How to Enable Background Mode on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face aggressive optimization of the MIUI or HyperOS system. The operating shell automatically “sleeps” running applications to prolong the battery life of the device. This leads to the fact that messengers stop sending notifications, music stops when the screen is turned off, and the navigator becomes silent at the most inopportune moment.

The problem is how the background mode is handled by the default system. MIUI-based Android is set to maximize resource savings, so without your direct command, many processes are simply blocked. You don't have to be a programmer to fix this - it's enough to properly configure a few hidden settings in the smartphone menu.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can force apps to run, learn how to turn off smart battery savings for specific programs, set up auto-starts, and understand why standard Android settings don’t work as well as on clean firmware, which will bring back the functionality you’d expect from a modern smartphone.

Why apps stop working in the background on MIUI

The main reason for the problems is the battery saving mechanism: MIUI uses its own memory cleaning algorithms, which are more aggressive than standard Android. When you fold an application, the system after a certain time forcibly stops its processes, considering them inactive.

This is especially true for devices with little RAM. Xiaomi’s algorithms aim to free up resources for an ongoing task while ignoring the needs of background services, and as a result, even if you’ve given permission for notifications, the process can be “killed” by the system before it has time to send a push notification.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling all restrictions completely can cause the smartphone to run out much faster.It is recommended to configure exceptions only for vital applications such as messengers or navigators.

And then there's the concept of "freezing" applications, which is that if a program hasn't been used for a few days, MIUI can put it into a deep sleep that it can't get out of without your intervention, and understanding that logic is essential to fine-tuning the system.

Setup of Auto-Run Applications

The first step to solving the problem is to activate auto-run. Unlike other systems, on Xiaomi, applications do not have the right to run themselves after restarting or clearing memory without your explicit permission.

To access these settings, you'll need to go to the security menu, which hides these options from the eyes of the average user, considering them advanced, but this is where the key to stable service performance lies.

Turn on the switches in front of the programs that are supposed to be running all the time, usually WhatsApp, Telegram, email clients or activity trackers, and without this step, further adjustments may not make sense, since the system simply will not allow the process to start.

• 📱 Open the Safety app (green lightning icon).
• 🔓 Go to the “Permissions” or “Auto-Start” section».
• ✅ Find the desired application in the list and activate the slider.
• 🔄 Repeat the procedure for all important services.

It’s worth noting that after a firmware update, the autorun list may reset. Check this section periodically to make sure the services you need are still active, especially after major MIUI updates or a move to HyperOS.

Managing battery savings for each application

The most critical step is to set up a customized energy saving mode, and the standard battery setting is often in the "Energy Saving" position, which is what causes problems, and you need to change that behavior for each particular application.

Find the battery-related section in the settings, and go to application management, and here you'll see a list of all the programs installed, and your job is to find the application you want and change its power profile.

Settings → Battery → (three dots at the top) → Energy savings in applications

Select the option "No limits." This option tells the system that the background mode is a priority for this application and it does not need to be stopped to save charge.

Once the setting is changed, the system may issue a warning that it will affect the time of operation. Agree with this, because for important applications, stability is more important than a few percent of charge. In modern Xiaomi smartphones with fast charging, this compromise is quite justified.

Installation of applications in memory (Lock in RAM)

Another method that is often overlooked is locking the application in RAM, which sticks the process to memory, preventing the system from unloading it even when resources are scarce.

To do this, open the menu of running applications (swipe from the bottom up and hold or menu button). Find the card of the desired application and pull it down (or press the lock, depending on the version of the theme), a lock icon will appear, meaning that the application is protected from cleaning.

• 🔒 Protects the application from forced stop.
• ⚡ Guarantees instant launch when reopening.
• 🛡️ Prevents disruptions to navigation and music.
• 📉 May consume a little more RAM.

This is particularly useful for navigators like Yandex.Maps or 2GIS when the phone is used in the car, and even if the system decides to clean the memory, the attached application will remain active, but don't attach too many programs, which can lead to general instability of the interface.

⚠️ Note: Memory retention does not guarantee 100% of all versions MIUI. In some cases, the system can still restart the process if there is a critical memory shortage, but the likelihood of this is greatly reduced.

Additional permissions and notifications

In addition to energy saving, it's important to check access rights. Often, an application doesn't work in the background simply because it doesn't have permission to display notifications or work with the network in the background. These settings are located in the Notifications section.

Go to the settings of a particular application and make sure that the Notifications switch is active, and check if it is not limited to “Only important notifications” or a similar filter that can hide messages from messengers.

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Use search in settings. Type the app name into the search bar in the main settings menu, which is faster than looking for it in general lists.

Special attention should be paid to the permission to “Map on top of other windows”; this is required for some functions, such as video call pop-ups or desktop widgets, without this right, the functionality of the application can be reduced.

Newer versions of HyperOS have added an "Advanced Memory" feature that also affects background processes. If you've enabled virtual memory extensions, the system can more aggressively unload old applications. Try turning this feature off if background problems persist.

Solving problems with specific applications

Some apps require a special approach, such as Instagram or Facebook, which often recommend using lightweight versions (Lite), which are less loaded and less likely to crash, but they also need to be configured correctly.

For instant messengers, it's critical to have a permanent connection. If notifications come with a delay, try switching the network type. DNS-servers in Wi-Fi settings.

• 📲 For Viber and WhatsApp, be sure to turn on auto-run..
• 🎵 Music players need permission to work in the background.
• 📧 Email customers need access to data in the background.
• 🏃 Activity trackers need access to geolocation "Always».

If none of the methods worked, the problem may be with the app itself. Try removing it and downloading it from the official GetApps store or Google Play. Outdated versions may not work properly with new MIUI energy saving protocols.

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A comprehensive approach is key to success: the combination of auto-start, no battery limitations, and locking in memory solves 99% of the problems with the background.