How to Close Unnecessary Applications on Xiaomi Redmi: From Manual to Automatic Optimization

Xiaomi Redmi smartphones based on the MIUI shell are known for their multitasking, but sometimes the background processes begin to “eat” resources: the battery goes down in a few hours, the device slows down, and the task manager hangs a dozen unnecessary applications. Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to swipe the application up in the menu of recent — but this method does not always work. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to close unnecessary applications on the Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10 and other models, including hidden MIUI functions and settings for developers.

It's important to understand that not all background processes are harmful. For example, com.miui.analytics is responsible for collecting statistics (it can be turned off), and com.android.phone is responsible for cellular communication (you can't shut down!). We'll show you how to distinguish critical services from the junk that is really worth stopping. We'll also uncover the myth that forcing all applications to close through Task Manager can impair performance due to constant restarts of system processes.

1. Manually Closing through the menu of recent apps

The most obvious, but not always effective way is that on Xiaomi Redmi with MIUI 12-14, the recent menu swipes up from the bottom of the screen (on older versions, the Menu button), and it shows all the running apps, but not all of them actively consume resources.

How to close correctly:

• 📱 Swipe up and hold your finger for 1 second to open the extended menu.
• 🔍 At the bottom of the screen will appear the message Close everything – click it to clear the list.
• ⚡ To selectively close, swipe left/right on the application card.
• 🔄 On some firmware (for example, Redmi Note 11 with global MIUI) You need to click on the basket icon in the upper right corner.

⚠️ Attention: This method only closes the visible processes. Many applications (such as Facebook or TikTok) immediately restart in the background after a few minutes.

2. Disable autostart and background activity

The main reason apps "resurrection" after closing is the autostart permission and background work, which is hidden deep in MIUI, but can be disabled without rooting permissions.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want (such as Instagram or AliExpress).
3. Slip on Permissions → Autostart and turn off the slider.
4. Go back and select Battery → Background Activity → Set Restricted.

For mass blackout:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Battery management.
• 📊 Select the Apps and select the ones you want to limit.
• 🔄 Click Limit Background Activity.

Disable auto-start for unnecessary applications |

Set limits on background activity |

Check permissions for notifications |

Clean the cache manually (once a week)-->

⚠️ Note: Do not limit system applications like com.android.systemui or com.miui.home, which can cause shell malfunctions. Also remember that some messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) will not deliver notifications on time with complete background restriction.

3. Use of Task Manager (Security App)

Xiaomi Redmi has a built-in Security App that not only scans viruses, but also manages background processes, and is more powerful than the standard menu of recent ones, as it shows all active processes, including system processes.

How to use:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to Accelerate (or Optimize on some firmware) tab.
3. Click Clean – this will close all unnecessary processes.
4. For detailed control, tap on Details and manually select what to close.

💡 Useful tip: The Security App has Deep Cleanup, which removes not only processes, but also temporary files, and use it once a week to free up an additional 100-300MB of storage.

4.Settings for developers: forced stop

If standard methods don't work, you can use developer mode, which is suitable for advanced users, because the wrong actions can disrupt the stability of the system.

How to turn on and use:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option Do not save actions and turn it on – this will prevent applications from remaining in memory after closing.
4. For forced stops, find the same menu to limit background processes and set a limit (e.g., Maximum 2 of the process).

For full control:

• 🛠️ In the Developer Settings, turn on Debugging by USB (required ADB-team).
• 📱 Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell am force-stop com.package.name (replace com.package.name with the application package name).

⚠️ Warning: Forced shutdown of system applications (e.g. com.miui.home) will cause the shell to collapse and the need to restart. ADB Some applications (e.g. banking) may block access due to detection of “non-standard activity».

5. Automatic optimization with MIUI Optimization

MIUI Optimization is a hidden feature that automatically closes unnecessary processes and optimizes battery consumption. By default, it is enabled, but its settings can be finely adjusted.

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
2. Select Mode Selection and set Balanced or Charge Saving.
3. Activate MIUI Optimization (could be called Auto Clean).
4. In the Exclusions section, add apps that should not be closed (such as a music player or navigator).

Advanced settings:

• ⚙️ In the Developer Settings, find Background Process Limitation MIUI and set up Aggressive.
• 📊 Security → Acceleration → Settings enable Auto Cleanup when locking the screen.

💡

Automatic MIUI optimization reduces battery consumption by 15-20%, but can delay notifications from instant messengers. Set exceptions for critical applications!

6. Third-party applications for process management

If the built-in MIUI tools aren't enough, you can use third-party tools, which give you more control, but require caution — some will request root rights or show aggressive advertising.

Top.-3 tested applications:

• 🛡️ Greenify – “sedates” unnecessary applications without root rights (works through the Internet) ADB).
• ⚡ SD Maid – clears the cache and stops background processes (there is a function of AppControl).
• 🔍 AccuBattery – shows which apps drain the battery the most.

How to set up Greenify:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb -d shell pm grant com.oasisfeng.greenify android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
3. In Greenify, select the “freeze” apps and click Close.

⚠️ Note: Applications such as Clean Master or DU Speed Booster often contains malicious code and displays false "virus" warnings. Use only proven utilities from the official store.

FAQ: Frequent questions about closing apps on Xiaomi Redmi