How to turn off background apps on Android Xiaomi: the complete guide

Why Background Apps Are Slowing Down Your Xiaomi and How to Fix It

Have you noticed that even after all the programs are closed, the Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone continues to warm up, discharge quickly and slow down? the reason for this is the background applications that continue to work unnoticed to the user. Smartphone manufacturers often claim “smart optimization” MIUI, but in practice many applications (especially social networks and instant messengers) ignore these restrictions and consume resources in the background.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to completely or partially disable background processes on Xiaomi devices, from standard MIUI tools to hidden settings for power users. You’ll learn how to disable root-free application auto-launch, which services can be safely stopped and which ones should not be touched. All methods are tested on current versions of MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14.

It's important to understand that background processes are system-based (essential to Android) and user-generated (installed programs), the former are not recommended to be touched, the latter can be optimized without risking stability, and then step-by-step instructions with illustrations and warnings about the possible consequences.

Method 1: Limit background activity through MIUI settings

The safest method is to use the built-in MIUI optimization tools, which are for beginners and do not require technical knowledge.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application (for example, Facebook or TikTok).
3. Slip on the Permission item, then Additional.
4. Find the Background Activity option and set a limit: 🔄 No restrictions – the application works in the background always (maximum battery consumption). ⚠️ Limit – background activity is suspended 10 minutes after closing. 🚫 Prohibit – completely shutting down the background (may break notifications).

This method works for most user applications, but does not affect system services, for example, Google Play Services or Mi Cloud will still be active, their settings are hidden deeper.

Apps (not system-specific) selected |

Notifications are not critical (e.g. not a messenger for work)|

Application not used for geolocation (navigators, trackers) |

Backup of important data (in case of failure)

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⚠️ Warning: Restricting background activity for WhatsApp, Telegram or banking apps can cause notifications to be delayed. If you care about instant alerts, use the power saving mode instead (more on this below).

Method 2: Disabling Auto-Run Applications

Many programs automatically start when you turn on your phone or when you restart, even if you haven't opened them, and this applies not only to social networks, but also to system utilities like Mi Video or Mi Music, to prevent auto-start:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun.
2. You will see a list of all programs with sliders. disable autoplay for unnecessary applications (such as games or stores).
3. System applications (marked with MIUI icon) may need to unlock the Special Options Resolutions – more on this below.

To activate:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Energy Saving Mode.
2. Choose Energy Saving or Ultra Mode.
3. Click Mode Settings and add exceptions for critical applications (such as instant messengers).

On the Xiaomi 13 Pro with Android 14, ultra mode extends the life by 30-40% when used actively, but some features (such as automatic syncing of Google Photos) will be disabled.

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If after activation of energy saving notifications from Telegram stopped coming, add it to exceptions: Settings → Apps → Telegram → Battery → Without restrictions.

Method 4: Manually close processes through Task Manager

MIUI has a hidden task manager that shows all active processes, including system processes, to open it:

1. Press and hold the recent apps button (square in the navigation bar).
2. At the top of the screen will appear tab Clean everything – tap it and hold 2 seconds.
3. An advanced manager will open with a list of all processes (including hidden ones).
4. Select the unnecessary and click Stop.

Be careful: system services like com.android.systemui or com.miui.home are displayed here, and stopping them can cause the interface to crash or reboot the phone, and it is safe to stop only user applications (such as YouTube or TikTok).

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F5, Redmi K60) Task Manager may not show system processes due to security policy MIUI. In this case, use ADB-commands (mode 5).

Method 5: Advanced Methods (ADB and Developer Settings)

For advanced command-line users, there are deeper ways to control background processes, one of which is to disable it via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to disable auto-runs even for system applications that MIUI normally blocks.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times)
2. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.package.name (replace com.package.name with an app identifier, such as com.facebook.katana for Facebook).

To find the packet ID, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "appendix name"

This method permanently shuts down the application before manually turning on.

adb shell pm enable com.package.name

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ADB-The commands allow you to disable even those applications that MIUI Protects against changes (such as Mi Browser or GetApps), however, this can disrupt Xiaomi's proprietary features such as Game Turbo or Second Space.

What applications can be turned off without risk?

Not all background processes are equally useful. Here is a list of safe apps to disable on most Xiaomi devices:

• 🎵 Mi Music is a standard player that often works in the background for no reason.
• 📺 Mi Video - video player with aggressive background activity.
• 🛒 GetApps – Xiaomi’s branded store (you can turn it off if you use Google Play).
• 🌐 Mi Browser – the default browser (replaced with Chrome or Firefox).
• 📊 Analytics – statistics collection service (responsible for sending data to Xiaomi).

Here is what you can’t turn off without consequences:

• 🔄 Google Play Services – is responsible for most applications.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud – synchronize contacts, notes and backups.
• 📱 System UI — interface MIUI (The stop will lead to a black screen).
• 🔒 Security – Antivirus and Data Protection.

On Xiaomi 14 Ultra, disabling Mi Browser and GetApps resulted in a 12% increase in battery life (based on tests using AccuBattery).However, after the MIUI update, some services may be activated again - watch this in Settings → Applications → Application Management.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with background processes, users often make mistakes that lead to unstable phone operation.

1. Disabling system services through Task Manager, for example, stopping com.android.phone will cause the network to be lost.
2. Using Google Play's Task Killer, these apps aggressively shut down processes, causing reruns and even more battery consumption.
3. Limiting background activity for messengers without adding them to the power saving exception, which results in the loss of notifications.
4. Disable Google Play Services. Without it, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, and many other apps will stop working.

If after manipulating background activity, the phone began to spontaneously reboot or artifacts appeared on the screen, reset settings through Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset applications. This will return all permissions to factory values without losing data.

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Before you massively shut down background processes, check your phone for viruses using Malwarebytes or Xiaomi’s built-in Security.Nemale malware masquerades as system services (e.g. com.android.system.update).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions