How to view apps in the background on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones are known for their multitasking, but sometimes background processes can slow down the system or quickly drain the battery. If you notice that the phone is warming for no reason and the charge is melting in front of your eyes, it’s probably the applications that run in the background that are to blame. In this article, we’ll look at all the available ways to track them, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features for power users.

It’s important to understand that background applications fall into two categories: visible (the ones displayed in the notification bar) and hidden (the ones that continue to work after closing), the former can be quickly detected through the multitasking menu, and the latter require more in-depth analysis, and we’ll show you how to find both, and explain which ones can be safely disabled and which ones should not be touched.

1. Standard method: Multitasking panel

The easiest way is to use the built-in dashboard of recent apps. On most Xiaomi models (from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra), it opens with a swipe from the bottom up with a delay in the middle of the screen, and here you will see all the apps that have been launched recently, including those that continue to work in the background.

Note the icons in the upper right corner of the application cards:

• 🔄 — The application actively updates data (for example, messengers or mail);
• 🔊 — Reproduces sound in the background (music, podcasts);
• 📶 — Uses mobile internet or Wi-Fi;
• 🔋 — consumes increased battery charge.

To close an unnecessary application, simply swipe the card up, but remember that some system processes (com.android.systemui, com.miui.home) will restart automatically.

Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 for the global version) have a Clean Everything button in the multitasking bar, but don’t overuse it: Forcing all processes to shut down can lead to system services being rebooted and battery consumption increasing in the first 5-10 minutes after cleaning.

2. Section "Battery" - hidden charge eaters

If you're interested in apps that are not so much visible as those that are secretly using up, look at battery statistics. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Use. Here, the system ranks applications by energy consumption over the past 24 hours or 7 days.

Pay special attention to the sections:

• 🔋 Background consumption – shows which apps are active, even when you’re not using them;
• 📊 Details (tap on the schedule) - displays peak loads and activity time;
• ⚡ Optimization – here you can manually limit background activity for individual applications.

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If you see mediaserver or android.process.media on your battery consumption list, it means that the system indexes media files (photos, videos, music) and wait until the process is complete, it will stop itself. 10-30 minute.

3. Task Manager (hidden MIUI function)

Few people know, but MIUI has a built-in task manager that shows all active processes, including system processes.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap 7 times on the MIUI Version item;
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers;
3. Find the Task Manager option (or Processes in new versions) and enable it.
4. Now in the notification panel will appear a new switch Task Manager.

After activation, you will be able to see:

• 📌 Active applications (those that interact with the user);
• 🔄 Background processes (working without your involvement);
• 🛠️ System services (critical to work) MIUI).

⚠️ Note: Do not close processes with the names com.android.phone, com.qualcomm.qti or miui.analytics. their forced termination may lead to loss of the mobile network or reboot of the phone.

4.Using ADB for Advanced Users

If you want to get a full list of background processes, including hidden system processes, use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting your phone to your computer, but provides the most detailed information.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on PC
2. Enable debugging by USB in the developer settings;
3. Connect the phone to your computer and confirm the trusted device.
4. Open the command line and enter: adb shell dumpsys activity processes

In the conclusion of the command, pay attention to the columns:

• PID is a unique process identifier.
• UID – User ID (1000 – system applications)
• ProcState is the state of the process (FOREGROUND, BACKGROUND, CACHED).

⚠️ Please note: Do not kill the process with the adb shell kill command. [PID], Some systems (surfaceflinger, zygote) are critical to the Android experience, and stopping them will result in an instantaneous reset.

5. Third-party monitoring applications

If you don't want to dig into settings or connect ADB, you can use third-party utilities.

When using Greenify, we recommend adding to hibernation:

• 📱 Social networks (Instagram, TikTok);
• 🎮 Game launchers (Xiaomi Game Turbo);
• 📰 News aggregators (Google News, Yandex Zen).

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Third-party applications for monitoring background processes may conflict with built-in MIUI optimization. If after installing the phone began to warm up more, remove the utility and use standard tools.

6. Optimize background processes without manual control

If you are lazy to constantly check active applications, set up automatic optimization:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Optimization
2. Select Balanced or Charge Saving mode;
3. In the Exclusions section, add critical applications (messengers, banking programs);
4. Activate the option to Clean Memory when you lock the screen (available in MIUI 13+).

It is also useful to disable auto-run of unnecessary applications:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management;
2. Slip on the three points in the upper right corner and select AutoRun;
3. Turn off autoplay for games, social media, and other non-critical programs.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

"Apps open themselves in the background" is a typical complaint of Xiaomi users.

• 🤖 MIUI Optimizer is a system process that “preloads” frequently used applications;
• 📱 Push notifications – some applications (AliExpress, Wildberries) are launched when notified;
• 🔄 Background synchronization – enabled in account settings Google/Mi.

Decisions:

• Turn off Application Preloading in Settings → Special Features → MIUI Optimizer;
• Disable background activity for unnecessary applications in Settings → Apps → Permissions → Auto Run;
• Turn off sync for unused accounts in Settings → Accounts.

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F3, Redmi K40) post-off MIUI Optimizer may lag when you open apps. In this case, return the settings back and use Greenify for selective hibernation.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions