How to turn off the background mode on Android Xiaomi: all ways

Background processes on Xiaomi smartphones are one of the most controversial features of MIUI. On the one hand, they provide fast application launches and notifications in real time, on the other hand, eat up battery power, load the processor and sometimes interfere with the operation of the device. If your Redmi or POCO began to slow down, warm up or discharge in a few hours, the problem can be hidden in the background.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable background processes on Xiaomi, from standard MIUI settings to hidden settings for power users, how to limit application performance in the background, which features can be safely turned off and which ones should be kept active, and we’ll look at the differences between Android 12/13/14 models and explain why some apps (like instant messengers) may ignore your settings.

Warning: completely disabling background processes can disrupt push notifications, data synchronization and application auto-update. If you use Xiaomi as a work phone, it is better to limit yourself to selective optimization.

What is the background mode on Xiaomi and why it should be turned off

Background mode is an Android mechanism that allows applications to perform tasks even when they are folded, and Xiaomi is responsible for this:

• 🔄 Auto-run applications – programs start with the system and work in the background.
• ⚡ Optimizing the battery — MIUI Limits background activity to save charge.
• 📶 Push notifications – messengers and social networks receive messages in real time.
• ☁️ Synchronization of data – updates to mail, weather, calendars.

The problem is that Xiaomi aggressively caches apps and often leaves them running in the background unnecessarily. For example, Mi Video or Mi Browser can consume up to 15% of the charge per day, even if you do not use them. According to XDA Developers tests, on some models (Redmi Note 11 Pro+, POCO F4) background processes reduce battery life by 20-30%.

When to turn off the background mode:

• 🔋 The battery is discharged for 4-6 hours with moderate use.
• 🐢 Phone slows down, apps open for a long time.
• 🔥 The body heats up for no apparent reason (for example, during sleep).
• 📱 Task Manager has more than 20 active processes.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi to work with Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams or enterprise messengers (Slack, Zoom), completely disabling the background can lead to the skip of important notifications.

Method 1: Disabling Auto-Run Applications (the most effective method)

Auto-run is the main reason apps are activated in the background without your knowledge. On Xiaomi, this feature can be disabled for all programs at once or selectively.

Instructions for MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select AutoRun.
3. In the list, mark apps that should not be automatically launched (e.g., games, unnecessary Xiaomi services).
4. Click Turn off at the bottom of the screen.

To completely disable auto-run all apps (not recommended for the main phone):

Settings → Special features → System Acceleration → Auto-Run applications → Disable everything

Call of Duty, PUBG, Genshin Impact

Xiaomi Services (Mi Video, Mi Browser, Mi Music)

Social networks (TikTok, Facebook – if you do not use notifications)

Fitness trackers (Mi Fit, Google Fit – if you don’t need real-time synchronization)-->

Once autorun is disabled, applications will only be manually run, which will reduce battery load by 10-25% (according to GSMArena’s Redmi Note 10 Pro tests).

• ❌ Automatic weather updates in widgets.
• ❌ Background synchronization Google Photos.
• ❌ Push notifications from some applications (for example, promotions from stores).

Method 2: Limit background activity through battery settings

MIUI has a built-in battery optimization mechanism that you can customize to your needs, which is less radical than turning off autostart, but it's also effective.

How to limit background activity:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management.
2. Choose App Choices (or Battery Optimization in older versions).
3. Set the mode for each application: No restrictions for messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram); Optimized for most applications (recommended); Strict restrictions for games and rarely used programs.

On the POCO F3, Xiaomi 12T and later, there is an option called Deep Optimization, which completely blocks background activity, but can cause notification problems. Enables in Settings → Battery → Ultra Low Consumption Mode.

No restrictions.|Optimized.|Strict restrictions|Not set up.-->

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 12.5 Enhanced and newer) strict restrictions can result in loss of notifications from banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff). SMS or push from the bank, check the optimization settings for these programs.

Method 3: Manually close background processes through Task Manager

If you need to release RAM or stop a voracious application, you can use the built-in Task Manager, which is temporary, and the processes will start again the next time you use it.

How to close the background processes:

1. Click on the recent apps button (square at the bottom of the screen).
2. Scroll up the screen to see the full list of active processes.
3. Swipe left/right over unnecessary apps or press Close everything.

For advanced users, there is an alternative: ADB permissions. They can force Xiaomi to stop system processes that are not normally displayed in Task Manager, such as the command to stop com.miui.analytics (statistics collection):

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytics

💡

To quickly close all background processes, add the Memory Cleanup widget to the home screen. To do this, press your finger in the free space of the screen → Widgets → Utilities → Memory Cleanup.

Note that some system processes (com.android.systemui, com.miui.home) cannot be closed without root rights, and forced shutdowns can cause the phone to restart or crash.

Method 4: Use Do Not Disturb Mode to Block Background

A little-known trick: Do Not Disturb on Xiaomi can temporarily suspend background activity of all apps except select ones.This is useful if you need to save charge for a few hours (for example, at night).

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb.
2. Turn on the mode and select Setting.
3. Activate the option to suspend background processes (could be called Battery Optimization).
4. Add exceptions for important applications (calls, alarm clock, instant messengers).

Method 5: Disabling background data for individual applications

If you need to leave notifications but limit traffic consumption in the background, you can turn off background data for specific programs, this is especially true for applications that drain the mobile Internet (for example, Facebook, TikTok).

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data.
2. Select the Use of Data by Applications.
3. Slip on the desired application and turn off the background data.

For Wi-Fi:

1. Settings → Wi-Fi → Additional → Data Management.
2. Select the application and turn off the Background mode.

This method does not affect notifications, but limits the automatic updating of content: for example, Instagram will not upload new stories in the background, and YouTube will stop cacheing videos for offline viewing.

Method 6: Advanced settings through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods do not help, you can use them. ADB-This requires you to connect your phone to your computer and have a basic command line knowledge.

What can be done through ADB:

• 🛠️ Completely disable background activity for Xiaomi system applications.
• 🔧 Set process priorities (oom_adj).
• 📵 Block Internet access in the background for specific applications.

Example of teams:

Turn off background activity for Mi Browser


adb shell cmd appops set com.android.browser RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND ignore




Prohibit Auto-Run for all User Applications



adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.powerkeeper




Limit background data for Facebook



adb shell cmd appops set com.facebook.katana RESTRICT_BACKGROUND ignore

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB For example, disabling system services (com.miui.securitycenter) will cause an error when booting. Before experimenting, back up through Settings. → System system → Backup.

To make it easier to work with ADB, you can use the MIUI Optimizer utility (available on 4PDA), which provides a graphical interface for managing background processes without manually entering commands.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after the background processes are turned off, Xiaomi users face problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

If you keep your phone slowing after all the manipulations, try resetting to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset) that will delete all user data, but return the system to its original state. According to Xiaomi Service Center, 30% of performance problems are solved by resetting.

💡

Before resetting, be sure to save data! Use Mi Cloud or local backup to Settings → System → Backup.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions