How to turn off the background mode of the Messages app on Xiaomi

Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which run on the shells of MIUI or the new HyperOS, are equipped with aggressive energy saving algorithms. However, sometimes the system, on the contrary, allows applications such as standard Messages to consume CPU resources and Internet traffic even when the screen is turned off, this can lead to a noticeable discharge of the battery and heating the device body in standby mode.

Users often find themselves in a situation where, after checking the battery statistics, it turns out that the system service or SMS application was actively working in the background, background activity is necessary for timely notifications, but its excess harms autonomy. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to find and limit the operation of this component without disrupting the functionality of receiving incoming texts.

It's important to understand that completely disabling background processes can lead to delays in receiving messages. So our goal is not blind locking, but competent optimization of settings. We will look at the standard methods of the Android operating system, specific to the Xiaomi brand, as well as deeper ways to manage power.

Analysis of energy consumption by the Messages application

Before making changes to the configuration of the system, you need to make sure that the message application is the source of the problem. owners of smartphones Redmi and Poco may face a situation where message delays are not caused by the application itself, but by malfunctions in the work. SIM-So the primary diagnosis is critical.

To start, you should go to the settings menu and open the battery section, and you can see a detailed discharge graph showing which programs have consumed the most power in the last day, and if Google Messages or system Messages are at the top of the list with the least amount of usage, that's a signal to action.

Statistics can show that the app worked in the background even if you didn't open the dialogs, often because of synchronization attempts, checking spam filters, or working features. RCS-Understanding the reason helps you choose the right method of restriction: you can ban background work completely or just turn off specific heavy functions.

Note the operating system version. In new HyperOS updates, resource allocation algorithms have been changed, and old instructions may not work properly. Always check the interface's relevance before settings.

Configure background activity restrictions in MIUI and HyperOS

Xiaomi’s shells provide advanced application management tools that are far superior to standard Android. To limit messaging, you need to use the built-in Battery or App menu, which is the most secure way, without root rights.

You need to find a specific application in the list of installed programs. The system will offer several levels of constraints. For example, the "No Limit" mode allows the program to do anything, which often leads to high charge consumption. Switching to "Save battery" or "Limit background activity" forcefully stops processes when the screen is turned off.

⚠️ Warning: Setting a strict “No Background Activity” restriction may result in you not being notified of a new activity SMS before unlocking the phone.

It's also worth checking your autorun settings. There's a separate menu in MIUI where you can prevent an application from running with the system. Although this is rarely a problem for system messaging, checking this setting will be useful. If the autorun slider is active, you can try it deaktivirovat, but with caution.

After making changes, the system may need to restart to apply the new power saving rules. Don't ignore this step, as the process cache can remain in RAM until the device is fully restarted.

Managing Permits and Notifications

Beyond battery settings, permissions are important: Messages requests access to contacts, phone, storage and location; redundant permissions are sometimes used for background analytics, which also consumes resources.

It is recommended to follow the Settings path → Annexes → All applications → Communications → Permits: This is where you should disable geolocation access if it is not used for specific functions, and restrict access to a microphone or camera if it is not directly necessary for the operation. SMS/MMS.

• 📍 Geolocation: Often used for targeted advertising or smart responses, but not for text reception.
• 📞 Phone: Needed to identify the sender if the number is entered in the contacts, but you can experiment with the disconnection.
• 💾 Storage: Required to save investments (MMS), Without this, the multimedia message function will stop working.

Notifications are worth special attention. In modern versions of Android, you can fine-tune which notifications can come in the background. By going into the notification settings of a particular application, you can turn off categories that are not important, such as “Spreadings” or “Service Status”, leaving only incoming messages.

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Use the “Silent Notifications” function for secondary categories so that they do not wake the screen and activate the processor once again.

Decreasing the number of events processed directly affects the frequency of wake up of the processor. Less wake ups means less power consumption. AMOLED-screens where every pixel counts, but the processor part plays a key role.

Disabling RCS and Extended Chat Functions

One of the main reasons for the high background activity in modern instant messengers and SMS applications is the technology RCS (Rich Communication Services), which allows you to send photos, videos and see the status of the typing of the interlocutor, working through the Internet, rather than through the channels of the cellular operator.

Google Chat function or RCS-Chats require a constant connection to Google servers to deliver messages instantly, and this creates a constant background process that keeps the phone from going into deep sleep. SMS, This function makes sense to disable.

To do this, open the Messages app, click on the profile avatar or three dots in the corner, and select "Settings." In the menu, look for "Chat Features" or "RCS-chats" and switch the switch to "Off" and then the application will stop holding a permanent Internet connection for this service.

Disabling RCS is especially recommended for users who are in areas of unstable 4G/5G coverage. In such conditions, the phone is constantly trying to reconnect to the chat server, which causes significant heating and battery discharge.

Use of the system's energy saving mode

Xiaomi and Redmi have global modes that affect all applications at once. Charge Saving or Super-Savings automatically limits background synchronization, vibration and brightness. Activating this mode is a quick way to stop excess activity without deep tuning of each application.

However, there is a caveat: in austerity mode, notifications from other important applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp or email clients can stop coming, so you should use this method with caution if you are waiting for important calls or messages.

There is also a "Second Space" or "Read Mode" feature that can indirectly affect the operation of background services, and check if you have any specific scenarios activated in the "Security" application that may block network activity.

⚠️ Warning: In Super-Savings mode, the screen turns black and white, and the number of available applications is limited to the basic set.

For users who want maximum autonomy in the journey, it is recommended to combine the switching off of the background work of specific applications with the inclusion of a general saving mode.

Solving problems with constant awakenings (Wakelocks)

Sometimes a Message application can become stuck in an active state due to a software error or conflict with another service, a phenomenon called wakelock. The phone can't sleep because the process thinks it's still needed.

In such cases, cleaning the app cache helps. Don't confuse this with data cleanup: cleaning the cache deletes temporary files, but saves your correspondence. Clearing the data will delete all messages, so be careful when choosing an action.

• 🗑️ Cache Cleanup: Safe Procedure, Solves 90% of Haze Problems.
• 🔄 App Update: Check Google Play Market for updates to Messages".
• 📱 Network reset: Sometimes the problem lies in the failure of the communication module, helps reset network settings (not data!).

If nothing works, you can try to remove the app updates, return it to the factory version, and then update again. This overwrites configuration files that may have been corrupted.

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Systematic background problems are often solved by updating the Google Messages app to the latest version from the Play Market.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)