appium/docs/en/commands/device/app/background-app.md

Automation for Apps.

# Background App

Send the currently running app for this session to the background
## Example Usage

```java
// Java
driver.runAppInBackground(Duration.ofSeconds(10));

```

```python
# Python
self.driver.background_app(10)

```

```javascript
// Javascript
// webdriver.io example
driver.background(10);



// wd example
await driver.backgroundApp(10);

```

```ruby
# Ruby
@driver.background_app(10)

```

```php
# PHP
$driver->backgroundApp(10);

```

```csharp
// C#
// TODO C# sample

```


## Description

Send the currently active app to the background, and either return after a certain amount of time, or leave the app deactivated.
There are 3 types of parameters which may be passed to this method:

1. An object that looks like `{"timeout": secs}`, where `secs` is an
   integer designating how long, in seconds, to background the app for. -1
   means to deactivate the app entirely.

2. `null`, which means to deactivate the app entirely.
3. _Deprecated_ An integer: how long, in seconds, to background the app for. -1 means to
   deactivate the app entirely.


iOS tests with XCUITest can also use the `mobile: terminateApp` method to terminate the current app (see detailed [documentation](/docs/en/writing-running-appium/ios/ios-xctest-mobile-apps-management.md#mobile-terminateapp)), and the `mobile: activateApp` to activate an existing application on the device under test and moves it to the foreground (see detailed [documentation](/docs/en/writing-running-appium/ios/ios-xctest-mobile-apps-management.md#mobile-activateapp)).


## Support

### Appium Server

|Platform|Driver|Platform Versions|Appium Version|Driver Version|
|--------|----------------|------|--------------|--------------|
| iOS | [XCUITest](/docs/en/drivers/ios-xcuitest.md) | 9.3+ | 1.6.0+ | All |
|  | [UIAutomation](/docs/en/drivers/ios-uiautomation.md) | 8.0 to 9.3 | All | All |
| Android | [UiAutomator2](/docs/en/drivers/android-uiautomator2.md) | ?+ | 1.6.0+ | All |
|  | [UiAutomator](/docs/en/drivers/android-uiautomator.md) | 4.2+ | All | All |
| Mac | [Mac](/docs/en/drivers/mac.md) | None | None | None |
| Windows | [Windows](/docs/en/drivers/windows.md) | None | None | None |

### Appium Clients

|Language|Support|Documentation|
|--------|-------|-------------|
|[Java](https://github.com/appium/java-client/releases/latest)| All |  [appium.github.io](http://appium.github.io/java-client/io/appium/java_client/InteractsWithApps.html#runAppInBackground-java.time.Duration-)  |
|[Python](https://github.com/appium/python-client/releases/latest)| All |  [github.com](https://github.com/appium/python-client/blob/master/appium/webdriver/webdriver.py#L529)  |
|[Javascript (WebdriverIO)](http://webdriver.io/index.html)| All |  [webdriver.io](http://webdriver.io/api/mobile/background.html)  |
|[Javascript (WD)](https://github.com/admc/wd/releases/latest)| All |  [github.com](https://github.com/admc/wd/blob/master/lib/commands.js#L2841)  |
|[Ruby](https://github.com/appium/ruby_lib/releases/latest)| All |  [www.rubydoc.info](http://www.rubydoc.info/github/appium/ruby_lib_core/Appium/Core/Device#background_app-instance_method)  |
|[PHP](https://github.com/appium/php-client/releases/latest)| All |  [github.com](https://github.com/appium/php-client/)  |
|[C#](https://github.com/appium/appium-dotnet-driver/releases/latest)| All |  [github.com](https://github.com/appium/appium-dotnet-driver/)  |

## HTTP API Specifications

### Endpoint

`POST /session/:session_id/appium/app/background`

### URL Parameters

|name|description|
|----|-----------|
|session_id|ID of the session to route the command to|

### JSON Parameters

|name|type|description|
|----|----|-----------|
| seconds | `number` | How long to run app in background. |

### Response

null

## See Also

* [JSONWP Specification](https://github.com/appium/appium-base-driver/blob/master/lib/mjsonwp/routes.js#L439)