How to Close Open Apps on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide with Nuances

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO are all based on MIUI, the proprietary shell that actively manages the background. Many users are used to manually shutting down applications, believing that it saves battery life and speeds up the phone. However, in 90% of cases, forcing applications to close is not only useless, but also harmful to performance. Why? Because MIUI itself optimizes memory, and re-launching an application consumes more resources than supporting it in the background.

But there are situations where it is really necessary to close applications: if the program is frozen, consumes too much resources or interferes with the work of other services, in this article we will analyze all the current methods, from standard gestures to hidden functions MIUI and HyperOS.

Why you shouldn’t shut down all apps in a row

The myth that background apps eat up the battery dates back to the Android 4.x era, when memory management was poor. Current versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS use adaptive optimization: they automatically freeze unused processes without wasting energy on them.

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption – the next time the application starts, it will have to reload data to memory.
• ⏱️ Slowdown: The system spends resources on re-initializing processes.
• 🚨 Notification failures – manually closed messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) may not show new messages.
• 🔄 Caching Violation – Frequently used applications lose stored data to run quickly.

Exceptions are only suspended applications (do not respond to pressing, consume 100% CPU) or programs that are clearly slowing down the system (for example, heavy games after you go to the main screen). MIUI.

⚠️ Warning: Do not close system processes like com.miui.home, android.systemui, or com.xiaomi.finddevice, which can cause your phone to restart or crash.

Method 1: Standard Closing through the latest application menu

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in menu of recent apps.It works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 11, regardless of the MIUI or HyperOS version.

Instructions:

1. Open the latest app menu: On smartphones with navigation buttons (three virtual keys at the bottom of the screen) click on the square icon on the right. On gesture-controlled models (no buttons) swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold for 0.5 seconds.

upward

MIUI 12+

left-right

mass-closure

"Close everything"

On HyperOS (the new shell for Xiaomi 14, Redmi K70, etc.), the menu of the latest applications looks different: applications are displayed as horizontal cards, and to close you need to swipe the card up to the end of the screen.

Method 2: Forced stop through application settings

If the app is frozen and does not respond to a standard shutdown, or you want to completely stop its background activity (for example, for Facebook or TikTok, which aggressively consume resources), use a forced stop.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the desired application in the list (you can use the search at the top).
3. Slip on it and select Forced Stop (or Stop on HyperOS).
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

⚠️ Note: Do not use a forced stop for launcher (com.miui.home) or Google Play services (com.google.android.gms) this may result in loss of functionality (for example, push notifications will stop working).

Method 3: Closing through the notification panel (for hung applications)

If the app is frozen and does not respond to clicks, but it appears in the notification panel (for example, YouTube continues to play sound in the background), you can close it right from there.

Instructions:

1. Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Find a notification from a problem app (e.g., “YouTube plays media”**).
3. Swipe the notification left or right and click “Close” or “Stop”.

This method does not work for all applications, but it is effective for:

• 🎵 Musical Players (Spotify, Mi Music).
• 🎮 Games that continue to consume resources after they fold.
• 📹 Streaming apps (Twitch, TikTok).

On HyperOS, the notification bar can display the Media Management button** – tap it to see all active media sessions and close unnecessary ones.

Method 4: Limit background activity (to save battery)

Instead of shutting down apps completely, you can limit their background activity, which is useful for programs that aggressively consume batteries (such as Facebook, Instagram or AliExpress), but do not have to stop completely.

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application and tap it.
3. Go to the Battery section (or Energy Consumption on HyperOS).
4. Select one of the modes: “No restrictions”** – the application runs in the background without restrictions (the default for most programs). “Limit background activity”** – the application will not be updated in the background, but will be able to show notifications. “Strict restrictions”** – the application is completely blocked in the background (analogous to forced stop, but with the possibility of manual start).

For maximum battery savings, it is recommended to set “Limit background activity”** for social networks and instant messengers, except those from which notifications are critical (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram).

💡

If notifications stop coming after the background activity is limited, check the settings of the app itself. For example, in Telegram you need to go to Settings → Notifications and turn on the “Show notifications” option.

Method 5: Using the “No Background Processes” mode (for power users)

MIUI has a hidden “No Background Processes” feature that allows you to completely disable background activity for all applications except system applications.

• 🔔 Notifications from messengers.
• 🔄 Auto-update weather, exchange rates, etc.
• 🎵 Playing music in the background.

How to turn on:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the line "Version" MIUI»**, activate the developer mode.
3. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional → For developers.
4. Find the option “No Background Processes”** and turn it on.

⚠️ Warning: This mode is not recommended for continuous use, it is only useful in extreme cases, for example, when you need to save charge on the last percent of the battery!

To get everything back to its original state, simply turn off the mode in the developer settings or restart the phone.

💡

The “No Background Processes” mode is an emergency measure, not a permanent solution; for everyday use, it is better to set the limitations for individual applications (see Method 4).

What to do if the application does not close

Sometimes apps refuse to shut down even after a forced shutdown, which can be because of:

• 🐞 Failure to work MIUI (for example, after updating).
• 🔒 Protected status (some system applications cannot be stopped without root rights).
• 🦠 Malware that blocks the closure.

In order:

1. Restart the phone – this closes all processes, including those that are frozen.
2. Clear the app cache: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Select the problem app and click Clear Cache**.

Check for viruses.

Mi Security

Google Play Protect

Reset the application settings

Remove and reinstall the application

If the problem occurs with a system application (such as Mi Browser or Gallery), try:

• 🔄 Update MIUI Up to the latest version through Settings → Updating the system.
• 📱 Reset your phone settings to factory (pre-return backup!).

FAQ: Frequent questions about closing apps on Xiaomi