How to disable active applications on Xiaomi smartphone: all methods

Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) are known for their multitasking, but over time background processes begin to slow down the system. Active applications continue to consume RAM, battery power and even mobile traffic - even when you are not using them.

In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to disable active applications on Xiaomi, from basic to hidden MIUI functions. You will learn how the behavior of applications in different versions of the shell (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15), why some programs can not be closed manually, and how to avoid typical errors that lead to accelerated battery discharge or overheating of the processor.

Why apps remain active even after closing

The MIUI shell aggressively caches applications in memory to speed up their re-launch, part of the "Memory Extension" technology that Xiaomi introduced back in MIUI 12.5.

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption: Background processes (such as messengers or social networks) can wake the processor every 10-15 minutes to synchronize data.
• 🐢 System Slowdown: With a lack of RAM, Android begins to kill system services, leading to interface lags.
• 📶 Hidden traffic: Some apps (like TikTok or AliExpress) continue to load content in the background.
• 🔄 Autorun: After forced shutdown, some programs restart after 5–30 minutes (especially if they are added to the startup).

It is important to understand that not all background processes are harmful, such as Google Play Services or MiuiDaemon, which are critical to the stability of the system, and forced to disable them can lead to the loss of push notifications or malfunction of the Xiaomi account.

Method 1: Standardly close through the recent task menu

The most obvious method is to use a built-in multitasking menu, but it doesn't work the way most users think:

1. Click on the recent apps button (square or swipe up with pause on Xiaomi without physical buttons).
2. Swipe left/right on the application card to close it, or click on the cross (✕) card-corner.
3. For mass closing, tap on the Close Everything icon (usually at the bottom of the screen).

⚠️ Attention: This method does not guarantee that the application will be completely closed. Many programs (such as Facebook or Instagram) simply go into sleep mode and continue to take up memory. → The phone. → Memory status before and after closing.

On models with MIUI 14+, Deep Close is introduced to activate:

1. Open the menu of recent tasks.
2. Press the app icon and select Application Information.
3. Take the Force Stop (Force Stop)

Method 2: Forced stop through application settings

If the standard method doesn't work, use the built-in application manager, which is guaranteed to close all the program processes, but has limitations:

• 🚫 Does not work for system applications (such as Settings or Phone).
• ⚠️ After restarting the device, some programs can automatically start again.
• 🔄 Forced stop resets unfinished tasks in the application (for example, unsaved drafts in messengers).

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want from the list (use search if it’s not at the top).
3. Slip the Forced Stop and confirm the action.

On some models (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 13 Ultra), after a forced stop, a notification appears: "Application X is stopped. It may not work correctly." This is normal - just ignore it if the purpose was to close the program.

Method 3: Optimization with Security App

Xiaomi has a built-in tool for managing background processes, the Security app (or Global Firmware Security), which allows you not only to close active tasks, but also to customize their behavior in the future.

How to use:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the Optimization (or Boost) tab.
3. Click Clean – this will close all unnecessary background processes.
4. To fine-tune your optimisation settings, select which applications can be closed automatically.

⚠️ Note: AutoClean may conflict with some messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram), which will cause notifications to arrive with a delay. If this is critical, add messengers to the Exceptions in the optimization settings.

Method 4: Using ADB for deep closure (for advanced)

If you need to completely stop a stubborn application that is constantly restarting (such as adware or pre-installed Xiaomi services), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a connection to a computer, but gives maximum control.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools, and execute the command:

adb shell am force-stop com.package.name

To find out the package name of the application, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "appendix name"

💡

If ADB doesn’t recognize the device, try reinstalling Xiaomi drivers via the Mi PC Suite. Windows 11 may need to disable driver signature verification.

Examples of forced closure of Facebook:

adb shell am force-stop com.facebook.katana

⚠️ Note: Some system applications (e.g. com.miui.securitycenter) when stopped ADB They can cause critical failures in the work MIUI, You can't unlock the screen, so before you experiment, back up through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Method 5: Disabling Autostart and Background Activity

To prevent active applications from running again after closing, you need to restrict their rights. In MIUI, this is done through the AutoRun and Background Activity menu.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application and go to Permissions.
3. Turn it off.

• 🚀 Auto Start – prohibits starting when the phone is turned on.
• 🔄 Background activity – blocks work in the background.
• 📶 Using data in the background – restricts mobile traffic.
• 🔔 Display notifications – if notifications are not critical.

For mass shutdown of autostart:

1. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Application Privileges → Auto Run.
2. Disable unnecessary applications (leave only messengers and system services).

💡

Disabling autoruns for Google Play Services or MiuiDaemon will result in loss of push notifications and account disruptions. Never limit system processes without a clear understanding of the consequences.

What to do if the applications start again

If after all the manipulations, the programs continue to appear in the active list, the problem may be:

• 📱 Bloatware Pre-installed Firmware: Some models (especially for the Chinese market) contain advertising applications that cannot be removed.The solution is custom firmware installation (e.g. Xiaomi.EU).
• 🔗 Linked accounts: Apps like Mi Cloud or Google Drive sync in the background.
• 🕵️ Hidden Services: Some programs (e.g. Xiaomi GetApps) masquerade as system. ADB App Inspector.

For diagnostics, use the Greenify app (requires root) or the built-in Battery Monitor:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Use
2. Slip on the chart and select Background consumption.
3. See which apps are active the longest.

If system software is to blame, try resetting to factory settings (Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Resetting), but note that this will delete all data from the device.

FAQ: Frequent questions about active apps on Xiaomi