Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often experience intrusive MIUI or HyperOS behavior, waiting for an important message from a customer or a notification from a messenger, but it comes a few hours late, because aggressive energy saving algorithms force the background processes to close.
The system seeks to extend battery life as much as possible, but often does so at the expense of the functionality of the device.Xiaomi’s Android battery optimization works at the kernel and user application level, allowing it to “sleep” programs even after they are launched.
In this guide, we will discuss how to properly configure your system so that it stops interfering with your work, you will learn how to create exceptions for important applications and completely disable unnecessary restrictions.
Why the system closes applications in the background
The main reason is the MIUI shell philosophy, which is that the company's engineers thought it was more important for the average user to keep the phone up until the evening than instant notification delivery, so MIUI Optimization is the default active mode.
When you fold an application, it doesn't stay in RAM like it does on pure Android. It analyzes user behavior, and if it thinks it's inactive, it forcibly terminates the process, not just for messengers, but also for activity trackers, smart homes, and navigators.
The problem is particularly acute in models with a small amount of RAM, where the system has to aggressively unload data to free up resources for the current running application, but even flagships are subject to this effect without the right configuration.
Setting restrictions for specific applications
The safest and most appropriate way is to customize every important application individually, which doesn't disrupt the system as a whole, but gives priority to the programs you choose, and you don't need to be an expert to do those things.
You first need to go to the battery management menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same. Open Settings, find the Applications section, and select All Apps.
In the list, find the program you want (like Telegram or WhatsApp) and click on it, then select Battery and Performance (or just Charge Consumption) and you need to change the mode to No Limits.
- 🔋 Without restrictions: the application can work in the background for as long as you want, the system will not "strangle" it".
- ⚡ Charge savings: background activity is limited, notifications may come with a delay.
- 🚫 Hard savings: the app closes immediately after the screen is turned off.
Repeat this procedure for all instant messengers, email clients, and smartwatches, which is a basic setup that you should do immediately after you buy a new device.
☑️ Checking the application settings
Disconnecting MIUI Global Optimization
There's a deeper level of customization hidden in the developer menu, and here's the MIUI Optimization switch, which controls the behavior of the entire system, and turning it off can solve problems with installing third-party applications and working with ADB.
To get to this menu, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI version (or OS version).
Go to the Additional → Developer path. Scroll down to the bottom. You will see Enable MIUI Optimization. Disabling this option may cause some system functions to stop working properly, so do it consciously.
⚠️ Attention: After optimizing MIUI In some cases, the interface may become less responsive because it removes some of the software constraints.
If you decide to disable this feature, the system will alert you to possible risks. Click Disable and confirm action. The phone will restart and the changes will take effect.
What to do if the MIUI Optimization item is missing?
Autostart and Background Process Management
In addition to battery settings, MIUI has a separate auto-start control mechanism, and even if you allow the app to run in the background, it may not start after the phone is restarted without you.
To manage this setting, look for the Security app (green zipper icon) in the settings. Inside, select Permissions → Auto Run. Here is a list of all installed programs.
Turn on the switches in front of the apps that are supposed to be running all the time, usually messengers, alarm clocks and health trackers, and leave the rest of the programs off to save resources.
| Type of application | We need auto-start. | Notifications needed. | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) | Yes. | Yes. | Full access |
| Social media | No. | If you wish, | No battery restrictions |
| Games | No. | No. | Standard savings |
| Smart Home (Mi Home) | Yes. | Yes. | Full access |
Don't start all the programs at once, it will cause the battery to run fast and the interface to run down. Act selectively.
Energy saving regimes and their impact
There are several power profiles in Xiaomi's smartphones, and the standard mode tries to balance performance with autonomy, but there are more stringent options.
Charge Saving mode limits background synchronization, reduces screen brightness, and limits CPU frequency. In this mode, optimization works as aggressively as possible. If you want an application to work, it's best not to turn on that mode.
There's also an ultra-saving (or "super-saving") mode that turns your smartphone into a kind of button call, leaving only calls, SMS and selected contacts active, and in this mode, third-party apps won't work.
- 🚀 Performance: maximum power per processor, battery goes down faster, background processes are not limited.
- ⚖️ Balanced: Standard operating system.
- 🔋 Economical: severe restriction of background activity and synchronization.
💡
If you need to temporarily run a heavy app, turn on Performance mode in the notification curtain.This will remove some of the limitations of trottling, but the battery will be consumed more actively.
Specifics of working with navigation and trackers
Navigation apps and physical activity trackers deserve special attention, and if you use your phone as a navigator in your car, the screen should not go out, and GPS should work all the time.
In the settings of the Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator application, be sure to turn on Autostart and Unlimited Mode. In addition, in the Security menu → Permissions → Other Permissions, find your navigation application and allow it to work in the background (Display pop-up window while running).
⚠️ Warning: When using the navigator, connect the phone to the charger. Disable battery optimization in combination with the operating one GPS And the screen will quickly drain the battery.
For fitness trackers, it's important that steps count even when the phone is in your pocket, and it's also critical that you allow background work and auto-run, otherwise you'll have incomplete daily statistics.
💡
Proper battery exception settings are more important than completely disabling system optimization.This keeps MIUI stable, but solves the notification problem.