How to Set Background App Refresh to WiFi Only with iOS 11 on iPhone

By Conner Carey Mon, 10/16/2017

* This article is from our Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

For years, we’ve recommended turning off Background App Refresh on your device to save battery life and cellular data. Background App Refresh automatically refreshes apps you have open in the background so that when you go to look at the app again, the page is already up to date and loaded. Which is why the feature can siphon off your data without you noticing. But now, with iOS 11 on iPhone, you can choose to turn Background App Refresh on only when your device is using a WiFi connection. That way, you can enjoy the perks of the feature without worrying about how much data it’s using. Here’s how to set background app refresh to Wi-Fi only with iOS 11 on iPhone.

Related: Why Is My iPhone Battery Draining So Fast? & How to Make It Stop

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How to Set Background App Refresh to WiFi Only with iOS 11 on iPhone

  • Open Settings.
  • Select General.
  • Tap Background App Refresh.
  • Select Background App Refresh again.
  • Select WiFi to turn Background App Refresh on only when you’re device is connected to WiFi.

Top image credit: Ellica / Shutterstock.com

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Topics

How-To
Cellular Service & Data
Settings

Author Details

Conner Carey's picture

Author Details

Conner Carey

Conner Carey's writing can be found at conpoet.com. She is currently writing a book, creating lots of content, and writing poetry via @conpoet on Instagram. She lives in an RV full-time with her mom, Jan and dog, Jodi as they slow-travel around the country.