Xiaomi’s Multitasking Menu: Where is the phone’s settings and how to use it

The multitasking menu on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a list of newly opened apps, but a powerful tool for managing the performance of the device. Many users do not even suspect that it can be customized to their needs: limit background activity of programs, block auto-start or fix important tasks. However, finding these options in the maze of MIUI settings is not always easy — especially if you recently switched from another brand.

In this article, we will not only show you where the multitasking menu is hidden in the latest versions of firmware (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15), but also reveal all its hidden features. You will learn how to clean up RAM in one click, why some applications do not close completely, and how to return classic multitasking management on new models of Redmi and POCO.

If you've ever wondered why the battery goes down too fast, or why the phone starts to slow down after a few hours of use, the answer often lies in the multitasking settings. Let's figure out how to optimize them.

What is Xiaomi’s Multitasking Menu and Why You Need It

The Multitasking Menu (or Recent Apps) is an interface that displays all the recently used apps, and on Xiaomi, it performs several key functions at once:

🔹 Quickly switch between tasks. Instead of going back to the home screen and looking for an app icon, you can instantly switch between open programs.

🔹 RAM management. You can manually close down heavy applications that consume a lot. RAM and slow down the system.

🔹 Fix important tasks: Some applications (such as a navigator or music player) can be "pinned" so that they do not close when the memory is cleared.

But on Xiaomi, it works differently than on pure Android, with aggressive MIUI optimization that automatically shuts down background processes to save battery life, which can be useful, but often leads to messengers not sending notifications, and games being reset when switching to another chat.

In addition, in the new firmware versions (MIUI 14+), the manufacturer hid some of the options deep in the settings, making them less accessible to ordinary users.

Where is the multitasking menu in Xiaomi settings

There are two ways to open the Xiaomi multitasking menu: through a control gesture and through a classic button. The location depends on the firmware version and the phone model.

📌 Method 1: Gesture (for MIUI 12 and newer)

1. Swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen and hold your finger for 0.5 seconds.
2. If you have navigation buttons enabled, swipe up twice in a row (quickly).

📌 Method 2: Classic button (for older versions)

1. Click on the square button in the bottom navigation bar (if it is enabled).
2. If the buttons are hidden, swipe right to left on the bottom of the screen.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg! The most important multitasking settings are hidden in the Settings menu → Apps → App management. We'll go through them in detail next.

Hidden Multitasking Settings: How to Optimize Applications

If you want to manually control which applications are stored and which are closed automatically, you need to go to the advanced settings.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.

2. Slip three dots in the upper right corner and select Special Access.

3.Look for AutoRun – here you can turn off the automatic start of unnecessary programs when you turn on the phone.

4. Go back and select Battery → Battery Mode Select. Optimized aggressively closes the background processes, and Unlimited leaves them running.

🔧 Additional options (for advanced users):

• 🔄 Cleanup RAM In the multitasking menu, click on the cart icon at the bottom, and it will close all applications except fixed ones.
• 📌 Swipe down the app card in the multitasking menu and select Secure.
• ⚡ Accelerate animation. In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times to turn on the developer mode, then in additional → For developers, reduce the scale of animation to 0.5x.

⚠️

Warning! Disabling auto-runs for system applications (e.g. com.miui.securitycenter) can cause your phone to run unstable, and only do so if you understand the consequences.

Disable auto-run of unnecessary applications|Select the "No Limits" Battery Mode for Important Programs|Fix frequently used applications|Clean up RAM manually 1-2 day-to-day|Check background activity in the "Task Manager"-->

Why apps don’t close completely and how to fix it

One of the most common problems with Xiaomi is when apps are visually closed in the multitasking menu but continue to work in the background, due to the features of MIUI optimization, which freezes processes instead of completing them completely.

🛠 How to Close the Application Completely:

1. Open the multitasking menu (swipe up with a delay).
2. Swipe the app card up to the end of the screen (don’t just swipe away!).
3. For guarantee, go to the Settings → Annexes → Application management → [Select the application] → Forced to stop.

📊 Reasons why applications are not closed:

• 🔋 Battery saving mode blocks the complete closure of some processes.
• 🔒 System applications (such as Mi Security) are automatically restarted.
• 📱 Processor performance: on weak models (Redmi) 9A, POCO C31) The system leaves more processes in memory for quick switching.

🔍 How to check if the application is closed:

1. Install the CPU Monitor or Simple System Monitor app from Google Play.
2. Close the target application through the multitasking menu.
3. Open the monitor and check if the process is still on the active list.

How to bring back the classic multitasking menu to the new Xiaomi

Starting with MIUI 14, Xiaomi has changed the logic of multitasking: instead of the usual horizontal scrolling cards, a vertical list has appeared, and animations have become smoother (but less informative), which many users do not like – especially those who are used to the old interface.

🔄 How to return the old menu (for the first time) MIUI 13 and newer):

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version and tap 7 times on the build number.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option Animation to switch windows and set the value Off. or 0.5x.
4. Restart your phone – the multitasking menu will be closer to the classic look.

⚠️

Attention! Fully return the old menu on MIUI 14/15 is impossible without root rights or custom firmware. the above method only simplifies animation, but does not change the structure of the display cards.

📱 Alternative launchers with classic multitasking:

• 🌐 Nova Launcher – allows you to customize gestures and animations for older versions MIUI.
• 🔧 Hyperion Launcher – mimics the Pixel interface, but with flexible multitasking settings.
• ⚡ POCO Launcher (not even on the-POCO Devices – returns horizontal scrolling of cards.

Table: Comparison of the multitasking menu on different versions of MIUI

💡 Interesting fact: On Xiaomi Pad 6 and other tablets of the company, the multitasking menu works differently - a separate mode (split-screen) is implemented here, which can be called a swipe from the top edge of the screen down with a delay.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users experience problems with multitasking due to incorrect actions or settings, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

❌ Mistake 1: Continuous cleaning RAM manually

🔹 Problem: Frequently clicking on “Clean All” in the multitasking menu increases battery consumption, as the system has to reload applications the next time it runs.

🔹 Solution: Clean up RAM If the phone is really slowing down, then you can trust the automatic optimization. MIUI.

❌ Error 2: Turning off auto-start for all applications

🔹 Problem: Disabling autorun completely can disrupt system services (e.g. Google Play Services or Mi Cloud).

🔹 Solution: Turn off autoplay only for those apps that are not exactly needed (games, rarely used utilities).

❌ Error 3: Using "optimizers" RAM" Play Market

🔹 Problem: Applications like Clean Master or DU Speed Boosters often harm more than they help – they aggressively close the background processes, which leads to increased battery consumption.

🔹 Solution: Remove such “optimizers” and use built-in tools MIUI.

💡

If the RAM is cleaned, you can restart it, and it will reset the cache and return the performance to normal.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi’s multitasking menu