Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face an annoying problem: messengers stop sending notifications, the navigator resets the route when the screen is turned off, and music is interrupted at the most inopportune moment. The reason for this behavior is the aggressive optimization of the MIUI system and the new HyperOS shell, which ruthlessly “kill” processes running in the background to save battery power. Standard Android settings often do not work here, as the manufacturer has implemented its own, more stringent algorithms for managing memory and power consumption.
To fix this, you need to manually adjust the settings for each important application. This does not require superuser rights or device flashing, but it will require care, since the switches you need are scattered across different menus of the system. It is critical to configure not only the background work, but also auto-start, otherwise the system will unload the application immediately after you reboot your smartphone. In this guide, we will discuss all the available methods, from simple settings to hidden developer parameters that ensure the stable operation of your programs.
Before we get into deep tweaks, it's worth understanding why the system does this. The Doze mode mechanism in Android was significantly modified by Xiaomi engineers. If the regular version of Android only limits the network activity of sleeper applications, then the MIUI shell can completely complete the process, freeing up RAM. This is useful for low-cost devices with low RAM, but critical for messengers, activity trackers or smart homes. Let's break down the step-by-step algorithm of actions to fully unlock functionality.
Basic battery setting and energy saving
The first step is to turn off the restrictions for a particular application in the battery menu. The default system can be in "Energy Saving" or "Ultra-Saving" mode, which blocks background activity. You need to go to Settings, find the App section and select All apps. In the list that opens, find the desired program, such as Telegram or WhatsApp, and click on it.
Inside the app menu, find the Battery Savings (or Battery) option, which is often the default "Battery Savings" or "Smart Savings" option, and you need to switch to "No Limits" to signal that the application is a priority and that it cannot be interrupted even when the battery is low.
- 🔋 Open the settings of a particular application through the main screen of smartphone settings.
- 🔋 Find the “Battery Savings” section in the app’s feature list.
- 🔋 Activate “No Limits” mode for permanent background work.
- 🔋 Make sure the Auto Start switch is also activated in the same menu.
Once you change this setting, the system will stop aggressively clearing the memory from this process. However, this may not be enough if you have a global power saving mode on. Check the battery status in the notification curtain: if Saving mode is activated, turn it off for testing. It is also worth noting that in new versions of HyperOS, the path to settings may be slightly different, but the logic remains the same: you need to find power management for a particular package.
⚠️ Note: Setting “No Limits” mode for a large number of applications can lead to a noticeable decrease in battery life of the device, as the processor and communication module will work more actively.
Managing Auto Start and Permits
The second critical element is the autorun manager. Even if you allow background work, MIUI by default prevents applications from running themselves after turning on the screen or rebooting. The easiest way to access this tool is to use the built-in Security app (lightning icon and shield), which is preinstalled on all devices of the brand.
Run the Safety app and find the AutoRun icon. In the list that opens, you'll see all the programs installed. Find the app you want and turn on the switchboard opposite it. This action allows the app to start its services immediately after the operating system boots, which is especially important for step trackers, alarm clocks and instant messengers.
☑️ Set up auto-start and permissions
In addition to autorun, check for additional permissions. In the same app menu (via Settings → Apps), go to Other permissions. Here it is important to activate items related to displaying over other windows and accessing notifications. Without the right to “Master on top of other applications”, some functions, such as pop-up call windows on Viber or Skype, may not work correctly.
Also in the permissions section, look for location access. If a navigation app or activity tracker needs to work in the background, it needs constant geolocation access, not just "When in use." Select the "Always"** option to access location so that tracks don't get interrupted when you lock the screen.
Fixing applications in RAM
The third method is to manually lock the application into RAM, which visually shows the system that the user wants to keep the program open, and then open the menu of running applications by swiping from the bottom up and holding your finger (or pressing the menu button, depending on the type of navigation).
