes memory, and kills all background processes. This simple habit can significantly improve performance.
2. Use Dark Mode
On devices with OLED screens, using dark mode not only reduces eye strain but can save battery and improve performance by reducing the power needed for screen illumination.
3. Keep Your OS Updated
Android updates often include performance improvements and better background process management. Keep your device updated to benefit from these optimizations.
4. Clear Cache Periodically
Cached data can accumulate and slow down your device. Periodically clear app caches through Settings > Storage > Cached data or individually through Settings > Apps > [App name] > Storage > Clear Cache.
5. Use Lite Versions of Apps
Many popular apps offer "Lite" versions that use fewer resources and run fewer background processes. Examples include Facebook Lite, Twitter Lite, and YouTube Go.
6. Monitor Performance Over Time
Keep track of your device's performance after implementing these changes. If you notice that certain changes negatively impact your usage (like missing important notifications), adjust your settings accordingly.
Impact of Background Process Limitations
| Setting | Performance Improvement | Battery Improvement | Potential Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic app closing | Minimal | Minimal | None |
| Restrict background data | Moderate | Significant | Delayed notifications, manual refresh needed |
| Battery optimization | Moderate | Significant | Potential notification delays |
| Developer options (4 processes) | Significant | Significant | Some apps may not function properly |
| Developer options (no processes) | Very significant | Very significant | Many apps will not function properly, notifications unreliable |
Troubleshooting Common Issues
When limiting background processes, you might encounter some issues. Here's how to address the most common ones:
Missing Important Notifications
If you're missing important notifications after restricting background processes:
- Go to Settings > Apps > [App name] > Battery
- Set the app to Unrestricted or Don't optimize
- Also check Notifications settings for the app to ensure they're enabled
Apps Closing Unexpectedly
If apps are closing unexpectedly or restarting when you switch between them:
- Your background process limit might be too aggressive
- Go to Developer options > Background process limit
- Try a higher setting (such as "At most 4 processes" instead of "No background processes")
Alarms Not Going Off
If your alarms are not working properly:
- Go to Settings > Apps > [Clock/Alarm app] > Battery
- Set to Unrestricted or Don't optimize
- Also check if the app has any special permissions needed in Settings > Apps > [Clock/Alarm app] > Permissions
Battery Drain Still Occurring
If your battery is still draining quickly despite these optimizations:
- Go to Settings > Battery > Battery usage to identify which apps are consuming the most battery
- Check for system updates that might address battery issues
- Consider using Safe Mode temporarily to determine if a third-party app is causing the drain
- As a last resort, consider a factory reset (after backing up your data)
System UI Freezes or Lags
If your system UI becomes unresponsive after changing background process settings:
- Restart your device
- Go back to Developer options and reset to "Standard limit"
- Try a less aggressive setting
Conclusion
By implementing the techniques in this guide, you can significantly improve your Android phone's performance by limiting unnecessary background processes. Remember that the optimal configuration will depend on your specific device, usage patterns, and priorities.
Start with the basic methods and gradually move to more advanced techniques if needed. Monitor how your device performs after each change, and don't be afraid to revert changes that cause more problems than they solve.
With the right balance of background process limitations, your Android device can feel faster, more responsive, and enjoy longer battery life without sacrificing the functionality you depend on.
This guide was last updated on April 28, 2025, to reflect the most current Android process management features and best practices. Android version variations may affect the exact location of some settings.