How to disable all running applications on Xiaomi

Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which are based on the shells MIUI or the new HyperOS, are famous for their ability to aggressively manage RAM, but sometimes the user still needs to forcefully close all running processes. This may be necessary when the device begins to slow down, the battery is discharged suspiciously quickly or some application has ceased to respond to commands. Understanding how to properly complete background processes is a basic skill for any owner of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO.

Unlike standard Android, Xiaomi has its own memory algorithms that don’t always allow you to close all programs with a single touch without first setting up. Many users mistakenly believe that the “Clean” button in task manager solves all problems, but there are deeper methods for managing background processes. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, from standard gestures to engineering menus.

It is worth noting that the constant forced shutdown of system services can lead to unstable operation of the device, as the operating system perceives this as a signal of a lack of resources and begins to restart services even more actively, consuming battery power. However, in situations where the phone is “hanged” or requires freeing up maximum resources for heavy play, knowledge of these methods becomes critical.

The standard method of closing through the multitasking menu

The most obvious and accessible way for every user is to use a built-in task manager called a swipe. On most Xiaomi models with a MIUI shell or HyperOS, just swipe from the bottom up and hold your finger in the center of the screen (or press a special navigation button if three-button mode is enabled), and open a menu of recent applications, where all running windows are displayed.

At the top of this menu is usually a cross icon or broom icon that allows you to close the active window. However, to close all applications at once, you often need to press and hold this icon for 1-2 seconds, after which the system will prompt you to clear all background processes. On some versions of the firmware, you just need to click on the Clear all button, which forcibly terminates user applications, leaving only system services.

It is important to understand that standard cleaning does not always kill "heavy" processes that are high priority in the system. MIUI often marks frequently used applications as important, protecting them from closure to speed up re-run. If your goal is to completely free RAM, this method may not be enough and you need to use advanced settings.

Using the "Security" application for deep cleaning

Each Xiaomi smartphone has a Security system app preinstalled, which is the central node for managing the device's resources. This is where the most effective tool for mass completion of processes is located, which runs deeper than a standard task manager. When you run this application, you will see a large green button with a memory usage indicator, clicking on it triggers the optimization process.

The Security Memory Cleanup feature doesn't just close windows, it forcibly shuts down services associated with applications, freeing up CPU time, and it's especially useful before running demanding games or when recording high-resolution video when the system needs maximum performance margin. Once it's cleaned, the system will show how many megabytes have been released.

Inside the Security app, the Boost section is also available, which automatically closes the background applications that consume a lot of power. You can configure this tool to work automatically at a certain memory filling level, which allows you to keep Xiaomi on track without constant manual intervention from the user.

Set up advanced cleaning through the engineering menu

For advanced users who don’t have the standard functionality, it is possible to activate the hidden function “Extended Cleanup”. This option allows you to close even those system processes that are usually protected from forced termination. To access these settings, you need to go to the “About Phone” menu and quickly click on the MIUI or HyperOS version several times until the notification “You are a developer” appears.

Once the developer mode is activated, the path to settings is through Settings → Advanced Settings → For developers. Here you need to find the item associated with the limit of background processes. The default is "Standard Limit", but it can be changed to "Without Background Processes" or limit the number of processes to a specific number (for example, no more than 2), which will cause the system to aggressively close applications immediately after the fold.

⚠️ Attention: Setting a limit "No background processes" can cause messengers to stop sending notifications in real time, and the music will stop when switching to another screen.

Also on the developer menu is the Do Not Save Action option, which causes Android to destroy activity as soon as the user leaves it, a radical method that turns a smartphone into a device with minimal memory consumption, but completely multitasking.

Managing Auto Start and Background Activities

Often the problem is not how to close apps right now, but rather how to prevent them from running on their own. Xiaomi’s shell has a powerful auto-start control tool. Going to Settings → Apps → Auto-Start, you’ll see a list of programs that start with the phone on. Disabling unnecessary services (such as stores, news feeds or rarely used games) will significantly reduce the load on the system.

And then there's the "Options" mechanism for each application, so if you go to the settings of a particular application and you select "Other permissions," you can prevent it from running in the background, which is especially true for applications that you rarely use, but they're constantly hanging in memory, consuming CPU resources.

• 🛑 Turn off auto-run for social media if you don't need instant notifications.
• 🔋 Banning background activity for games can increase battery life 10-15%.
• 📉 Google system services should not be touched, so as not to disrupt the synchronization of contacts and mail.

Smart permission management allows you to create a usage profile in which the phone will “strangle” voracious applications, for example, you can set a scenario in which when you start the navigator all other applications are forced to close or freeze, which makes the use of Xiaomi more predictable and faster.

Comparison of closing methods of applications

To choose the best way to manage memory, it is worth comparing the methods available for their effectiveness and impact on the system, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on the specific situation and model of your smartphone.

As you can see from the table, the safest for everyday use is the combination of the Security app and manual auto-start control. The radical methods from the developer menu should only be applied temporarily to solve specific performance problems.

Specificity of HyperOS and new algorithms

With the release of the HyperOS shell, Xiaomi introduced new microkernel-based memory management algorithms, which make the process of “closing” applications more intelligent, and now the system decides when to freeze the application and when to completely unload it from RAM. User control is slightly reduced in favor of automation, but the basic functions remain.

New versions of the software have introduced a memory extension feature that uses a portion of the internal flash memory as a virtual RAM, and if you have this option enabled, it may be less common to close applications because the system has a place to dump data, but if you want to force it to shut down, the mechanism remains the same, either through Task Manager or through a security application.

⚠️ Note: HyperOS models do not recommend third-party process killers from Google Play. They may conflict with the system core, causing cyclical reboots or heating of the device.

Optimization in HyperOS also affects the way background services work, and the system now understands the context better: if you listen to music and you roll the player, it won't shut down even if you click Clear All. This behavior can only be changed through deep permission settings for a particular application, forcibly causing the system to stop it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)