What is the difference between Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps?

Both are stricter background restriction levels inside Tap on Background usage limits. Deep sleeping apps get the most aggressive restriction and are the most likely to miss notifications entirely.

Can I remove an app from the exclusion list later?

Yes, open the same menu path, select the app in the list, and remove it to let the system manage its background activity again.

Why don't some system apps show up in the list?

Core system apps are managed separately and are not shown under Tap on Background usage limits, since Samsung already exempts them from aggressive sleep to keep the phone functioning correctly.

Samsung

Samsung: Stop Apps From Being Put to Sleep Automatically

If a messaging or fitness app stops sending notifications hours after you last opened it, Samsung's background power management is probably putting it into deep sleep. Apps in that state get delayed sync, skip background refreshes, and often miss push alerts. You can protect specific apps from this automatic sleep behavior instead of disabling battery optimization for everything.

Updated: 04.08.20265 min6 steps

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Samsung

Exclude Apps from Automatic Sleep Mode auf Samsung

Samsung's battery management automatically moves apps you rarely open into a low-power state. Once an app lands there, the system delays or blocks background activity to save power, which is why notifications, chat messages, or fitness tracking can arrive late or not at all.

This behavior is controlled per app and can be turned off for the apps you actually rely on for timely updates.

Menu path

Open Tap on Settings ➔ Tap on Battery and device care ➔ Tap on Battery ➔ Tap on Background usage limits. Here you find the categories that control automatic sleep.

Use Turn On/Off Put unused apps to sleep to enable or disable the general behavior, or pick one of the categories below it, then tap Tap on Add to place specific apps on the exclusion list.

Excluding an app stops the system from freezing its background process, so notifications and sync jobs run on schedule again. The trade-off is higher background battery use, so only add apps you actually need running continuously, like messaging or navigation apps. Leave the automatic sleep active for apps you open occasionally.

Frequently asked questions

A little, since the app can keep background processes and sync jobs running instead of being frozen. The effect is usually small unless the app pushes location or network data constantly.

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Android 11 · One UI 3

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Samsung: Stop Apps From Being Put to Sleep Automatically

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Exclude Apps from Automatic Sleep Mode auf Samsung

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