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Understanding Background App Refresh

Solos79

Solos79

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 5, 2013
17
5
Poland
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?
 
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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

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.
 
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.
 

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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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
Click to expand...
Supposedly it's there, as described in one of the sections at http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4211
 
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 :/
 
Isn't BAR one of the key battery-draining causes for most users? :confused:

I would have thought most users would abstain from turning it on nowadays.
 
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 :/
Click to expand...
Might depend on some features that are enabled or not in the app--like automatic phot upload when location changes in case of Dropbox.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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

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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

I hope they do a proper iOS 7 upgrade soon with background syncing of files.
 
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.
Click to expand...
Any proof so far that BAR is really working this way ?
 
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.
Click to expand...

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

Same for me

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

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

FWIW I don't close any cards in the task switcher.
 
Max(IT) said:
In this case you could have battery drain with BAR switched on, but I strongly suspect it is very very little.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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