Tell me about the new background task
Asked on 06/13/2025
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At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced new capabilities for handling background tasks in iOS and iPadOS. The session titled "Finish tasks in the background" covered several key updates:
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BG Continue Processing Task: This new task type allows apps to continue work even after being backgrounded. It provides a way to support user-initiated operations reliably, ensuring tasks like file exports or database maintenance can complete without interruption. The system provides UI to communicate progress, and users can monitor and cancel tasks as needed.
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Background Task APIs: The session discussed various APIs that enable apps to perform tasks in the background. These include the BG Processing Task API, which allows for tasks like running ML models or handling database maintenance. The system intelligently manages these tasks based on device conditions, such as battery life and network connectivity.
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System Prioritization: The system prioritizes foreground experiences, meaning background tasks may receive lower priority. However, when an app returns to the foreground, the system boosts task priority to ensure smooth operation.
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Energy and Resource Management: Background tasks are designed to be efficient and considerate of system resources. The system coalesces work to minimize battery impact and optimizes task scheduling based on app usage patterns.
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Background GPU Access: On supported devices, background tasks can now benefit from GPU access, allowing for more complex processing capabilities.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the session Finish tasks in the background (07:29) which covers the background task APIs.
Finish tasks in the background
Discover background execution advancements and understand how the system schedules runtime. We’ll discuss how to get the most out of background runtime to allow your app to deliver features in the background while maintaining a great foreground experience. We’ll also cover how APIs provide background runtime for your app, and how each API is tailored for different use cases — including new APIs in iOS and iPadOS 26 that let your app finish tasks as your app transitions from the foreground to the background.
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