How to view background applications on Xiaomi: hidden processes and their management

Background apps on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are one of the most controversial features of MIUI. On the one hand, they provide instant access to frequently used services, on the other hand, they can imperceptibly consume battery power and RAM. Unlike “pure” Android, where background management is standardized, in Xiaomi’s firmware, this mechanism works differently: some applications disguise themselves as system, while others continue to work even after a forced shutdown.

In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to display all active background processes – from standard tools to the best of your experience. MIUI We're also going to look at which applications can be safely disabled without risking system stability, and which ones should not be touched. MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 (including global and Chinese builds) and Android 12-14 models.

1. Standard method: Battery and performance menu

The most obvious (but not the most comprehensive) method is to use the built-in optimization menu, which only shows applications that Xiaomi considers “energy-intensive” but does not display system processes or hidden services.

To open the list:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Slip on the item Battery use (in some versions - Battery statistics).
3. Select the App tab and sort the list by Background consumption.

Here you'll see the percentage of battery consumption in the last 24 hours or 7 days, and notice the apps marked "Works in the background" -- you can manually limit them:

• 🔋 Social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) – often update content even in a folded state.
• 📍 Maps and navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps) – monitor the location for notifications.
• 🎵 Music services (Spotify, Yandex Music) – cache tracks and analyze listening.

⚠️ Note: If there are no obvious battery eaters (e.g. Telegram or WhatsApp) on the list, they are masquerading as system processes.

2. Hidden menu "Processes" in the developer settings

For advanced users, Xiaomi provides access to a full list of active processes — including system processes — which requires the developer mode to be activated, but provides the most detailed information.

How to activate:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. 7 times tap on the item version of MIUI (the notification will appear "You became a developer").
3. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → For developers.
4. Scroll down to the Debugging section and turn on Show Processes.

Now on the Settings menu → Annexes → Application management will be a new tab, Processes:

• 📱 User Applications (installed by you).
• ⚙️ System processes (e.g. com.miui.home).
• 👻 Hidden services (e.g. com.xiaomi.mipush.sdk).

Backup of important data |

Check the list for critical system processes |

Write down the names of the packets that are disabled (in case of recovery)|

Reboot your phone after the changes-->

3.Use of ADB-commands for hidden applications

Some Xiaomi background processes (especially in Chinese firmware) don’t even appear on the developer’s menu, and you’ll need ADB, a computer debugging tool, to detect them.

Instructions:

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC.
2. Connect your smartphone via USB and enable debugging over USB in the developer settings.
3. Open the command line in the adb.exe folder and type:

adb shell dumpsys activity processes

This command will display a complete list of all active processes, indicating:

• 🔹 PID (processor).
• 🔹 UID (user ID/application).
• 🔹 State (state: foreground, background, cached).

To disable unnecessary processes, use:

adb shell am force-stop com.example.package

⚠️ Note: Disconnecting system processes through ADB This can cause a cyclical reboot or loss of functionality (e.g., notifications disappear or the camera stops working). 4PDA or XDA Developers.

4. Third-party utilities: what to choose for MIUI

If standard methods don't give you a complete picture, you can use third-party applications, but not all utilities are compatible with the latest versions of MIUI due to security limitations.

Top.-3 test-driven:

• 🛠️ Greenify – suspends background processes without root rights, works with most applications, but requires manual adjustments.
• 🔍 AccuBattery – shows detailed battery consumption statistics for each process, including hidden battery life.
• 📊 Simple Task Killer – lightweight Task Killer with support MIUI. Allows you to create whitelists for important applications.

An important nuance: after installing any of these utilities, add it to the exceptions in the battery settings (Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → All applications), otherwise MIUI will block its operation in the background.

💡

If applications continue to run in the background after installing Greenify, try turning on Aggressive Hibernation mode in the utility settings. This forcibly freezes processes until the next explicit start.

5. Analysis through System Events Journal (Logcat)

For the most curious users, there is a method of analyzing background activity through a system event log, which will show which applications wake up the processor even in standby mode.

How to view the log:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line in the folder with ADB.
2. Enter the command:

adb logcat | grep -E "am_create_activity|am_restart_activity|am_pause_activity"

This team will filter out events related to:

• 🔄 Launching applications (am_create_activity).
• ⏸️ Suspension (am_pause_activity).
• 🔁 Relaunch (am_restart_activity).

Example of conclusion:

05-20 14:30:45.123  1234  5678 I am_create_activity: [0,com.facebook.katana,.MainActivity]


05-20 14:31:02.456  1234  5678 I am_restart_activity: [0,com.whatsapp,.Conversation]

If the log often contains entries about waking up unnecessary apps (such as Facebook or AliExpress), they can be limited through battery settings or disable auto-start.

💡

Logcat is the most accurate way to identify wake-up apps, but requires command-line skills. It's easier for beginners to use Greenify or AccuBattery.

6. Optimization of background processes without harm to the system

Turning off all background apps in a row is a bad idea. Instead, follow the 80/20 rule: limit the 20 percent of the most voracious processes that give 80 percent of the load.

Checklist of safe optimization:

• 📵 Turn off auto-start for unnecessary apps in Settings → Permits → Auto-start.
• 🔕 Ban social media and instant messengers (except where notifications are important).
• 🔄 Limit sync for cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) – set manual mode.
• 🛡️ Add critical apps to exceptions (such as WhatsApp or Banking programs).

After optimizing, check the result:

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Open Settings → Battery → Battery Use and Compare the Before and After charts.
3. If the battery began to sit slower, but the notifications disappeared, return the permissions for the desired applications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about background processes on Xiaomi