When they added the feature to iOS all those years ago, my approach was turn it off for everything and wherever I notice an experience I wanted to be improved and could be by turning background app refresh back on, I would do it for that one app.

I have never turned it on for any app. I assume this helps my battery life.

I do wonder what I may be missing out on, but nothing obvious so I keep it off.

I look at an app and think, “Do I want to have that app refresh in the background?”

Then I flip the switch depending on the answer to that question.

Intricate and arcane, I know.

If you don’t mind it closing. Do those

The only one I really keep on permanently is Dropbox, just so that background camera uploads work properly.

I've always had them off. Weather too. I can just look outside for that.

I don’t need any app refreshing or know my location until I need it to. Only ONE is the weather app, just so that I can have readily available at a glance. For the other apps I already have push notification if they are important.

If I don't want it sending me alerts, I don't want it refreshing in the background either. Most apps don't make the cut. I think weather and email are the only things I allow.

I only leave it on for time-sensitive apps:

Messaging apps so messages, voice notes and media can be ready when I open it Ride hailing apps Dropbox/file cloud apps

Less than 10 apps total.

I don’t think devs use it for much, though.