Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the challenge of listening to music or lectures from a video service without keeping the screen on. The platform’s standard policy is that video content should only be played when the app is active, which consumes battery power and prevents multitasking. However, the MIUI and HyperOS shell offer flexible tools to bypass this restriction.
There are several proven methods to run audio or video in a rolled-down state: you can use the built-in browser features, special settings of the application itself, or third-party clients with advanced functionality, the choice of the particular method depends on the version of the operating system and the user's personal preferences.
In this article, we will discuss the technical aspects of each method in detail, you will learn how to properly configure notifications so that the player does not close the system, and which browsers best cope with background play on devices of the Chinese manufacturer.
Use of built-in Picture-in-Picture in the application
The easiest and most legal way to do this is to activate Picture-in-Picture, which allows you to fold your video player into a small floating window that stays on top of other apps, and it requires an active Premium subscription in most regions to work on Xiaomi devices.
If you subscribe, you need to check your system permissions. Go to your smartphone settings, find the application management section, and select YouTube. In the additional permissions menu, make sure that the Picture-in-Picture switch is activated. Without this system resolution, the video will simply stop when it folds.
It is also important to adjust the battery behavior so that the system does not kill the playback process. Go to Battery and Performance and set the application to No Limits mode, a critical step for stable background processes on MIUI.
- 📱 Open your phone settings and go to the Apps section».
- 🔍 Find in the YouTube list and click on “Additional permissions».
- ⚙️ Activate the item "Picture in the picture».
- 🔋 In the battery section, select the operating mode "Without restrictions».
It is worth noting that even with subscriptions in some regions, the function may not work stable due to the geolocation limitations of the servers, in which case the window may not appear, or the sound will be interrupted when the screen is locked.
⚠️ Warning: On some global firmware versions of HyperOS, aggressive energy savings can force a floating window to close after 15 minutes of downtime. It is recommended to add the application to the list of “Favorites” in the menu of recent tasks (swipe down the window in the menu of running applications) to fix it in memory.
Background playback through Google Chrome browser
If the official application is not possible or desirable, the web version of the service through the Google Chrome browser is an excellent solution. This method does not require the installation of additional software and works on all versions of Android installed on Xiaomi.
To do this, you need to open a video service website in your browser and start the video. Then you need to fold the browser or lock the screen. At this point, the playback usually stops. To resume it, unlock the phone, lower the notification curtain and press the Play button on the media controller that appears.
However, to keep the video playing immediately after locking the screen without unnecessary action, you need to change the settings of the site. Click on three dots in the corner of the browser, select "Desktop site". Once the page is rebooted and the video is launched, locking the screen will not stop the audio stream.
This method is especially useful when you need to quickly run a podcast or music mix without wasting resources on a heavy native application.The browser consumes less RAM, which is true for budget Redmi models with 3-4 GB of RAM.
Set up Mi Browser for autoplay
The Mi Browser browser built into the MIUI shell also supports background mode, but requires the correct configuration. By default, it can block autoplay of media files to save traffic. To get around this, you need to make changes to your privacy settings and the site.
Open your browser settings, go to Privacy & Security, and look for Ad Blocking and make sure it doesn’t conflict with the video player, and sometimes embedded MIUI blockers may view background audio as suspicious activity.
For stable operation, it is recommended to clear the browser cache before using it, this will eliminate possible conflicts of old scripts, and also check whether the Mi Browser application is allowed to display notifications, since it is through them that playback is controlled.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Impact on work |
|---|---|---|
| Website version | Complete (Desktop) | Unlocks background sound |
| Notifications | Permitted. | Allows you to control the player |
| Saving traffic | Off. | Prevents flow breakage |
| Clearing the cache | Periodically | Improves stability |
Using Xiaomi’s native browser gives the advantage of better optimization for a specific version of Android installed on the device, and system resources are distributed more efficiently than third-party solutions.
Application of Modified Clients (ReVanced)
For users who need advanced features such as disabling ads, returning the Dislike button and full-fledged background mode without restrictions, there are modified versions of the application. The most popular and secure tool at the moment is the ReVanced project. It is not a ready-made application, but is a patcher that modifies the official APK-file.
The installation process requires care. You will need to download the original YouTube installation file from a proven resource (such as APKMirror) of the appropriate version. Then, through the ReVanced Manager, the necessary modules are selected, including “Background play” and “MicroG support” to log in to the account.
☑️ Checking before installing mods
It is important to understand the risks associated with using modified software. Although an open source project is considered safe, installing applications from unknown sources always poses a potential threat. On Xiaomi devices, installation will need to allow installation from unknown sources in a special security pop-up window.
After the successful installation and patch, the ReVanced section will appear in the settings of the created application, where you need to activate the “Background play” switch and select the “Screen off” or “Minimized” mode, which will allow the audio to work even with a fully-extinguished display.
⚠️ Note: The use of modified customers formally violates the terms of use of the Google service.Account may be temporarily restricted in access to certain features, although mass blocking for use of ReVanced is not recorded at this time. Use additional accounts to minimize risks.
Alternative through YouTube Music
The official YouTube Music app provides a legal background listening option, but with an important nuance: the free version allows you to listen to music only when the screen is turned on. Youtube Premium is required to listen with the screen locked or rolled up.
However, there is a free-user workaround associated with a trial period: Google often offers 1-3 months of free subscriptions to new users. By activating the trial period, you will have full access to the background, after which you can cancel the subscription, saving access until the end of the paid (free) period.
YouTube Music is better optimized for background work than the main video service, consumes less power and is less likely to be uploaded from MIUI memory. If your goal is music tracks rather than video clips, this is the preferred option.
How do you extend the trial period?
In the settings of the app itself, make sure that the “Use mobile network” option is enabled in the “Downloads and preferences” section (if you are not on Wi-Fi) so that the stream does not interrupt when switching between networks.
Solving the problem of stopping sound on MIUI
A common problem with Xiaomi owners is that the sound stops a few minutes after the screen locks, due to the system’s aggressive energy-saving policy. Android tries to keep the charge by closing the background processes that it believes are not actively used.
To fix this, you need to manually set up autostart. Go to the battery settings, find the desired application (browser or YouTube client) and turn on Autostart. It is also recommended to lock the application in memory: open the menu of running tasks, pinch the application window with your finger or pull it down until the lock icon appears.
If the sound is still interrupted, try turning off adaptive brightness and In-pocket mode while listening. Sometimes the proximity sensor may mistakenly identify the phone as being in your pocket and jam the media stream.
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For maximum background stability on Xiaomi, disable Advanced Optimization from the Developer Menu, which will prevent the system from forcing background services to stop.
Understanding the logic of MIUI allows you to predict the behavior of the system, and if you know that in an hour you will have to listen to a lecture in the background, you better open the application in advance and let it work for a couple of minutes in the active window so that the system will mark it as important.
Comparison of methods and final recommendations
The best way to choose depends on your priorities: legality, quality or free. Official methods guarantee the stability and security of data, but require financial investments. Modified customers provide full functionality for free, but require time to set up and carry potential risks.
For owners of Xiaomi’s flagship models with a large amount of memory, the performance difference between methods will be invisible. However, on budget devices in the Redmi Note series, using a heavy browser with many tabs can lead to slowdowns in the interface. In such cases, it is preferable to use light modified APK or native application with customized restrictions.
Remember to update apps regularly. Google services change code often, and older versions of patchers or browsers may stop working properly with the background.
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The most stable result on Xiaomi is achieved by a combination of: a modified client (for functionality) + a “No Limits” setting in the battery (for process survival).