Life360 is a widely popular GPS location tracking app that allows you to stay connected with your loved ones and keep track of their whereabouts. While the app provides valuable features, such as real-time location updates, it can also consume a significant amount of battery life and data if left running in the background. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore how to manage background restriction in Life360 on both Android and iOS devices, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency.
Understanding Background Restriction in Life360
Before we dive into the steps to manage background restriction in Life360, let’s first understand what background restriction means. By default, Life360 continues to operate in the background, even when you are not actively using the app. This allows it to provide continuous location updates to the members of your Circle. However, this constant background activity can drain your device’s battery and consume unnecessary data.
To prevent this from happening, you have the option to restrict Life360 from running in the background. This effectively stops the app from using your device’s resources when you are not actively using it, helping to conserve battery life and reduce data usage. Let’s explore how to enable background restriction on both Android and iOS devices.
Enabling Background Restriction on Android
Android devices offer a straightforward method to enable background restriction for Life360. Follow these simple steps:
- Open the Settings app on your Android device. You can typically find it on your device’s main screen.
- Scroll down and locate Data usage. Tap on it to access the data usage settings.
- In the list of apps displayed, findLife360 and tap on it.
- You will now see detailed statistics regarding Life360’s data usage. Look for the option labeled Restrict app background data and toggle the switch to enable it.
- A confirmation prompt will appear. Select OK to confirm the changes.
By enabling background restriction for Life360 on your Android device, you ensure that the app does not consume unnecessary resources when it is running in the background. This can significantly improve your device’s battery life and reduce data usage.
Enabling Background Restriction on iOS
On iOS devices, the background restriction feature is called Background App Refresh. To enable background restriction for Life360 on your iOS device, follow these steps:
Locate and open the Settings app on your iOS device. It is usually found on the home screen.
Scroll down and tap on General to access the general settings.
Within the General settings, find and tap on Background App Refresh.
To disable background app refresh for all apps on your device, tap on the toggle switch at the top of the screen. This will turn off background app refresh for all apps, including Life360. Keep in mind that this will affect other apps as well.
If you only want to disable background app refresh for Life360, scroll down and find the app in the list displayed below. Toggle the switch next to Life360 to the off position.
Enabling background restriction for Life360 on your iOS device can help conserve battery life and optimize performance. However, keep in mind that disabling background app refresh for all apps may prevent you from receiving notifications and could disable certain app features.
Bonus Tip: Tricking Life360 with Wi-Fi Connectivity
If you want to trick the Life360 app into displaying your location as if you were still at a specific place, you can utilize a simple workaround. Let’s say you’re at your friend’s house and don’t want your Circle to know that you’ve left. Follow these steps:
Connect to your friend’s Wi-Fi network on your device.
Open the Life360 app and check in to your current location.
Disconnect from your friend’s Wi-Fi network.
Keep your cellular data off to ensure that the app does not update your location based on your cellular network.
Make sure that you have enabled motion and fitness tracking in the Settings app to ensure the app registers your movement accurately.
By following these steps, the Life360 app will continue to display your previous location as your current one, giving the impression that you are still at the specified place. Please note that this workaround requires you to stay connected to Wi-Fi and disable cellular data.
Conclusion
Managing background restriction in the Life360 app is essential for optimizing battery life and reducing data usage on your device. By following the steps outlined in this comprehensive guide, you can easily enable background restriction on both Android and iOS devices. Additionally, we shared a bonus tip on how to trick the Life360 app with Wi-Fi connectivity to maintain a specific location. Remember to consider the impact of disabling background app refresh on other apps and features. With these insights, you can make the most of the Life360 app while ensuring efficient device performance and preserving battery life.
