How to view running applications on Xiaomi: all ways for MIUI

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones offer several ways to view active applications, from the standard multitasking menu to hidden system tools. This feature is useful not only for monitoring device load, but also for closing “hungry” processes that consume battery power and RAM. Depending on the firmware version (MIUI 12, 13, 14 or HyperOS), the interface may vary slightly, but the basic methods remain versatile.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to check running applications, from basic to advanced, including using ADB for power users. You will also learn how to distinguish active from cached processes, why some applications do not appear in the multitasking list, and what to do if the device slows due to background activity.

1. Standard multitasking menu (swipe up)

The fastest and most intuitive way is to use the multitasking gesture, which works on all Xiaomi models (from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra) and does not require additional settings.

1. Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold your finger for 0.5 seconds (on older versions of MIUI, one swipe is enough without delay).
2. You'll see a horizontal or vertical list of application cards, and the active processes will be highlighted by a frame with a color bar at the bottom (in HyperOS, with animation).
3. Scroll through the list left/right to see all the programs running.

This menu can be used:

• 🔄 Close the application - swipe up the card.
• 🔒 Secure (block from closing) – swipe down (not available on all models).
• 📊 View statistics – click on the app icon to open information about memory and battery consumption.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 14+ Some system processes (e.g., com.miui.home) may not appear in this menu, but they continue to work in the background.

2. Section "Recent Appendices" in the settings

If the multitasking gesture doesn’t work (for example, because of a sensor failure) or you need advanced process information, use the built-in “Recent Apps” menu in the settings. This method shows all open programs, including those hidden in the standard interface.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the "Recent" tab (or "Active" in some firmware).
3. Here you will see a complete list of the time of last activity and resource consumption.

Advantages of this method:

• 📈 Shows hidden system processes (e.g. Google services or other systems) MIUI).
• 🛠️It allows you to force the application to stop, even if it is not closed by swipe.
• 🔍 It provides detailed statistics on CPU, memory and traffic.

💡

If there are too many processes on the recent list, turn on the “Clear When Locked” option in Settings → Lock Screen → Additional. This will automatically close all applications when you turn off the screen.

3. Use of Task Manager (for MIUI 12–14)

MIUI 12-14 firmware has a hidden task manager that provides advanced data on running processes, including PID (process ID) and execution priority, which is useful for diagnosing system hangovers.

How to open the dispatcher:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable the option “Task Manager”.
3. Now, when you hold the “Recent Apps” button (or long-click on the multitasking icon), a menu with advanced information will appear.

4. ADB commands for advanced users

If you want to get as much detail as possible about running processes (for example, to debug or search for malware), use ADB, a tool for interacting with Android via a computer, which requires command line skills, but gives you complete control over the system.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on your PC and connect your smartphone via USB (enable debugging over USB in the developer settings).
2. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux) and enter adb shell dumpsy activity activities
3. To view all running processes (including system ones): adb shell ps -A

Example of output of ps -A:

USER     PID   PPID  VSIZE  RSS   WCHAN            PC  NAME




u0_a100  1234  567   1.2G  150M ffffffff 0000000000 S com.android.chrome




system   2345  1     500M  80M  ffffffff 0000000000 S com.miui.home

Decoding of key columns:

• 🔹 PID — processor.
• 🔹 VSIZE — virtual process size in memory.
• 🔹 RSS — Real consumption of RAM.
• 🔹 NAME — application-package.

⚠️ Note: Do not close the name process system_server, zygote or surfaceflinger are critical components of Android, and stopping them will cause the system to crash and reboot the device.

5. Third-party monitoring applications

If the built-in MIUI tools seem inadequate, install specialized utilities from Google Play. They offer advanced features such as:

• 📊 Consumption schedules CPU/RAM real-time.
• 🛡️ Automatic closing of background processes on schedule.
• 🔍 Search for "gluttonous" applications on activity history.

Top.-3 tested applications:

1. Check the reviews and rating of the application (avoid utilities with a score below 4.0).

2. read the permissions requested (do not install programs with access to SMS or contacts).

3. Create a MIUI restore point (Settings → My Device → Backup).

4. disable auto-run of unnecessary applications (Settings) → Annexes → Auto-start).-->

6.Why are some apps not listed?

Xiaomi users often face a situation where the app is running in the background, but not visible in the multitasking menu or in the task manager.

• 👻 Hidden system processes, such as com.xiaomi.mipicks MIUI) Or com.google.android.gms, which are disguised as a shell to save resources.
• 🔄 High priority autorun – some applications (messaging apps, antiviruses) are registered as “unkillable” and restored after closing.
• 🛡️ Protection MIUI — The firmware may block the display of security-related processes (e.g. com.miui.guardprovider).

How to find such applications:

1. Use ADB (Section 4) and look for processes with a persistent flag.
2. Check the autorun list: Settings → Apps → Autorun.
3. Set root access (for power users) and use Root Explorer to view the /data/system/packages.xml folder.

💡

If the app isn’t visible in the standard menu but is consuming battery, check it in Settings → Battery → Battery Use. This shows all the processes, even hidden ones.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When working with running applications on Xiaomi, users face typical problems, and consider the most common and ways to eliminate them:

• 🚫 "Multitasking Menu does not open": Reason: Gesture or Launcher fails.Solution: Reboot the device or reset gesture settings to Settings → Screen. → Gestures.
• ⚡ "Applications open themselves after closing": Reason: Autorun or push notifications. Solution: disable autorun for problem application in Settings → Annexes → Auto-start.
• 🔄 "Task Manager shows blank list": "Cause: Developer mode disabled. Solution: Reactivate it (Section 3).

If the problem persists, reset MIUI settings (without deleting data):

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select "Resetting settings" MIUI" (Don’t confuse it with a complete reset!).
3. Confirm action. The device will restart, but the files and applications will remain intact.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions