A technology expert has revealed to Digital Journal the smartphone apps that drain your phone’s power through hidden background cloud operations. Thomas Davy, CEO and Co-Founder of optimised cloud performance specialist cloudexmachina.io explains that common apps continue running power-hungry processes in the background even after users exit them, triggering massive hidden server activity worldwide.
Davy observes that everyday apps need almost constant connection to far-flung data centres, creating an invisible energy drain that most phone owners never see.
“Your phone sitting in your pocket is not inactive like you might think,” Davy notes. “Those innocent-looking apps are often firing up enormous server farms miles away, processing data nobody asked for.”
Streaming platforms, smart home controllers and certain social media apps rank as some of the worst offenders. The apps constantly sync with cloud systems, burning electricity at both ends of the connection.
Davy points out specifically to video services with auto-play features as particularly bad culprits. “When Netflix or YouTube automatically starts playing previews, they trigger continuous data transfers between your phone and server banks,” he explained. “This burns electricity in at least three places simultaneously, massive data centres, network systems and your device.”
Location-tracking apps emerge as another major energy drain, according to the cloud expert. Weather forecasters and navigation tools typically continue harvesting and processing location data long after users close them.
“Those mapping apps constantly tracking your movements aren’t just killing your battery,” Davy states. “They’re constantly triggering energy-intensive cloud processing operations that most people never consider.”
The technology specialist recommended users take simple steps to slash this hidden energy consumption, starting with checking which apps have unnecessary permissions enabled, which most smartphones now display in their settings menus.
“Go through your phone and turn off background refresh for anything non-essential,” he advises. “Most apps don’t need constant location access, but developers enable these features by default because it can generate valuable data for them.”
For those concerned about digital energy use, it is recommended to check if there are lightweight versions of popular applications that perform fewer background tasks and consume less power overall.
“Big platforms like Facebook now offer stripped-down versions that use substantially less data and energy,” Davy cautions. “These lighter alternatives typically eliminate power-hungry features like auto-playing videos and constant background syncing.”
When it comes to video apps, the Davy recommends manually adjusting the quality settings rather than accepting the default ones. “Watching Netflix in 4K on a tiny phone screen rarely looks better than 1080p but uses four times more energy across the entire digital system,” he noted.
Smart home enthusiasts should pay special attention to their app choices. Many smart home control systems run continuous background processes just to maintain connections with thermostats, cameras and other connected devices.
“Some smart home apps check for updates every few seconds, which wastes enormous energy,” Davy recommends. “Look for apps that use push notifications for status changes instead of constant checking – this approach uses far less power.”
