How to Close Apps in the Background on Xiaomi Redmi: All Ways

Xiaomi Redmi smartphones based on MIUI are known for their multitasking, but sometimes background processes begin to “brake” the system, drain the battery or interfere with the operation of other programs. Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to swipe an application from the multitasking panel — but this does not always remove it from memory. In this article, we will discuss all working ways to completely close the background applications, including hidden settings MIUI, ADB commands and optimization through MIUI Optimized.

It's important to understand that Xiaomi aggressively caches apps for quick launch, so standard methods (like the Close All button) often don't work. We tested each method on Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Redmi 10C and POCO X5 Pro models -- the results are summarized in the comparison table below. If your phone has become slower to run or warm for no reason, the problem is probably in the background.

Why apps stay in the background even after swipe

MIUI has a smart caching system that keeps applications in memory even after they are closed through the multitasking panel, which is designed to speed up re-runs, but has the downside:

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption – background processes continue to use CPU/GPU.
• 🐢 Slowdown of the system – especially noticeable on budget models with 4-6 GB of RAM.
• 📱 Overheating of the device – some applications (such as games or social networks) actively consume resources.
• 🚫 Conflicts with other programs – for example, messengers can block notifications.

Swipeing up in the multitasking bar doesn't kill the process, it just removes it from the list of recently opened ones. To actually close the application, you need to use one of the methods below, and some system services (such as com.miui.securitycenter) can't be completed without superuser rights - they work critically for MIUI.

Method 1: Closing through the multitasking panel (partial solution)

The most obvious but least effective method is suitable for temporary memory release, but does not guarantee complete closure of the process.

1. Open the multitasking panel – swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold your finger.
2. Find the desired application and swipe it up (on some models - sideways).
3. For mass closing, click Close All (cross or button at the bottom of the screen).

⚠️ Note: This method only works for custom applications.System services (e.g. Google Play Services or Google Play Services) MIUI Daemon) will automatically restart in a few seconds. To check if the application is closed, use the following: ADB or task manager (see Method 4).

Method 2: Task Manager (Hidden MIUI function)

MIUI hides a full task manager that shows all active processes, including system processes, to open it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Tap three points (⋮) → Task Manager.
3. In the list, select the app and click Stop (or Force Stop).

This menu displays:

• 📊 User applications (can be stopped without restrictions).
• ⚙️ System processes (some of them are blocked to stop).
• 🔄 Services (e.g., synchronization of Xiaomi account).

⚠️ Warning: Stopping system processes (e.g. com.android.phone) may cause mobile network loss or notification problems.Do not stop processes that start with android., miui. or com.qualcomm..

Method 3: Forced closure through ADB (for advanced)

If the app persists with standard methods, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the phone to a PC, but is guaranteed to kill the process.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap the MIUI version 7 times until the notification “You’ve become a developer” appears.

USB debugging

Settings → Additional → For Developers

cmd

Terminal

adb shell am force-stop com.package.name

To find out the name of the application package, use:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "keyword"

Examples of teams:

• Close Facebook: adb shell am force-stop com.facebook.katana
• Close Instagram: adb shell am force-stop com.instagram.android
• Close MIUI Cleaner: adb shell am force-stop com.miui.cleanmaster

💡

If ADB does not recognize the device, install Xiaomi USB Driver drivers from the official website or use the universal Google USB Driver driver.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) automatically restart after a few minutes due to the push notification mechanism).

Method 4: Use MIUI Optimized (Hidden Function)

MIUI Optimized is a built-in optimization tool that allows you to force the background processes to close and limit their activity.

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
2. Select Settings → MIUI Optimized (on some firmware, the path may be different).
3. Activate the option Optimize memory and set the mode Aggressive.

This menu also includes:

• 🔄 Clear the cache of all applications with one tap.
• ⏳ Limit background activity for individual programs.
• 📉 Disable Auto-Run for Unnecessary Services.

On models with MIUI 14+, the path to MIUI Optimized can be hidden.

1. Enter the optimized request in the settings search.
2. Select MIUI Optimized (Hidden Settings).

Method 5: Disabling Autostart and Background Activity

Many apps automatically start when you turn on your phone or after you restart.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want (such as TikTok or AliExpress).
3. Slip on Autostart and turn off the option.
4. In the same menu, turn off Background Activity and Show Notifications (if not needed).

For mass shutdown of autostart:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management.
2. Select App Selection and disable AutoRun for unnecessary programs.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling Auto-Run for Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) will delay notifications until the first application opens. For critical services (banks, mail), it is better to leave auto-Run on.

💡

Turning off autostart is the most effective way to reduce background activity, but it can affect notifications and synchronization.

Method 6: Reboot the phone (radical method)

If none of these things work, and the phone keeps slowing down, you just reboot, and it clears all the RAM and kills all the processes, including the system.

How to Reboot Xiaomi Redmi correctly:

• 🔄 Soft reboot: press the power button, select Reboot.
• 🔋 Hard reboot (if the phone freezes): pinch the power + Volume up for 10-15 seconds.

After the reboot:

• 📈 Performance will temporarily increase due to cleaned memory.
• 🔋 Battery consumption will normalize (background processes will stop consuming resources).
• 🔄 Some applications can be restarted – check auto-run (Method 5).

⚠️ Attention: Frequent reboots (more than 1 time per day) can damage the file system on cheap models with eMMC memory (for example, Redmi). 9A Use this method only in extreme cases.

FAQ: Frequent questions about background apps on Xiaomi