What apps work in the background on Xiaomi: 7 ways to check + hidden processes MIUI

Background apps on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO — One of the main causes of rapid battery drain, overheating and lag. Even after closing, many programs continue to consume resources: update data, send notifications or sync with servers. MIUI (Xiaomi firmware has both standard monitoring tools and hidden features that few people know about. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to check background processes, from basic settings to advanced methods of monitoring and monitoring. ADB and log analysis.

But before you start optimizing, it’s important to understand that not all background tasks are harmful, such as messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) or navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps) must work in the background to show messages or routes in a timely manner. The problem arises when unused applications (games, social networks, advertising) SDK) They're consuming resources without you knowing. MIUI (12-14) and Android (10-14).

If your smartphone is slower or your battery is running down in a few hours, it may be background processes that are to blame. For example, Facebook and Instagram are known for continuing to sync data and send analytics even when closed. And some Xiaomi system services (like com.miui.analytics) work in the default background, collecting telemetry. How to detect and disable them if necessary, read below.

1. Standard settings MIUI: Where to watch active processes

The easiest way is to use built-in tools. MIUI. It is available on all Xiaomi devices, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 And the other models from 2022 to 2026, and here's the step-by-step instruction:

Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management. Here you will see a list of all installed programs. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show System Processes, which will allow you to see not only custom but also utility applications Xiaomi.

Then tap any app to open its card. Pay attention to the points:

• 🔋 Battery usage - this shows the percentage of consumption in the last hours/days. >5% in the background, it is a reason to be wary.
• 📊 Data usage – background activity is often accompanied by network traffic (for example, TikTok can “upload” content even when you are not using it).
• ⚙️ Permissions – Check if the program has access to AutoRun, Background Work, or Show over other windows.

For quick check of the most "gluttonous" applications go to Settings → Battery → Battery usage. Here, the system ranks power consumption programs. If you see a messenger or a navigator in the top, that's okay, but if there's a game or a social network that you haven't opened in a long time, you should limit it.

2. Hidden MIUI Tools: Advanced Monitoring

MIUI It hides some features from ordinary users, but they can be activated through developer mode or special combinations. For example, firmware has a built-in task manager that shows all processes in real time, including system (unlike the standard application manager).

To open it up:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB (Not necessarily, but it is useful for further manipulation).
3. Now press and hold the Recent Applications button (square at the bottom of the screen) – in 2-3 seconds, the hidden process manager will open.

Here you will see three tabs:

• 📱 Applications – User programs (the ones you installed).
• 🤖 Processes – Android system services and MIUI (e.g. mediaserver, android.systemui).
• 🔄 Cache – temporary data that can be cleaned without consequences.

Pay attention to the column. CPU — If an application is constantly loading the processor (such as Mi Video or Cleaner), it should be limited or removed.

💡

If the developer menu does not have the option “process manager”, try an alternative way: enter the code ##4636## in the dialer and select “Battery Information" → "Use of the".

3. ADB-Teams: Professional analysis of background tasks

For advanced users, the best way to control is Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This tool allows you to get a complete list of running processes, including those that are hidden from view in standard settings:

• Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• USB-cable (preferably original).
• Included Debugging by USB on a smartphone (see previous section).

Connect your phone to your PC and execute the following commands in the command line (cmd or Terminal):

adb devices

(Checks the connection of the device. It should be called authorized.)

adb shell dumpsys activity processes

(Shows all active processes, indicating RAM consumption and status.)

adb shell ps -A | grep -E 'u0_a[0-9]+'

(Filters processes running on behalf of the user, i.e. your applications.)

In conclusion, pay attention to the columns:

• USER — u0_aXX designate user applications.
• NAME — process name (e.g. com.facebook.katana for Facebook).
• %CPU and %MEM — processor and memory load.

If you find a suspicious process (e.g. com.miui.daemon or com.xiaomi.market), you can force it to stop:

adb shell am force-stop com.name.package

Install ADB PC-only|Enable debugging on USB Xiaomi|Connect your phone to the original cable|Check the connection of the adb device team|Start monitoring processes-->

Third-party monitoring applications

If you work with ADB It is difficult to use specialized utilities from Google Play. They visualize data about background processes and often offer additional features (for example, automatically disabling unnecessary tasks:

For example, Greenify lets you put apps to sleep that wake up without you knowing.

