Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face mysterious notifications or sections in settings related to system optimization. One of the most discussed issues is the “power and performance” link, which directly affects the speed of the device and its battery life. Many users confuse these settings with the usual mode of energy saving, but the mechanism of work here is much deeper and affects the system algorithms of resource management.
Understanding how MIUI or the new HyperOS distributes power between running applications and the processor can significantly extend the battery life. In this article, we will discuss in detail what lies behind these parameters, why the system can artificially limit power and how to correctly customize the smartphone to your needs without turning it into a “brick” with a dull screen.
What is hidden behind the term “food optimization”
The feature, often referred to by users as “power and performance,” is actually a comprehensive power-saving algorithm embedded in Xiaomi’s Android shell, which is designed to monitor application activity in the background and force them to limit their access to CPU resources if the system considers them inactive. It’s not just a screen shutdown, it’s a deep freeze.
When you run a heavy game or navigator, the system may mistakenly identify them as “gluttonous” and begin aggressively lowering the CPU frequency or even ending the process. That's why many people are faced with a situation where the cards stop to lead the route in a blocked state, and the messengers stop coming on time. MIUI It can complete up to 90% of background processes without the user’s knowledge.
It is worth noting that settings can vary depending on the firmware version. In older versions of MIUI 12/13, the control was more chaotic, while in HyperOS there were more flexible profiles. It is important for the user to understand the difference between system limitations and physical wear of the battery, since software optimization often masks real battery problems.
Processor modes and their impact on speed
Clock control is a key tool the system uses to balance heat and speed. In standard mode, the smartphone tries to keep the balance average, raising frequencies only when the load is surge, and it is the safest option for everyday use, providing predictable operating time.
Performance mode makes the processor work at higher frequencies even at medium loads. This is useful for gamers or when working with heavy video editing, but leads to rapid heating of the case. Xiaomi’s cooling system may not be able to remove heat in hot weather, which will cause trottling — a sharp drop in performance to protect components.
There is also a hidden or "economical" mode that often turns on automatically when charged below 20%.It not only reduces brightness, but also limits background synchronization and GPS. If you notice that the navigator is "dull" or music is interrupted, check if this mode is not forced to activate through the battery settings.
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For maximum autonomy in the journey, turn on Flight Mode overnight, even if the phone is nearby, and this will turn off the search for the network, which is one of the main energy consumers in the area of the bad signal.
Setting restrictions for background applications
The most important part of power management is manually adjusting the behavior of specific applications. The default system tries to kill anything that isn't on the screen, but for instant messengers and work tools, this is critical. You need to create an exception list yourself so that important notifications come instantly.
To do this, you need to go to the battery settings and find the application management section, and you should select the "No Limits" strategy for mission-critical programs, and if you leave the "Energy Saving" setting, the system will periodically unload the application from RAM, which will delay notifications and increase charge consumption each time you restart.
⚠️ Warning: Do not set “No Limits” mode for all applications at once, this will cause the phone to be in constant wake mode, and the battery will run out of power. 3-4 hourly.
And you have to pay special attention to social media and video players, because they often use geolocation and background data, and if you're not tracking sports in real time or waiting for streaming, you'd better limit their background activity, and that would save resources for really important tasks.
☑️ Checking application settings
Comparison table of energy consumption modes
To better understand which mode to choose in a particular situation, consider a comparison table that will help you determine the settings depending on your current tasks and charge level.
| Mode of work | Impact on CPUs | Background processes | Recommended use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balance (Standard) | Dynamic. | Limited. | Daily use |
| Productivity | Maximum. | Active. | Games, rendering |
| Savings | Highly reduced | Blocked. | Charge < 20%, reading |
| Ultra-savings | Minimum | Just calls. | Critical discharge |
As you can see from the data, Balance is the most versatile mode, it allows the system to decide when to accelerate and when to slow down, and switching to high performance mode only makes sense for a short time, because the law of conservation of energy has not been abolished: excess power is taken from the battery.
Hidden codes for diagnosis
The effect of screen refresh rate on autonomy
Modern AMOLED and LCD screens with high hertz (90, 120 Hz and above) provide a smooth picture, but consume significantly more power. The power and performance setting is closely related to display parameters. If you care about running time than animation smoothness, consider reducing frequency.
Settings → Screen → Update Frequency are often found in screen settings. Default allows the system to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on the content. Forced 120Hz setup will force the screen to run at its limit all the time, which can reduce uptime by 15-20%.
Also worth mentioning is the Always On Display feature (always on screen). AMOLED-The arrays are energy efficient when displaying black, the constant burning of pixels and the proximity sensor still consume charge. If you do not use this often, you better set the activation schedule or turn it on only when you raise it.
⚠️ Attention: Using maximum brightness settings together with high refresh rates in hot weather can cause the display plume to overheat and image artifacts to appear.
Practical tips for extending the life of the battery
Beyond the software settings, there are physical aspects that affect how long your Xiaomi can hold a charge. Lithium polymer batteries don't like extremes: neither full discharge to zero, nor being on charge at 100%. The optimal range for a long life of chemistry is from 20% to 80%.
Use original chargers or certified analogues with Quick Charge or Power Delivery support. Cheap power supplies can give unstable voltages, which forces the power controller to work with overload, generating excess heat. Heat is the main enemy of the battery.
- 🔋 Try not to play heavy games while charging, as this causes double heating (from the processor and from battery charge).
- 🌡️ Do not leave your phone in direct sunlight or on the dashboard of your car in the summer.
- 📱 Turn it off. NFC Bluetooth, if you don’t use them right now, because constantly searching for devices is wasting energy.
Regular battery calibration can also help the system to accurately display percentages, recommending that you discharge the phone every few months before turning off and then charge up to 100% when off, which will help the power controller to reset errors in the capacity count.
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The main secret of Xiaomi’s long work is not to turn off all functions, but to correctly manage background applications and avoid overheating the device.