Background activity control on Xiaomi: why you need and how to set up correctly

Have you ever noticed that Xiaomi's smartphone is running out too fast when you're barely using it? Or are apps suddenly updated when you haven't opened them in a long time? It's all background activity, a hidden process that many users don't control. In this article, we'll look at what controlling background activity on Xiaomi is, why it's important for device autonomy and performance, and how to manage it without harming functionality.

Background processes are the invisible work of applications and system services that continues even when the screen is off. They can synchronize data, track location, check for updates or display notifications. MIUI (Xiaomi's firmware is responsible for this with a special mechanism that can be configured flexibly, but here lies the catch: excessive restriction of background activity can break the work of messengers, mail or widgets, and its absence can turn the phone into a "battery-day." Next, you will learn how to find balance.

What is Xiaomi’s background activity and why you should monitor it

Background activity is all the processes that are performed by applications and systems while they are not on the screen.

• 📧 Gmail checks new emails every 15 minutes;
• 📍 Google Maps updates your location for navigation;
• 🔔 Telegram receives messages and shows notifications;
• 🔄 MIUI Synchronizes data with the Xiaomi Cloud.

Unchecked, these processes can consume up to 30 percent of your battery life per day, even if you don't use your phone, especially on low-end Redmi or low-end models. POCO with small batteries (for example, Redmi Note 12 with a battery of 5000 mAh can run out in standby mode) On the other hand, a complete shutdown of the background will lead to a complete shutdown of the background:

• ❌ Delays in receiving notifications (for example, on WhatsApp or Viber);
• ❌ Stop synchronization of mail, calendar, contacts;
• ❌ Non-working weather widgets, currency rates, etc.

So the user's task is to customize background activity selectively, leaving it only for critical applications, and in the following sections we'll show you how to do this.

Where is the background activity setup in MIUI

Depending on the version MIUI (12, 13, 14 or 15) the path to settings may be slightly different, but the general logic holds. POCO:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. Select the app from the list (or use the search at the top).
4. Tap on the Permission or Additional (depending on version) MIUI).
5. Find the Background Activity option (may be called Autostart, Background Work, or Unlimited).

Nana MIUI 14/15 There is also a separate section for managing background processes:

Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management → Application Choice

You will see three main modes there:

Tip: Most applications are optimal mode "Limited", except for messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps) and fitness trackers (Mi Fitness, Google Fit), which need a mode "No restrictions".

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If you can’t find background activity settings, try searching by settings (Settings). → Search) query “background activity” or “autostart".

How to turn off background activity for unnecessary applications

To extend battery life, it is recommended to turn off background activity for applications that:

• 🎮 Games, for example, PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact – They don’t need a job in the background);
• 🛒 Stores (AliExpress, Wildberries – they only spend the battery to update the catalogue);
• 📺 Social Media (TikTok, Instagram – if you don’t need instant notifications);
• 📊 Analytics and Advertising (Apps like App Annie or Clean Master).

Step-by-step instructions for disconnection:

Select the application in Settings → Applications

Apply permissions or additionally

Find the Background Activity (or Auto Start)

Select the mode Prohibited or Restricted

Restart your phone to apply changes-->

Example MIUI 15:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
2. Select an application (such as AliExpress).
3. Tap the background activity and set the switch to the off position.
4. Confirm the action by pressing OK.

⚠️ Note: After the background activity is turned off, some apps may stop showing notifications or update data. For example, Instagram will not notify you of new messages, and Yandex.Weather will stop updating the widget. If it is critical, leave the mode Restricted.

Auto Start vs Background Activity: What's the Difference

Many users confuse background activity and auto-start, although these are different mechanisms:

• Auto-Run: Allowing an application to start automatically when the phone is turned on or after restarting, and is responsible for whether the application will work immediately after the system starts.
• Background activity: Allowing an application to perform tasks in the background when it is not open (e.g., synchronize data or show notifications).

