How to Add Xiaomi Cleanup Exceptions: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive system optimizers. The aggressive MIUI or HyperOS algorithm seeks to free up RAM by ruthlessly closing the background processes, which leads to messengers stop sending notifications, and navigators turn off when the screen is rolled up.

The solution is to manually prioritize important programs, and you need to tell the system which apps you can't touch, and in this guide, we'll take a look at all the methods available, from basic security settings to hidden engineering menus.

Ignoring these settings turns a modern smartphone into a device with limited functionality. The correct configuration of Security and Battery Saver will ensure the stable operation of all necessary services without constant restarts.

Apps to the menu of recent tasks

The fastest way to protect an application from being shut down is to keep it on the running list, which acts as a temporary measure until you have set up deeper energy saving settings, and is especially useful when you need to start a heavy game or navigator and roll it down without fear of stopping the process.

To perform this operation, open the menu of running applications by swiping from the bottom up and holding your finger (or pressing the corresponding navigation button). Find the desired window, such as Yandex.Navigator or Telegram, and click on the lock icon or menu icon in the upper right corner of the card.

• 🔒 Click on the lock icon to lock the application in memory.
• 📱 Use the swipe down the app card for quick access to the menu.
• ⚙️ Check for a lock next to the program name in the task list.

However, it is worth remembering that this method is not an absolute guarantee: if there is a shortage of critical RAM, Android can still complete the process, despite the lock, so it is better to combine this method with other settings described below.

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Only pin applications that are currently in active use, and keeping a dozen programs in memory can cause the battery to run faster.

Set up auto-start and battery limitations

The central element of the MIUI backend management is the Security app, which is where the key switches that define the lifecycle of the applications are located, and without the right configuration of this partition, all other activities may be useless.

Go to the Security app and find the Permissions section, where you need to configure two critical settings: Autostart and Charge Saving. In the first case, you allow the program to start immediately after the phone is turned on, and in the second case, you remove the restrictions on background activity.

Select the desired application from the list, such as an email client or a smart home. Make sure the AutoStart slider is activated. Then go to "Saving Charge" and set the value "No Limits" to prevent the system from "killing" the process for energy savings.

⚠️ Note: Setting a “No Limits” mode for a large number of applications can significantly reduce the battery life of your device. Add to the exceptions only those programs that must be notified instantly.

Exceptions to energy saving

Special attention should be paid to the global energy saving mode, which often turns on automatically when the battery is low, in which the phone forcibly restricts background synchronization and network operation, ignoring individual application settings.

To keep important programs running even in a lean mode, you need to add them to the appropriate exception list. Go to Settings → Battery → Energy Saving. Here you can adjust the behavior of the system at a discharge below 20% or 10%.

Also on the battery menu is often an "Exceptions" or "Do Not Limit" option, and by adding instant messengers, you can guarantee that you'll receive calls via Viber or WhatsApp even when you're on hard-saving mode, which is especially true for older models where the power controller is aggressive.

Advanced settings for developers

For advanced users who haven't had enough of standard methods, there are hidden Android settings that allow you to control how long the system stores processes in memory before destroying them, a powerful tool that requires careful handling.

First, activate the developer menu. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7-10 times on the MIUI Version or OS Version field. After the activation message appears, go back to the main settings menu and find “Additional” → “Developers”.

Settings → About the phone → 7 clicks according to MIUI → For developers

Inside this section, find the "Background Process Limit" option, which is the default limit, and you can change it to "No Limits" or "No More than 4 Processes," and change it to "No Limits" by force prohibits the system from completing the background processes, which is the most radical solution to the problem.

• 🛠️ Access to hidden settings requires activation of developer mode.
• ⏳ The limit of background processes controls the number of active applications.
• 🚀 Disabling animations can visually speed up the interface.

⚠️ Attention: Uncontrolled removal of background process limits on devices with low RAM (3-4 GB) may cause noticeable slowdown of the interface and rapid battery discharge.

Working with memory and cache cleanup

A common reason applications disappear from memory is the “Accelerate” function in a standard security application, and users often accidentally hit the clean button, not realizing that workflows are removed along with the garbage.

To avoid this, you need to set up an exception list for the acceleration function. In the Safety app, click on the gear icon (Settings) in the upper right corner. Find the section related to cleaning or accelerating, and check for a list of ignored apps.

Also, you should pay attention to the Advanced Cleanup feature, which can delete the cache of social networks and messengers, which leads to the application being unloaded from memory the next time you run.

Specifics of working in sleep mode (Sleep Mode)

The latest versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14+ have an enhanced sleep mode that analyzes phone use at night and can completely shut down internet and background activity for all applications except the alarm clock.

If you're waiting for important messages at night or using your phone as a sleep tracker, standard settings may not work. You need to explicitly add apps to sleep mode exceptions, usually through the sleep mode settings themselves or through the "Do Not Disturb" profile.

Check the settings in the Screen is always on and Lock → Sleep Mode. You can choose which apps are allowed to run in the background at night. Ignoring this item will cause even the previously configured Telegram or Home Assistant to cease to respond to events from 23:00 to 07:00.

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Sleep mode has its own priority and can override battery settings. be sure to check for exceptions in both sections for guaranteed performance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)