How to See Which Apps Are Working in the Background on Xiaomi: All Ways

Have you noticed that Xiaomi’s smartphone is becoming more likely to drain, warm up or slow down?The reason is often because of background apps that continue to consume resources even when you’re not using them. Messengers, social networks, games and system services can stealthily “eat” up to 30% of battery life per day if you don’t control their activity.

In this article, you will learn how to check the list of programs running in the background on any Xiaomi device (including Redmi, POCO, Black Shark), disable unnecessary processes and set up auto-cleaning. We will look at both standard MIUI tools and hidden features for power users. No root rights or complex manipulations - only proven methods relevant to MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS.

Why background apps are damaging your smartphone

Background software isn't always evil, like messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram have to stay active to get notifications, but many apps abuse this right:

• 🔋 Battery discharge: According to Xiaomi, up to 15% of the power consumption in standby mode is due to background processes.
• 🐢 Slowing down: Each active application takes up a portion of RAM (RAM), resulting in lags.
• 📡 Data traffic: Some programs (such as TikTok or Facebook) update content in the background, consuming mobile Internet.
• 🔥 Overheating: Constant CPU load can raise device temperature.

Especially critical situation on budget models Redmi (for example, Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5), where the volume of RAM is limited to 4-6 GB. Here each extra background application is felt immediately.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling system processes (e.g. com.miui.securitycenter) may result in unstable operation MIUI. Do not remove or stop services with names beginning in Android. or com.miui..

Method 1: Through "Security" (Standard Method)

The easiest way to do this is to use the built-in Security app, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of the MIUI version:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to Accelerate (or Optimize in New Versions)
3. Click Background Applications (may be called Active Processes).
4. A list of all programs running in the background will open before you, indicating the consumption of CPU and RAM.

To close the unnecessary application:

1. Slip it on his name.
2. Choose Stop or Disable Auto Start.

In MIUI 14 and HyperOS, the interface has changed a little: now active processes are displayed immediately on the main screen of the Acceleration section in the form of a pie chart. To see the full list, scroll down the screen.

Method 2: Through the Developer Settings

For advanced users, there's a more detailed method, the developer menu, which is hidden by default, but activates in 30 seconds:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified “You became a developer”).
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the Debugging section → Limits of background processes.

Here you will see 4 categories of restrictions:

To balance performance and autonomy, select the Standard Limit. If you are critical to keep a charge (e.g., on a trip), set the Limit to 2 processes, but be prepared for some notifications to come with a delay.

⚠️ Attention: In HyperOS, the path to the developer menu has changed: Settings → The phone. → HyperOS version (tap 7 times) The background partition is now called Background Activity.

Method 3: Through Task Manager (Fast Access)

If you need to urgently close the “gluttonous” application, without digging into the settings, use the Task Manager:

1. Press and hold the Home button (or swipe up and hold if you use gestures).
2. At the bottom of the screen will appear a panel with active applications.
3. Scroll to the left until the end, there will be a button to Clear everything or Close everything.
4. For selective cleaning, swipe up the card of the unnecessary application.

This method doesn't show system processes, but it quickly frees RAM from user programs, such as closing games (Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile) that continue to consume resources even after they are folded.

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To return the Menu button (three dots) in Task Manager, go to Settings → Screen → Navigation Panel → Full-screen gestures and select “With buttons” mode.

Method 4: Through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, you can use USB debugging (ADB) to see all the processes, including the hidden system processes.

• 🖥️ Computer with Platform Tools installed.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (cmd) in the folder with the platform-tools.
3. Enter the command: adb shell dumpsys activity activities | grep "mFocusedActivity" It will show the current active application.
4. For a complete list of processes, use: adb shell ps -A | grep -E 'u0_a[0-9]+' Here. u0_a — These are user applications (without system).

To forcefully stop the process, do:

adb shell am force-stop com.package.name

(Replace com.package.name with the real name of the package, such as com.facebook.katana for Facebook).

Method 5: Third-Party Monitoring Applications

If you need advanced statistics (e.g., CPU/RAM consumption timelines), install one of these applications:

• 📊 Greenify - "sedates" unnecessary programs without root rights. MIUI HyperOS.
• 🔍 Servicely – allows you to disable background services selectively (requires) ADB root).
• 📈 Simple System Monitor – shows real-time process activity (similar to Task Manager for Windows).

Example of working with Greenify:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Grant rights Special Access → Battery Optimization (in MIUI settings).
3. Add apps to the list of “sedation” (e.g. AliExpress, Wildberries).
4. Activate Aggressive Doze mode for maximum savings.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g., Servicely) may conflict with MIUI Optimization is Xiaomi's system process. If you've got lags after installation, turn it off. MIUI Optimization through ADB: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.powerkeeper

How to prohibit auto-launch applications

Even if you closed the application manually, it can start again in the background thanks to the auto-run function.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose the appropriate app (such as Instagram).
3. Go to AutoRun and turn off the slider.
4. Also, disable Background Activity and Notifications if they are not needed.

For mass shutdown of autostart:

1. B Settings → Apps click on three dots (⋮) top-right.
2. Select AutoRun.
3. Sort the list by Last Start and disable the unnecessary ones.

On POCO F5 and other HyperOS devices, the path is a little different: Settings → Applications → Permissions → Auto Run. You can also configure Over other windows and Change system settings – these permissions are often used for hidden activity.

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Disabling auto-runs for 10-15 unnecessary apps can increase battery life by 15-20% (based on Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 13 Pro+ tests).

Frequent questions and problems