How to turn Alice in the background on Xiaomi

Xiaomi smartphones are famous for optimizing power consumption, but sometimes an aggressive MIUI or HyperOS system gets too hard to shut down applications, especially voice assistants that have to work constantly to respond to the command "Alice, hi." If you notice that the assistant stopped responding without touching the screen or turning off the lock, then the system forced it out of RAM.

Recovery requires a comprehensive approach, because simply turning on the app itself is often not enough.You’ll have to “explain” to the phone’s shell that Yandex is an important system component that can’t be stopped. In this article, we’ll look at all the steps you need to make voice control work smoothly.

Basic setting of access rights and permissions

Before you go into the system limitations, you need to make sure that the app is given all the basic rights. Without access to the microphone and the ability to work on top of other windows, the voice assistant will not physically be able to function in the background. Open your smartphone settings and find the Apps section.

From the installed program list, select Yandex (or a separate Yandex with Alice app if installed). Go to Application Permissions. It is critical to check whether you have access to the microphone. If you have to ban or choose Ask, the assistant will not be able to hear the activation command.

  • 🔴 Access to the microphone: Must be “always allowed” or “always allowed».
  • 🟢 Display on top of other apps – be sure to turn on this tumbler.
  • 🔵 Start in the background - allow if such a point is present separately.

Also worth noting is the autostart item: In modern versions, MIUI is a separate switch that is often turned off by default, and without autostart, the system will kill the process immediately after the screen is turned off.

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If you use Alice’s widget on your desktop, make sure it also has all the necessary permissions, sometimes they are duplicated.

Disconnecting energy savings for Yandex

The most common cause of problems is the built-in energy saver, designed to extend battery life, but often strangles background processes. You need to create an exception for Yandex. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps, find the service you want, and click on Saving Battery.

In the menu that opens, you'll see three options. The default is often "Background Limit," which is what causes problems. You have to select "No Limits," which will tell the system not to apply sleep algorithms to that particular application, even if the phone's charge is low.

⚠️ Warning: Choosing No Limits mode may slightly increase energy consumption, but for voice assistants, this is the only true option.

Once the setting is changed, it is recommended to force the application to close and restart, and this can be done through the Task Manager by swiping the Yandex window and then opening the icon again, and check whether the status "Works" is maintained in the Task Manager after locking the screen.

☑️ Setting up energy saving

Done: 0 / 1

Working with lock in memory (Lock in RAM)

Xiaomi’s shells have a mechanism for manually fixing applications in RAM, which prevents the cache from being cleared and the process from unloading even when there is a lack of free resources. To lock Alice, open the menu of running applications (swipe from the bottom up and hold or menu button).

Find a Yandex app card. Make a long press on the card or click on the lock/eye icon (depending on the MIUI version) to make the lock symbol appear. Now, even if you click the Clear Everything button, the fixed application will remain in memory and will continue to work.

This method is especially effective on devices with a small amount of RAM (3-4 GB), where the system is forced to clean the background often. However, on flagships with 8-12 GB of memory, this step may be unnecessary if the previous paragraphs are correctly configured.

What to do if the lock does not appear?
Some firmware versions require you to first launch the application, fold it, and then click on the task menu on three dots or a gear in the corner of the application card, which may contain the "Block" item.

Comparison of optimization methods

Different customization methods have different levels of effectiveness depending on your device model and Android version. Below is a table that will help you understand which method is responsible for what and how important it is.

Method of setting upImpact on workImpact on the batteryNecessity
Auto-startHigh.MinimumI'll be sure.
No energy limit.CriticalAverage.I'll be sure.
Fixing in memoryAverage.High.Recommended
Microphone resolutionCriticalNo.I'll be sure.

As you can see from the table, the most critical parameter is to remove the power constraints, and without that step, the rest of the action might not work, and the system would simply ignore the attempt to run the background service.

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The combination of “Stop” + “No energy limits” solves 95% of the problems with the departure of Alice on Xiaomi.

Adjustment of activation by voice

Once the technical limitations are removed, you need to configure the activation function itself correctly. In the Yandex application, go to the profile (human icon) and select Alice settings.

So you have to activate the voice activation option, and the system will ask you to say "Alice" multiple times to learn your voice, and this is an important step, because recognition depends on the quality of the sample, and try to say a command with normal tone, as you do in real life.

  • 🎤 Voice training – take it in a quiet room for the best result.
  • 🔊 Volume of response – adjust the sound level to hear the response even in noisy environments.
  • 📱 Lock screen – make sure the response option is enabled from the locked screen.

If Alice still does not respond to the name with the screen turned off after setting up, check the battery settings again. Sometimes updates to the Yandex application reset permissions, and the procedure has to be repeated.

📊 How often do you have Alice in the background?
Constantly, immediately after locking:Sometimes, after a few minutes:Rarely, only with a lack of memory: Never, everything works stably

Solving problems with Miui Optimization

In the rare cases where standard methods don't work, users turn off MIUI optimization, which is a hidden feature in the developer menu, and you have to click 7 times quickly on the build number in the About Phone section to get there.

Then, in the Developer Menu, look for Enable MIUI Optimization. Disabling it may change the logic of the system's background processes, but this is an extreme measure. Attention: after this action, the names of some menu items may become English and the interface may become less familiar.

⚠️ Attention: Disabling optimization MIUI This method can affect other system features and theme of the design, and only use it if you are a user.

Most often, the problem is solved at the level of permissions of a particular application, and you do not need to go into deep system settings. If you have difficulties, try simply reinstall the Yandex application after completing all the points on setting up energy saving.

Should I put on a beta version?
Beta versions of apps often contain bugs in the background services, and if Alice is unstable, it is better to roll back to the stable version from the official store.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why does Alice stop talking 5 minutes after the screen is locked?
Most likely, in the charge saving settings for the Yandex application, there is a limitation "Background Limit" or "Smart Savings", the system considers the application inactive and closes it to save energy.
Do I need to keep the app open on the screen?
No, once you've set it up and fixed it in memory, it can run completely in the background, but the first time you start after you reboot your phone, you better do it manually, so that the system can see the process.
Does the topic of registration affect the work of the voice assistant?
Third-party themes from GetThemes sometimes conflict with system permissions to display on top of other windows. If nothing helps, try switching to the standard MIUI theme.
Can I turn off the microphone in the privacy settings?
If you deny access to the microphone in Android’s global privacy settings, Alice will stop hearing the activation command.Access must be allowed, but you can control which apps have access to it.