Nana MIUI These settings are often side by side, but they're managed separately:

• If you turn off Facebook auto-start, the app won’t start itself after you reboot your phone, but it can work in the background if you open it manually.
• If you turn off background activity, Facebook will not be able to update feeds or show notifications even if it is running.

Where to find the autostart settings:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Select App] → Auto Run

Recommendation: For most applications, you can turn off autostart, but leave background activity in "Limited" mode, which will reduce the load on the system when the phone starts, but will preserve (basic functionality).

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Autostart affects the system boot speed, and background activity affects battery consumption and notifications. It is optimal to turn off autostart for unnecessary applications, but leave background activity in "Limited" mode.

How to Check Which Apps Are Spending Battery in the Background

Before you limit background activity, you need to figure out which applications are the main "stealers" of charge. MIUI has a built-in tool:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Use.
2. Slip on the past 24 hours (or choose another period).
3. See the list of applications, sorted by energy consumption.
4. Note the background column – it shows how much power the app has spent in the background.

Example of problematic applications (according to Xiaomi users):

If you see a system application (such as Mi Cloud or Google Play Services) spending too much, don’t turn it off completely.

• 🔧 Limit sync (for example, for Mi Cloud, set manual update mode).
• 🔄 Update the app to the latest version (sometimes high consumption is caused by bugs).
• 📱 Check your phone for viruses (some malware masquerades as system processes).

Optimizing background activity to save battery

Turning off background activity completely isn't always the best solution, but instead, you can optimize it to keep the smartphone charging longer, but not lose functionality. Here are some proven ways:

1. Use the "Adaptive Battery" mode

Nana MIUI 14/15 There is a built-in optimization mechanism:

Settings → Battery and performance → Adaptive battery

Turn on this option – the system will automatically limit background activity for rarely used applications.

2. Set up "Battery Optimization" for individual applications

In the same section, you can manually select which applications will be optimized.

• 🔋 For instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) choose Without restrictions.
• ⚡ For social media (Instagram, VK) — Optimized.
• ❌ For games and shops – Strict optimization.

3. Turn off unnecessary notifications

Many applications use the battery not so much for background work as for constant notification checks.

1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management.
2. Select an app (such as AliExpress) and turn off unnecessary alerts.
3. For critical applications (e.g., the Bank), leave only important notifications (e.g., about payments).

4.Use "Productivity Mode"

On some Xiaomi models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60) There is an additional mode:

Settings → Battery and Performance → Performance Mode

Choose Balanced or Battery Savings – this will automatically limit background activity without manual settings.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), background settings may vary. → Annexes → Special access → Optimizing the battery.

What to do if after switching off background activity, notifications stopped coming

One of the most common problems after limiting background activity is missed notifications from messengers, emails or social networks.

1. Check the notification settings

Sometimes the problem isn't the background activity, but the notifications themselves.

Settings → Notifications and Status Bar → [Select App]

Make sure that:

• ✅ Notifications included;
• ✅ Pop-up Notifications Allowed;
• ✅ Do not disturb mode is disabled for this application.

2. Add the appendix to "Not limited"

If notifications are critical (such as for WhatsApp or work mail), give the app full rights back to:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
2. Find the problem app and select No Limits.
3. Reboot the phone.

3. Check the synchronization settings

Some apps (like Gmail or Outlook) require sync enabled to check for sync:

Settings → Accounts → [Select Account] → Account Synchronization

Make sure that the data you need (mail, contacts, calendar) is ticked.

4. Update the appendix

Sometimes bugs in older versions interfere with the correct operation of notifications. Update the application through the Google Play Store or App Gallery (for models without Google services).

5. Check the energy saving settings

Some Xiaomi models have an optional Super Power Saving mode that blocks notifications to turn it off:

Settings → Battery and performance → Energy saving mode → Off.

If nothing helps, try resetting the app settings:

Settings → Applications → [Select App] → Storage → Clear Data

⚠️ Attention: Cleaning up the data will remove all application settings (including logins and cache!

FAQ: Frequent questions about background activity on Xiaomi