Restrict Background App Refresh in iOS Screen Time

Apple’s iOS 12 introduced Screen Time, a feature that allows users to monitor device usage and enforce various controls, including limits on background app behavior. You can limit and lock Background App Refresh settings using Screen Time's Content & Privacy Restrictions. This prevents apps from updating content in the background, helping preserve battery life, conserve cellular data, and prevent unauthorized changes on a managed device.

To restrict background app refresh activities using iOS 12 Screen Time, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS 12 device.
2. Select Screen Time. If you have not set it up yet, tap Turn On Screen Time and configure a Screen Time Passcode to prevent others from altering your settings.
3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and toggle the switch at the top to the green On position.
4. Scroll down to the section labeled Allow Changes.
5. Tap Background App Activities.
6. Select Don't Allow.

Choosing Don't Allow locks the Background App Refresh preferences. Once enabled, the standard Background App Refresh menu under Settings > General > Background App Refresh becomes grayed out, preventing any applications from modifying their background behavior or allowing users to toggle background activity on or off.

If your goal is to completely disable background refreshing before locking the permission, turn off Background App Refresh in the general settings first. Navigate to Settings > General > Background App Refresh, set the toggle to Off, and then apply the Screen Time restriction. This sequence ensures that all background app operations remain fully disabled and tamper-proof.