Understanding Background App Refresh

Solos79 · Nov 16, 2013

Hi,

Can You tell me how background app refresh works? I turned it on and set only one app to refresh in background (instacast). However there are several blue arrows next to apps which shouln't use background app refresh:

Does it mean that these apps use background app refresh (drain battery) even they are turned off on the list?

Liquidizer · Nov 16, 2013

The blue arrow means that the apps have used your location in the background.

hafr · Nov 16, 2013

Don't listen to Liquidizer. The blue arrow simply means that the app will be allowed to use the GPS if BAR is activated for that app.

hieubui.rtz · Nov 16, 2013

hafr said:
Don't listen to Liquidizer. The blue arrow simply means that the app will be allowed to use the GPS if BAR is activated for that app.

According to my ipad
"A blue location service icon will appear next to an item that uses location in background including geofences"

hafr · Nov 16, 2013

hieubui.rtz said:
According to my ipad
"A blue location service icon will appear next to an item that uses location in background including geofences"

Yes, that's what I said.

It does not indicate that the app is using, or have used, the GPS. It indicates that the app will be allowed to use the GPS in the background if you activate BAR for that app.

An arrow in the BAR settings is not the same as an arrow in the Location Services settings.

Liquidizer · Nov 16, 2013

Sorry, I appear to have gotten it wrong, that wasn't my intention! I was simply copying what it said in the background app refresh settings on my iPad.

Armen · Nov 16, 2013

When Apple presented Background App refresh during WWDC they implied that iOS would learn your app usage trends so that it would refresh an app right before you opened it so you would see the most recent info.

Heres an example:

Let's say every morning at 8am you drink your coffee, open the CNN news app and read the headlines.

After a few days iOS is supposed to learn your trend and refresh the CNN app in the background before 8:00am so that when you opened it up it would already be up to date. It's also supposed to load that app into memory as well if it's closed.

Sym0 · Nov 16, 2013

Armen said:
When Apple presented Background App refresh during WWDC they implied that iOS would learn your app usage trends so that it would refresh an app right before you opened it so you would see the most recent info.

Heres an example:

Let's say every morning at 8am you drink your coffee, open the CNN news app and read the headlines.

After a few days iOS is supposed to learn your trend and refresh the CNN app in the background before 8:00am so that when you opened it up it would already be up to date. It's also supposed to load that app into memory as well if it's closed.

But I think the app has to be written to have this feature and not many do, it's not automatic, the app has to have that feature.

C DM · Nov 16, 2013

Armen said:
When Apple presented Background App refresh during WWDC they implied that iOS would learn your app usage trends so that it would refresh an app right before you opened it so you would see the most recent info.

Heres an example:

Let's say every morning at 8am you drink your coffee, open the CNN news app and read the headlines.

After a few days iOS is supposed to learn your trend and refresh the CNN app in the background before 8:00am so that when you opened it up it would already be up to date. It's also supposed to load that app into memory as well if it's closed.

Supposedly it's there, as described in one of the sections at http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4211

kwokaaron · Nov 16, 2013

How do you get dropbox in your background app refresh list? I've got the latest dropbox version installed but its not showing up in my list :/

Beeplance · Nov 16, 2013

Isn't BAR one of the key battery-draining causes for most users?

I would have thought most users would abstain from turning it on nowadays.

C DM · Nov 16, 2013

kwokaaron said:
How do you get dropbox in your background app refresh list? I've got the latest dropbox version installed but its not showing up in my list :/

Might depend on some features that are enabled or not in the app--like automatic phot upload when location changes in case of Dropbox.

hafr · Nov 16, 2013

C DM said:
Might depend on some features that are enabled or not in the app--like automatic phot upload when location changes in case of Dropbox.

I have no such thing active, never have, but it's in my BAR-list...

kwokaaron · Nov 16, 2013

C DM said:
Might depend on some features that are enabled or not in the app--like automatic phot upload when location changes in case of Dropbox.

Thanks! apparently you have to enable the camera upload function and then the background upload option before you get it onto the list. I've disabled it afterwards and its still on my list

Hopefully twitter and instagram will implement BAR as well soon.

djtech42 · Nov 17, 2013

kwokaaron said:
Thanks! apparently you have to enable the camera upload function and then the background upload option before you get it onto the list. I've disabled it afterwards and its still on my list Hopefully twitter and instagram will implement BAR as well soon.

I hope they do a proper iOS 7 upgrade soon with background syncing of files.

Max(IT) · Nov 17, 2013

Armen said:
When Apple presented Background App refresh during WWDC they implied that iOS would learn your app usage trends so that it would refresh an app right before you opened it so you would see the most recent info.

Heres an example:

Let's say every morning at 8am you drink your coffee, open the CNN news app and read the headlines.

After a few days iOS is supposed to learn your trend and refresh the CNN app in the background before 8:00am so that when you opened it up it would already be up to date. It's also supposed to load that app into memory as well if it's closed.

Any proof so far that BAR is really working this way ?

Max(IT) · Nov 17, 2013

C DM said:
Might depend on some features that are enabled or not in the app--like automatic phot upload when location changes in case of Dropbox.

I don't have automatic photo upload enabled and Dropbox is in my BAR setting, but only on the iPhone (not in the iPad)

C DM · Nov 17, 2013

Max(IT) said:
I don't have automatic photo upload enabled and Dropbox is in my BAR setting

Perhaps you played around with some Dropbox settings at one point and that made it appear?

Max(IT) · Nov 17, 2013

kwokaaron said:
Thanks! apparently you have to enable the camera upload function and then the background upload option before you get it onto the list. I've disabled it afterwards and its still on my list Hopefully twitter and instagram will implement BAR as well soon.

Same for me

----------

C DM said:
Perhaps you played around with some Dropbox settings at one point and that made it appear?

Yep.... Probably the automatic upload was on after installation.

I just made a try: enable the function on iPad, and Dropbox showed itself in BAR setting page. I disabled it but Dropbox remain in BAR setting page.

Armen · Nov 18, 2013

Beeplance said:
Isn't BAR one of the key battery-draining causes for most users?

I would have thought most users would abstain from turning it on nowadays.

Mine is turned on for all apps that support it. I don't see any significant battery drain.

Daveoc64 · Nov 18, 2013

Beeplance said:
I would have thought most users would abstain from turning it on nowadays

You are talking as if this feature wasn't introduced 61 days ago...

I doubt people have had long enough to really decide - not many Apps will be using it to its full potential.

Max(IT) · Nov 18, 2013

Armen said:
Mine is turned on for all apps that support it. I don't see any significant battery drain.

As far as I can understand from Apple documentation, BAR works only for opened apps on background, so unless you don't leave unused apps on background, it shouldn't cause any batty drain at all.

Armen · Nov 18, 2013

Max(IT) said:
As far as I can understand from Apple documentation, BAR works only for opened apps on background, so unless you don't leave unused apps on background, it shouldn't cause any batty drain at all.

FWIW I don't close any cards in the task switcher.

Max(IT) · Nov 18, 2013

Armen said:
FWIW I don't close any cards in the task switcher.

In this case you could have battery drain with BAR switched on, but I strongly suspect it is very very little.

Armen · Nov 18, 2013

Max(IT) said:
In this case you could have battery drain with BAR switched on, but I strongly suspect it is very very little.

I can't complain. I take my phone off the charger at 6am when I wake up and by the time I get home from work around 6pm my battery is usually at 50% or so. I also have frequent locations turned on as well.

its 3pm right now and my battery is at 63%. Completely normal usage for me.

Understanding Background App Refresh

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