---
title: WKApplicationState.background
framework: watchkit
role: symbol
role_heading: Case
path: watchkit/wkapplicationstate/background
---

# WKApplicationState.background

The Watch app is running in the background.

## Declaration

```swift
case background
```

## Mentioned in

Handling Common State Transitions Working with the watchOS app life cycle

## Discussion

Discussion The system can wake suspended apps in the background. It can also launch apps that are not running in the background to perform background tasks.

## See Also

### Constants

- [WKApplicationState.active](watchkit/wkapplicationstate/active.md)
- [WKApplicationState.inactive](watchkit/wkapplicationstate/inactive.md)