diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
index bb1de94359..145e362797 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject, UIApplicationDelegate {
                 }
             } else if let checkMessages = ntfData["checkMessages"] as? Bool, checkMessages {
                 logger.debug("AppDelegate: didReceiveRemoteNotification: checkMessages")
-                if  m.ntfEnablePeriodic && allowBackgroundRefresh() {
+                if m.ntfEnablePeriodic && allowBackgroundRefresh() && BGManager.shared.lastRanLongAgo {
                     receiveMessages(completionHandler)
                 } else {
                     completionHandler(.noData)
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/BGManager.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/BGManager.swift
index a39155efe8..25eab6c69e 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/BGManager.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/BGManager.swift
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ private let receiveTaskId = "chat.simplex.app.receive"
 private let waitForMessages: TimeInterval = 6
 
 // This is the smallest interval between refreshes, and also target interval in "off" mode
-private let bgRefreshInterval: TimeInterval = 600
+private let bgRefreshInterval: TimeInterval = 600 // 10 minutes
+
+// This intervals are used for background refresh in instant and periodic modes
+private let periodicBgRefreshInterval: TimeInterval = 1200 // 20 minutes
+
+private let maxBgRefreshInterval: TimeInterval = 2400 // 40 minutes
 
 private let maxTimerCount = 9
 
@@ -34,14 +39,14 @@ class BGManager {
         }
     }
 
-    func schedule() {
+    func schedule(interval: TimeInterval? = nil) {
         if !ChatModel.shared.ntfEnableLocal {
             logger.debug("BGManager.schedule: disabled")
             return
         }
         logger.debug("BGManager.schedule")
         let request = BGAppRefreshTaskRequest(identifier: receiveTaskId)
-        request.earliestBeginDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceNow: bgRefreshInterval)
+        request.earliestBeginDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceNow: interval ?? runInterval)
         do {
             try BGTaskScheduler.shared.submit(request)
         } catch {
@@ -49,20 +54,34 @@ class BGManager {
         }
     }
 
+    var runInterval: TimeInterval {
+        switch ChatModel.shared.notificationMode {
+        case .instant: maxBgRefreshInterval
+        case .periodic: periodicBgRefreshInterval
+        case .off: bgRefreshInterval
+        }
+    }
+
+    var lastRanLongAgo: Bool {
+        Date.now.timeIntervalSince(chatLastBackgroundRunGroupDefault.get()) > runInterval
+    }
+
     private func handleRefresh(_ task: BGAppRefreshTask) {
         if !ChatModel.shared.ntfEnableLocal {
             logger.debug("BGManager.handleRefresh: disabled")
             return
         }
         logger.debug("BGManager.handleRefresh")
-        schedule()
-        if allowBackgroundRefresh() {
+        let shouldRun_ = lastRanLongAgo
+        if allowBackgroundRefresh() && shouldRun_ {
+            schedule()
             let completeRefresh = completionHandler {
                 task.setTaskCompleted(success: true)
             }
             task.expirationHandler = { completeRefresh("expirationHandler") }
             receiveMessages(completeRefresh)
         } else {
+            schedule(interval: shouldRun_ ? bgRefreshInterval : runInterval)
             logger.debug("BGManager.completionHandler: already active, not started")
             task.setTaskCompleted(success: true)
         }
@@ -91,6 +110,7 @@ class BGManager {
         }
         self.completed = false
         DispatchQueue.main.async {
+            chatLastBackgroundRunGroupDefault.set(Date.now)
             let m = ChatModel.shared
             if (!m.chatInitialized) {
                 setAppState(.bgRefresh)
diff --git a/apps/ios/SimpleX NSE/NotificationService.swift b/apps/ios/SimpleX NSE/NotificationService.swift
index eaa1131eb8..c286ee1c3c 100644
--- a/apps/ios/SimpleX NSE/NotificationService.swift	
+++ b/apps/ios/SimpleX NSE/NotificationService.swift	
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ import SimpleXChat
 
 let logger = Logger()
 
-let suspendingDelay: UInt64 = 2_500_000_000
+let appSuspendingDelay: UInt64 = 2_500_000_000
 
