Background App Refresh allows apps on your i Phone to fetch new information from the internet even when you aren't actively using them. Found under Settings > General > Background App Refresh, the feature lets apps update their content in the background. You can choose whether this works on cellular data or only Wi-Fi. It is convenient for preloading content so you don't have to wait when opening apps, but it can drain battery and data.

Common uses include weather apps updating your location, cloud tools like Google Photos and One Drive syncing files, podcast apps downloading new episodes, and social media or news apps pulling the latest posts and stories. Most of these functions aim to have content ready instantly upon opening.

You don't need to turn it off entirely, but should configure it granularly. Keep it on for apps you use regularly or rely on for real-time information like travel, navigation, file syncing, reminders, and productivity. Disable it for food or shopping apps, most games, or infrequently used browsing apps. Disabling Background App Refresh does not suppress notifications. Also, enabling Low Power Mode disables background refresh for all apps.