Why Xiaomi is unloading applications from RAM: 7 reasons and ways to solve

Have you noticed that your Xiaomi smartphone is constantly closing the background apps, causing them to reboot every time you open (RAM) firmware MIUI The manufacturer deliberately sacrifices convenience for the sake of saving resources, but this is not always justified.

Users often confuse this behavior with “memory leaks” or viruses, when in fact it is a regular mechanism. In this article, we will discuss 7 key reasons why Xiaomi unloads applications from the Internet. RAM, How this affects battery and performance, and how to set up the system, you will learn when to fight this feature, and when to accept and adapt.

Spoiler: 90 percent of the time, it's solved without rooting rights and complicated manipulation -- you have to fine-tune the system, but there are pitfalls that the manufacturer doesn't mention.

1. How management works RAM Xiaomi: Myths and Reality

Many users believe that free RAM is good and busy memory is bad, a misconception that goes back to the Windows era. XP, deficit RAM In modern smartphones, it's the opposite: Android is optimized for memory, and free gigabytes are untapped potential.

Xiaomi has gone beyond competitors and introduced into the MIUI (And now in HyperOS, an aggressive cleaning algorithm RAM. Here's how it works in practice:

• 🔄 Prioritize active applications: The system only remembers what you are using right now, unloading everything else.
• ⚡ Energy Saving: Background processes consume battery, so Xiaomi kills them for autonomy.
• 📉 Dynamic distribution: the less free RAM, The more the system cleans it, even if it is not critical.

The problem is that the algorithm isn't always smart, like it can shut down a music player in the background or a messenger even though you're using it, and it's not a bug, but a deliberate trade-off between performance and energy efficiency that Xiaomi has made to please the mass user.

For comparison: Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy with One UI policy RAM It's softer. It keeps apps in memory longer, but it also goes down faster. Xiaomi has the opposite situation.

2. Top.-7 Why Xiaomi is killing background apps

If your smartphone is systematically shutting down programs, it's not just a single factor that's to blame, but a combination of settings and firmware features.

Energy saving mode

Even if you don't manually activate it, MIUI/HyperOS can automatically limit background activity at a charge level below 20%. To check:

Settings → Battery and performance → Battery mode

It may include "Ultra Mode" or "Balanced" which are aggressively cleaned. RAM.

Optimization MIUI lightness"

Xiaomi firmware originally sharpened for budget smartphones with 4-6 GB RAM. Even on the flagships with 12+ It behaves as if memory is in short supply, a legacy of the past, when Xiaomi fought for every percentage of performance on weak chips.

Function “Cleaning up” RAM" curtained

Many users are used to clicking the "Clean" button in the notification panel, not realizing that it forcibly kills all background processes, after which applications have to start from scratch, which only increases the load on the processor.

4. Automatic memory optimization

In the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (5 times tap) has a Do not save (or Limit background processes) item. If activated, the system will kill the applications immediately after the fold.

5 Conflict with "Security" and "Optimizer"

Xiaomi's standard Security app has a Cleanup module that defaults to the background, and it can shut down applications even if there's enough memory to turn off:

Security → Cleaning → ⚙️ Settings → Auto Cleaning (off)

6. Lack of disk memory

When the internal storage is less than 10%, the system begins to aggressively clean. RAM, This is because Android uses a part of the drive for cache and swap.

7. Features of specific models

For example, in the Redmi Note 10 Pro and POCO X3 Pro problem is compounded by weak memory controller in Snapdragon chip 732G. And in the Xiaomi 12 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, app unloading can be linked to overheating – the system kills processes to lower the temperature.

3.How to check if applications are being unloaded from RAM?

Before you set up something, make sure the problem really exists. Here are 3 reliable ways to diagnose:

Method 1: Manual testing

1. Open an app (such as Telegram or Spotify).
2. Curl it up and wait 5-10 minutes.
3. Open Recent Apps (swipe up with a delay).
4. If instead of a preview, an application icon is visible on a gray background, it is unloaded from the RAM.

Method 2: Through the Developer Settings

Activate Developer Mode (as described above) and go to:

Settings → Additional → For developers → Memory information

Here you will see the schedule of use. RAM And the list of running processes, and if you fold the application, it disappears from the list, it's killed.

Method 3: Specialized Utilities

Applications like Simple System Monitor or DevCheck show detailed statistics on memory usage, and they can help you track which processes are eating away. RAM and when the cleanup takes place.

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If you are testing a messenger (such as WhatsApp), send yourself a voice message and turn the application down. If after 5 minutes the message does not play back from the same moment, it is unloaded from memory.

4. How to disable application unloading from RAM: step-by-step

If the diagnosis confirms a problem, try these methods. Start with the safest and go to radical only if nothing helps.

Step 1. Turn off the autocleaning in Security.

