How to remove the application from the background on Xiaomi: all working methods

Background apps on Xiaomi smartphones are one of the most talked-about topics among users. Even after closing through the multitasking menu, many programs continue to work in hidden mode, consuming battery power, Internet traffic and RAM, especially on devices with 4-6 GB of RAM, where background processes can lead to slowdowns.

Compounding the problem is the MIUI shell, which aggressively caches apps for “quick launch,” which leaves instant messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram active hours after use, and games like Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile continue to consume resources even when you’ve folded them. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to completely remove an application from the background, from standard MIUI tools to hidden settings for power users.

It's important to understand that simply swiping an application in the multitasking menu doesn't guarantee it's shutting down. MIUI defaults to leaving most programs frozen to speed up their re-runs. This saves a few seconds when you open it, but negatively affects autonomy. For example, tests show that turning off Facebook's background activity can extend a smartphone by 10 to 15 percent by reducing the processor's power consumption.

1. Standard Closing through the Multitasking Menu

The most obvious but least effective way, though, is to start with if the app is hanging or slowing down.

To close the program through multitasking:

1. Click on the recent apps button (usually a latency swipe or a three-bar button).
2. Find the card of the desired application.
3. Write it up or down (depending on the MIUI version).

⚠️ Limitation: Most applications don't close completely, but go into "curtailed activity" mode, such as system services (Google Play Services), instant messengers and social networks, VK or Instagram will continue to update the feed in the background, unless you turn off auto-start (more about this in the next section).

Some models (Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) have the option to Close Everything – a button in the form of a cross or a lettering at the bottom of the screen.

2. Forced stop through application settings

A more radical method is force-stop, which completely kills all the processes of the program, but has the nuance that some system applications (Mi Security, Mi Share) will restart automatically in a few minutes.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want from the list (use search if it’s not at the top).
3. Slip Forced Stop (in some versions of MIUI – Stop).
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

⚠️ Note: After a forced stop, some applications may:

• 🔄 Stop sending notifications (e.g., Telegram will not show new messages).
• ⏳ Start longer at the next opening (up to 5-10 seconds).
• 🔋 Consume more battery on first run (due to re-initialization of cache).

This method is suitable for heavy applications like TikTok, YouTube or games that actively use resources even when folded, for example, Genshin Impact in the background can consume up to 20% of the CPU against the background due to background download updates.

3. Disabling Autostart and Background Activity

One of the most effective ways to prevent applications from running in the background is to turn off auto-start and limit background activity, which won't remove the program from memory right away, but will prevent it from running on its own after a restart or on a schedule.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select your target app (like Facebook).
3. Slip AutoRun and turn off the slider.
4. Go back and select Limit Background Activity (or Battery → Background Activity in newer versions of MIUI).
5. Set a limit on Strict or Limited (depending on the shell version).

📌 What does this method do:

• 📵 The application will not start when you turn on the smartphone.
• 🔋 Reduce battery consumption by 5-30% (depending on the program).
• 📶 Mobile traffic consumption will decrease (relevant for Google Play Services, Mi Cloud).

⚠️ Warning: After the autostart is disabled, some functions may not work properly:

• WhatsApp will stop showing notifications about new messages until you manually open it.
• Google Maps will not update location in the background (relevant for jogging).
• Mi Fit will stop syncing data with the Mi Band bracelet automatically.

4.Use of the "Distractless" (DND) mode

A little-known feature of MIUI is the Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, which not only turns off notifications, but also suspends background activity of selected applications, which is useful if you need to temporarily freeze messengers or games for several hours.

Activation of the regime:

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Mode "Without distractions".
2. Select Rules Setting.
3. Add apps that you want to restrict (e.g. Instagram, TikTok).
4. Set a schedule or activate the mode manually.

🔹 Features of work:

• 🕒 The action time can be adjusted (for example, from 23:00 to 7:00 to save battery at night).
• 📵 Apps won’t update content in the background, but will keep cache.
• 🔄 After leaving the regime DND background activity will recover.

This is a good way for users who want to temporarily suspend background processes without completely shutting them down, such as if you’re asleep and don’t want Viber or Skype to drain your battery with chat updates.

5. Cleaning the cache and application data

If the app is not only hanging in the background, but it's slowing down or making errors, it helps to clean up the cache and the data, which is a radical method that resets the program's settings to factory settings, but removes unnecessary background processes.

How to clean:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select a problem app (such as Chrome or Mi Video).
3. Put the storage (or memory) in.
4. Click Clear Cache (Delete Temporary Files).
5. If necessary, select Clear the data (⚠️ This will remove accounts, settings and uploaded content!).

⚠️ Attention: cleaning up the data is equivalent to reinstalling the application:

• WhatsApp will have to re-enter your account and restore chats from the backup.
• Games (Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars) will reset saves if they are not tied to a Google Play account.
• Spotify or YouTube Music will remove downloaded songs.

💡 Tip: Before clearing the data, check if your account is linked to Google or Xiaomi. For example, in Mi Fit, settings are synchronized with the cloud, and in Gallery, photos can only be stored locally.

💡

If the app slows down again after cleaning up the data, try reinstalling it via Google Play or Mi App Store. Sometimes installing an older version helps (for example, for Redmi Note 9, it is better to use MIUI 12.5 rather than MIUI 14).

6.Use of ADB for deep background management

For advanced users who are ready to work with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), there is a way to completely turn off background activity even for system applications. This requires connecting a smartphone to a PC, but gives maximum control.

Instructions:

1. Turn on the Developer Mode on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times).
2. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (or Terminal on Mac/Linux).
4. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices must appear serial number of the device.
5. To disable background activity for a specific package (e.g. com.facebook.katana for Facebook), use: adb shell cmd appops set com.facebook.katana RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND deny

📊 Examples of commands for popular applications:

⚠️ Warning: Disabling background activity for system applications (Google Services, Mi Security) may lead to:

• 🔄 Spontaneous reboot of the smartphone.
• 📵 Loss of functionality (e.g. Google Pay or Find My Device) will stop working).
• 🔋 Increased battery consumption due to constant restart attempts.

💡

ADB-commands allow you to turn off background activity even for applications that do not allow you to do this through standard settings. However, this method requires caution and is suitable only for advanced users.

7. Alternative methods: third-party utilities and custom firmware

If the standard methods don’t work, you can use third-party utilities or switch to custom firmware, which is true for older models (Redmi 4X, Redmi Note 5), where MIUI is very restrictive to the user.

🔧 Useful utility:

• 🛠️ Greenify – suspends background processes without root rights (requires settings through ADB).
• 🔋 AccuBattery – shows which apps drain the battery in the background and allows you to limit them.
• 📊 Servicely – Blocks the launch of unnecessary services (root is needed).

📱 Custom firmware:

• LineageOS is pure Android without MIUI background processes.
• Pixel Experience is a firmware with Adaptive Battery feature that automatically limits rarely used apps.
• Xiaomi.eu is a modified MIUI with advanced settings for background processes.

⚠️ Attention: Installation of custom firmware:

• 🔓 Requires unlocking the bootloader, which will reset all data.
• 📵 This can lead to loss of warranty (on new models, Xiaomi will block unlock for 30 days).
• 🔋 Some features (Always-on Display, IR Blaster may not work properly.

FAQ: Frequent questions about background apps on Xiaomi