How to exit the application on Xiaomi: all ways to MIUI 12, 13, 14 and 15

Closing apps on Xiaomi smartphones only seems like a simple task — in fact, MIUI has a few nuances that not all users are aware of. For example, simply clicking cross-sections in multitasking does not always completely stop background processes, and some system applications (like com.miui.securitycenter) can automatically restart. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to exit applications, from basic to hidden functions for experienced users.

The peculiarity of MIUI firmware is that it aggressively optimizes the operation of background processes, which means that even after closing through the menu of recent applications, some services (such as messengers or music players) can continue to work in a rolled-down form, we will tell you how to completely stop the application when it is really necessary, and why you should not abuse the forced closure.

This article is relevant for all modern models: Xiaomi 13/14 Series, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5/X5 and other devices on MIUI 12-15 (including global and Chinese versions of firmware).If your application freezes or does not respond to standard closing methods, here you will find solutions for forced stops.

1. Standard method: Closing through multitasking

The most obvious method is to use the recent app dashboard, but even here, there are subtleties that depend on the MIUI version and gesture settings.

To open up multitasking:

• 📱 On smartphones with navigation buttons (three dots at the bottom of the screen): click the square icon □ once.
• 👆 On gesture devices (no buttons): swipe your finger up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold your finger for 0.5 seconds.
• 🖥️ On Xiaomi Pad tablets: swipe your finger up from the lower border and hold.

On the menu that opens:

1. Find the card of the desired application.
2. Brush it up (on the top). MIUI 14+) or press the cross ✕ (on MIUI 12–13).
3. To close all applications, use the Clean Everything button (usually at the bottom of the screen).

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If the “Clean All” button is missing, turn it on in the settings: Settings → Home → Recent Apps → Show the “Clean All” button.

It is important to understand that this method does not guarantee a complete stop of the application. Many services (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) continue to work in the background to receive notifications.

2. Forced stop through application settings

If an application is stuck or consumes too much resources, it can be forced to stop through system settings, which works even for system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery), but requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the app you want in the list (use search if it’s not in the visible area).
3. Slip on it and select Forced Stop (or Stop in English).
4. Confirm the action in the window that appears.

Save important data in the appendix

Check if it is currently in use (e.g. downloading files)

Make sure it is not a system application (risk of unstable operation)

Reboot your phone after critical services stop-->

⚠️ Warning: Forced shutdown of system applications (e.g. com.android.phone or com.miui.home) can cause a phone to crash, up to and including a reboot.Do not use this method for services that start with com.miui. or com.android. unless you are sure of their purpose.

After a forced stop, the app won't receive notifications and updates in the background until the next manual start-up, which is useful for saving battery life, but inconvenient for instant messengers or email clients.

3. Closing through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, the app freezes when you open), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the phone to your computer and enabling debugging mode.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (shap 7 times)
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
4. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: adb shell am force-stop com.package.name Instead of com.package.name, substitute the name of the application package (you can find it through adb shell pm list packages | grep "name").

Example of commands for popular applications:

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB This can cause a system to become unstable if critical services (e.g. com.android.systemui) are stopped.Always check the name of the packet before executing a command.

Swipe in multitasking

Forced stop in settings

ADB (for experienced users)

Phone reboot

Another way.-->

4. Close through Safe Mode (to remove viruses)

If the app behaves suspiciously (opens itself, displays ads, or blocks the screen), it can be closed through Safe Mode, which only runs system applications, allowing you to remove or stop malware.

How to turn on safe mode:

1. Press the power button before the off menu appears.
2. Tap and hold the option to turn off power (or turn off on English firmware).
3. Confirm the transition to safe mode in the window that appears.

In safe mode:

• 🔍 Check the list of installed applications in Settings → Annexes.
• 🚫 Remove suspicious programs (their names often contain random characters, such as: com.abc.xyz123).
• ⚙️ Stop Unnecessary Services Through Forced Stop.

To get out of Safe Mode, just restart your phone. All changes (deleting apps, stopping services) will be saved.

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Safe Mode is the only way to stop apps that block access to your phone’s settings (like banner viruses).

5. Automatic closing through battery optimization

MIUI has a built-in battery optimization feature that can automatically close background applications, which is useful for saving charge, but can interfere with the work of messengers or navigators.

How to set up automatic closing:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
2. Select App Selection (or App Battery Saver in the Global Version).
3. Find the right application and set a mode for it: 🔋 Without limits, it always works in the background. ⚡ Optimized – Closed with prolonged downtime. ❌ Strictly limited - closes immediately after clotting.

For maximum battery savings:

• 📵 Turn off background activity for social media and gaming.
• 🔄 Enable the option of Clean Memory when locking the screen in Settings → Home → Recent annexes.
• ⏳ Set the automatic cleaning timer in Settings → Battery → Settings → Autocleaning.

⚠️ Warning: Too aggressive optimization can lead to missing notifications in messengers or email clients. For critical applications (such as WhatsApp or Gmail), choose the No Limits mode.

6. Alternative methods: gestures and third-party utilities

Besides the standard methods, there are additional tools for managing applications on Xiaomi.

Gestures for quick closing:

• 👉 Nana MIUI 14+ You can swipe down the card in multitasking (instead of swiping up).
• 🔄 Double pressing the Home button (if enabled in Settings) → Gestures → Home button opens up the menu of recent apps.

Third-party utilities:

• 🛠️ Greenify – allows you to “freeze” background applications without root rights.
• 🧹 SD Maid – Clears cache and stops unnecessary services.
• 🔧 MacroDroid – Creates automatic rules for closing applications (for example, by time or when locking the screen).

⚠️ Note: Using third-party utilities to manage applications may violate security policies MIUI and lead to blocking of certain features (such as Google Pay or banking applications.

7 What to do if the application is not closed?

If none of these methods worked, it could be that the application is bugged or that it's in conflict with the system.

• 🔄 Restart the phone – it closes all processes, including the freeze-driven ones.
• 🗑️ Clear the app cache in Settings → Annexes → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 📥 Update the app through the Google Play Store or MIUI App Store.
• 🚨 Remove and reinstall if the problem persists.
• 📡 Check for conflicts with other programs (for example, antiviruses or optimizers may block the closure of the software).

If the problem occurs with a system application (e.g. com.miui.home or com.android.settings), try:

1. Reset the settings of this application in Settings → Annexes → ⋮ → Reset the settings.
2. Update MIUI to the latest version in Settings → About Phone → System Update.
3. In extreme cases, make a reset to factory settings (don’t forget to save data!).

Frequent Questions (FAQ)