How to fix the application on Xiaomi in the background of MIUI 14

Modern Android shells, including Xiaomi’s MIUI 14, are aggressively power-saving. The system seeks to maximize battery life by ruthlessly unloading processes it believes are not in use right now. For the average user, that’s a boon, but for those who rely on instant messengers, activity trackers, or smart homes, it becomes a problem: notifications arrive late, and apps are dropped every time they switch windows.

The problem is not only relevant for budget models, but also for flagship devices in the Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12 Pro series. MIUI 14 algorithms analyze usage patterns and can independently decide when to "kill" the background process. To make the system respect your priorities and keep important programs active, you need to perform a comprehensive setup. It is not just a single button, but a chain of actions, ignoring which will reduce efforts to zero.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the app locking techniques available, including battery settings, autorun options, special permissions, and even hidden developer features, and understanding how memory management works in your firmware version will let you forget about missed calls or stopped downloads forever.

Basic setting of battery limitations

The first and most important step is to change the power strategy for a particular application: by default, the system sets the "No Limits" mode only for system services, and for user programs, chooses the balance between performance and savings, and you need to manually switch this priority.

To start, go to your device's Settings section. Find the App and select All Apps. From the list that opens, find the program you want, like Telegram or WhatsApp. Click on it to open the Control menu. Here you're interested in the Battery (or "Energy") section.

Inside, you'll see three behaviors: Standard mode limits background activity; No-limit mode removes all inhibitions, allowing the application to run all the time; that's what we need to do; but just choosing it isn't enough is just the first layer of protection against aggressive optimization.

• 🔋 Without restrictions – full access to processor and network resources in the background.
• ⚖️ Energy savings – standard mode limiting background processes.
• 🚫 Limited – the application cannot work in the background at all.

Note that after upgrading to MIUI 14, the battery interface may have changed slightly, but the logic remains the same. If you didn't find this item right away, try searching the settings by entering the word "Battery." It's also worth checking if the global power saving mode is activated, which can overlap individual settings.

Autostart and Background Process Management

The second critical control mechanism in Xiaomi’s shell is autostart control. Even if you let an application run without battery restrictions, the system can prevent it from running on its own after restarting or unloading from memory.

To configure this setting, go back to the App menu -> All Apps -> Apps -> App you need. Find AutoStart. Make sure the switch is activated. If you turn it off, the app will only start when you open its icon yourself, making it impossible to work in the background after cleaning the memory.

In addition, you should check the permissions. In the same application settings menu, go to Permissions -> Other Permits. You should allow actions like "Mastering on top of other applications" and "Run in the background." Without these rights, MIUI 14 can block the functionality of the program, considering it suspicious or excessively resource-intensive.

⚠️ Attention: Display resolution "Over other applications" is necessary for the correct operation of pop-up windows in messengers and navigators. Without this point, notifications may not pop up on the locked screen.

Remember that after each major firmware update or application itself, the settings can be reset to factory settings, and periodic checks of these parameters will help to avoid sudden disruptions in the operation of important services.

Affixing to the multitasking menu

There's another visual way that the app is important to the system, which is to fix it in the Recent Apps menu, and while it doesn't give you as much system rights as the battery settings, it does signal to the memory-cleaning algorithms that you shouldn't touch it.

Open the menu of running applications by swiping from the bottom up and holding your finger (or pressing the navigation button), find the window of the desired application, press and hold your finger on the window preview or click on the lock icon (depending on the version of the theme), and the message "Application is fixed" will appear.

Now, even if you click the Clear All button (cross or broom), the attached app will remain in memory, which is useful for navigators or music, but less effective for instant messengers that require a constant network connection, rather than just being in RAM.

Using a combination of all three methods is the best result: If you use your smartphone for work or mission-critical tasks, you should not neglect any of the steps, especially for users who are actively using the Xiaomi Home smart home.

Disable MIUI optimization through the developer menu

For advanced users who are faced with particularly aggressive behavior, there is a "heavy artillery" - disabling MIUI optimization. This is a hidden setting that changes the behavior of the task manager at the system level. Be careful: after this action, the interface can temporarily change the font or arrangement of elements.

To activate the developer menu, go to Settings -> About Phone. Find the MIUI Version (or OS Version) bar and quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row. You'll be a developer notification. Now go back to the main settings menu, select Additional -> For developers.

In the technical settings that open, scroll down to Enable MIUI Optimization. Switch the switch to "Switched Off." The system will alert you to possible risks and ask you to enter the unlock password. After the reset, the changes will take effect.

Why does it work? Standard MIUI optimization compulsorily terminates processes that don't have visible windows, and by turning it off, you allow Android to run in its native memory management mode, which is less aggressive to background tasks.

Work with permits and special opportunities

Some applications, especially health trackers or call recording software, require access to special capabilities (Accessibility).In MIUI 14, access to these settings is often hidden behind a countdown timer (10 seconds) to prevent viruses from accidentally turning on.

If your app stopped working in the background, check Settings -> Additional -> Special Features. Find the app you want in the list and make sure access is allowed. Also look at Settings -> Privacy -> Special Permits.

You can find things like "Unlimited Wi-Fi" or "Background Operation." Make sure that these checkmarks are set for important applications. Xiaomi can automatically disable these rights if it thinks the application has been out of use for a long time.

• 🛡️ Privacy – Controls access to data and sensors.
• 🔌 Special features – access to interface management.
• 📡 Background mode – access to the network without restrictions.

Check these settings regularly after security updates. Google and Xiaomi are constantly strengthening protections, which can lead to a sudden disabling of previously granted rights.

Additional recommendations and frequent problems

Sometimes the problem is not with settings, but with third-party memory cleaners or antiviruses installed on top of the system. Xiaomi's built-in Security antivirus can also block processes. Check its settings and add important applications to the white list.

Also worth mentioning is the memory extension feature. On some models, it uses a portion of the storage as RAM. If you have problems with the background, try turning it off in the About Phone menu -> Expand memory and restart the device. Sometimes virtual RAM is slower and causes process timeouts.

⚠️ Attention: Disabling optimization MIUI This can cause fonts to display incorrectly in some menus, a temporary effect that goes away after a full reboot or optimisation is turned on again.

Remember, MIUI 14 is a living system that learns your habits, and if you've been using the app for a week and then you've stopped, it can start to restrict it again, and you can keep your settings under control.