Background mode on Xiaomi Redmi: how to make applications work without interruptions

Xiaomi Redmi smartphones based on MIUI are known for aggressive battery optimization, which often blocks the background of applications from messengers to fitness trackers. Users face problems: Viber does not send notifications, Google Fit stops syncing data, and music players turn off when the screen is locked. In this article, we will analyze all the ways to adjust the background mode, from basic MIUI parameters to hidden functions for experienced users.

The problem lies in three layers of optimization: Autostart applications, Battery Optimization, and Background Blocking. The manufacturer claims that these mechanisms save power, but in practice they break user experience. For example, in MIUI 14, the optimization algorithm automatically freezes applications if they have not been used for more than 3 days - even if they are critical (for example, bank notifications).

1 Basic settings MIUI: Autostart and Lock

The first step is to check the autorun permissions, which are hidden deep in the menu in MIUI, and many users are unaware of its existence, and without autorun, the application will not be able to run itself after restarting or clearing the memory.

How to turn on autostart:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select the desired application (for example, Telegram)
3. Tap on Autostart and activate the switch
4. Go back and check Other Permits → Auto Run (for some versions of MIUI)

Important: on the Redmi Note 10/11/12 and newer models, the path may be different. If the AutoRun option is not in the app menu, use an alternative method:

• 🔍 Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
• 📱 Select Application Selection (or Auto-Run Applications in Older Versions)
• ⚡ Turn on the switch for the desired application

⚠️ Warning: After the MIUI update, the autorun settings may reset. Check them after each major update (especially when upgrading to a new version of Android).

Battery Optimization: How to Disable Restrictions

MIUI by default limits the background activity of all applications except system, even popular services like WhatsApp or Spotify, to remove the restrictions:

Method 1 (for most applications):

• 🔋 Go to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Battery management
• 📲 Select Application Choice (or Battery Optimization)
• 🔄 Find the right application and set the No Limits mode

Method 2 (for system applications):

1. Open Settings → About the phone


2. Tap 7 times on the item "Version MIUI" (activates the developer mode)




3. Return to Settings → Additional → For Developers




4. Find MIUI Optimization and turn it off.




5. Reset the device

On Redmi with Android 12+, an additional step may be required: in the Developer Menu, find Background Process Limitation and set the No Limits value or Process Maximum 4.

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If after optimizing, the battery starts to run out faster, try turning on Adaptive Battery mode in the developer settings, which keeps the balance between performance and power consumption.

3. Hidden settings: fixing applications in memory

Even after optimizing is disabled, MIUI can kill background processes when memory is scarce, to lock the application into RAM:

Method for MIUI 12-14:

• 📌 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management
• 🔍 Select the desired application (e.g. Yandex.Navigator)
• 🔐 Slip on Block (or Lock in new versions)

For Android 11+ with MIUI 13/14, an alternative method is available via ADB (requires PC):

adb shell cmd appops set com.example.app RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND allow


adb shell cmd device_idle whitelist +com.example.app

Replace com.example.app with a real app package (e.g. com.whatsapp for WhatsApp) and find out through the App Inspector app from Google Play.

⚠️ Warning: Fixing too many applications in memory can slow down the system.The optimal number is 2-3 mission-critical applications (e.g., navigator + messenger + music player).

Autorun enabled | Battery optimization disabled |Application locked in memory |Notifications allowed in app settings-->

4.Setting up notifications: why they don't come

A common problem with Xiaomi Redmi is that notifications come late or not at all, even if the background is set up.This is due to the Mi Push Framework service, which filters notifications at the system level.

