Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a situation when, after updating the system or accidentally changing the settings, the usual list of running programs disappears. The absence of the “Recent” tab in the menu or an empty screen when swiping up is puzzling, since this is one of the main navigation tools in the shell of MIUI and HyperOS. The problem can lie in both the software failure of the launcher and in the aggressive operation of the energy saving system, which forcibly closes the background processes.
To restore functionality, you need to diagnose the current state of the interface. System Launcher is the component responsible for displaying the desktop and task menu, and its settings often require intervention. In some cases, the user may feel that the applications are removed, although they are only hidden from the quick access list or moved to the Tools folder. It is important not to panic and consistently check the display parameters, since in 90% of cases the problem is solved by software methods without losing data.
To make matters worse, different versions of firmware (Global, China, EEA) have different menu structures, and if you lost the memory clean button or the running task tape, it could be a cache conflict or a bug in Google services. Below we will discuss in detail the algorithms that will help you return the standard menu and restore normal multitasking on your device.
Diagnostics problem: why did running applications disappear
Before we take any drastic measures, we need to understand the nature of the error, and most often the disappearance of the list of recent applications is due to an update to the MIUI shell, which could change the algorithm of the task manager, the system could automatically switch to One Hand mode or activate the Security mode, which limits the visibility of background processes to save battery power, and the cause can also be overflow of RAM, when the system cache stops correctly indexing running processes.
Another common cause is the launcher itself, and if you installed third-party themes or modified system fonts, it could lead to interface conflict. In such cases, the operating system continues to work, but the visual shell cannot draw the list of tasks. Anomalies in RAM can also lead to the system forcibly “killing” background applications immediately after switching, creating the illusion of their absence in the history.
⚠️ Note: If the problem appears immediately after installing a third-party theme or launcher, first of all return the standard design through the lock screen and desktop settings.
Diagnostics should start by checking the available space. If internal memory is more than 90% full, the system can block the creation of new entries in the recent events log. Cleaning a few gigabytes often solves the problem instantly, and it is worth checking whether the Do Not Disturb mode or specific performance profiles that limit background activity are turned on.
Customize the interface and menu type in MIUI and HyperOS
The most common reason for menus to disappear is to change the type of navigation. Xiaomi shells have two main options for managing: with buttons at the bottom of the screen and with gestures. When switching to gestures, the list of recent apps is called by swipe from the bottom up and holding a finger, rather than a separate button. If you are used to buttons, it may seem that the menu is gone. To return to the classic look, you need to go to Settings → Desktop → Navigation System.
Make sure that you select buttons inside the navigation menu, and you can also set the order of the buttons and enable additional features, such as hiding the keyboard when you do not act. If you use gestures but the swipe does not work, you may have lost sensitivity settings or a conflict with the security glass. New versions of HyperOS also have the ability to change the animation of opening recent applications, which can visually be perceived as a change in the structure of the menu.
Special attention should be paid to the setting of the display of application cards. In some regions, the default may be a limit on the number of programs displayed in the history. To change this, go to the launcher settings and find the item responsible for “Recent Tasks.” Here you can choose to display as a vertical list or horizontal cards. Vertical scrolling is often more convenient for devices with a large screen, because it allows you to cover more content with one look.
If standard settings don’t work, try resetting the launcher to factory settings. This won’t delete your apps, but will return the original location of the icons and widgets. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Settings → Desktop and click “Clean” → “Reset” After that, the phone will reboot the interface, and the menu of recent apps should display correctly.
Resetting and cleaning of the system launcher
When changing the navigation type doesn’t help, you need to do a deeper cleaning of the interface component. System Launcher accumulates temporary files that may get corrupted over time. To do this, go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. In the list, find an application called Louncher, Desktop or MIUI Home (depending on the firmware version).
Inside the app menu, select Memory. Here you will have two options: Clear Cache and Clear Everything (or Reset) Start by cleaning the cache — this is safe and often solves the problem of the hung interface. If it didn't help, use a full reset. It's important to understand that a launcher reset will remove the folders you created on the desktop and widgets, but the applications themselves will remain in place.
