Background mode on Xiaomi: how to turn on and configure for applications

Why Background Mode Is Important for Xiaomi and How to Use It

Background mode on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO models) is a key feature that determines how apps work when you roll them out or switch to other tasks. Without the right setup, many messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) stop sending notifications, music services (Spotify, Yandex Music) are interrupted, and fitness trackers lose step data. In this article, we will discuss how to turn on the background mode on Xiaomi with the features of the MIUI and HyperOS shell (for new models 2023-2026).

The manufacturer defaults to limit the background activity of applications to save battery power, which leads to the fact that even popular services can work incorrectly. For example, on Xiaomi 14 and Redmi Note 13 Pro+ models, background optimization by default blocks synchronization of Google Photos and weather updates in widgets. We will show how to get around these restrictions without compromising autonomy.

It's important to understand that setting the background is a balance between performance and power consumption. Some users complain that when the background is activated, the smartphone starts to warm up or discharge faster, and we'll show you how to minimize these effects.

What is the background mode and how it works on Xiaomi

Background mode is the state in which an application continues to perform tasks after being folded, and Xiaomi has three key mechanisms:

• 🔄 Auto-Run applications – allows the program to start automatically when you turn on your smartphone or after restarting.
• 📱 Background activity – allows the application to run in a curled state (for example, playing music or tracking location).
• ⚡ Battery optimization - system MIUI/HyperOS Limits resources for applications to extend uptime.

For example, if you listen to a podcast on Google Podcasts and lock the screen, the app can stop if it does not have background activity rights, the same thing happens with Yandex Maps when navigating: without the right settings, voice prompts are interrupted after 5-10 minutes.

Since 2022, Xiaomi has tightened its energy saving policy, and now even after manually configuring some apps (especially Chinese ones like WeChat or AliExpress) can reset their background rights after a system update, and we’ll teach you how to fix it.

Step-by-step: how to turn on the background mode on Xiaomi

The configuration process depends on the firmware version. Below is a general-purpose algorithm for MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS (for models 2023-2026).If you have an older version (for example, MIUI 11), some menu items may differ.

Step 1: Authorization of Auto Start

This is a basic setting without which the application will not be able to work in the background.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want (for example, Viber).
3. Slip on Autostart and switch on the switch.

Step 2: Disabling Battery Optimization

By default, MIUI limits background activity to save charge.

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Optimization.
2. In the list, find the app and select Without Limits.

Step 3: Allowing Background Activity

This is the most important point for messengers and navigators.

1. In the app menu (Settings → Applications → Application Management → [select application]), find the option Additional → Background activity.
2. Turn on the switch and confirm the action.

Autostart enabled |Battery optimisation disabled |Background activity permitted |Notification rights vetted-->

For HyperOS (on Xiaomi 14, POCO F6 and the latest models), the path is a little different:

Settings → Applications → Permissions → Special Access → Background Activity

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If the application still doesn’t work in the background after setting up, try adding it to Secure Applications via Settings → Battery → Secure Applications. This will prevent the system from being forced to close.

Features of settings for popular applications

Some programs require additional actions to work correctly in the background. Let's look at the most problematic cases.

For Telegram on Xiaomi, there is a separate problem: even after all the settings, notifications can come with a delay.

1. Open Telegram Settings → Notifications and sounds.
2. Enable Use of server notifications.
3. In the system settings, allow display over other windows.

How to check if the background mode is working

To make sure that the settings are applied correctly, follow the following steps:

1. Test for messengers: Open WhatsApp or Viber. Crash the app and lock the screen. Ask a friend to send you a message. If the notification comes right away, the setup is successful.
2. Music Services Test: Run a track playback in Spotify or Yandex Music. Crash the app and wait 10-15 minutes. If the music is not interrupted, the background mode works.
3. Navigator test: Run a route in Google Maps or Yandex Maps. Lock the screen and wait 5 minutes. If the voice prompts continue, everything is set up correctly.

If the tests fail, check:

• 🔋 Is not the energy saving mode enabled in the battery settings.
• 🛡️ Does the background activity block antivirus (for example, Mi Security).
• 📱 Are there any restrictions on the application in the Notification Center.

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On HyperOS models (Xiaomi 13T, POCO F5 and later), a new item has been added, "Deep Optimization", which must be disabled for critical applications, or the system will force them to close after 30 minutes.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users make common mistakes when setting up the background, which leads to unstable application performance.

⚠️ Attention: Do not turn on background activity for all applications in a row! This will lead to increased battery consumption and overheating of the smartphone. Just configure 5-7 most important programs (messengers, navigators, fitness trackers).

Mistake 1: Ignoring Notification Permissions

Even if you allow background activity but don’t give the app notification rights, it won’t be able to alert you to new events, for example, Instagram won’t show likes notifications if the alerts are turned off in its system settings.

Solution: Go to Settings → Notifications → [select app] and turn on all the switches.

Error 2: Using "Memory Cleanup"

Memory Cleanup (available via swipe up from the home screen) forcibly closes all background applications, and if you use it regularly, the background settings are reset.

Solution: Add important applications to the cleanup exceptions through Settings → Apps → Memory Cleanup → Exceptions.

Mistake 3: Incompatibility with Do Not Disturb

If Do Not Disturb (especially with the "Disable All Notifications" setting) is enabled, background alerts are blocked at the system level.

Solution: Set up exceptions for critical applications in Settings → Sounds and vibrations → Do not disturb → Exceptions.

Additional ways to optimize the background

If standard settings don’t help, try these methods:

• 🔧 Use of the ADB-commands (for advanced users): Using the adb shell dumpsys deviceidle whitelist command +com.example.app (where com.example.app is the batch name of the application) you can manually add the program to the whitelist of optimization. ADB It may disrupt the system.
• 📱 Automatic Configuration Apps: Google Play has utilities like AutoStart or MIUI Optimization, which makes it easier to manage background processes, automatically applies optimal settings to popular applications.
• ⚡ Setup through the developer: Activate Developer Mode (7 taps by build number in Settings) → About Phone) and disable Background Process Limitation in Developer Settings.

One of the things that happens to POCO smartphone owners is that these models have an aggressive power saving mode on by default, to turn it off:

1. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery modes.
2. Choose Performance over Balance or Energy Saving.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Xiaomi's Background