How to close applications Xiaomi: all ways + problem solving

On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI shell, app closure works differently than on pure Android. Many users face a situation where programs continue to hang in the background, draining the battery or occupying RAM. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to close applications on devices with MIUI 14/15, including hidden functions and solutions to typical problems.

It’s important to understand that Xiaomi’s system aggressively optimizes background processes, so simply swiping up from the recent menu doesn’t always mean closing down completely. We’ve tested all methods on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5 models — the results are summarized in the performance comparison table below, and you’ll also learn why some apps automatically restart 5-10 minutes after closing and how to fix it.

1. Standard closing through the recent menu

The most obvious way is to use the latest app bar, which is opened by swipe from the bottom up on most Xiaomi models with a pause in the center of the screen (on navigation button devices, double tapping a square).

To close the application:

• 📱 Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold your finger for 0.5 seconds.
• 👆 Find the card of the desired application in the list of recent
• 🚫 Swipe it up (on some models - right/left)
• ✅ For mass closing, click "Close All" (cross in upper right corner)

However, this method has limitations: MIUI does not kill the process completely, but only removes it from the list of recent ones. Many applications (especially messengers and social networks) continue to work in the background through services. Check this in Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Select application] → Memory use.

2. Forced stop through settings

To completely close the application and delete all its processes from memory:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select the desired application from the list
3. Slip "Forced Stop" (button at the bottom of the screen)
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window

This method is guaranteed to stop all the background processes of the application, but has side effects:

• ⚠️ Notifications from the app will stop coming
• 🔄 The next time you start, the app will open longer.
• 📥 Some functions (such as cloud sync) will have to be reconfigured.

💡

If the Forced Stop button is inactive, the application is system-based, and you need root or use permissions to disable it. ADB-team.

3. Use of the “No Background Processes” mode

MIUI has a hidden background activity restriction feature that is available through the developer menu to activate it:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI" (A notice will appear saying, “You have become a developer")
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional settings → Developer settings
4. Find the option “Limit background processes” and select “No background processes”

After activation of this mode:

• 🔋 Battery consumption will be significantly reduced
• ⚡ Applications will be closed immediately after folding.
• ⚠️ Background notifications (Viber, WhatsApp, etc.) will stop working.)
• 📱 The phone can run slower when multitasking

4. Closing through Task Manager (Hidden Function)

Xiaomi hides an advanced Task Manager that shows all active processes.

1. Open the menu of recent apps (swipe up with pause)
2. Slap the icon "📊" (graph) in lower right corner
3. Select the Active tab to view all working processes
4. Click “Clean” for mass closing or select specific applications

This menu displays:

• 📱 User applications (can be closed)
• 🛠️ System processes (closing is not recommended)
• 🔄 Google Services (closure may disrupt your account)

5. Advanced methods: ADB and root access

For power users who want to have full control of background processes, commands are available via Android Debug Bridge (ADB):

First, turn on the USB debugging:

1. Activate the developer settings (as described above)
2. Include “USB Debugging” in Developer Settings
3. Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer

The main commands for application management:

adb shell am force-stop com.package.name # Full stop


adb shell pm clear com.package.name # Data cleanup + stop




adb shell ps | grep 'package' # View active processes

For mass closing of all user applications:

adb shell am kill-all

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-Teams for system applications can cause the phone to run unstable.Some teams demand root rights, which will void the warranty on Xiaomi devices.

6.Why apps spontaneously open

Many Xiaomi users face the problem of having closed apps reappear in recent menus after a while.

• 🤖 Auto-start (function) MIUI quick access)
• 🔔 Push notifications (wake up the application)
• 🔄 Background synchronization (data update)
• 📱 Optimization MIUI (The system decides which applications to keep in memory)

To disable autostart:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select a problem application
3. Disable the options: "Autostart", "Secondary Start" "Show notifications"

To globally disable auto-start all applications:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
2. Select "Applications Selection"
3. Set the "Limited" mode for all applications

Make sure the app has disappeared from the recent menu | Check memory usage in the app settings | Turn off auto-start for problem programs |Reboot your phone to clear the cache-->

7.Memory optimization without manual closure

Instead of permanently shutting down apps manually, you can set up Xiaomi to auto-optimize:

Enable the function "Memory Cleanup":

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance
2. Activate the option "Memory cleaning when blocking the screen"
3. Set up exceptions for important apps (messengers, music services)

Current versions of MIUI (14/15) have built-in AI to manage memory, analyze your habits and automatically optimize background processes, and manually shutting down applications can even impair performance, as the system will have to re-download data the next time it opens.

💡

Regularly forced closure of applications on Xiaomi can lead to increased battery consumption due to constant process reboot.The optimal approach is to set up automatic optimization and add important applications to the exceptions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about app closure