☑️ Checklist for launcher reset
After reset, the screen may flash and the icons disappear for a moment, which is a normal process of rebooting the interface. The system will re-index all installed programs and restore the desktop grid. If after this procedure, the menu of recent applications appeared but is running slowly, it may be necessary to clean the RAM through the built-in optimizer.
In rare cases, especially on custom firmware, the launcher can be replaced with a third-party counterpart. Check in the Default Apps settings which launcher is the main one. If it lists some launcher you don't know, change it to a system MIUI Launcher, which ensures compatibility with all shell features, including the correct operation of the multitasking menu.
Memory management and background process limitations
Xiaomi’s current smartphones are equipped with aggressive power-saving algorithms that can automatically shut down apps without using them for a few minutes.This gives the impression that “there are no recent apps” even though they were just forcibly completed by the system. To fix this, you need to set up auto-start and work in the background. Go to the Security app → Battery → Settings.
You should find a section that deals with monitoring application activity here. Make sure that important programs don't have a "No Limits" restriction (in the context of energy saving, this means allowing you to work freely). It's also worth checking your RAM settings. In the "Memory Extension" section (if available on your model), you can virtually increase the amount of RAM, which will allow you to keep more applications on the list of recent ones without downloading them.
| Setup parameter | Recommended value | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-start | Included for the right applications | Apps launch faster and hang in the background |
| Saving energy | "No limits" | The system does not forcibly close the application |
| Blocking in the task menu | Activated (lock) | Protects the app from the “Clear All” button |
| Expansion of memory | +2GB/+4GB | Increases the number of background tasks |
Another important thing is to lock apps in the recent task menu: Open a list of running programs (if it ever appears), find the right application, pinch it with your finger or click on the lock icon, which will prevent it from being deleted from memory when you clean it, and the lock feature is especially useful for messengers and navigators, which must be working constantly.
⚠️ Warning: Setting “No Limits” mode for a large number of applications can lead to accelerated battery discharge during the day.
Hiding applications and privacy settings
Sometimes users hide apps themselves, forgetting about it, and then surprised by their absence from the general lists. MIUI has a Hidden Apps feature that is accessed by a special gesture of finger-swiping on the desktop or through settings. If the application is hidden, it will not appear in the recent task menu as standard until it is launched through a hidden container.
You can check the concealment settings by Settings → Applications → Hidden Applications. This shows a list of programs that have been placed in this mode. To return them to the public, you just need to switch to an inactive state. It is also worth checking the Second Space - if you use this feature, applications running in one profile are not visible in the list of recent tasks of another profile.
What is Second Space?
In addition, some firmware versions have a “Blocks” or “App Protection” feature. If the application is password-locked, it may not show previews of content in the recent task menu for privacy purposes. Check the privacy settings in the “App Protection” section and make sure that the “Hide Content” option is not activated globally for all programs.
On many Xiaomi smartphones, all system utilities and some downloaded programs are automatically grouped into a folder called Tools on the desktop, and users often search for missing apps in the general list without noticing that they were simply automatically sorted by the system.
Solving problems through engineering menu and ADB
If standard methods didn't work, you can use more advanced tools. The engineering menu allows you to check the state of the sensor and calibration, which indirectly affects the operation of gestures. However, a more effective method for advanced users is using USB debugging and ADB commands. This allows you to reset the interface configuration at a deep level.
To do this, you need to activate Developer For 7 times to click on the build number in About Phone and enable USB Debugging. Then, by connecting the phone to a computer, you can execute a command to reset the launcher settings, which is similar to resetting through settings, but is done by force.
adb shell pm clear com.miui.homeThis command will completely clean up the system desktop data, and once it's run, the phone can freeze for a few seconds and then reboot the interface. The ADB command is a powerful tool, so only use it if you're confident in your actions. It's guaranteed to remove any software conflicts associated with the interface cache.
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Before use ADB-commands must make a backup of important data, as forced reset of system components can lead to temporary instability of work.
Also through ADB You can check if Recent Tasks is disabled, and sometimes, as a result of experimenting with Debloat scripts (removing preset debris), users accidentally delete the system packets that are responsible for multitasking. You can restore them only by flashing or installing the original APK-launcher.