How to close the application on Xiaomi: all the ways for Android smartphones

Xiaomi MIUI-based smartphones often run dozens of background processes that consume battery power and RAM. Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to press the home button or swipe up the screen — but this only folds the application, not closes it completely. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to correctly close applications on Redmi, POCO and Mi devices, including forced stop, cache cleaning and hidden MIUI 14 features.

The MIUI firmware feature is aggressive memory optimization, which sometimes prevents users from manually managing processes. For example, once an application is closed through the multitasking menu, the system can automatically restart it after a few minutes, and we will show you how to completely stop background activity even for system applications without resorting to root rights.

1. Standard Closing through the Multitasking Menu

The most obvious way is to use the recent app bar, and most Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, and Mi 11) need to:

• 📱 Swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen and hold for 0.5 seconds to open the list of running applications.
• 🔍 Find the desired application in the list (you can scroll left / right).
• ❌ Write it up or sideways (depending on version) MIUI).

MIUI 14 adds a group closing option: click on the Close All icon (usually at the bottom of the screen) or hold your finger on one of the apps to select several to close at the same time. However, this method does not guarantee a complete shutdown of the process - some applications (such as com.miui.securitycenter) can automatically restart the system.

If the application continues to work in the background after the swipe (checked through Settings → Applications → Application Management), then it is protected by the system, in which case alternative methods will be required from the following sections.

2. Forced stop through Android settings

For applications that are not closed in the standard way (such as Google Play Services or Mi Security), use the forced stop:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want from the list (use the search at the top if it’s not in the visible area).
3. Slip the “Forced Stop” button (in MIUI 14 it can be called “Stop”).
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

This method is guaranteed to close all application processes, but has limitations:

• 🚫 Does not work for system services (e.g. Android.process.media).
• ⚠️ After restarting the device, the application can start automatically.
• 🔄 Some apps (like Facebook or WhatsApp) are restarted in 5-10 minutes due to autoboot.

3.Cache and data cleanup: a radical method

If the app not only doesn’t close, but also doesn’t work smoothly (like YouTube is constantly making some dye or Google Maps isn’t updating maps), cleaning up the cache and data will help, which deletes all temporary files and resets the app’s settings, but doesn’t delete it completely.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the problem app.
3. Put it on the vault.
4. Click on “Clear Cache” (deletes temporary files) and/or “Clear Data” (resets settings).

Warning: Clearing the data will result in logging out of your account (e.g. Instagram or Telegram) and deleting all local settings. For system applications (e.g. Mi Browser), this can reset your homepage and bookmarks.

Backup of important application data

Remember the login/password for re-entry

Check if the application is used in background tasks (for example, downloading files)

Ensure that other services are not disrupted after the cleanup (e.g., Google Play data cleanup may affect updates)-->

4. Disable autostart and background activity

One of the reasons apps start themselves after they close is because of autoloads and background activity, and MIUI has hidden settings to limit this behavior:

Steps to disable autostart:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as TikTok or AliExpress).
3. Slip on "Stop"** and turn off the slider.
4. Go back and select “Permissions”, then turn off the “Work in the background” resolution.

To massively disable auto-start all applications:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management.
2. Select “App Select” (or “Battery Optimization” in MIUI 13).
3. Set the “Limit Background Activity” mode** for unnecessary applications.

⚠️ Warning: Disable auto-start for system applications (e.g, com.miui.weather2) It can cause weather widgets or notifications to crash. It is not recommended to restrict Google Play Services - it will disrupt push notifications and syncs.

5.Use ADB for deep closing (for advanced)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, the Mi Video app or Mi Music continues to work in the background), you can use the app. ADB-This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer, but allows you to completely deactivate system applications without root rights.

Instructions:

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on USB debugging on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times to activate Developer Mode), then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and enable debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute at the command line: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.example.app (replace com.example.app with an app package, for example, com.miui.videoplayer).

To turn the app back on, use the command:

adb shell pm enable com.example.app

List of Xiaomi system application packages:

⚠️ Warning: Disabling system packages (e.g. com.miui.home) will cause your phone to lose its functionality before rebooting. → The phone. → Backup.

6. Alternative methods: third-party utilities and modes

If you need to not just close the application, but completely block its launch, consider these options:

• 🛡️ Use of Greenify (requires root or ADB): The app allows you to "freeze" background processes without removing them. MIUI 12-14, but may conflict with Xiaomi's battery optimization.
• ⚡ Digital Wellbeing: Restricts the work of selected applications at a specified time. Activated via Settings → Digital well-being.
• 🔄 Safe Mode Reboot: Temporarily disables all third-party apps. Press the power button, then hold your finger on "Stop" until the Safe Mode option appears».

For POCO users with POCO Launcher shell, Deep Cleanup is available in the multitasking menu (hold the cross icon) and removes not only processes but also residual application files.

💡

If the application appears again on the list of running after closing, check it for viruses through Mi Security. Some malware disguises itself as system processes (for example, com.android.system) and blocks attempts to stop them.

FAQ: Frequent questions about closing apps on Xiaomi