How to Make Apps Work in the Background on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the same problem: messengers do not send messages until you open the application, and the navigator folds and stops voice tracking a few minutes after locking the screen. This is not a bug of a particular device, but a feature of an aggressive energy saving policy built into the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS. The system seeks to maximize battery life, ruthlessly “killing” processes that it considers unnecessary.

Unfortunately, standard settings are often not enough, as memory optimization algorithms can ignore user preferences for the sake of autonomy. To solve this problem, you need to perform a complex setup, affecting several layers of the system. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods that will help your favorite applications to function stably even when the smartphone screen is out.

Making matters worse, with each Android update and the shell itself, the paths to settings may change, and some options are hidden in the developer menu. Background processes require clear permission from the system, otherwise they will be frozen. Let's take a step-by-step algorithm of actions, which is relevant for most modern models.

Basic permission setting for a specific application

The first step should always be to manually set the rights for the problem application. The default system limits background activity to save charge, but you can force it to work. To do this, go to the Settings menu → Applications → All applications and find the desired service in the list, for example, Telegram or Yandex.Navigator.

Inside the app menu, find the option "Battery Saving" (or "Battery"). The default is usually "Energy Saving" mode, which blocks the work in the background. You need to switch this option to "No Limits", which will signal to the system that this application has priority and its processes cannot be completed.

Also in the same menu, be sure to check the AutoStart section. If the slider is turned off, the app will not be able to start its services after restarting the phone or cleaning up the memory.

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After changing the battery settings, restart your smartphone so that the system fully applies the new rules for the selected application.

Remember that notifications are also important for messengers to work properly. Make sure that all categories are included in the Notifications section, especially Important or Priority if this option is available in your version of the OS.

Memory management and consolidation in recent

Another effective method that users often ignore is to pin an application to the list of tasks that you run. When you fold an application, it goes to the "Recent" menu (the menu button or swipe at the bottom), if you click and hold the preview of the application (or pull it down, depending on the version of MIUI), the lock icon will appear.

Having a lock means that the Close All memory cleanup function won’t affect the app, and the system will try to keep it in RAM as long as possible, which is especially useful for navigators and activity trackers.

  • 🔒 Click on the lock icon next to the app preview in the recent task menu.
  • 🧹 Avoid using the Clean Everything feature if you want to keep processes active.
  • 📱 Make sure that your memory settings don’t have too aggressive a limit on the number of applications you save.

It is worth noting that this method does not give 100% guarantee on models with low RAM (3-4 GB) if the system urgently needs space to run heavy play or camera.

☑️ Checking memory settings

Done: 0 / 4

If you use navigation, keep the map open in the background through the menu of recent tasks, not closing it completely, but only curling up on the home screen.

Global Battery and Optimizer Settings

Beyond customization, there are global settings that affect the entire system. Xiaomi shells have an integrated Optimizer that can force processes to complete. Go to the Security app (green zipper icon), select Battery, and click on the three dots in the top right corner.

You can find Settings and disable the option “Remove from memory” or “Clear memory when blocking” and check if the Ultra-energy saving mode is activated, which turns the smartphone into a bell and blocks all background processes of third-party applications.

ParameterRecommended valueImpact on the system
Sleep regimenNot to limitAllows work in the background
Auto-startIncludedLaunch after restart
Cleaning up memoryOff.Save applications in RAM
Developer modeNo background processes: NoGlobal ban on restriction

It is also important to check the settings of the battery itself.If Full Protection Mode or similar battery life extension features are enabled, they can artificially limit performance and background activity.

📊 How often do you have “notifications?
Only after the reboot.
Always have to open the app.
Rarely, hardly ever notice.
Only in roaming or a weak network

Use of the developer mode

For more subtle control, you can use the hidden developer menu. To get there, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on MIUI Version (or OS Version) until you get a message that you have become a developer.

Then, a new option will appear in the “Advanced” (or “Advanced Settings”) menu, “Developers” will appear. Search the “Applications” section and look for the “Background Process Limit” option, and make sure it has a “Standard Limit” or “No Limits” value.

⚠️ Warning: Do not completely disable background processes in the developer menu if you are not sure of your actions.This can lead to unstable system services and loss of communication.

Also on this menu is the option to “Don’t turn off the screen” when charging, which can be useful if you use your phone as a navigator in a car connected to power, which will prevent you from going to sleep, which often freezes GPS.

Why do we need to monitor processes?
The developer menu has a feature called Running Services, which allows you to see in real time which applications consume the most RAM and CPU. This helps to identify “gluttonous” programs that land the battery, even if they do not need to work in the background.

Specificity of the work of navigators and trackers

Special attention should be paid to navigation applications, such as Yandex.Navigator, 2GIS Google Maps, they require constant access. GPS-In addition to general settings, there are often items inside the applications themselves, such as "In the background" or "Voice support", that you need to activate.

In some cases, turning off battery optimization specifically for Google Play services or system geolocation services helps. Without proper system services, the navigator can lose signal when the screen is turned off.

  • 🛰️ Allow the application to access the geo-position in “Always” mode, not just “When using” mode».
  • 🔋 Set the battery mode "No restrictions" for the navigator.
  • 🗺️ Download offline maps to reduce the load on the network in the background.

If you use your phone as a tracker for sports or cycling, make sure the screen doesn't go out too quickly. Set a screen timeout for 5-10 minutes or use the "Don't Turn Off Screen" widget during activity.

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For navigators, not only auto-runs are critical, but also permission to permanently access the geo-position, otherwise the route will be interrupted.

HyperOS problems and new features

With the release of the HyperOS shell (based on Android 14), memory management policies have become even stricter, new mechanisms have appeared to isolate applications. If standard methods do not help, try to remove the problematic application and install it again, immediately giving all the requested permissions when you first start.

Newer versions also include an extended mode for games and applications that can be configured via a floating panel (Game Turbo), adding a navigator or messenger to the list of gaming applications sometimes helps the system to understand that it does not need to be “killed”.

⚠️ Note: On some global firmware, aggressive system behavior may be due to a specific version bug.

It’s also worth checking if the “In your pocket” mode is enabled with increased sensitivity, which can lock the screen and interrupt applications when certain movements in the bag are involved.

Secret team for diagnosis
In the Phone app, dial ##6484## to log into the engineering menu, where you can test the sensors and vibrations, which sometimes helps to identify hardware causes of failures that are confused with software.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did the MIUI update stop working in the background?
Major system updates reset some user settings and permissions, especially autostart rights and battery savings, and you need to reset the setup procedure for each important application, as described at the beginning of the article.
Does turning on all permits affect the battery’s discharge rate?
Allowing applications to run in the background without restrictions leads to increased charge consumption, because the processor and communication modules do not go into deep sleep, but for messengers and navigators, this is a necessary sacrifice for functionality.
Can I completely disable memory optimization on Xiaomi?
You can't completely disable system optimization without root rights; you can only minimize the limitations of system optimization through developer settings and individual permissions; and you can try to remove system optimizers and you can end up with a "boot loop."
Does this work on older Redmi Note models?
Yes, the MIUI shell is the same for most devices, from MIUI 10-12 to the latest versions. The interface may vary slightly, but the logic of settings (Battery → AutoRun → No restrictions) remains relevant.