What applications work in the background on Xiaomi: a full analysis

Modern Xiaomi smartphones with a shell MIUI or HyperOS are famous for their multitasking interface that allows you to hold in memory dozens of running programs. However, this feature often causes rapid battery discharge and periodic slowdowns. Users often notice that the device heats up even in standby mode, which is a direct consequence of the active work of background processes. Understanding which services and programs consume resources is the first step to optimize the work of the gadget.

Unlike stock Android, where memory management is more aggressive, Xiaomi’s ecosystem has a complex system of restrictions and permissions. Some applications, such as messengers or navigators, simply have to work in the background to perform their functions correctly, for example, to receive notifications or track a route. Others, such as games or stores, can continue to consume traffic and battery power without the owner’s knowledge, if you do not set the appropriate restrictions.

In this article, we will take a closer look at how the operating system works, why it is not possible to shut down all processes, and provide step-by-step instructions for setting up energy savings. You will learn to distinguish between systemically necessary tasks and “parasitic” processes that only consume charge.

System processes and their role in MIUI

When you open Task Manager, many users are frightened to see a long list of running services, whose names often consist of obscure acronyms. It is important to understand that MIUI and HyperOS are deeply modified versions of Android, where many system demons are responsible for the stability of the interface, these processes control the change of orientation of the screen, touch screen operation, gesture processing and data synchronization between components.

A critical element is System UI, which is responsible for rendering all visual elements: status bar, notification curtains and multitasking menu. If you try to forcefully stop this process, the smartphone interface can disappear completely, leaving only a black screen until the system automatically restarts the service, and the processes responsible for finding the network, working Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules are constantly hanging in the background.

Xiaomi ecosystem services are also worth noting: Name processes that contain “Mi Account”, “Cloud” or “Security” synchronize contacts, photos to the cloud and antivirus work. Their constant activity in the background is normal and necessary behavior for the correct functioning of the smartphone.

How to check running background applications

To manage processes, you first need to get accurate information about what is running on your device. Android standard tools provide enough tools for diagnosis, but in the shell from Xiaomi access to some of them is hidden or limited. The easiest way is to use the built-in menu “Developers”.

To activate this mode, you need to go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI Version (or OS Version) seven times. Once you have a message that you have become a developer, a new section will appear in the settings menu, which hides the most detailed statistics on working services.

In the For Developers → Launched Services section, you can see the active applications listing the amount of RAM they use, and you can see how long the application is running in the background, which is the most reliable source of information, because it shows the actual load on the system at the moment, not just the battery usage history.

Also worth mentioning is the standard task manager, called a bottom-up swipe and retention (or menu button). Although it shows previews of apps, this does not always mean that they actively execute code. Modern versions of Android freeze applications in memory, not giving them CPU time, but formally leaving them on the list of "open."

Consumer Apps: Who Eats the Most Battery

Among all the installed programs, there is a category that traditionally leads in the consumption of resources in the background, primarily social networks and instant messengers. Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp and VK strive to maintain a constant connection to the server for instant delivery of messages, if not configured correctly, they can wake the processor dozens of times per minute.

The second group of leaders are geolocated apps and service aggregators, taxis, maps, food delivery services and marketplaces often continue to track location even after they are folded. This is necessary for the correct construction of the route or tracking of the courier, but in the background it turns into a “eater” of the charge. GPS-The module is one of the most energy-intensive components of the smartphone.

The third category is newsfeeds and store apps, which can update content, index products or display ads in the background, and often users are unaware that the app they used a week ago is still collecting analytics, and checking battery usage statistics in Settings → Battery will help identify these hidden consumers.

Particular attention should be paid to Chinese versions of applications if you use global firmware, or vice versa. Sometimes versions of programs can work incorrectly with the system limitations of MIUI, causing the processor to overclock, in such cases, cleaning the cache or reinstalling the application from the official GetApps store or Google Play.

Set up background activity restrictions

Shell MIUI It provides powerful tools for manually controlling background activity, and unlike many other manufacturers, you can flexibly adjust the behavior of each particular application. → Annexes → All applications, select the desired program and find the item Activity Control (or "AutoStart").

Here you'll encounter three major levels of constraints: One is "No Limits." This mode allows an application to do anything in the background: start services, wake the screen, use the Internet. This is for alarm clocks, pedometers and instant messengers, which require instant response. The second level is "Limited Background Mode." The system will try to limit background activity, but it can allow some processes.

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If you want the app to not run exactly by itself, select Strict mode, but remember, in this mode, you can stop receiving notifications from that app until it is manually opened.

The third level is Strict. When you select this item, the operating system will aggressively kill the processes of this application immediately after you fold. This is ideal for games, banking applications or programs that you rarely use and do not need their background work. However, be careful: the settings may reset after you update the system or restart, so check this setting periodically.

There is also a global autostart setting. Apps → Permissions → Autostart can prevent all applications from running with the phone on. It is recommended to leave autostart on only for system services, antivirus and instant messengers. The rest of the programs do not need to start immediately after the screen is turned on.

Energy saving and Battery Saver

Xiaomi has a built-in optimization tool that users often ignore, and it's a waste of it. The Security app (a green icon with a shield) contains a Battery module that not only shows the percentage of charge, but also manages power scenarios. By turning on the power saving mode, you automatically apply the restriction package to all background processes.

You can create your own scenarios in the battery settings, for example, you can set the phone to automatically turn off background synchrony, GPS, and processor frequency when charged less than 20%, which allows the device to last longer in a critical situation, and you can also use Sleep in your pocket to prevent false screen switching on.

It is important to note that aggressive energy saving settings can conflict with the work of smartwatches or fitness bracelets Mi Band. If the tracker stops syncing or loses connection, try adding the Mi Fitness or Zepp Life app to exceptions or set it to “No Limits” mode.

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The optimal strategy is to use the “Balanced” mode constantly, and to include “Energy Saving” only when necessary, pre-configuring exceptions for important applications.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with the right setup, users can encounter situations where the phone is behaving unpredictably, one common problem is the gluttonous Media Storage or Google Play Services process, which often happens after a system update or installing a large number of applications, when the system indexes files or updates components.

In such cases, it is recommended to clean the cache of the problematic application through the settings menu. If this does not help, you can try resetting the settings of the Google Play applications. Sometimes the cause of uncontrolled background is a “stuck” sensor or a faulty widget on the desktop. Deleting widgets and rebooting devices often solve the problem.

Another nuance is that the Google Play Store only updates apps via Wi-Fi by default, but if the mobile network is turned on and the corresponding resolution is worth it, the download can go through operator traffic, consuming the battery. Check the auto-update settings in the app store itself.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t use third-party Task Killers from the Play Market. In modern Android versions, they do more harm than good by forcibly shutting down system processes that immediately start again, causing cyclical load on the processor and battery.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

⚠️ Note: If you disable the background data transfer for instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), you will stop receiving messages until the application is opened. Use this feature only for programs where instant communication is not important (for example, games or editors).