[wpfan86]

I'm curious to see how many apps people have running in the background. I have 6 running in the background: ABC News, Amazing Weather, Battery, CNN, NBC News, and Simple Calendar.

[11B1P]

7 that are allowed, several that are blocked

[metalchick719]

I have just four running in the background: Battery Pro+, Lists & Things Free, My Account (T-Mobile app) and the Weather Channel.

[wpfan86]

So, under the applications menu in settings there are a list of apps you can choose to activate in the background or block, and you also have (under the advanced menu) a list of apps that you cannot block from running in the background.

I have always been under the impression that if I block an app from running in the background, the live tile for that app will not update unless I actually open the app. Is that correct? If not, what then is the benefit to allowing an app to run in the background?

[pmhgeneral]

Have 5 running and 6 blocked

[minus365]

4 running
5 blocked

[omgitsnick]

Apart from Skype being part of the system background tasks, I have Weather Channel, Bing News, and foursquare.

So, under the applications menu in settings there are a list of apps you can choose to activate in the background or block, and you also have (under the advanced menu) a list of apps that you cannot block from running in the background.

I have always been under the impression that if I block an app from running in the background, the live tile for that app will not update unless I actually open the app. Is that correct? If not, what then is the benefit to allowing an app to run in the background?

It depends what the background task of the app is functioned to do. Most apps have background tasks for updating live tiles, but there are some that adds more than that like lockscreen image, push notifications and reminders (ie. Facebook, Order and Chaos, UNO & Friends, some weather apps on lockscreen).

[hopmedic]

I hit 16 the other day. Not sure how, or what is different, because in the past I've thought 15 was the top limit, though there were times it would tell me there were too many when I was at 12. The other day, I installed a new app, got the message, and counted, and lo and behold there were 16 running.

[Marco564]

around 2 app most of time...

runtastic and radio

[gsquared]

Four that I can control. A few more that I cannot. I don't know the number I have blocked. Quite a few.

[amitnahar]

10 running
13 blocked

Fired from my Lumia 820

[hopmedic]

I counted the other day, and there were 16. My theory that 15 was the hard limit went out the window.

[metalchick719]

Previously had four running, all the rest blocked, but as of last night, I now only have three running in the background. I'm trying to retain my normally excellent battery life after two days of insane battery drain last week.

[anon(123856)]

One running (Chronos Calendar) and two blocked.

[gwinegarden]

6 running, 16 blocked (!!)

[manicottiK]

In truth, these apps aren't "running" in the background, but have requested that the OS execute a special part of the app once every half hour. The apps that show up in the list are the ones that include a special "periodic task" that the OS can run. When this task runs, it has to use less than 11 MB of memory and must complete its task within 30 seconds. If it fails twice in a row, the app is no longer scheduled and won't be invoked again in 30 minutes, however, the task may be rescheduled when the user next starts the app next, unless the user blocked the app from doing so.

I have three apps with periodic tasks scheduled and have blocked 13 from requesting that their tasks be scheduled for periodic runs.

[sudhindra9]

11 running
11 blocked

[svenhassel]

I have bing weather, whatssup and here drive (I really dont know what it does in the background, but I dont want to interfere with its excellent performance)

[MKairys]

12 runnable
9 blocked
I want the 12 runnables for their live tiles and/or content update (Amazing Weather, Baconit, Bing News, Bing Sports, HTC, Insider, NBC News, NY TImes, Simple Calendar, Trivia Buff, USA Today, WP Central)

PS I blocked Here Drive some time ago and have been using it regularly with no problem.

[Rem97]

14 running, 3 blocked.