Xiaomi’s current smartphones, which run MIUI or HyperOS shells, are known for aggressive power optimization, which is designed to save battery power, but often causes problems: messengers stop sending notifications, music is interrupted when the screen is turned off, and the navigator is silent at the right time. Users often face a situation when the system forcibly closes running processes, considering them inactive.
To solve this problem, you need to manually set priorities for each important application. Android’s standard settings work differently here, as the manufacturer adds its own memory management mechanisms. Understanding how to turn the application on in the background is a key skill for any owner of this brand device who wants to get stable software.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all the customization methods available, from basic switches to hidden engineering menus, how to prevent the system from killing processes and ensuring they work smoothly even after a device is restarted. A competent configuration of these settings will turn your smartphone into a reliable tool that always stays connected.
Energy saving principles in MIUI and HyperOS
The shells developed by the company use a complex algorithm to analyze user activity: the system monitors the frequency of use of programs and automatically limits resources for those that rarely appear on the screen. This is done to increase battery life, but the algorithms do not always guess the needs of the owner. Often important services are labeled as “sleeping” and completely frozen.
The main control mechanism is Task Manager, which has deeper access rights than the standard Android manager. It forcibly clears RAM if it believes that background processes consume too much power. Which is why conventional Android methods, such as simply leaving an application open, on Xiaomi may not work without additional settings.
To understand processes, it's important to know that there are different levels of constraints, some applications can run in the background in a limited way, only occasionally, others are blocked completely, and battery optimization is the main tool that you need to reconfigure so that the system stops interfering with the services you choose.
⚠️ Warning: Completely disabling all restrictions for dozens of applications can lead to a noticeable reduction in the battery life of the device for one charge.
It’s also worth noting that with the release of new versions of Android and shells based on them, menu names may change slightly, but the logic remains the same. Always look for sections related to battery or special access rights. In new versions of HyperOS, some items have been moved to the security section for more strict control.
Configure “No Limits” Mode for Specific Applications
The most effective way to make a program work all the time is to remove power restrictions, which works most of the time and doesn't require superuser rights, so you need to tell the system that a particular application is important and you don't have to force it to close.
First, you need to find the program you want in the installed list, and you can do it through settings or directly from the desktop, and when you log in to the app information menu, you can access the control of the app behavior in the system, and that's where the key switch is hidden, which is often ignored by users.
☑️ Checking the application settings
Follow the following steps to set up:
- 📱 Find the icon of the desired application on the desktop and pinch it with your finger for a couple of seconds before the context menu appears.
- ⚙️ In the list that appears, select About (or Info) to go to the system settings menu.
- 🔋 Find the Energy Savings section (may be called the Battery depending on the firmware version).
- ✅ Select the “No Limits” option to allow background activity to full extent.
Once you select No Limits mode, the system will stop applying power-saving algorithms to the application, which will be able to use network, GPS and CPU time even when the screen is off, which is critical for instant messengers, activity trackers and navigation programs.
Remember, for each new application, this procedure needs to be repeated individually, and the system doesn't apply these settings globally for safety and battery saving reasons. If you've installed a new messenger, check its status in the battery menu first.
Autostart and Background Process Management
Another important aspect of working in the background is the autorun permission. Unlike pure Android, where applications are often only run on demand, MIUI has a dedicated controller that monitors the start of programs when the phone is turned on. Without this permission, the application may not start its background services after rebooting.
This setting uses the built-in Security app, which serves as the central hub for all system settings related to performance and access, and you can see here a list of all the programs that are allowed to run themselves.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-start | Off. | Included (for important) | High (start of services) |
| Saving energy | Battery | No restrictions. | Average (consumption in the background) |
| Limitation of background activity | Actively. | Disconnected. | Low (block notifications) |
| Access to memory | Limited. | Full access | Average (data caching) |
In the Security app, go to Permissions and find AutoStart, and here you will see a list of all installed programs, and switch the switchboard in front of the desired application to the active position, which will allow it to start with the operating system.
Also, the other permissions option is often available on the same menu, and it's worth checking if an application has access to run in the background. Sometimes the system hides this item if the application doesn't explicitly request it, but it's important for system services, and background processes without auto-start rights may not recover after memory is cleared.
Why is auto-start important?
Fixing applications in RAM
One of the easiest and most visually understandable methods is to lock the application in the menu of running tasks, which prevents the system from closing the program when cleaning the memory with the "clean everything" button (cross or broomstick), which is a temporary but effective solution for programs that are needed right now.
To lock an application, open the running task menu (a swipe from bottom to bottom with a delay or a menu button). Find the window of the desired program and press it with your finger. In the context menu that appears, select the lock icon. Now the closed lock symbol will appear next to the icon.
Having a lock means that when you press the window clean button, that particular application will remain in memory, but it is worth remembering that this does not give you complete immunity from unloading the system if it urgently needs free RAM to run a heavy game or camera.
- 🔒 The lock protects against accidental cleaning by the user through the multitasking menu.
- 🧹 The system can still unload the application if the free application runs out. RAM.
- 🔄 When restarting the phone, the fixation is reset, and the application must be fixed again.
Use this method for navigators or voice recorders while recording an important meeting. For instant messengers, it is better to use the energy saving adjustment methods described above, as they provide a more stable result in the long run.
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If you use your navigator frequently, stick it in your memory and set up "No Limits" at the same time, ensuring that your voice prompts don't go away at the most inopportune time.
Advanced settings through the developer menu
For advanced users who don't have enough standard tools, there are hidden features in the developer menu, where you can globally change the behavior of the system in relation to background processes. Be careful: changing these settings affects the operation of the entire device.
To activate the developer menu, you need to go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times quickly click on the build number (MIUI Version. Once you have the message "You became a developer," you can go to the settings. → Additional settings → For developers.
In the list that opens, find the application-related section, and we're interested in "Background Process" (or "Background Process Limit"), and the default is the standard restriction, and if you change it to "No Limits," the system will stop forcing background tasks to close.
Path to the menu: Additional settings → For developers → Applications → Limit of background processes → Without restrictionsAlso worth paying attention to the item "Do not turn off the screen" (when charging) and "Adaptive brightness", although they affect other aspects, the main thing here is not to overdo it with turning off all restrictions, as this can lead to unstable interface operation and fast discharge.
Solving Typical Notification Problems
Even after all the settings, there can be situations where notifications don’t come, often due to the settings of the app itself or conflicts of network settings. Xiaomi has a separate Push notification service that also requires network access.
Check whether Do Not Disturb or Sleep Mode is enabled, and in these modes, the system blocks all audio and visual notifications, which can be perceived by the user as an app malfunction, and it is also worth checking the date and time settings - the wrong time can disrupt the security certificates.
⚠️ Note: If you use third-party launchers (desktop shells), they may conflict with Xiaomi’s standard Task Manager, resulting in unpredictable closure of background apps.
In some cases, resetting the network settings or reinstalling a problematic application helps, make sure the application has all the necessary permissions, including access to memory, microphone and geolocation if required for its functionality, and resolutions are as important as battery settings.
If nothing works, try removing updates to Google Play Store or clearing the cache of Google Play Services, which is responsible for delivering notifications to many apps, and their incorrect operation can block the entire data stream.
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The integrated approach – the combination of battery setup, auto-start and memory fixing gives a 100% guarantee of the application in the background on Xiaomi devices.