How to turn on power saving mode on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) are famous for their energy efficiency, but even they discharge faster than you would like. Power saving mode can extend autonomy by 30-50% - especially useful when the charge is running out and there are no outlets nearby. However, many users do not know that MIUI has three types of energy saving: standard, supermode and adaptive. Each of them works differently and is suitable for different situations.

In this article, we will not only discuss how to turn on power saving mode on Xiaomi, but also how to set it up correctly so as not to lose functionality. You will learn which applications can be left active, how to turn off unnecessary backgrounds and why sometimes energy saving automatically turns off after rebooting.

Three Types of Energy Saving on Xiaomi: Which One Should You Choose?

MIUI firmware (starting with version 12) has three power saving modes, which are characterized by the degree of background limitations and the effect on performance.

Ultra Battery Saver is the most radical, it literally freezes all applications except calls and SMS, and the messengers you choose, but it can last 1 percent of the charge for up to 2-3 hours in standby mode. The standard mode is milder: it just mutes the animations, limits the widget updates and reduces the CPU clock speed.

Adaptive mode appeared in MIUI 14 and uses AI to analyze your schedule. For example, if you normally sleep from 23:00 to 7:00, the system will automatically cut back on background activity at this time, but it doesn't work on all models - check if you have an option in the settings.

Step-by-step instructions: how to turn on energy saving

You can activate mode in two ways: through the notification bar or the settings menu. Let's look at both options in detail.

Method 1: through the notification curtain (quickly)

This is the easiest method that works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones:

1. Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
2. Swipe down again to turn the full panel around.
3. Find the Energy Saving icon (battery icon with a leaf).
4. Tap the icon once and the standard mode will be turned on.
5. To activate supermode, press and hold the icon for 1-2 seconds, then select Ultra Battery Saver.

If the icon is not on the panel, you need to add it manually.

1. Open the notification curtain.
2. Click on the pencil icon (or "Edit").
3. Find the Energy Saving list and drag it to the active area.

Method 2: through settings (extended options)

If you need to configure application exceptions or select adaptive mode, use this path:

1. Open the settings → Battery and performance.
2. Select Power Saving Mode.
3. Activate the Energy Saving slider for the standard mode.
4. For supermode, press Supermode Power Saving and confirm the on.

You can also set up the menu:

• 🔄 Automatic on at 5% or 15 charge level%
• 📱 Exceptions for apps (for example, keep WhatsApp or Telegram active)
• ⚡ Optimizing charging (slows down battery wear)

How to Set Up Application Exemptions

By default, supermode disables all background processes except basic ones (calls, SMS), but you can manually add apps that need to remain active, such as messengers or a navigator.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and performance → Energy saving mode.
2. Click on Supermode Settings (or Exclusions in older versions of MIUI).
3. Select Applications that work in the background.
4. Check the necessary programs (maximum 5-7, otherwise the meaning of energy saving is lost).

Important: Even in the exclusion list, apps will be limited, such as Google Maps will not be able to update location more than once every 5 minutes, and Viber will receive notifications with a delay.

⚠️ Warning: If you add Facebook or Instagram to the exceptions, they will continue to spend charge in the background. In supermode, it is better to leave only critical applications - messengers, banking or navigation.

Some models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 Pro+) have an option called Application Optimization, which allows you to manually specify which programs you can “sleep” when you lock the screen, and you can find it in Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization.

Why does energy saving turn off on its own?

Many users experience the power saving mode automatically deactivates after rebooting, charging, or updating the system, and here are the main reasons and ways to eliminate them:

• 🔌 Charging connection. Default. MIUI Turns off the energy saving when charging. To avoid this, go to Settings. → Battery. → Additionally, and disable the option to automatically turn off the power saving mode when charging.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone. After the reboot, all the time settings are reset. Solution: use Adaptive Mode or set up Auto-on at low charge.
• 📱 Update system after installing the new version MIUI Some of the parameters are back to factory. Check the power saving settings after the update.
• 🚫 Conflict with the optimizer. → Battery. → Battery optimization can be enabled with Adaptive optimization, which interferes with manual settings.

If the energy saving is turned off for no apparent reason, try resetting the battery settings:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and performance.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset Settings.
3. Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.

Hidden Power Saving Chips on Xiaomi

In addition to the standard settings, MIUI has several hidden features that will help save charge:

• 🌙 Dark subject. + AMOLED-On smartphones with a screen. AMOLED-displays (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi K50) Black pixels are not illuminated, which reduces battery consumption 5-10%. Include a dark theme in Settings → Screen. → Dark subject.
• ⏳ Restrict the refresh rate of the screen. If you have a 120Hz display, force 60Hz to Settings → Screen. → Update frequency. That'll give you +15% autonomy.
• 📡 Shutdown 5G/LTE. If you're in an area with unstable surfaces, your smartphone is constantly looking for a network, wasting a charge. 3G In Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Preferred type of network.
• 🔍 Geolocation restriction. GPS For applications that don't need it (such as Facebook or games). → Confidentiality → Permits → geodata.

Another life hack is using Do Not Disturb mode along with energy saving, which turns off vibrations, sounds and notification backlights, which further saves 3-5% charge per hour, activates in the notification curtain or through Settings → Sounds and vibrations → Do Not Disturb.

💡

If you need to save power, but supermode turns off important applications, try this trick: turn on flight mode, then manually activate Wi-Fi or mobile network, which will turn off background system activity, but leave access to the Internet.

How to check the efficiency of energy saving?

To see how much savings really helps, use the built-in MIUI tools:

1. Open Settings → Battery and performance → Battery use.
2. Look at the flow chart over the last 24 hours, and in energy saving mode, it should be more gentle, without any sudden jumps.
3. Click on the graphic icon (in the upper right corner) and select CPU Use. In power saving, the processor should run at 30-50% of the maximum frequency.

For more detailed analysis, install the AccuBattery app (available on Google Play).

• 📊 Exact charge consumption by application (including system processes).
• 🔋 Battery condition (wear, capacity, temperature).
• ⚡ Real-time charging/discharge speed.

Compare the pre- and post-power saving ratios, for example, if the smartphone was running at 1% per hour in standby, then with supermode, this figure should drop to 0.3-0.5% per hour.

⚠️ Warning: If the power saving has not decreased after activation, check your smartphone for viruses (for example, through Google Play Protect) or reset the battery settings. Sometimes the cause is a "voracious" application that bypasses the system's limitations.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users are not using the energy saving mode correctly, which is why they do not get the expected effect.

• 🚫 Adding too many apps to exceptions. If you keep active 10+ The energy saving is lost in the software — 3-5 the most important (for example, WhatsApp, Google Maps, banking application).
• 🔄 Always switch on/off. Every time you activate, the system spends resources restarting the processes.
• 📴 Ignoring high-spending notifications. MIUI Warns that an app consumes a lot of power (e.g. TikTok or Play Store), add it to the optimization list or remove it.
• 🔋 Use of a non-original charger: Cheap cables and adapters can cause the battery to overheat, causing the system to force the power saving to be turned off. Use only certified accessories.

Another common problem is that the smartphone doesn't go out of supermode after it's recharged.

1. Connect the charger and wait until the charge level exceeds 20%.
2. Restart the device (hold the power button for 10 seconds).
3. If it doesn’t help, reset the battery settings (the instructions were higher).

Some models (POCO F4, Xiaomi 11T) have a bug in which energy saving is reset after the MIUI update. The solution is to manually turn on the mode again and disable automatic optimization in the battery settings.

💡

Superpower mode is most effective at charge levels below 15%; 30-50% is better with standard mode, which has less impact on performance but still saves battery life.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions