Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive system optimization that aggressively unloads apps from RAM. MIUI and its current version of HyperOS are designed to maximize battery life, often at the expense of multitasking. Users notice that messengers stop notifying, music players stop talking, and navigators reset the route as soon as the screen goes out.
The problem lies in the deep integration of system constraints that by default prohibit background activity of most programs. To get a device to keep the right services in memory, you need to perform a comprehensive setup of several security and power consumption parameters. In this guide, we will analyze each step that will turn your Xiaomi into a reliable tool for work.
Ignoring these settings leads to the fact that even powerful flagships with 12 or 16 GB of RAM behave like budget models with 2 GB. The system forcibly “strangles” processes, considering them unnecessary. Let’s figure out how to get control of the device back into your hands.
Blocker and Auto Run: The Foundation of Stability
The first and most important step is to allow the program to start itself when you turn on your phone, and by default, in the MIUI shell, this feature is disabled for all third-party applications for security purposes, and you need to manually specify which services are entrusted to run with the operating system.
To do this, open the Security app (green lightning icon), which is the system control center. Go to the Permissions section and select Autostart. Here you will see the full list of installed programs. Find the desired application in the list, such as Telegram or Spotify, and activate the switch opposite it.
⚠️ Warning: Do not turn on auto-start for all applications in a row. This will lead to a sharp decrease in interface speed and rapid battery discharge in standby mode.
Once you have enabled auto-run, the system may suggest enabling permissions for other related services.Agree if you are talking about Google components or system frameworks necessary for the program to run.Without this step, any further settings may be useless, as the process simply will not be initiated after the reboot.
☑️ Set up basic permissions
Configuring the energy saving mode for applications
The next critical step is to change the power consumption policy for a particular application. Android and its modifications seek to limit background activity to save charge. You need to explicitly indicate to the system that the application is important and should not be limited.
Go to Settings on your smartphone, then go to Apps → All Apps. Find the program you want and click on it. Select Battery Savings (or Battery) and the default value is “Battery Savings (Recommended),” which causes you to unload.
Change this to "No Limits." This action removes all limits on background activity, allowing the application to use network and CPU time even when the screen is off. For messengers and navigators, this is a critical setting.
- 🔋 No restrictions – the application works in the background without any obstacles, notifications come instantly.
- 📉 Charge savings – the system limits background processes, notifications may come with a delay.
- 🚫 Strong Limitation – The app stops completely after closing or folding.
💡
After changing the battery settings, it is advisable to launch the application once and leave it open for 1-2 minutes so that the system “remembers” the usage pattern.
Loading the application in memory (Lock in RAM)
In the MIUI interface, there is a mechanism for manually fixing applications in RAM, which prevents them from being unloaded when memory is cleared through the task manager or when there is a lack of free resources for new heavy games.
Open the menu of running apps by swiping from the bottom up and holding your finger (or pressing the menu button, depending on the type of navigation), find the window of the desired application and click on the lock icon or hold your finger for the program preview until the lock icon appears, and then the inscription “Blocked” will appear next to the name.
Now, even if you click the Clear button (cross or broom), this application will remain on the list of working processes, which is especially useful for music players, recorders or activity tracking applications that need to run continuously.
| Action. | The result | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-start enabled | Start with the OS | Minimum |
| No Limits Regime | Working in the background 24/7 | Medium/High |
| Blocking in the task menu | Protection from cleaning | Depends on the app. |
Advanced settings in the developer menu
For advanced users who don't have the standard methods, there are hidden options in the developer menu, where you can globally change the behavior of the system when there is a lack of memory or limit the number of background processes.
To get into this menu, you need to click on “Version” several times. MIUI» In the "About the Phone" section, until "You're a developer" appears, and then in the advanced settings, look for "Developers" section, and we're interested in "Limit background processes».
Make sure it's "Standard Limit" or "No Limits" if you select "No More than 1 Process" or "No Background Processes," no settings inside the applications will help - the system will force you to kill everything that's superfluous.
⚠️ Warning: Changing the settings in the developer menu can cause the system to run unstable. Return the default values if you notice strange interface behavior.
Also in this section, check the "Do Not Activity" option, which, if enabled, will destroy the application activity as soon as the user switches to another screen, a feature designed for testing, not everyday use.
What is the Zygote process?
The impact of In-pocket mode and battery optimization
The Pocket mode feature, which often conflicts with the background of applications, is designed to prevent accidental taps, but in practice can block touch screens and interrupt navigation or pedometers.
Check the settings in the Lock & Protect section → Pocket Mode. If you have problems with a particular app, try disabling this feature completely or adding an exception if this is available in your firmware version.
In addition, the “Security” app has a “Battery” section» → «Settings" (cogs) There's a "Extended Standby Time" switch that can aggressively limit background processes. Try turning this off if other methods haven't worked.
- 📱 The proximity sensor, the main mode trigger in the pocket, can mistakenly fire from the protective glass.
- 🔌 Charging – Some Xiaomi models stop unloading apps only when the charger is connected.
- 🌡️ Overheating – at high temperature, the system automatically increases the aggressiveness of unloading processes for cooling.
Specifics of working with messengers and navigation
Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) and navigators (Yandex.Maps, Google Maps, 2GIS) have their own features in the background. For instant messengers, it is critical to have Google Play Services, which must be updated and have all the necessary permissions.
Navigation applications often require additional permission to access geolocation in Always mode, not just When in use. Without this permission, the GPS driver can turn off when the screen is off, resulting in a loss of route.
In some cases, creating an application shortcut on the desktop through system widgets rather than through a launcher helps.This creates a separate startup instance that the system sometimes perceives as a higher priority.
💡
Integrated approach: enabling auto-start, removing battery restrictions and locking in the task manager ensure the application works 99% of the time.
If none of these methods worked, it may be a firmware version or a bug in the app itself, so you should check for system updates or try installing an earlier, stable version of the app.