1. Launch the application and grant Special Access rights (in Xiaomi settings this is Settings). → Annexes → Special access → Optimizing the battery).
2. Select applications for hibernation (e.g. AliExpress, Wildberries, games).
3. Activate the Automatic Hibernation function.

AccuBattery is useful for diagnosis: it shows which apps drain the battery even when the screen is off.If you see what Mi Browser or GetApps (the Xiaomi brand store) consume >10% in the background – they should be limited.

5. Xiaomi System Processes: What Can Be Disabled Without Harm

Xiaomi adds a lot of utility apps to the firmware that run in the default background, some of which are useful (e.g., com.miui.securitycenter), while others can be safely disabled. Here is a list of unnecessary system processes that often consume resources:

• 📦 com.miui.analytics – Analytics collection (can be turned off without consequences).
• 🛒 com.xiaomi.market – the branded app store GetApps (if you do not use it).
• 🎥 com.miui.video - standard video player (if you use it) VLC or MX Player).
• 📊 com.miui.daemon – diagnostic service (sometimes causes lags).
• 🔊 com.miui.player - Music player (if not used).
• 📡 com.xiaomi.discover – recommendation service (shows ads in search).

To turn them off:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Show System.
2. Find the desired application by the name of the package (see the list above).
3. Click Disable (Do not "Delete"!).
4. Confirm the action – the system will warn that it may affect the performance of other functions (in most cases this is not the case).

⚠️ Note: Do not disable name processes:

• com.android.systemui – system interface
• com.miui.home – launcher (desktop);
• com.qualcomm.qti... are Snapdragon processor drivers.

Deactivation of these will result in system failure or “eternal” booting.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com. title.packet

To return the application, replace the disable-user with enable.-->

Logs and Hidden Events: How to See “Invisible” Processes

Even ADB and MIUI They don't show some background tasks, like wake locks or network activity in standby mode, and you'll need system logs to track them:

Method 1: Through Logcat (required) ADB):

adb logcat | grep -E 'WakeLock|AlarmManager|JobScheduler'

This command will output all the events that woke up the processor. Look for lines with application names (e.g., com.facebook).

Method 2: Logcat Extreme (from Google Play)

• Install the utility and give it debugging rights.
• In the filter, enter WakeLock or Alarm.
• Look at the logs over the past hours – you’ll see which apps have woken up the device the most.

Method 3: BetterBatteryStats (for advanced users):

This app analyzes kernel wakelocks, low-level events that drain the battery.

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Use it as usual for 2-3 hours.
3. Open BetterBatteryStats and check the Partial Wakelocks and Alarms tabs.

If you see Google Play Services or Mi Push Service wake up your phone every 10 to 15 minutes, that's fine, but if you see games, social media or unknown packages appearing in your logs, you should limit them.

7. Optimization of background processes: what to do next

Now that you know which apps are working in the background, it’s time to optimize their performance. Here are 5 steps to improve performance and autonomy:

• 🔕 Turn off Autostart: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Auto-Start and Deactivate Unnecessary Programs.
• 🔋 Limit work in the background: in the card of each application (in the settings) there is a Battery item → Limit background activity.
• 📵 Ban mobile data in the background: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data → Background data transmission.
• 🗑️ Clean the cache regularly: in Settings → Warehouse → Clear cache (especially for Google Chrome, Instagram, TikTok).
• 🔄 Update the firmware: in new versions MIUI Frequently fix bugs with background processes (check in Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).

For maximum effect, combine these methods, for example, if Facebook drains the battery:

1. Limit its background activity in settings.
2. Turn off the autostart.
3. Add to Greenify for hibernation.
4. Disable access to geolocation in the background (Settings) → Confidentiality → Permits → geodata).

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as WhatsApp or Google Maps) will stop showing notifications or updating real-time data after the restrictions. If you need push messages, leave those programs alone, but check their settings – often there’s an option to “Optimize battery” or “Save traffic".

adb shell settings put global background_check 0

This will reduce core awakenings, but may affect the stability of some applications.-->

FAQ: Frequent questions about background processes on Xiaomi