A modern smartphone is impossible to imagine without instant messages, but owners of Xiaomi devices with a shell MIUI often face aggressive energy saving system. Owners of the popular model Redmi 8 are no exception: purchased applications may not send messages until you open them manually. This is due to the peculiarities of the operating system, which seeks to maximize battery life, forcibly closing background processes.
To make full use of messengers like Telegram, Viber or WhatsApp, you need to configure the system settings correctly. Basic configuration requires understanding the logic of MIUI, where each application must receive a separate permission to work in the background. Ignoring these settings leads to the fact that important calls or work chats are skipped, and the user only learns about them after manually running the program.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all the layers of security that block notifications and provide a step-by-step algorithm of actions. You don’t need to be a technical person to fix the situation, just follow a few simple steps in the settings menu consistently. We’ll look at both standard methods and deeper system parameters that guarantee stable content delivery.
Global Notification Settings in MIUI
The first step is to check the common system parameters that control the display of information on the screen. In Xiaomi Redmi 8, the central control module is responsible for this, which can be accidentally disabled or configured incorrectly after a firmware update. System notifications must be activated for the interface to function correctly.
Go to the basic settings of the phone and find the Notifications and Status bar section, and make sure that the switch that displays icons and pop-ups is in the active position, and if that setting is turned off, no app will be able to show you information about the new event, even if everything inside the program is set up correctly.
Also worth paying attention to the lock screen settings. Often users limit the functionality themselves by choosing the mode “Do not show content” or completely hide notifications. For comfortable use of Redmi 8, you should choose the option “Show notifications and their contents” to see the essence of the message without unlocking the device.
⚠️ Note: If you have enabled Do Not Disturb (a crescent icon in the curtain), all sound and light alerts will be blocked forcibly, regardless of the settings of individual applications.
Set up auto-start and work in the background
The most common reason for the lack of push notifications on Xiaomi is because of the background activity of the applications. The system automatically “sleeps” programs that you are not using right now to save the battery of Redmi 8.
Open the Security app (green lightning icon), which is the system control center on MIUI. Go to the Permissions section and select AutoStart. Here you will see a list of all installed programs, find the desired application (for example, Viber or Mail) and activate the slider opposite it, which will allow the program to start immediately after you turn on the phone.
But one auto-run is not enough. You also need to adjust the work in the background:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications.
- 🔍 Find the problem app in the list and click on it.
- ⚙️ Select Battery or Energy Saving.
- 🟢 Set the value "No restrictions».
Once you do this, the system will stop forcibly shutting down the application process, and it will be able to maintain a constant connection to the server to receive data, which is critical for instant messaging, where a delay of several minutes is unacceptable.
☑️ Checklist of background work settings
Managing Notifications for Specific Applications
Even if the global settings are correct, each application has its own rules for displaying information. In MIUI on Redmi 8, there is detailed control over the types of notifications for each program, you can allow the icon to be displayed, but you can block the sound, or vice versa.
To set this up, go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Application Notifications. You will see a long list of all installed programs. Choose the right one, such as Instagram or the Banking app. Make sure the main "Allow Notifications" switch is active.
Below you will see a list of notification categories for this app, where you can flexibly configure your behavior:
- 🔔 Important: These are usually private messages that should come with sound.
- 📢 Other: news, promotional mailings that can be made silent.
- 📌 On the lock screen: an option that hides or shows the text of the message.
Why are the old notifications missing?
Note the Floating Notifications switch. If it's on, the message will appear on top of the current screen, which is convenient for instant messengers, but can interfere with watching videos or reading. For news feeds, it's better to turn off this feature.
The problem with Google Services and synchronization
Many apps rely on Google Play Services to deliver push notifications. If Google services are not working properly or are limited by the system, notifications may not come at all. On Redmi 8, this is especially true, since the device runs on Android, where GMS is a key component.
Check if your Google account sync is active. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Make sure the Sync switch is on. Also check the specific services within this menu, such as Google Contacts, Google Drive, and Google Mail.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Impact on notifications |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-start | Included. | Launching the application after restarting |
| Working in the background | No restrictions. | Permanent connection to the server |
| Saving traffic | No restrictions. | Data delivery when Wi-Fi is off |
| Battery | Standard regimen | Prevents the “sedation” of the process |
If problems persist, try clearing the cache of Google Play services. Go to Apps → All Apps → Find Google Play Services → Memory → Clear the cache. This won’t delete your data, but it can fix sync errors.
Energy savings regimes and their impact
The Xiaomi Redmi 8 has a 5,000mAh battery, and the MIUI system offers several power saving modes. However, the Savings and Super-Economies modes can be too aggressive for background tasks, in which the system shuts down data transfer and application operation immediately after the screen is turned off.
If you have saved mode, notifications will only come when you unlock your phone. To avoid this, add important apps to exceptions. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance (or simply Battery) → Selection of apps (or mode settings).
You can adjust the behavior for each program here:
- ⚡ Saving Charge: Standard Behavior, Notifications May Be Delayed.
- 🚀 No restrictions: the application works always, battery consumption is higher.
- 🔒 Smart mode: the system decides when to restrict the application (not recommended for instant messengers).
⚠️ Note: In the mode of "Super-saving" only calls work, SMS All other push notifications are blocked completely before they exit this mode.
For users who want to save the battery but not lose messages, the best solution is to use a standard mode with properly configured exceptions for the 3-5 most important applications.
💡
Use the “Stick to Memory” function (lock in the open application menu) so that the system will less often reset the application from RAM, even if you have not used it for a long time.
Additional settings and resetting settings
If none of the above methods worked, perhaps the problem lies in system failures or version conflicts. Sometimes it helps to completely reset the notification settings for a particular application. In the app menu (cog in the corner of the application list or inside the program settings), find the Clear Data button or Reset Settings button.
It’s also worth checking if you have a third-party memory cleaner or antivirus that may conflict with MIUI system settings. These programs often have their own background blocking rules that override Redmi 8’s system settings.
In extreme cases, you can try resetting your network settings, as push notification problems are often associated with unstable connection or DNS errors:
Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile Networks and BluetoothAfter this operation, the phone will restart the network modules. You will need to re-enter the passwords from the Wi-Fi networks, but this often solves problems with the “sticking” of the connection, which makes the server unable to send a packet of data to your device.
💡
The comprehensive setup of access rights, auto-start and battery exclusions solves 95% of notification issues on Xiaomi without the need for flashing.