How do I see which apps are running in the background on a Samsung?

Last reviewed: October 22, 2026 · Markdown version

There is no single "running now" list for every app, but three screens between them answer the question. Swipe down for Active apps, which shows apps doing visible work right now; open Settings › Battery for what has been using power; and check Samsung's sleeping-app lists for which apps are allowed to run in the background at all.

1. Active apps, in the notification panel

Since Android 13 the notification drawer can show a list labelled Active apps, with a Stop button beside each one. Google's developer documentation calls it the Task Manager and describes exactly what it covers: "a list of apps that are currently running a foreground service" (Handle user-initiated stopping of apps running foreground services, Android Developers, read 22 October 2026). So the list is accurate but partial: by that definition, an app working in the background without a foreground service is not in it.

Tapping Stop is stronger than it looks. The same page says "your entire app stops, not just the running foreground service", while "Scheduled jobs execute at their scheduled time" afterwards. The page is written for developers and does not say where the list sits on a Galaxy or what Samsung calls it; on that it is silent, so check your own notification panel for it.

2. Battery usage: what ran, after the fact

Samsung's battery guide: "Open Settings, then swipe to and tap Battery. Your battery usage will appear in the center of the menu. Tap View details to review information about app usage, along with Screen on time and Screen off time" (Get the most out of your Galaxy phone or tablet battery, Samsung US, read 22 October 2026). Our reading: an app that uses battery while the screen is off is an app that has been working in the background, which makes this the most useful of the three views for spotting one.

3. Samsung's sleeping-app lists: what is allowed

Under Settings › Battery › Background usage limits, the same Samsung page lists three groups. "Never auto sleeping apps" are ones you add so they "will never turn off or sleep in the background"; "Sleeping apps" are those "currently put to sleep"; and "Deep sleeping apps" are "Apps that will never run in the background. These apps will only function if you open them." This does not show what is running this minute, but it tells you which apps cannot be.

What about Developer options?

Google's guide to Developer options explains how to switch them on: on a Galaxy S8 or later the build number is under Settings › About phone › Software information, and you "Tap the Build Number option seven times". Its list of options includes a Memory screen showing "how much memory apps are using" (Configure on-device developer options, Android Developers, read 22 October 2026). The page warns that "On some devices, the Developer options screen might be located or named differently", and it does not describe a list of running services; on that it is silent. These are debugging tools, and our advice is to look rather than stop anything there.

Checking on Adinand Auto File Sorter

Its background sorting, a Pro feature, is a job Android runs on the schedule you pick. Rather than leaving you to hunt for it in these screens, the app reports on itself: a health indicator shows when the phone has not let the job run, and a battery help sheet points to the right screens on Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Realme and OnePlus phones. Its History records each background sort as "Organized in the background". Android or Samsung can still delay a run; tapping Sort Now is free and works whenever the app is open.