Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 9 smartphones often face a situation where the device eventually starts to work slower and the battery is consumed faster than after purchase. The main reason for this behavior of the Android system running the MIUI shell is excessive background processes. Even if you closed the application with a swipe, many of them continue to consume CPU resources and Internet traffic in the background. This is especially true for budget models where the amount of RAM is limited.
Proper control of background processes allows not only to extend battery life, but also to reduce the heating of the case, which is critical for the Redmi 9 with its MediaTek Helio G80 processor. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods: from standard Android settings to the use of hidden engineering menus and debugging over USB. You will learn to distinguish system processes from user ones and understand which ones can be safely stopped without risking the stability of the system.
It’s important to understand that killing all processes is not a panacea. Android is designed to keep frequently used programs in memory for quick launch. However, Xiaomi often has pre-installed services that don’t benefit the user but are actively working, and our goal is to balance performance and functionality by removing only unnecessary “junk”.
Analysis of background activity through battery settings
The first step in optimizing Redmi 9 should be to analyze current power consumption. The MIUI shell provides a fairly detailed statistic that reveals “gluttonous” applications. Go to the Settings → Battery and Performance menu, and here you will see a charge graph and a list of applications sorted by their impact on the battery.
Look for apps that you rarely use, but they're at the top of the list. Click on the suspicious item to see the details. In the window that opens, look for "Background Activity" or "Background Run." If there's a "No Limits" limitation, the system allows the application to run smoothly, which often leads to a discharge.
For most third-party programs (social networks, games, stores), the optimal choice is the “Limit background activity” mode. This will not prevent the application from coming notifications, but will stop the processes when the screen is turned off and the application is not actively used. System services such as System Launcher or Google Play Services are not recommended to touch, as this can disrupt the interface.
- 🔍 Battery Savings – A mode that forcibly closes an app after using the screen, but can block notifications.
- ⚙️ Without restrictions – the application works at full strength, even in the background, consuming charge and resources CPU.
- 🛑 Limit – the middle ground, allowing notifications, but limiting background calculations.
Once the settings for each application are changed, the system may need to reboot to apply the changes, which is normal behavior for Android 10 and newer versions that Redmi 9 is based on.
⚠️ Note: Do not set a background activity limit for messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) if you want to receive messages instantly. In austerity mode, notifications may come with a delay or only after opening the application.
Managing Auto-Running Applications in MIUI
One of the most intrusive features in Xiaomi smartphones is auto-run. Even if you manually closed the app, it can run again on its own or be launched by another application (so-called “chains” of startup).
Find the Security app on your desktop (green shield icon). Go to Permissions and select AutoRun, and here is a complete list of programs that are eligible to start with the operating system. Many of them are enabled by default, slowing down the phone’s boot and putting a strain on RAM immediately after you turn on.
Turn off the switches for all apps you don't need in the background right from the moment you turn on your phone, including stores, browsers, games and secondary utilities, and leave only system services and possibly instant messengers on if you expect them to give you instant notifications.
It is worth noting that in some versions of MIUI, autorun settings may be duplicated in the “Permissions” section of the main system settings. If you do not find the right switch in the “Security” application, check the Settings path → Applications → Permissions → Autorun. The interface may vary slightly depending on the regional version of the firmware (Global, EU, Russia).
The effect of turning off the excess autorun on the Redmi 9 becomes noticeable almost immediately, the phone begins to respond faster to commands, and free RAM becomes more by 300-500 MB, which is essential for this model.
Disabling background processes through the developer menu
For more advanced users who want to get maximum control over Redmi 9, there is a hidden developer menu available, where you can forcefully limit the number of background processes that the OS keeps in memory. It's a powerful tool, but it requires caution in use.
To activate the menu, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on “MIUI Version.” After the message “You became a developer” appears, go back to the main settings menu and select “Additional” → “For Developers.” Find the “Applications” section and the “Background Process Limit” item.
The default value here is "Standard Limit"; you can change it to "No Background Processes" or select a specific number (e.g., "No More than 2 Processes"). When you select a hard limit, the system will aggressively unload applications from memory as soon as you switch to another task.