• 🛡️ Open the Security app.
• 🧹 Go to the Cleanup section.
• ⚙️ Click on the settings icon in the upper right corner.
• 🔘 Turn off Auto Clean and Clean options when blocked.

Step 2: Set up the battery mode

Go to:

Settings → Battery and performance → Battery mode

Choose Performance over Balanced or Ultra Mode. This will reduce the aggressiveness of cleaning. RAM, It will reduce the battery life a little.

Step 3: Add Add Addenda to Exceptions

For critical programs (navigators, messengers, players) configure exceptions:

Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management → Applications Selection

Select No Limits for the Apps you want.

Step 4: Turn off optimization MIUI

In the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — snatch 5 times. Find out:

• Don't save action, turn it off.
• Limit background processes – set a standard limit.
• Windows animation, Transition animation - reduce to 0.5x (This indirectly affects memory management).

Step 5. Use it. ADB-Teams (for advanced teams)

If previous methods have not worked, you can manually disable optimization for specific applications through ADB. For example, for Telegram:

adb shell dumpsys deviceidle whitelist +org.telegram.messenger

This adds the app to the whitelist, preventing it from being unloaded.Caution: misuse ADB It can disrupt the stability of the system.

Disable autocleaning in "Safety"|Set the battery mode to "Performance"|Add key annexes to exceptions|Check the developer's settings|Clean the cache manually (if memory is required) <15% freely)-->

5. Xiaomi models with the most aggressive cleaning algorithms RAM

Not all Xiaomi smartphones kill background apps equally, and we analyzed user reviews and tests to rank the most voracious devices. MIUI 14 and HyperOS 1.0.

Fun fact: flagships of the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro series behave much more loyally thanks to the improved memory controller in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.+) Often suffer from excessive cleaning due to the features of the firmware.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) optimisation RAM If the changes make the smartphone hot, you can put the settings back.

6. Management myths RAM Xiaomi: What Really Works?

There are a lot of tips on “optimization” on the Internet" RAM Xiaomi, but most of them are either useless or harmful.-5 myths and the truth behind them.

Myth 1: “The more free you are” RAM, faster than a smartphone"

Reality: Empty RAM is an inefficient use of resources. Android specifically caches frequently used data into RAM, So when you manually clear the memory, the system has to spend time reloading the data.

Myth 2: “Cleaning applications RAM speed up the phone"

Reality: Utilities like Clean Master or DU Speed Boosters not only don't help, they also slow down the system, they kill background processes, which causes applications to restart from scratch. MIUI The optimizer is already built in - additional programs only interfere with the.

Myth 3: “Switching off animations frees you up” RAM"

Reality: The animation settings (Windows Animation, Transition Animation) only affect visual effects, not memory management. Disabling them will speed up the perception of the interface, but will not solve the problem with downloading applications.

Myth 4: Root rights will solve all problems with the RAM"

Reality: Root gives you more control, but it doesn't guarantee stability. Wrong edits in build.prop or kernel can lead to bootloop. Without absolutely having to do without root rights.

Myth 5: “Resetting to factory settings will help”

Reality: Resetting will return default settings, but won't change the logic of the job MIUI. If the firmware is the problem, it will stay. Reset only makes sense if you have installed many third-party optimizers or changed system files.

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The only really working way to reduce application unloading is by combining disabling auto-cleaning, adding apps to exceptions, and using Performance mode. All other methods are either ineffective or dangerous.

7. Alternative solutions: when nothing helps

If you’ve tried all the ways, Xiaomi is still aggressively cleaning up RAM, consider these options:

1. Installation of custom firmware

Firmware like LineageOS, Pixel Experience or ArrowOS are not aggressively optimized MIUI. Cons:

• 🔧 Requires unlocking the bootloader (erases data).
• 🔋 Possible problems with the battery or camera.
• 📱 The guarantee is lost (on some models).

2.Use of the Green Dot (Greenify)

Greenify allows you to flexibly manage background activity, and unlike standard tools, it does not kill processes completely, but freezes them, saving the battery without losing any state.

3. Buying a smartphone with a large amount of RAM

If your device has 4-6 GB of RAM, even the perfect settings will not save you from downloading applications. In 2026, the minimum comfortable volume is 8 GB, and for multitasking is better than 12 GB.

4.Switching to another family of smartphones

If the problem is critical (e.g., you use a navigator in the background), consider brands with more loyal management policies. RAM:

• 📱 Samsung Galaxy (Series S and A with One) UI).
• 📱 Google Pixel (Pure Android without Aggressive Optimization).
• 📱 OnePlus (in Performance Mode).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Black Shark) have management logic RAM It's fundamentally different because of the game orientation, and if you're taking a gaming smartphone, check if it's in conflict with your normal workload.

FAQ: Frequent questions about app downloads in Xiaomi