How to completely forbid the application to work in the background on Xiaomi: all ways

Background activity is one of the main reasons for fast battery drain and slowdown of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones. Even after closing, many programs continue to consume resources: update data, send notifications or synchronize information. In this article, we will analyze all available methods to completely prevent the application from running in the background, from standard MIUI settings to hidden functions for power users.

The feature of MIUI firmware (including versions 14 and 15) in aggressive battery optimization, which sometimes blocks the necessary processes, but leaves “holes” for unnecessary background tasks. We will show how to turn off autostart, limit data and power consumption, and use the developer tools for total control.

Why apps work in the background and how dangerous it is

Background activity is any application process that continues after the program is folded, such as WhatsApp updates chats, social networks (TikTok, Instagram) upload content in advance, and games keep progress.

• 🔋 Battery discharge – background tasks can consume up to 30% of charge per day (according to tests) XDA Developers on MIUI 15).
• 🐢 Slowing down the system – each background process takes up a portion of RAM (RAM), which leads to hanging.
• 📡 Data traffic – some apps (like Facebook or AliExpress) download data without you knowing it.
• 🔍 Data Collection – Analytics services track activity for targeted advertising.

According to a study by Avast (2023), the average Android smartphone has 25-40 apps with constant background activity, of which only 5-7 are really necessary for the user. At Xiaomi, this problem is exacerbated by the features of MIUI: the system decides which programs can be suspended and which ones can not, often mistaken in favor of popular services.

⚠️ Note: Disabling background work for system applications (e.g. com.miui.securitycenter) can cause a smartphone to run unstable.Do not change settings for name processes starting with Android. or com.miui..

Method 1: Standard MIUI settings (without root)

The safest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which are suitable for most users and require no special knowledge.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application from the list (or use the search).
3. Slip on "Permissions" and turn it off: 🔄 Auto-Start – prohibits the program from running when the phone is turned on. 📶 Background data use – blocks internet access in the background. 🔋 Optimizing the battery → Select "Limit" (for MIUI 15 This paragraph may be referred to as "Battery management").

Return to the app information screen and click Forced Stop (this will temporarily close all processes).

MIUI 14/15 also introduced the option “Deep Optimization” – it completely blocks background activity, but can lead to delays in receiving notifications, it is activated in the same application management menu.

Method 2: Using "Security" and "Battery Optimization"

MIUI has a separate menu for managing background processes called Security, which allows you to massively restrict applications and customize exceptions.

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Optimization.
2. Select "All Apps" and find what you want in the list.
3. Slip it and select "Limit" (or "Strictly Limit" for MIUI 15).
4. To mass disable, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Optimize" - the system will suggest limiting the most voracious programs.

In the same section, there is Power Saving Mode, which automatically limits the background of all applications except system applications when activated. This is useful if the battery is draining too quickly, but note that notifications can come with a delay of up to 10-15 minutes in this mode.

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If the app stopped sending notifications after the restrictions, check the settings of the app itself. For example, in Telegram you need to go to Settings → Notifications → Show notifications and turn on the “Always” option (even if the background work is blocked).

For POCO models (e.g. POCO F5 or POCO X6 Pro), the path may be slightly different:

Settings → Battery → Battery Mode → Select the application → Limit background activity

Method 3: ADB-commands for experienced users (without root)

If standard methods don't work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a debugging tool that allows you to deeply configure the system, which does not require root rights, but requires a computer and enabled debugging over USB.

Here’s how to disallow background work for a particular application:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: go to Settings → About Phone and tap on the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate “Debugging by USB”.
3. Connect the phone to the computer, install it. ADB-Drivers and open the command line in the folder with the platform-tools.
4. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
5. Disable background work for the app (replace com.example.app with a real package): adb shell cmd appops set com.example.app RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND deny

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

adb shell pm list packages | grep "appendix name"

For example, Facebook will be com.facebook.katana, and Instagram will be com.instagram.android.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Google Play Services) MIUI System Apps are critical to the system. ADB You can make a backup of your data before you experiment.

Method 4: Configure through "Special Opportunities Permits"

A little-known method is to use the Special Features menu, which allows you to block background activity even for stubborn applications, which works on all versions of MIUI from 12 to 15.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Special features → Special features services.
2. Enable the option to "Show system processes" (if any).
3. Find the app you want to restrict in the list and disable all permissions associated with it: 🔄 Auto-launching 📱 Display over other windows 🔋 Optimizing the battery

This method is especially effective for applications that ignore standard restrictions (such as some Chinese services or games with aggressive background activity), but after the MIUI update, the settings may reset, they will have to configuring again.

Method 5: Compulsory Limitation through Digital Wellbeing

The MIUI’s Digital Wellbeing feature not only allows you to track usage times, but also tightly restricts application performance, a technique that is suitable for those who want to completely block background activity for specific programs.

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Digital Well-Being and Parental Control → Toolbars.
2. Select "App Timer" and add the desired application to the list.
3. Set a time limit of 0 minutes – this will block any background processes after the program is closed.
4. Activate the option "Forced Stop When You Reach the Limit".
5. Using Magisk and Disable Flags (requires root): Install Magisk and Disable Flags. In the configuration file, add a line with the name of the application package. Reboot the device.

This will completely block background work at the core level, but is only suitable for power users.

For Xiaomi models with a Snapdragon processor (such as Xiaomi 13T or Redmi K60), you can also try disabling MIUI Optimization via ADB:

adb shell setprop persist.sys.miui_optimization 0

This command disables some of the MIUI optimizations, which can help with background process management, but also increases battery consumption.

FAQ: Frequent questions about background processes on Xiaomi