Find the card of the application you want. On Xiaomi and Redmi devices, you usually have to press and hold the app card or pull it down (depending on the version of MIUI). The lock icon will appear. Press it to lock. Now, even if you click the "clear memory" button (cross or broomstick), this application will not be closed.
| Action. | The result | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| No Limits Regime | The system does not limit the CPU and network | High-pitched |
| Auto-start | Start of services after switching on the phone | High-pitched |
| Fixing (Castle) | Protection against manual memory cleaning | Medium. |
| Background authorization | Work without an active window | critical |
Remember, memory retention is not 100% guaranteed if the system needs to release resources to run a heavy game or camera, but when it comes to battery settings, this method significantly improves stability. On devices with low RAM (3-4 GB), try not to attach too many programs to avoid causing the interface to slow down.
What to do if the lock does not appear?
Specificity of the work of navigators and music
Special attention is required for navigation applications (Yandex Navigator, Google Maps, 2GIS) and music players. For navigators, not only the background mode, but also the GPS is critical. In the battery settings for the navigator, be sure to select “No restrictions”, otherwise, when the screen is turned off, the route may reset or voice prompts will disappear.
For music applications, it is important to allow background and media access. Sometimes the system blocks playback, believing that the user has stopped interacting with the phone. In the Security → Licenses and Permits app (or similar section depending on the version), make sure that the player has all the necessary rights.
- 🎵 For music, turn on “Autostart” and “Working in the background».
- 🗺️ To navigate, add an exception to the "Do Not Disturb" mode if it is used.
- 🗺️ Check if Flight mode or traffic saving is enabled blocking card loading.
- 🎵 In screen settings, set more time before turning off if the navigator goes off too quickly.
Often users complain that the music is playing, but the album cover or track management is not displayed on the lock screen or in the curtain. This is solved in the notification settings of the application itself: make sure that the notification category "Media Control" or "Replay" is not blocked and has a high priority. In MIUI, notification categories can be configured in detail, removing unnecessary, but leaving the system.
⚠️ Note: When using navigation in the background, the screen may turn off, making it difficult to view the map. Use the navigation widget on the desktop or the Always Screen On setting in the navigator itself, if such an option is available.
Settings for developers and additional parameters
For advanced users who haven't been helped by standard methods, there are hidden settings in the developer menu. To get there, you need to quickly click 7 times on the build number in the About Phone section. Once you have "You've become a developer," go back to the main settings menu and find the Additional → For Developers section.
In this menu, scroll down to the app-related block. Find Background mode** or background process limitations. Make sure there's no hard process limit. Also, look at hardware render acceleration, which can help with heavy maps but will increase battery consumption.
Settings → About Phone → 7 clicks on "Version MIUI" → Settings → Additional → For DevelopersAnother important parameter in this section is "Don't turn off the screen"** If you activate it (requires a charging connection), the screen will burn constantly. This is useful for testing, but in everyday life it is better to use the standard settings of the screen timeout. Also in the developer menu you can find the option of forced activity of background processes, but use it with caution, as this can lead to instability of the system.
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If you reset the developer settings or get confused in the settings, there is a switch at the very top of the Developer Menu that turns off all experimental functions in one action and returns the standard behavior of the system.
Solving Notification Problems in HyperOS and MIUI 14
In the latest versions of shells from Xiaomi, a new layer of protection has appeared that can block notifications even with all the above settings. MIUI Optimization (Optimization) MIUI). In some cases (especially on global firmware with Google services installed through Google's GMS) Disabling this option in the developer menu solves the problem with “falling asleep” applications.
However, the more effective method in the new versions is to work with notifications. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. Find an application and make sure that all types of notifications are enabled, especially “Important” or “High Priority”, the system prioritizes such notifications and less often blocks them.
It’s also worth checking if your phone is in Do Not Disturb or Sleep mode, which allows you to ignore incoming calls and messages, except for your favorite contacts, and set exceptions for important apps in the Digital Well-being section or in the Do Not Disturb settings.
⚠️ Attention: Disabling “Optimizations” MIUI» In the developer menu, you may be notified twice (the same message) or some system functions may not work properly.
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A comprehensive approach is key to success. Customization alone is not enough: be sure to combine the "No Limits" Battery Mode, Autostart enabled and memory-stamped for guaranteed results.