Risks of changing the process limit
This method is especially effective if you run a heavy app or game and want to allocate all the resources of MediaTek Helio G80 for it, but for everyday use, it is better to leave the standard settings or limit the number of processes to 3-4 so that multitasking does not suffer.
In the same menu developers pay attention to the switch “Do not turn off the screen” when charging – it is better to keep it off to avoid the burnout matrix and excess energy consumption if you forgot to disconnect the phone from the network.
Memory cleaning and cache work
The accumulated cache of applications is another reason for the slowdown of the Xiaomi Redmi 9. cache is created to speed up the load of frequently used data, but over time it can grow to gigabytes, taking up space in storage and indirectly affecting the speed of the system.
To clear the cache of a particular application, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Select the program you want, go to Memory and click Clear Cache. It is important not to confuse this button with the Clean All or Delete button, as the latter option will erase your logins, passwords and saves in games.
For mass cleaning, use the built-in Security → Cleanup app. The system will analyze files and suggest removing temporary files, remnants of deleted programs and advertising debris. Regularly performing this procedure (once every 1-2 weeks) helps keep Android in good shape.
| Type of data | Description | Is it safe to remove? | Impact on work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash app. | Temporary files for quick download | Yes. | Applications can be loaded a little longer on the first run |
| Application data | Settings, logins, saving games | No (reset the app) | Complete reset of the application to the post-installation state |
| Residual files | Fragments of remote programs | Yes. | Frees up space, does not affect the functionality |
| Advertising files | Uploaded banners and promotional materials | Yes. | Reduces traffic and speeds up the interface |
It’s also worth checking the Downloads folder in the file manager, often with APK installation files that are no longer needed or saved images from instant messengers that are duplicated in the gallery.
⚠️ Note: When cleaning system application data (e.g., “Google Services” or «MIUI») Be very careful.Resetting their data could lead to contact disappearing, resetting Wi-Fi settings or temporarily inoperating Play Market.
Using ADB to Deeply Deactivate System Applications
The most radical, but also the most effective way to disable background processes is by using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, which allows you to remove or freeze even system applications that cannot be disabled through the standard settings menu. For Redmi 9, it is a great way to get rid of Chinese software in global firmware or intrusive Google services.
First, you need to activate USB debugging. Go to the Developer Menu (as described above) and turn on the USB debugging switch. Connect your phone to your computer via a quality cable. The computer should have ADB drivers installed.
After connecting, open the command line on your PC and enter a command to check the connection:
adb devicesYou'll see a request for debugging permission on your phone screen, confirm it. Now you can manage the packets. To see a list of all the packages installed, use the command:
adb shell pm list packagesTo disable a particular application (without deleting, which is safer), use the command adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 packet name. For example, to disable the background analytics service, you need to know its exact packet name (e.g., com.miui.analytics). This action will completely stop the process, and it will not start even after the reboot until you turn it back on.
☑️ Preparation for work with ADB
Using ADB requires care. Disabling critical system components can lead to a “boot loop” (cyclical reboot).
⚠️ Warning: Never disable packages that you don't know what they're supposed to be, especially those that contain the words system, framework, or Android in their name, which can make the phone unusable without flashing it.
Battery optimization and energy saving modes
In addition to manually managing applications, Redmi 9 offers built-in power saving modes that automatically adjust background activity. The Settings → Battery and Performance menu has three main modes: Saving, Improved and Performance.
Saving mode is the toughest option. It not only limits background processes, but it also reduces brightness, turns off vibration and synchronization. It's ideal when the charge is running out, but it's too restrictive for constant operation. Improved mode is recommended for everyday use: it dynamically allocates resources, allowing background tasks to work if they don't overload the system.
The battery settings also include an “Extended Battery Life” feature (or similar, depending on the MIUI version), which learns your habits and automatically limits the activity of applications you rarely use at night or at certain hours.
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For maximum nighttime autonomy, turn on Do Not Disturb and Flight Mode if you don't need calls.This will completely shut down radio modules, which are one of the main energy consumers in the background.
Remember that live wallpaper and widgets on the desktop also consume resources in the background. By removing heavy animated wallpaper, you can noticeably reduce the load on the GPU and Redmi 9 processor.
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A comprehensive approach combining disabling autostart, adjusting battery limitations and periodically cleaning the cache gives a better result than using only one method.