How to Prevent Apps from Auto Starting on Android Smartphones & Tablets

If apps keep opening in the background and drain your device’s resources, these simple methods can prevent that from happening! You can stop and limit background processes and turn on battery optimization. On Samsung Galaxy devices, you can use Deep Sleep to prevent background activity. On MIUI devices, you can turn off Autostart for apps. This wikiHow guide teaches you how to prevent apps from starting automatically on your Android phone or tablet.

Things You Should Know

Turn on Developer Mode to stop and limit background processes in the Settings app.
Use Battery Optimization and Adaptive Battery to limit apps running in the background.
Activate Deep Sleep for apps you don’t want to run in the background (Samsung Galaxy devices only).
Turn off Autostart for apps in the Settings menu (MIUI devices only).

Method 1

Method 1 of 7:

Stop Background Processes

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1
Open your Android’s Settings. It’s the
icon that’s usually in the app drawer.
- Stopping background processes is a great way to speed up your Android smartphone.
2
Scroll down and tap About. It’s near the bottom of the menu.
- This option may also be called About this device or About this phone.
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This may appear on the current screen, but if it doesn’t, it’s hiding in another menu. It may be under Software information or More on some Androids.
4
Tap Build number 7 times. You can stop tapping once you see the message “You are now a developer!” This brings you to the Developer Options screen.
- If you are brought back to Settings, scroll down and tap Developer options under the “System” header.
A list of apps will appear.
7
Tap Stop. The selected app will stop and will usually not restart automatically.
- If a particular app isn’t working correctly and keeps opening automatically, locate the app and delete it. Then redownload it to potentially resolve the issue.

Method 2

Method 2 of 7:

Limit Background Processes

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It’s the
icon that’s usually in the app drawer.
2
Scroll down and tap About. It’s near the bottom of the menu.
- This option may also be called About this device or About this phone.
This may appear on the current screen, but if it doesn’t, it’s hiding in another menu. It may be under Software information or More on some Androids.
4
Tap Build number 7 times. You can stop tapping once you see the message “You are now a developer!” This brings you to the Developer Options screen.
- If you are brought back to Settings, scroll down and tap Developer options under the “System” header.
This is under the “Apps” section of the Developer options menu.
6
Select a process limit option. This will prevent more processes from starting and running in the background.
- If apps are running in the background when they shouldn’t be, try resetting your Android to potentially resolve the issue.

Method 3

Method 3 of 7:

Using Battery Optimization

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1
Open your Android’s Settings. It’s the
icon that’s usually in the app drawer.^{[1]
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- If you have Marshmallow or later, you might have apps that start randomly due to a lack of battery optimization. This method helps optimize apps so they stop starting automatically.^{[2]
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This is an option in the Settings app.
Tap the app in the list of all apps.
This is an option on the app’s settings page.
6
Tap Optimized. This is an option under the “Manage battery usage” heading.
- Also, make sure to close apps that you aren’t using to speed up your device and save battery.

Method 4

Method 4 of 7:

Turn of Adaptive Battery

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It’s the
icon that’s usually in the app drawer. This method activates the Adaptive Battery feature on your Android device. This reduces the amount of background app activity and limits apps from opening automatically.
This is in the list of settings.
It’s an option on the battery settings page.
This will turn on the Adaptive Battery feature and limit apps from running in the background.

Method 5

Method 5 of 7:

Turn on Deep Sleep (Samsung Galaxy)

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1
Open your Android’s Settings. It’s the
icon that’s usually in the app drawer. This method activates the Deep Sleep feature on Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Apps set to Deep Sleep mode won’t run in the background.
- Note that the Deep Sleep feature is only available on Samsung Galaxy Android devices.
This will display a page with different background process options.
This will display a list of apps you can set to Deep Sleep mode.
This will turn on Deep Sleep for the selected app, preventing it from running in the background.

Method 6

Method 6 of 7:

Modify Startup Apps (MIUI)

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1
Open your Android’s Settings. It’s the
icon that’s usually in the app drawer. This method changes the Autostart settings for your device.
- Note that the Autostart feature is only available on the MIUI, Xiaomi’s smartphone operating system.
This is in the settings menu.
A new menu with permissions options will open.
This will open a list of apps you can modify.
This will prevent the app from automatically starting on your device. The toggle should be gray and in the left position.

Method 7

Method 7 of 7:

Using Startup Manager (Rooted Devices)

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This free app allows you to customize which apps start up when you boot your rooted Android.
It’s the black icon with a blue clock inside.
The app will now install on your phone or tablet.
This is to give the app root access. You should now see a list of all apps configured to start automatically.
The button will turn gray, which means the app will no longer start automatically.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I switch back from being a developer?

Sasa Bozilovic

Community Answer

To turn off developer options, go back to Settings > Apps > Settings > Clear Data (you need to go to storage first if you have android 6.0+). The settings will close. Reopen the settings. The developer options will be disabled.

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Question

Unwanted apps keep downloading onto our phones. What is happening and how can we make it stop?

Community Answer

Your device(s) may be infected with malware. Run a play protect scan (or an antivirus scan) to detect and remove it. In worse cases, you may need to format your device!

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Not every device has the ability to disable apps from auto-starting. In that case, there are workarounds, like using Deep Sleep on Samsung, to prevent an app from running automatically.

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