Power saving mode on Xiaomi: where is it and how to set up

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the battery charge drops critically by the middle of the day. In such cases, a special power saving mode comes to the rescue, which allows you to significantly extend the battery life of the device. However, finding this feature in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS can be difficult due to the deep nested menu and the constant change of interface logic by developers.

The power optimization system in the Chinese brand’s smartphones works aggressively, automatically closing background processes and limiting processor performance. Understanding where the switches of these features hide is key to effectively managing your gadget’s resources. In this guide, we’ll detail all the ways to access battery settings so you can quickly activate the desired mode.

And it's also important to distinguish between standard energy savings and super-savings, because they have fundamentally different use cases, so if the former is just limiting background activity, the latter is turning the smartphone into a monochrome caller with basic features. Let's figure out how to manage these tools as efficiently as possible.

The main ways to activate charge saving

The fastest way to turn on power saving mode on Xiaomi is to use a notification curtain. Swipe your finger from the top edge of the screen down to open the control panel, and find the icon with the image of the battery. Pressing it instantly activates the function, which will be reported by a pop-up notification and changing the color of the battery icon to green. This method is ideal for situations where you need to act quickly.

But if you want to set up the settings in more detail, you'd better go to the system application Security, which is the central hub for managing the device's resources. Go to the app, select Battery, and click on the three-dot menu icon in the top right, and that's where all the switches are hidden.

It is important to note that some firmware versions may have slightly different paths, such as global versions of HyperOS, where settings can be placed in a separate charge saving menu. In any case, look for battery-related green icons, as the company's visual style has remained unchanged for many years.

Configure through the Security app

Security is not just an antivirus, it's a powerful diagnostics tool, so to get to the menu, open the app and click on the big Battery plaque, and you'll see the current charge percentage and the time you're running. You'll click three dots in the corner and you'll open the drop-down menu with a selection of modes.

There are three main options available on this menu: Performance, Balanced and Charge Saving. Charge Saving modes limit background synchronization, reduce screen brightness and turn off vibration when typing, the most versatile option for everyday use at low charge.

You should be careful when choosing Performance mode, because not only does it save energy, but it can also speed up discharge. Use it only for heavy games or tasks that require maximum CPU power. In normal operation, it is better to leave a balanced option or easy savings.

Super-Economic: When Every Percentage Is In The Account

And what we're looking at is a feature called Super-Economic Mode, which, unlike conventional savings, changes the interface of the device dramatically, and the screen goes black and white, and only the most basic applications -- phone, messages, contacts, alarms -- are left available, and all other functions are locked down to conserve energy.

You can turn this mode on through the same menu in the Security app or add the corresponding widget to the desktop. When you activate it, the smartphone will go to a state close to the button phone, which allows the device to work for several days without recharging if you use it only for calls.

⚠️ Note: In super-saving mode, instant messengers may stop receiving real-time notifications as background data transfer will be completely stopped.

The way out of this mode is also simple: just press the switch off button in the interface or press the power button and select "Stop super-saving mode." The system will return all brightness and background settings to their original state.

Fine-tuning restrictions for applications

MIUI and HyperOS allow you to flexibly configure which applications are allowed to run in the background and which should be frozen, so go to the battery menu and select Settings or Advanced Settings, and you'll see a list of all installed programs.

For each application, you can choose an energy saving strategy. The No Limits option allows the program to run freely, which is useful for messengers. The Limit Background Activity option will freeze the application when you fold it, which will save charge but may cause notifications to delay.

Don't indiscriminately put restrictions on all programs. If you're expecting an important Viber call or a colleague's message, make sure that those apps are "No Limits" or you may find out too late.

Automation of energy saving processes

Manually turning on modes is not always convenient, so the developers have provided automation, so you can set the smartphone so that it will go into saving mode when it reaches a certain level of charge, for example, 20% or 10%, which eliminates the need to constantly monitor the indicator.

To set up the automation, go to the battery menu, click three dots, and select "Battery and Performance" (or similar item depending on the OS version). Find the "Automatically turn on energy saving" section and activate the slider. Here you can select a threshold.

An alarm is also available. If it's on, the phone will automatically turn on at a predetermined time even when it's off, which can be useful but uses minimal power in standby mode. Make sure that this feature is set up correctly if you're using it.

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Set up an automatic saving mode of 30% if you plan a long trip without charging, which will create a safety margin for the whole day.

Common problems and their solution

Users often complain that the power saving mode on does not give the expected effect or, conversely, interferes with the normal operation of the smartphone. Sometimes the problem lies in “gluttonous” applications that continue to consume resources even with the restrictions on. Check the consumption statistics in the same battery menu.

Another problem could be software version conflict: If after an Android update or MIUI shell, the battery starts to run out faster, try resetting the battery settings or clearing the cache of Google Play system services.

⚠️ Note: If the phone is discharged to zero and switched off when shown 10-15%, It may be necessary to calibrate the battery or replace it physically because the chemical element has worn out.

In some cases, disabling unnecessary features such as constantly searching for Bluetooth devices or geolocation can help, and these services consume a significant amount of power, especially if the network signal is weak.

The effect of screen settings on autonomy

The screen is the main energy consumer in any modern smartphone. Even with the power saving mode on, maximum brightness and high refresh rate (120 Hz) will quickly land the battery.

Also worth paying attention to the topic of design. AMOLED-The screens that most Xiaomi flagships have are actually power-saving, and the black pixels on those arrays are simply off and don't consume energy.

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The combination of dark theme, autobrightness and screen refresh rate gives a greater boost to autonomy than just software saving mode.

Keep in mind the time before the screen is turned off: setting the value to 15 or 30 seconds instead of 2 minutes will prevent the phone lying with a burning screen in your pocket or on the table, wasting its charge.

In conclusion, power saving management on Xiaomi devices provides a wide range of tools for the user: a competent combination of automatic modes, manual adjustment of applications and the right screen usage habits will allow your smartphone to last much longer. Don’t be afraid to experiment with settings to find the perfect balance between functionality and autonomy.