Xiaomi’s current MIUI and HyperOS smartphones are known for their aggressive power optimization system, which is both a blessing and a curse for users. On the one hand, the device can last two days without recharging, on the other hand, messenger messages arrive late, and the navigator turns off in the middle of the route, all the consequences of maximum economy mode and severe restrictions of background processes.
Many owners do not even realize that the problem lies in the system settings of energy saving, and not in faulty applications or weak network signal. Standard algorithms of the system often mistakenly "smother" important programs for you, considering them useless, in this article we will discuss how to correctly adjust these parameters to maintain a balance between autonomy and functionality.
You will learn how to distinguish ordinary savings from extreme ones, and how to permanently stop the system from turning off background activity of mission-critical applications, which will allow you to receive notifications instantly and use navigation without crashing, without sacrificing battery life.
Differences in energy saving modes in MIUI and HyperOS
Before you start to disable the restrictions, you need to clearly understand the architecture of the battery in Xiaomi smartphones. The system offers several levels of control, each of which has its own characteristics and the degree of influence on the operation of the device.
There is a basic mode that simply reduces the brightness and limits the background activity of underutilized applications, but there are also more stringent settings that completely stop processes after the window is folded, which often cause problems with getting notifications on WhatsApp, Telegram or email clients.
Understanding the difference between these modes is key to getting the right setup, so you don't have to turn everything off, you just need to fine-tune the settings for each particular use case.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling all optimization systems completely can cause your smartphone to run out much faster, especially if you have a lot of heavy apps installed.
It is also important to note that menu items may have slightly different names across different firmware versions, but the logic of the work remains the same across the Xiaomi ecosystem. Below is a table to help you navigate the types of constraints:
| Type of restriction | Impact on the system | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Basic savings | Decrease in brightness, turn off vibration | Leave on to extend battery life |
| Limitation of background activity | Stopping the processes of folded applications | Disconnect for messengers and navigators |
| Extreme regime | Shutting down the Internet, GPS, all background tasks | Only to be turned on at critically low charge |
| Auto-start | Ban on starting the application when turning on the phone | Allow for system and important user applications |
Global Battery Optimization Disconnection
The most common way to address notification issues is to change global power saving settings, which is a good way to do it if you want all applications to run in the background without restrictions, but be careful, as this can affect the overall autonomy of the device.
To start, you need to go to the battery settings section. The path may vary depending on the version of MIUI, but most often it is located at Settings → Battery and Performance or Settings → Battery. In the menu that opens, you need to find the switch that is responsible for the mode of operation.
The system will offer several options: Balance, Energy Saving and Performance. To turn off aggressive savings, choose Balance or Performance mode. Energy Saving mode is exactly the limiter we want to avoid in everyday use.
☑️ Checking global settings
After the change of mode, the system can warn you of possible reduction in the time of operation, which is a standard warning that can be ignored if the priority for you is stable application operation, rather than maximum screen time.
Some firmware versions also have a separate Power Saving Mode switch in the notification curtain, making sure it is not activated (usually indicated by a battery icon with a piece of paper or a percentage inside), and turning it on forcefully activates restrictions, overriding other settings.
Set up exceptions for individual applications
Global savings shutdown is good, but often requires finer customization. For example, you don't need the game to work in the background, but Viber or the banking app should always be online. For that, Xiaomi has a mechanism for individual exceptions.
To set this up, go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Find the program you want (like messenger) and click on it. From the menu that opens, select “Battery Savings” (or “Battery”). Here you will be offered three options: “Limit”, “No restrictions” and “Smart mode”.
You have to select the "No Limits" option, which removes all prohibitions on background work for a particular application, and the system will stop killing the process of that program, even if you haven't opened it in a long time.
What is a Smart Mode?
Repeat this procedure for all mission-critical applications: navigators, smart homes, activity trackers, and work chats. It will take a few minutes, but it will relieve headaches in the future.
Also worth checking is the autorun settings. In the same app settings menu, find the autostart option and turn it on, which will allow the app to start immediately after the phone is turned on, which is especially important for alarm clocks and reminders.
Management through the Security app
In the Xiaomi ecosystem, the central permission management node is the system application Security, which has a higher priority than standard Android settings, and often this is where the main stranglers of processes hide.
Open the Security app (green shield icon) and search for the Battery section or go straight to Licenses and Notifications → Auto Start.** Here you will see a list of all installed programs. Make sure the switches opposite the desired applications are activated (usually green).
Next, in the Security app, go to Permissions → Background Connection.** This is a critical item. This shows the apps that are allowed to use the Internet in the background. If the application is not in the Allowed list, add it manually by clicking on the plus.
⚠️ Note: Changes to the Security app apply instantly, but some settings may require a device restart to take effect.
Remember that the Security app periodically scans and may suggest Optimize the system.Be careful with this button - it can reset your background activity settings, returning everything to the default state, which will turn on the restrictions again.
💡
Check the AutoRun section regularly after major system updates, as Xiaomi sometimes resets these settings to factory values.
Additional Developer Settings and MIUI Optimization
For advanced users who have experienced particularly aggressive behavior, there are hidden settings, which are in the Developer Menu, and to get there, you need to click on the MIUI version several times in the About Phone section.
In the developer menu, find the item "Enable MIUI optimization." Its shutdown puts the system in a mode closer to Android's stock.This can solve background work problems, but can also cause some shell features, such as themes or system gestures, to malfunction.
Also worth paying attention to is the Doze Mode settings, which is a standard Android feature that Xiaomi implements very aggressively, and you can find the option “Ignoror battery optimizations” on the developer menu, where you can force apps to be added to the system-level exception list.
Use these tools requires caution, and if you are not sure about your actions, it is better to limit yourself to the settings through the Security app described in the previous sections.
| Parameter | Where to find out. | The effect |
|---|---|---|
| Optimization of MIUI | For developers | Global change in system behaviour |
| Background connection | Security → Permits | Access to the Internet without restrictions |
| Auto-start | Security / Application settings | Starting the application at the start of the system |
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Disabling MIUI optimization is a radical method, use it only if standard methods have not helped to establish the work of applications.
Frequent Problem Solving and FAQ
Even after setting it up properly, users may encounter nuances, such as notifying when the screen is off, or the application may “fly out” when switching between tasks, often by fixing the application in memory.
To do this, open the running app menu (swipe from the bottom up and hold or menu button). Find the app window and press the lock (or pull the window down, depending on the shell version), which will prevent the system from unloading the app from RAM during cleaning.
Also a problem can be adaptive brightness and read modes, which sometimes conflict with the power saving settings. If you use Read or Paper mode, try turning it off and check the system.
Why does the phone run out quickly after saving?
Are the settings reset after the system update?
Does that affect the guarantee?
Xiaomi’s smart power-saving setting turns your smartphone from a device with unpredictable behavior into a reliable tool. Take 10 minutes to check these parameters, and your phone will work exactly the way you want it to work, not the way the system decided.
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Fixing the application in memory (lock) and setting “No restrictions” in the battery are two mandatory steps for stable operation of messengers.