How to view Xiaomi’s background processes: from simple viewing to deep cleaning

Many Xiaomi smartphone users face a situation where the device starts to heat up or discharge quickly for no apparent reason. Often the culprits are hidden applications that continue to work even after you shut down their interface. Understanding how the background task system in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS works is key to extending the autonomy of the gadget.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the different methods of monitoring running services, and you will learn how to distinguish system processes from user processes, and learn when intervention is necessary and when it is best to leave the system alone for stable operation.

The first and most affordable way to see what exactly is happening “under the hood” of your smartphone is to activate the hidden developer menu. By default, these settings are hidden from the eyes of the average user to prevent accidental system disruption. → About the phone and seven times quickly press the item Version MIUI or OS. After the message that you have become a developer, a new section Additional (or immediately in the list of settings) will appear in the main settings menu, where you need to select Advanced Settings. → For developers, this is where the Running Services tool is, which shows you active processes in real time. ⚠️ Note: Do not stop processes that you are not sure of. Closing system services like the System Framework or Google Play Services can cause your phone to restart or crash, and in this menu, you’ll see a list of apps using RAM right now. Clicking on a specific application can give you detailed information about resource consumption, which is a great way to identify voracious programs that you haven't even opened during the day. 📱 The list only shows the currently active processes, not all the installed applications. 🔋 Next to each process, it is indicated how much RAM it takes up in real time. ⏹️ The “Stop” button allows you to forcibly terminate the work of the selected application. 📊 At the top of the screen shows the total amount of used and free RAM.

If your goal is not to clean a single battery, but to find applications that are constantly hanging in the background and planting the battery, the standard menu of running services may not be informative enough. Go to Settings. → Battery and performance (or simply Battery in the newer versions) where the system aggregates all the data from the last 24 hours or 7 days, and look at applications that have high consumption rates, but you've barely used them. This is a sure sign that the program is actively running in the background, using geolocation, network or processor. 📊 What is most often discharged by your Xiaomi?Social media applications GPSClick on a specific application in the battery consumption list to see the details. If the background is long, the system can suggest limiting background activity or adjusting energy saving for this particular case. In new versions of HyperOS, the analysis algorithms have become more aggressive. The system can automatically freeze applications that behave suspiciously. However, manual control is still a more reliable tool for fine-tuning to your needs.

For advanced users who lack standard tools, the engineering menu is accessed through a set of special code, which allows you to see processes that can be hidden in a normal interface. Enter the code ##4636##. The Testing menu will open, where you select Usage statistics. Here is the launch chronology of all applications. You can sort the list by last use time or total time. #4636## The Way: Use → This tool is especially useful for identifying sleeper apps that rarely appear on the screen but are periodically activated to collect data or sync. You can see the exact time when the app last came to the fore or worked in the background. What to do if the code does not work?On some global firmware or certain carriers, code logging into the engineering menu can be blocked, in which case try using diagnostic applications from Google Play, such as AIDA64 or Device Info HW, which can read similar statistics through system APIs.

Control of background processes through ADBThe most powerful control method available to Xiaomi owners is the use of a debugging bridge. ADB (Android Debug Bridge from a computer. This method requires preliminary preparation: enable debugging by USB You can use the developer menu and install drivers on your PC, and by connecting your smartphone to your computer, you can access the console, where you can execute commands to view and control processes at the core level of the system. This allows you to see all the threads, including those that are not displayed in any graphical interface. To start, type in the command to connect to the device: adb devices If the device is displayed in the list, you can go to browse the processes. Adb shell top command will show a list of processes, sorted by load on the CPU Real-time, similar to the task manager in Windows. ☑️ Preparation for work with ADBEnable debugging on USBSet up the drivers ADB On PCConnect the original cable Allow connection on the smartphone screen: 0 / 4 To get a list of exactly the processes that are running, use the command: adb shell dumpsys activity processes This command will give a huge amount of data. To find a particular application, you can use filtering. For example, to find processes related to Facebook, type in: adb shell dumpsy activity processes | grep facebook

Each of the above methods has its advantages and disadvantages depending on your goal. For beginners, it is better to limit yourself to standard settings, whereas enthusiasts should master it. ADB full control. | Method | Difficulty | Details | Security | |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- | | Developer menu | Low. | Medium | Tall. | | Battery statistics | Low. | Low (only time) | Tall. | | Engineering menu | Medium | High (launch time) | Medium | | ADB Console | Tall. | Maximum (system level) | It requires knowledge. | 💡A developer menu is enough for daily use, but it is necessary to find hidden miners or viruses. ADB.

Optimization and limitation of background activity Once you have identified redundant processes, you need to limit them. Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in application management mechanism. Go to Settings → Annexes → All apps, choose which one you want and go to Battery, where you can choose No Limits, Smart Energy Saving or Strong Limitation. For instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) it is recommended to leave "Smart energy saving" or "No restrictions", otherwise you will stop receiving notifications instantly. ⚠️ Attention: Forced shutdown of Google or Mi Cloud system services through application settings can disrupt the synchronization of contacts, photos and the Play Market store. In the Safety app (green lightning icon), go to Permissions → Autostart. Disable all applications that do not need to start immediately after the phone is turned on, which will significantly speed up the system load and reduce the load in the first minutes of operation.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Is it possible to completely disable all background processes? Technically, it is possible to stop almost all user processes, but completely clear the memory of system tasks is impossible and unnecessary. Android is designed to keep frequently used applications in memory for quick launch. A complete cleanup will only cause the system to reopen them, consuming even more battery. MIUI Do background processes work differently? With each shell update MIUI Xiaomi is changing the algorithms of working with memory, in new versions, the system more aggressively kills background tasks to save energy, which sometimes leads to missing notifications, requires reconfiguration of restrictions for important applications. Does the number of background processes affect the speed of the Internet? Yes, if background apps are actively using the network (photo sync, download updates, stream music) this can reduce the response rate in the browser or games. Checking traffic statistics in the settings will help identify such consumers. Should I install third-party process killers? No, in modern versions of Android they are more often harmful than helping. The system itself effectively manages memory. Third-party killers constantly restart services, which puts extra strain on the processor and battery. Xiaomi's built-in tools are quite enough.