How to run Zenly in the background on Xiaomi: a complete guide with MIUI settings

Zenly has become one of the most popular services for tracking the location of friends in real time, but many Xiaomi users face a problem: the application stops updating data as soon as it folds into the background mode. The reason for this is the aggressive optimization of the battery in the MIUI firmware, which automatically suspends background processes. In this article, we will discuss the unique settings of MIUI 12-15, which allows you to bypass the limitations of the system and make Zenly work consistently 24/7.

The problem is especially relevant for owners of smartphones Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5 and flagship Xiaomi 12/13/14, where the energy saving policies are as stringent. We tested all methods on devices with MIUI Global, MIUI Europe and HyperOS — the results are different, so in this article we will give solutions for each version. If you are tired of the constant notifications “Zenly did not update for 3 hours”, follow the instructions below.

Why is Zenly not running in the background on Xiaomi?

The main reason is MIUI optimization algorithms, which block the background activity of applications to save charge. Unlike pure Android, Xiaomi firmware uses three levels of constraints:

• 🔋 Conventional battery optimization – suspends applications after 5-10 minutes in the background.
• ⚡ Aggressive Optimization (on by default) – kills processes in 1–3 minutes.
• 🛡️ Privacy protection – blocks access to geodata in the background (relevant to the MIUI 14+).

Zenly requires constant access to precise location, mobile data/Wi-Fi and background processes. Even if you manually allowed all permissions, the system can reset them after rebooting or updating. For example, on POCO F4 with MIUI 13.0.6, we recorded an automatic shutdown of Zenly autostart after 48 hours - a firmware bug that is only fixed by a complete reset of the application settings.

Preparation: Check the current settings Zenly

Before you make changes to the system, make sure the application itself is configured correctly. Open Zenly and check:

1. Go to Profile → Settings → Privacy.
2. Make sure that options are included: 📍 Permanent access to location (not "only during use»). 🔄 Auto-Update Location (interval: "Frequently" or "Always»). 📶 Use mobile data (if switched off, Zenly only updates over Wi-Fi).

Return to the main menu and check the status in the upper right corner – if it says “Updated X minutes ago”, then the application is already working in the background.

If the status is not updated, go to the MIUI settings. On the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ with MIUI 14.0.3, we detected a bug: when the Traffic Saving mode is turned on, Zenly stops sending data, even if everything is allowed in the application settings. The solution is to disable savings in Settings → Connections and Sharing → Traffic Saving.

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If Zenly doesn’t update the location, try manually pulling the screen down in the main window of the app – this force triggers synchronization.

Disable battery optimization for Zenly

The most critical step is to remove Zenly from the list of optimized applications, and MIUI does this in two steps:

Step 1: Disabling Standard Optimization

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Zenly on the list and tap it.
3. Choose Battery Optimization → No restrictions.
4. Turn on the AutoRun switch (if you have one in your version of MIUI).

Step 2: Add Zenly to Secure Apps

This is the case for MIUI 12-14:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management by Apps.
2. Select Application Choices → Find Zenly.
3. Set up a No Limits mode.
4. Go back and turn on the Secure Apps option, then add Zenly to the list.

On HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14), the path is different: Settings → Applications → Special Access → Battery Optimization → Zenly → No Limits.

Optimization disabled for Zenly|Zenly in the list of secure applications | Autorun enabled |Previous mode allowed-->

Set up autostart and background activity

Even after the battery optimization has been turned off, MIUI can block Zenly from auto-starting after the device has been restarted.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Zenly → Autorun.
2. Turn on the AutoRun switch (if it is turned off in gray, then this option is blocked on your firmware - see the solution below).
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Settings → Privacy → Special permissions → Auto Run.
4. Find Zenly and turn it on auto-start.

Important: After the MIUI update, all autorun settings are reset, and we recommend checking them after each firmware update.

Permits for exact location

Zenly requires constant access to geodata, but MIUI by default restricts it.

1. Open Settings → Privacy → Permits → Location.
2. Find Zenly and select Always mode (not "Only during use").
3. Back to Settings → Annexes → Zenly → Permits and make sure that included: 📍 Location (continuing). 📶 Mobile data (background mode). 🔄 Automatic launch.

MIUI 14+ has a new option, Accurate Location, which must be enabled separately: Settings → Privacy → Permissions Management → Precise Location → Zenly → Enable.

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If Zenly doesn’t update location, check not only the in-app permissions, but also the MIUI system settings – they can block background access.

Note: on Xiaomi 13 Ultra with HyperOS, we encountered a bug when, after resetting the location settings, Zenly stopped seeing GPS satellites.

Additional tricks for stable work

If Zenly falls asleep after all the settings, try these methods:

For users POCO F3/F4 s MIUI 13 There's a non-obvious life hack: add the Zenly widget to the home screen, which forces the system to keep the app active, and disabling the Cleanup function will also help. RAM in the security settings (Settings) → Annexes → Cleanup).

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If Zenly stopped updating after the MIUI update, try rolling back to the previous firmware version via Fastboot – new builds often feature bugs with background processes.

What do you do if nothing helps?

If all of the above methods fail, radical measures remain:

• 🔄 Reinstall Zenly: Delete the app. Clean the folder /Android/data/com.zenly Install Zenly again and issue all permissions immediately.
• 📱 Reset application settings: Go to Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset application settings.This will remove all permissions, but often solves problems with background work.
• 🛠️ custom-made firmware MIUI: Install. MIUI Europe or Xiaomi.eu – in these builds, battery optimization is less aggressive.