Many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone users face the need to force the closure of frozen applications or deep cleaning of RAM. The standard shell of MIUI or its modern version of HyperOS is built so that the classic Task Manager, familiar to PC or pure Android owners, is hidden or modified here. Understanding how to access system processes is critical to maintaining the performance of the device, especially on models with low RAM.
Unlike desktop operating systems, where the task manager is a separate application, in the Xiaomi ecosystem, these functions are distributed between the menu of running applications, the developer settings and the system section “Security”. The native counterpart of Ctrl+Alt+Del in Xiaomi does not exist, all process management functions are implemented through the shell software interfaces, this is done to protect the system from inexperienced actions, but sometimes makes it difficult to diagnose problems.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways you can call your task management tools, including the hidden menus of engineering diagnostics, how to complete processes correctly so as not to harm your smartphone, and which memory optimization methods actually work and which are just marketing moves.
Basic method through the menu of running applications
The easiest and most accessible method for each user to manage active programs is to use the standard multitasking menu, which is implemented on Xiaomi smartphones with the proprietary logic of the shell, and to get here, you need to swipe from the bottom up and hold your finger (when navigating gestures) or press the "Menu" button (three stripes) in the lower right corner of the screen.
The list that opens shows thumbnails of all running applications. But the full memory stats task manager is hidden here. To access basic control functions, you need to look at the top of the screen or special control buttons, and here you can swipe individual applications or clear the entire memory at once.
- 📱 Click the “Clean” button (broom icon) for quick RAM release.
- 🛑 Press the application thumbnail to trigger a forced stop or lock menu in memory.
- ⚙️ Use the settings button (cogs) in the corner to transition to advanced window management.
It's important to understand that the memory clean button on this menu works aggressively, unloading even the processes that the system has deemed important from RAM. On modern versions of Android and MIUI, this is not always useful, since the system itself effectively manages the cache. Frequent manual cleaning can even reduce autonomy, forcing the processor to restart heavy applications.
⚠️ Attention: Forcing system processes to end with a long press can lead to unstable interface operation or smartphone reboot. Use this feature only for frozen user applications.
For most everyday tasks, this is enough to quickly respond to the interface hanging or to close down heavy play that has stopped responding, but it is not enough to diagnose this functionality in depth.
Use of the Security App
The central control node in Xiaomi smartphones is the pre-installed Security app, which is where the tools that other smartphones may have on different menus or not, are concentrated, and it's not just an antivirus, but a full-fledged system hub for managing resources.
To open the advanced task manager, run the Security app and select Memory (or Memory Cleanup) section, which displays a RAM usage schedule, a list of the most resource-intensive processes, and detailed statistics, the closest analogue of the classic task manager available without root rights.
In this section, you can see not only running applications, but also system services. The interface allows you to sort processes by amount of memory you occupy, which is useful for identifying resource eaters that are not visible in the regular multitasking menu.
- 🔍 Click on the eye icon or (Details) to see a list of all background processes.
- 🚀 Use the Acceleration function to automatically complete secondary tasks.
- 📊 Review the memory usage history of the last hour or day.
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Check the AutoRun section of the Security app regularly, and disabling unnecessary programs there is more effective than manually cleaning the memory, as it prevents them from running again.
The functionality of the Security app is deeply integrated into the system, so the data here is displayed in real time. Unlike third-party counterparts from Google Play, this tool has the necessary permissions to work with system processes, making it indispensable for diagnostics.
Hidden opportunities for developers
For advanced users who need a real task manager with the ability to view running services and detailed process statistics, there is a hidden menu “For developers”. activation of this mode opens access to debugging tools hidden from the ordinary user.
To activate the developer mode, go to Settings → About Phone and click 7 times in a row on the MIUI Version (or OS Version). After the message “You became a developer” appears in the settings menu, a new section will appear Additional → For developers.