-let nseSuspendTimeout: Int = 10
+let nseSuspendDelay: TimeInterval = 2
+
+let nseSuspendTimeout: Int = 5
 
 typealias NtfStream = ConcurrentQueue<NSENotification>
 
@@ -177,6 +179,10 @@ class NSEThreads {
             return false
         }
     }
+
+    var noThreads: Bool {
+        allThreads.isEmpty
+    }
 }
 
 // Notification service extension creates a new instance of the class and calls didReceive for each notification.
@@ -261,7 +267,7 @@ class NotificationService: UNNotificationServiceExtension {
             let dbStatus = startChat()
             if case .ok = dbStatus,
                let ntfInfo = apiGetNtfMessage(nonce: nonce, encNtfInfo: encNtfInfo) {
-                logger.debug("NotificationService: receiveNtfMessages: apiGetNtfMessage \(String(describing: ntfInfo), privacy: .public)")
+                logger.debug("NotificationService: receiveNtfMessages: apiGetNtfMessage \(String(describing: ntfInfo.ntfMessages.count), privacy: .public)")
                 if let connEntity = ntfInfo.connEntity_ {
                     setBestAttemptNtf(
                         ntfInfo.ntfsEnabled
@@ -326,7 +332,15 @@ class NotificationService: UNNotificationServiceExtension {
         if let t = threadId {
             threadId = nil
             if NSEThreads.shared.endThread(t) {
-                suspendChat(nseSuspendTimeout)
+                logger.debug("NotificationService.deliverBestAttemptNtf: will suspend")
+                // suspension is delayed to allow chat core finalise any processing
+                // (e.g., send delivery receipts)
+                DispatchQueue.global().asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + nseSuspendDelay) {
+                    if NSEThreads.shared.noThreads {
+                        logger.debug("NotificationService.deliverBestAttemptNtf: suspending...")
+                        suspendChat(nseSuspendTimeout)
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
         if let handler = contentHandler, let ntf = bestAttemptNtf {
@@ -497,7 +511,7 @@ func suspendChat(_ timeout: Int) {
 
         NSEChatState.shared.set(.suspending)
         if apiSuspendChat(timeoutMicroseconds: timeout * 1000000) {
-            logger.debug("NotificationService: activateChat: after apiActivateChat")
+            logger.debug("NotificationService: suspendChat: after apiSuspendChat")
             DispatchQueue.global().asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + Double(timeout) + 1, execute: chatSuspended)
         } else {
             NSEChatState.shared.set(state)
@@ -510,6 +524,7 @@ func chatSuspended() {
     if case .suspending = NSEChatState.shared.value {
         NSEChatState.shared.set(.suspended)
         chatCloseStore()
+        logger.debug("NotificationService chatSuspended: suspended")
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/AppGroup.swift b/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/AppGroup.swift
index 10625e2edf..f79c294e0c 100644
--- a/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/AppGroup.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/AppGroup.swift
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ let GROUP_DEFAULT_APP_STATE = "appState"
 let GROUP_DEFAULT_NSE_STATE = "nseState"
 let GROUP_DEFAULT_DB_CONTAINER = "dbContainer"
 public let GROUP_DEFAULT_CHAT_LAST_START = "chatLastStart"
+public let GROUP_DEFAULT_CHAT_LAST_BACKGROUND_RUN = "chatLastBackgroundRun"
 let GROUP_DEFAULT_NTF_PREVIEW_MODE = "ntfPreviewMode"
 public let GROUP_DEFAULT_NTF_ENABLE_LOCAL = "ntfEnableLocal" // no longer used
 public let GROUP_DEFAULT_NTF_ENABLE_PERIODIC = "ntfEnablePeriodic" // no longer used
@@ -156,6 +157,8 @@ public let dbContainerGroupDefault = EnumDefault<DBContainer>(
 
 public let chatLastStartGroupDefault = DateDefault(defaults: groupDefaults, forKey: GROUP_DEFAULT_CHAT_LAST_START)
 
+public let chatLastBackgroundRunGroupDefault = DateDefault(defaults: groupDefaults, forKey: GROUP_DEFAULT_CHAT_LAST_BACKGROUND_RUN)
+
 public let ntfPreviewModeGroupDefault = EnumDefault<NotificationPreviewMode>(
     defaults: groupDefaults,
     forKey: GROUP_DEFAULT_NTF_PREVIEW_MODE,