How to turn off battery optimization for Xiaomi apps

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face an intrusive but useful power-saving feature that can be a major inconvenience in the pursuit of device autonomy. The aggressive MIUI Optimizer system and the newer HyperOS tend to forcefully close background processes, leading to delayed notifications from instant messengers, stop activity trackers or fly out games. Understanding how to correctly set up exceptions is a key skill for comfortable use of the gadget.

Modern Android operating systems, especially in shells from Chinese manufacturers, are designed with the aim of maximum saving of charge. However, this often leads to the fact that important applications for the user stop working in the background. You need to manually specify which programs are priority and should not be subject to strict control of power consumption, this action will return functionality to your favorite services without having to give up the rest of the benefits of smart energy saving.

In this guide, we will take a look at all the customization methods available, from basic switches in the application menu to hidden engineering settings. We will look at the differences between shell versions, as the path to the desired parameters may differ across device models. The right configuration will allow you to maintain a balance between battery life and instant message delivery.

Why the system closes applications in the background

Android’s mechanism of operation suggests that apps that users don’t use right now should go to sleep or stop completely. However, Xiaomi has implemented an additional layer of control that is more aggressive than Google’s standard restrictions, so that even with a weak network signal or an old battery, the phone can last longer, the problem is that algorithms do not always understand what software is really important to the owner.

When you run an application, it gets the CPU resources. Once you fold it or lock the screen, the system starts analyzing its consumption. If the program tries to update data, use GPS, or keep a permanent network connection, Battery Saver can forcefully break this process, which often happens with navigators, fitness trackers, and corporate email clients.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling all restrictions for dozens of apps can lead to a noticeable increase in battery consumption during the day.

It’s also worth noting that different firmware versions (Global, China, EEA, Russia) may have their own peculiarities in implementing these restrictions. In some cases, Android security updates also make their own adjustments to how background processes are handled, so it’s important to check settings periodically, especially after major system updates.

Basic settings through the Battery menu

The easiest and most affordable way to allow an application to run without restrictions is to use the built-in battery settings menu, which is suitable for most standard situations where you just need to extend the life of the process. You don't need superuser rights or a computer connection, all the actions are performed directly on the smartphone screen.

First, you need to go to the settings section where you control your energy consumption, and find the application that's causing the problems in the installed program list. Usually, the default system will set the "Energy Savings" profile, which is the cause of the problems, and your task is to change this profile to a more productive one.

Select the No Limits option. This action will remove the blockage on background activity, allow data to be used in the background and prevent the system from forcing the process to stop. Once you have set up the settings, it is recommended that you completely close the application and restart it so that the changes take effect.

• 📱 Open Settings and go to the Battery section.
• 🔋 Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
• 📂 Select the item Saving charge in applications.
• ⚙️ Find the desired application in the list and select No restrictions.

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If you can’t find the app in the general list, use a name search at the top of the battery settings screen.

It is important to understand that this method does not provide 100% guarantee on all versions of MIUI. Sometimes the system may ignore this option if the general power saving mode for the entire device is turned on, in which case you need to additionally disable the global limiters.

Set up auto-start and permissions

One of the common reasons applications fail is that they don't have permission to run automatically. Unlike many other smartphones, on Xiaomi devices, apps don't have the right to run themselves right after the phone is turned on or after they're cleared from memory. It's a powerful security tool, but it also blocks messengers.

You need to find autorun control. This is a separate module of the system that controls the start processes. Turn on the switch in front of the desired application. This will allow the program to initiate its services immediately after the operating system loads, which is critical for receiving push notifications.

Also, it's worth checking for extended permissions. Some versions of the shell require you to manually allow display over other windows or access to a location in the background. Without these permissions, even an app that works may not display information correctly or track a route.

Remember that once you turn on auto-start, the application may start consuming more resources.

Installation of applications in memory (Lock in RAM)

One of the most effective, but often ignored, methods is to lock an application in RAM, so when you clear the phone's memory by clicking a cross on the menu of recent apps, the system tends to shut down all processes, and fastening prevents that from happening.

To perform this operation, open the menu of running applications (swipe from the bottom up and hold or menu button). Find the window of the desired application and click on it, holding your finger, or pull the window down (depending on the version of MIUI). You will see the lock icon. While the lock is closed, the "clean all" button will not affect this program.

⚠️ Warning: Do not remember heavy games or video editors if you are not using them right now, this will cause the device to heat up.

This method is particularly useful for navigation applications such as Yandex Navigator or 2GIS, It's also for training trackers, and it ensures that GPS-The module will not be disabled by the system in the middle of the route.

Hidden settings through the engineering menu

For advanced users, there is a way to access hidden settings through code, which allows you to manage system constraints at a deeper level, and be careful when changing parameters that you don't know, as this can affect the stability of the system.

Open the Phone app and enter the code ##6485##. The Battery Info menu that opens can find a lot of technical options. However, the other way is more often used to disable the optimization of a particular application is through the developer settings or ADB, since the direct menu can be hidden in new versions.

adb shell pm grant com.miui.securitycenter android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

Using ADB commands requires a computer connection and USB debugging, which is appropriate if standard methods don't work, and allows you to force the system's configuration files to be changed without the GUI settings.

• 🔧 Enable Developer Mode by quickly clicking on the build number in About Phone.
• 💻 Activate Debugging on USB developer menu.
• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your PC and use it ADB-team-reset.
• 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.

With the release of new versions of Android, access to some system flags through ADB is limited, so this method may not be relevant for the most recent models released this year.

Features of work in HyperOS and new versions of MIUI

With the HyperOS shell, Xiaomi has changed the logic of working with background processes, now using machine learning algorithms that analyze your usage habits, and if you rarely open an application at a certain time of day, the system may suggest limiting its activity.

New versions have introduced the "Advanced Memory" feature, which also affects the operation of applications. Virtual RAM extension can slow down the switching between heavy applications, which is sometimes perceived by the user as a freeze or stop operation.

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In HyperOS, it is critical to set up Network Access for each application separately, allowing the use of Wi-Fi and mobile data in the background.

The new firmware also changed the security menu interface, so that energy saving settings can be spread across menu items, including the "Security" section, and carefully check all tabs associated with the app name.

Solving problems with specific applications

Some apps require a personalized approach, such as messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp often use their own push notification services, which can conflict with the system ones. If standard methods don't work, try reinstalling the application by clearing its cache and data beforehand.

For fitness bracelets and smartwatches, it’s important not only to set up a companion app (Mi Fit, Zepp Life), but also to give it all possible permissions, including working with Bluetooth in the background. Often the problem of losing communication with the watch is solved by removing the battery limitations from the synchronization application.

⚠️ Note: Banking applications can block the phone if root rights or modified system files obtained during deep setup are available.

If nothing works, the last resort is to reset all app settings or completely reset your phone, but you should contact the support team of the app developer before doing so, as the problem may be on their side.