Xiaomi's modern smartphones are known for aggressive power optimization, which often works against the user: You open the messenger and it starts again, losing the message history, or the navigator stops to warn about turns as soon as the screen goes out. This is not a bug, but a feature of the MIUI system and the new HyperOS, which ruthlessly "kill" processes that are not included in special permission lists.
For the background applications to work consistently, they must be forced to add to system exceptions, a process that is not always obvious, since the settings are scattered across different menus, and the names of items can vary depending on the firmware version. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to configure autorun and protect important programs from forced shutdown.
Ignoring these settings causes notifications to come with a delay, and activity trackers or smartwatches to lose touch with your phone. It's critical to understand that there's no standard "allow-all" switch in MIUI, so for every important program, you'll have to do a series of manual actions. Let's take a look at all the steps of the setup so that your smartphone works exactly the way you want it to, not the power-saving algorithms.
Why the system closes applications on Xiaomi
The main reason for the unstable operation of programs in the background lies in the mechanism MIUI Optimization. Xiaomi engineers have developed their own memory management system, which is different from the standard behavior of Android. If on a “pure” Android applications are simply frozen, then the shell from Xiaomi actively unloads them from RAM, considering background activity a potential threat to autonomy.
This creates a conflict of interest: the user wants to receive notifications instantly, and the system tends to keep the battery power at all costs, especially on models with a small amount of RAM, where background processes are cut out first. Even if you have a flagship with 12 GB of memory, an aggressive algorithm can find a messenger or mail messenger “heavy” and close it.
⚠️ Attention: Complete optimisation disabling MIUI through the engineering menu can lead to unstable interface operation and increased battery consumption.
And then there's the notion of freezing applications that haven't been used for a long time, labeling them as inactive and blocking their ability to run services, and to avoid that, you have to create immortality conditions for important programs, and you don't want the system to shut them down, which is especially true for sports trackers, navigators and enterprise messengers.
Setup of Auto-Run Applications
The first and most important step is to activate autostart. Without this permission, the system simply won't let the app start its services after rebooting the phone or clearing the memory, and this setting is in a hidden security menu that is often overlooked when you first set up a smartphone.
To access the menu, you need to open the Security app (green zipper icon). Inside you need to find the Permissions section and select AutoRun. Here is the full list of installed programs. You need to find the desired application and switch the switch to the active position. If the desired application is not in the list, click on the plus in the upper corner and add it manually.
It should be noted that turning on auto-start does not give a full guarantee of working in the background, but is a necessary foundation for further settings. Without this step, all other manipulations may be useless, since the process simply does not start when the device is turned on. Once this point is activated, the system will know that this application is allowed to start on its own.
Battery management and charge saving
The second critical step is to set up an energy saving strategy for a particular application, and by default, the system sets the "Energy Saving" mode, which limits background activity, and we need to change that to "No Limits" to make the application work at full capacity.
Go to Settings, then select the Apps section and click All Apps. Find the program you want (like Telegram or WhatsApp) in the list. Inside the app menu, find Saving Charge (or Battery). You will have a choice of three options where you need to select the No Limits option strictly.
This step tells the system that the application is a priority and should not be stopped to save a few milliamps. In newer versions of HyperOS, this item may simply be called “Energy Saving Mode.” Make sure that the maximum performance is chosen for background tasks.
What if there is no charge saving clause?