How to fix it:

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status Bar → Notification Management
2. Find the problem app and activate all the switches: 🔔 Allow notifications 📌 Priority notifications 🔕 Sound and Vibration 📱 Show on the lock screen

Management of notifications

Notification settings

Adaptive notifications

Grouping of notifications

For instant messengers (Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp) additionally:

• 🔄 In the settings of the application itself, turn off Traffic Optimization (if any)
• 📶 Enable Permanent Connection or Background Sync
• 🔒 In Settings → Privacy → Special permissions give access to AutoRun and Change System Settings (for some versions)

5. Problems with specific applications

Some applications require customization due to their work, and let's look at the most problematic cases:

📱 Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)

• 🔹 Enable Autoboot Media in Messenger Settings
• 🔹 Turn off Traffic Savings in MIUI (Settings → SIM-Maps and Mobile Networks → Traffic Saving)
• 🔹 For Telegram: In the app settings, activate Autoboot and Background connection

🎵 Music players (Spotify, Yandex.Music, VLC)

• 🎧 In the player settings, enable Background playback
• 🔊 Turn off Sound Optimization in Settings → Sound and Vibration → Audio Effects
• 🔄 For Spotify: In the app settings, activate Device broadcast status

🏃 Fitness trackers (Google Fit, Mi Fit, Strava)

• 📊 In the application settings, enable Background Synchronization
• 🔄 Turn off Location Optimization in Settings → Location → Mode (set High Accuracy)
• 🔋 For Mi Fit: In the application settings, activate Autosynchronization and Background mode

For banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff, VTB) additionally requires:

1. In the application settings, disable "Operation Optimization"


2.In Settings → Applications → Special Access → Display over other apps allow overlay




3.In Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization Set “No Limits”

6. Radical methods: disabling MIUI Optimization

If standard methods don’t work, you can turn off MIUI optimization completely, which will give you maximum freedom for applications, but can reduce battery life by 15-20%.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 taps according to MIUI version in About Phone)
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For Developers
3. Find the items: MIUI Optimization – disable Background Process Limitation – set Without Limits Do Not Save Actions – Disable

Reset the device

For MIUI 14+ on Android 13/14, you will need:

adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1

This command unlocks the hidden APIs that Xiaomi uses for aggressive optimization.

⚠️ Warning: Complete shutdown of MIUI Optimization may result in: Faster battery drain Overheating of the device at high loads Slowdown of operation after 2-3 days without restarting We recommend using this method only if other methods have not helped.

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Disabling MIUI Optimization is the most effective, but also the riskiest method. Before using it, check all other methods and make sure that the problem is in the optimization of the system, and not in the application itself.

7. Alternative solutions: third-party utilities

If manual settings don't work, you can use specialized applications that automate the background setting process and often offer additional features.

Top-3 utilities for Xiaomi Redmi:

For the use of these utilities:

1. Download and install the app from Google Play
2. Launch and provide all requested permissions
3. In the main menu, select problem apps and apply the recommended settings.
4. Restart the device to apply changes

Important: Some utilities (such as Greenify) require additional customization through ADB. Instructions are usually included in the application description.

8. Checking results and troubleshooting

After applying all the settings, you need to check if the application is working in the background.

Methods of verification:

• 📱 Notification test: Ask a friend to send you a message in the messenger. The screen must be locked for at least 5 minutes.
• 🎵 Playback test: Run the music in the player, lock the screen and wait 10 minutes. The music must not be interrupted.
• 📍 Location Test: Turn on tracking in a fitness app (like Strava), put your phone in your pocket and walk 200-300 meters.The route must be recorded without passes.
• 🔄 Sync Test: For cloud services (like Google Drive), create a test file and check if it appears on other devices in 1-2 minutes.

If the app is still not working in the background:

1. Check the Battery Log (Settings → Battery → Battery Use) If the app doesn’t appear on the list, it’s blocked by the system.
2. Install BetterBatteryStats from Google Play for a detailed background analysis.
3. Try Clearing the app cache (Settings → Applications → App management → Clear the cache).
4. If nothing helps, check if there are any problems on the server side of the application (for example, WhatsApp sometimes blocks accounts when suspicious activity occurs).

⚠️ Warning: On Redmi with Android 13+, after resetting to factory settings, all background permissions are reset. Save a list of important apps in advance to quickly restore settings.

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If you frequently reflash your Redmi, back up your background settings using the Swift Backup app (requires root).

Frequently asked questions