How to call a list of running applications on Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI 14 and 15

On Xiaomi’s MIUI-enclosed smartphones, the list of apps running is not always obvious: the manufacturer hides the standard Android task manager by offering its own solutions instead.This causes confusion among users, especially after switching from other brands. Depending on the firmware version (MIUI 14 or MIUI 15) and the smartphone model (Redmi, POCO, Xiaomi 13/14), the ways of viewing active processes may differ.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current techniques, from standard gestures to hidden developer functions, not only how to open a list of running applications, but also how to analyze their impact on performance, close background processes without harming the system, and which applications can be safely stopped to save battery life.

1. Standard method: gesture or button "Recent"

The most obvious method is to use a system gesture or a virtual button, which is a feature that works the same way on most modern Xiaomi smartphones (starting with MIUI 12), but there are nuances:

• 📱 For touch-based smartphones (no physical buttons): swipe up the screen and hold for 0.5 seconds in the middle of a move.
• 🔘 For devices with physical buttons (e.g., Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3): single press on the square button (right of Home»).
• ⚙️ If the gesture does not work: check the settings in Settings → Display. → Full-screen display → Navigation gestures. Possibly enabled navigation buttons».

In the menu that opens, you'll see the app cards sorted by the time of last use.

• 🚫 Close the application – swipe the card up or click the cross (if it is displayed).
• 🔒 Secure the application – click on the app icon and select “Secure” (useful for navigators or players).
• 📊 View information – hold the app icon to go to “Application Information».

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If the list of recent apps is lagging or hanging, try clearing the system cache in Settings → Apps → Application Management → Three dots (menu) → Clear the cache of all applications.

2. Through "Security" and "Optimization" (hidden task manager)

MIUI hides the advanced task manager in the Security section, which shows not only open applications, but also background processes that consume resources.

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to Optimization (or Acceleration in older versions).
3. Click Clean - the system will show a list of active processes indicating battery consumption and RAM.
4. For a detailed analysis, tap on the item More Detailed (if available).

On this menu you will see:

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Closing system processes through Optimization can cause sensors to fail (e.g., proximity sensor or NFC).

3.Use of Developer Mode (for experienced users)

If standard methods don't show you the full list of running processes, the developer mode will help, and it opens up the Running Services tool, which displays all active processes, including hidden system processes.

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.


2. Slap on the item "Version MIUI" 7 times in a row.




3. Return to the main Settings menu and a new section for developers will appear.

Now open up:

Settings → For developers → Services → Working Services

Here you'll see:

• 📌 Process name (e.g. com.android.chrome for browser).
• 🕒 Activity time (how long the process is running without stopping).
• 🧠 Memory usage (in megabytes).
• 🔄 Status (Foreground in the foreground, Background in the background).

Once a day | Several times a week | Only when the phone is slowing | I never check-->

4. ADB commands for advanced users

If you need to get a list of running applications remotely (for example, for debugging) or automate the process, use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting your smartphone to your PC and enabling debugging mode over USB.

Major teams:

# Show all running applications (packages)


adb shell dumpsys activity activities | grep "mFocusedActivity"




Show all working services



adb shell dumpsys activity services




Close the application by packet name (e.g. Facebook)



adb shell am force-stop com.facebook.katana

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Accuracy – reveals even hidden system processes.
• 🖥️ Remote control – you can execute commands from PC.
• 📊 Logistics – results can be saved to a file for analysis.

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Enable debugging on USB developer-setting|Download the platform ADB Google|Connect the phone to USB (file transfer)-->

⚠️ Attention: The am force-stop command forcibly stops the process, which can lead to the loss of unsaved data in the application (for example, an unsent message in the messenger).

Part of the task monitoring annex

If the built-in MIUI tools seem inadequate, install specialized utilities from Google Play. They offer advanced features such as:

• 📈 Consumption schedules CPU/RAM real-time.
• 🔔 Notifications about the launch of suspicious processes.
• 🔍 Search by packet name (useful for identifying unknown services).

Recommended annexes:

⚠️ Warning: Some memory cleanup applications (such as Clean Master) can impair performance by constantly restarting background processes. MIUI already has a built-in optimizer – additional utilities are often redundant.

6.Analysing battery consumption to identify hidden processes

If the phone is running out quickly but there’s nothing suspicious about recent apps, check the battery usage statistics, which helps identify background processes that aren’t displayed in the standard task manager.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Use
2. Click on the more detailed (or graphic icon).
3. View the list of applications, sorted by charge consumption.
4. Slip on a suspicious item - the system will show how long it worked in the background.

Signs of the problem process:

• 🔋 Expenditure >5% with minimal use.
• ⏳ The operating time in the background exceeds the active use time.
• 🚨 Unknown name (e.g. com.sec.android.app.launcher on Xiaomi) is an anomaly).

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If you see high consumption from the Android System process in the battery statistics, it may indicate a firmware problem. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with the list of running applications, users often make mistakes that lead to unstable smartphone operation.

1. Many people think that cleaning up all tasks will speed up the phone. In fact, MIUI is optimized to caching commonly used applications. Forced shutting them down leads to rebooting the next run, which wastes more resources.
2. If you try to close a process, you see a message saying, “This may lead to unstable work,” you should not ignore it, for example, stopping com.miui.home will cause the desktop to disappear before you restart.
3. Apps like DU Speed Booster or CCleaner often mask ads as optimization and cause brakes themselves. MIUI already has a built-in optimizer - no additional utilities are needed.

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F5 or Xiaomi 13 Ultra) after forced shutdown of system processes, Face Unlock may be disabled before restarting.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions