Does Watermelon Backup Need to Stay in the Foreground?

The short answer

Yes, unless Picture-in-Picture Progress is enabled and active. Backup, Download, and Complete are manual foreground tasks. Without an active Picture-in-Picture window, switching to another app may allow iOS to suspend Watermelon Backup before the task finishes.

Background Auto-Backup is a separate Pro feature. It schedules backup-only work when iOS allows it; Picture-in-Picture accompanies a task that you start manually.

Enable Picture-in-Picture Progress

• Open Settings in Watermelon Backup.
• Find the Picture-in-Picture section and open PiP Progress.
• Choose Enable. Picture-in-Picture Progress requires Pro.
• After enabling it, you can set Sound to Keyboard Sound or Off. This setting only affects the keyboard sound while Picture-in-Picture progress is visible.

Run a task with Picture-in-Picture

• Choose a Node and the months you want, then start Backup, Download, or Complete while Watermelon Backup is in the foreground.
• Wait until the task has started before switching apps or returning to the Home Screen.
• The Picture-in-Picture window starts automatically and shows the current status, progress, speed, and estimated time remaining.
• Keep the floating window open while the task runs. Tap it to return to Watermelon Backup when you need the full task controls.

Limits to keep in mind

• Picture-in-Picture must be supported by the iPhone and allowed by iOS. If the floating window does not appear, return to Watermelon Backup and keep it in the foreground.
• Picture-in-Picture does not reconnect an unavailable Node. Keep the network and storage available; keep an External Storage device connected and a Watermelon Link browser session open when applicable.
• Closing the floating window removes the Picture-in-Picture background state. Return to Watermelon Backup if the task is still running.
• Picture-in-Picture helps a manual task continue while you use another app, but it does not guarantee uninterrupted execution under every iOS, network, or storage condition.