Within this section, we're interested in Running services, and if you click on it, you'll see a list of all currently active processes, with memory and time, which is a full-fledged analog of the Processes tab in Windows.
| Parameter | Description | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Time to work. | Duration of process activity | High time may indicate memory leakage |
| Use of RAM | The amount of occupied RAM | Critical for devices with 4GB of memory and less |
| Cashing processes | Applications in the background | Accelerate the re-launch of programs |
You can also limit the number of background processes, and the Background Process Limit option allows you to prevent the system from holding more than a certain number of applications in memory, a radical method that can help with very old devices, but on modern smartphones, it is better to leave the value of "Standard Limit".
⚠️ Warning: Changing the settings in the Developer Menu can lead to unpredictable system behavior, fast battery drain or notification failures. Change the settings only if you understand their purpose.
What to do if the “Run Services” item is missing?
Diagnostics through the Engineering Menu and ADB
If the GUI isn't enough, you can use more powerful tools. Xiaomi's engineering menu contains hardware and software tests, but direct access to the process list is limited there.
You can use a computer and an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to fully access the PC-level task manager, and by plugging your smartphone into a USB device and enabling debugging, you can output a list of processes directly to the console, which is a professional diagnostic method.
The command to output a list of all processes with their priorities and memory usage is as follows:
adb shell dumpsys meminfoThis team will give you a detailed report on how memory is distributed, which applications take up the most space and whether there are leaks.
adb shell ps -A | grep -v"kernel"- 💻 Requires driver installation ADB computer.
- 🔌 Physical connection of the cable is required USB.
- 🔐 Requires confirmation of debugging on the smartphone screen.
Using ADB allows not only to observe, but also to force the process to complete by their name (PID), which is impossible to do with standard means if the phone interface is completely frozen.
Managing tasks on different versions of MIUI and HyperOS
The interface and availability of task management functions vary greatly depending on the firmware version. Xiaomi constantly changes the logic of the system, which can confuse users who switched to a new model.
On older versions of MIUI 11-12, the task menu memory clear button was often combined with a cache clearing menu call. MIUI 13-14 shifted the focus to visuals and widgets. The new HyperOS (based on Android 14) rewritten memory algorithms to better integrate with the ecosystem.
HyperOS users should pay attention to the Memory widget on their desktop, which allows them to clean up RAM with a single click without opening the task menu, and the new shell also improves their work with background processes, so manual intervention is less required.
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Owners of HyperOS-based devices are encouraged to rely on automated system optimization, as AI algorithms now better determine which processes can be closed and which should be left for fast operation.
The differences are also in the names of menu items. CN-The (Chinese) firmware version says "Optimize," the global version can say "Accelerate," and understanding these nuances helps you find the right features in confusing menus faster.
Frequent problems and their solution
Even if you know how to open Task Manager, you may find yourself in situations where the system doesn't respond to commands or processes don't shut down, often due to aggressive system protection or hardware constraints.
One of the common problems is that you can't close an application through a standard menu, which happens if the application has permission to work in the background or it's protected from closing, and in such cases, only rebooting or using developer mode helps.
And users often complain that after cleaning, the memory is immediately filled again, which is normal for Android to load frequently used applications into RAM in advance to speed up their launch.
- 🔄 Restart the device if the interface is more delayed 2-3 seconds.
- 📉 Check if the memory extension mode is enabled (Virtual) RAM), which may not work properly.
- 🚫 Turn off autoplay for heavy gaming and social media in the Security app».
⚠️ Warning: Constant memory shortages leading to reboots may indicate a module malfunction RAM If the software methods don't work, contact the service center.
Proper task management prolongs the life of a smartphone. You should not fanatically strive for zero RAM consumption, but keep under control “voracious” applications are necessary for stable operation.
☑️ Memory status check
Details of working with system processes
It is important to distinguish between user applications and system services, and if you close the System UI or Launcher system process, you will lose the desktop and the control panel, and you can only restore them by restarting them.
In the task manager (developer menu), you can see processes with names like com.android.systemui or com.miui.home, and they need to be manipulated with caution. Some processes, like MIUI Daemon, are responsible for collecting statistics and can be disabled to increase privacy, but that requires ADB rights.
For the average user, the best rule is, "don't touch what you're not sure about." Standard cleaning tools are enough for 99 percent of use cases. Deep intervention is only justified if there are specific performance problems.