In some older versions MIUI This item may be hidden. Try searching for it in the settings by entering the word "Battery." If the search doesn't help, try clearing the Security app cache in the application management menu.> Once the mode changes, the system will no longer apply freeze algorithms to the application, which is especially important for navigators who must constantly poll the application. GPS-Without this permission, navigation can be interrupted when you turn around or lock your phone. RAM Accumulation The third layer of protection is the manual attachment of the application to RAM. This is a way of anchoring the system to keep it from unloading even when it's running out of resources. It's a visual and mechanical way of telling the system, "Hold it here right now». To do this, open the recent app menu (a bottom-up latency swipe or menu button) and find the app window and click on it with your finger until additional action icons appear. Now next to the icon of the application will appear a small lock, signaling protection. 🔒 The attached application will not be closed when the memory is cleared with the “Crostic” button». ⚡ The system will try to keep the process of this application in the active part of RAM. 📱 When memory is scarce, it is the unlatched programs that will be the first to close, but it is worth remembering that the number of locks is limited. You should not attach ten applications at once, as this can lead to the system becoming slower due to overflow of RAM. Use this method only to 2-3 the most important programs, such as the main messenger or task tracker. Advanced notification settings Often the problem is solved not only by setting up the battery, but also by properly configuring the notifications. MIUI There's a separate permission layer for displaying notifications on the lock screen and in the curtain. If there's a restriction, you just won't see the message coming, even if the app is working. → All applications → Choose which one you want. Find the Notifications section. Make sure the Show Notifications switch is active. Below, in the list of notification types (e.g., Messages or Groups), click on text instead of the toggle to open the detailed menu. In the detailed menu, be sure to include the options “On the Lock screen” and “Floating notifications”**. also check if the restriction is “Important” (or “High priority”), as this ensures that the notification will not be hidden by the system. Some firmware versions have a "Display as a pop-up" option, which is also better activated for critical contacts. Pay special attention to the category "Other notifications." In Android 13 and above, this is a separate switch that is often turned off by default. It is responsible for service messages that are not chats, but are important for the service (for example, confirmation of login or order status). Features of work in HyperOS and new versions of MIUI With the release of the HyperOS shell and updated versions of MIUI (14, 15), the menu structure has changed slightly, although the logic remains the same as the new menu for the distribution of the new menu, which is more important for the new menu, the new one for the new one, but the new one has been switched from the new menu. HyperOS has added more detailed control over background activity, so that the battery menu can have a separate "Background Activity" item that needs to be explicitly allowed, and the menu interface of recent apps has also changed: To lock, you sometimes need to click on the app icon at the top of the window, rather than holding the window itself. MIUI 12-13 Where to find it in HyperOS / MIUI 14+ Auto-Run Safety Safety → Permissions Settings → Annexes → Permissions Saving charge Info about the application → Battery Info on the annex → Battery → Background activity Fixing (Castle) Task Menu → Keeping the task menu → It is important to consider that in the most recent updates, Xiaomi implements AI optimization features that can ignore manual settings if they consider the application to be “malicious” or “heavy». In such cases, periodic checks of settings after major system updates help. Solving typical problems and errors Even after completing all the settings, users may find that applications are still unloaded. Often the reason lies in third-party memory cleaners (Clean Master and analogues), which have higher priorities and ignore Xiaomi system settings. Such programs should either be removed or added to their own whitelists. Another common problem is the on mode “Do not disturb” or “Sleep”, which can block network activity. Check if you have a schedule for saving mode that is activated, for example, by connecting servers at night. ⚠️ Warning: If the app continues to fall after all the settings, try removing it, restarting the phone and installing it again, setting the permissions immediately before the first run. Also check your Wi-Fi settings. The Wi-Fi menu has a feature called “Use Wi-Fi in Sleep mode.” Make sure it's always on the phone. If the phone turns off the Wi-Fi module when the screen is going down, no whitelist settings will help deliver the message. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Do whitelist settings reset when you update your system? Usually, permissions and autorun system settings are saved when you update over the air» (OTA). However, when you upgrade to a major version of Android (for example, 12 to 13) or flash through your computer, the settings may be reset. Does adding to the whitelist affect battery consumption? Yes, it does. If you add a heavy app to the exceptions (like a social network with a video tape), it will constantly update content in the background, which will increase the charge consumption. Whitelist only what really needs instant work (messengers, navigation, smart home) how to add all apps to auto-start? MIUI But if you plug the phone into a computer and use it, you don't have that function. ADB-You can change permissions massively, and it's safer for ordinary users to configure them. 5-10 The most important applications are manually designed to keep the system running. Why is the application in auto-run, but it still doesn't work? Chances are you forgot to change the power saving mode to "No restrictions." Auto-run only allows you to start, but does not protect against "killing" the process by the system of energy saving. Also check if the data transfer restriction is worth it in the background.