Why Xiaomi is Shutting Down Apps and How to Fix It

You run an app on your Xiaomi, step back for a minute, and it's closed, or the game suddenly crashes and the messengers stop sending notifications. Familiar situation? This is not an accident, but a feature of MIUI, the firmware that all smartphones of the brand are equipped with. The system aggressively manages background processes, saving battery power and RAM, but often does it too zealously, interfering with normal operation.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible reasons why Xiaomi shuts down apps, from standard optimization features to hidden power saving settings, how to turn off auto-clean memory, configure exceptions for important programs, and even change system behavior through engineering menus, and why some models (such as the Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5) are more problematic than flagships like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

Important: The solutions work on all current versions of MIUI 14/15 (including global and Chinese firmware), but some items may differ depending on the model. If your smartphone is older than 2020, check out the feature section on older devices with low RAM — there are separate recommendations.

1.Why Xiaomi is killing background apps: the main reasons

Before you fix the problem, you need to understand the root of the problem, and at Xiaomi, there are several mechanisms that are responsible for spontaneously closing applications:

• 🔋 Aggressive energy saving regime — MIUI The default limits background activity to save charge, even if the battery is charged at 100%.
• 🧹 Autocleaning Memory – the system forcibly frees RAM, killing processes that it believes the user does not need.
• ⚙️ Optimization MIUI — built-in function that “improves” the system but often interferes with the stability of applications.
• 📱 Lack of RAM on budget models (for example, Redmi) 10A With 2GB of RAM, the system simply can’t hold many processes.
• 🐞 Firmware bugs - in some versions MIUI (especially in beta versions, there are errors that cause applications to close for no reason.

The most common reason is a combination of energy saving and self-cleaning. MIUI believes that if you don't interact with an app for 5 to 10 minutes, it can be safely closed, but for instant messengers, music players or navigators, it's critical: they have to work in the background.

Another nuance: on new smartphones (such as Xiaomi 14), the problem may be less frequent due to more RAM and an optimized processor, but on older devices (such as the Redmi 5 Plus), even after resetting, applications will be closed due to hardware limitations.

2.How to turn off auto-cleaning memory in MIUI

The first thing you need to do is turn off automatic RAM cleaning, which works on the principle of "kill everything that is not in use right now," and often closes even the necessary processes.

Instructions for MIUI 14/15:

1. Open Settings → About the phone and tap 7 times on the line version of MIUI to activate the developer mode.
2. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → For developers.
3. Find Do Not Save Active Applications (or Limit Background Processes) and disable it.
4. Below, find Memory Cleanup when you lock and deactivate too.

If these items are not there, then your version of MIUI is hiding them.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Special Access → Memory Cleanup.
3. Turn off the automatic cleaning option.

Activate the Developer Mode|Disable "Do not save active applications"|Turn off "Memory cleaning when blocked"|Check the special access settings-->

After that, the system will stop forcibly killing the processes when you lock the screen, but that's only half the solution, and then you need to adjust the energy saving.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) If you notice a significant reduction in operating time, return the settings back and use alternative methods from the following sections.

3. Battery setup: How to stop MIUI from killing apps

MIUI divides all programs into power categories, and by default, most applications go into Restricted mode, which means that the system will close them as soon as possible, and to avoid that, you have to manually configure exceptions.

Do the following:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
2. Select Application Selection (or Battery Settings for Applications).
3. Find the desired application (for example, Telegram or Yandex.Navigator) in the list and tap on it.
4. Select No Limits (or No Limits) mode.

For mission-critical applications (messengers, banking programs, navigators) also include:

• 📌 Auto-Run – Allows the application to start when the phone is turned on.
• 🔄 Background activity - allows you to work in the background without restrictions.
• 🔔 Notifications – ensures that you will receive alerts.

These settings are also in the same place, in the battery management menu for the specific application. MIUI check to the latest version or check if they are hidden under additional parameters (image) ⚙️ top-right).

If the application still closes after these settings, check if the settings reset after the MIUI update. Sometimes the system returns default values.

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After changing the battery settings, restart your phone. This will help you apply the changes at the Android core level.

4. MIUI Optimization: Hidden Settings That Kill Apps

MIUI has hidden optimization features that work in the background and can interfere with the stability of applications, one of which is Smart Optimization, which analyzes your smartphone usage and forcibly closes down “unnecessary” processes.

To turn it off:

1. Go to Settings → Further → Optimization.
2. Put it on the badge. ⚙️ top-right.
3. Disable options: Smart Optimization Memory Optimization Adaptive Optimization (if any)

Another hidden parameter is "Background Process Limitation," which determines how many applications can run in the background at the same time, and by default, MIUI sets tight limits, especially on devices with low RAM.

To change that:

1. Activate the developer mode (if you haven’t already).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Find the item Limiting background processes.
4. Select the Standard Limit or No Limits (if available).

⚠️ Note: Virtual memory (RAM-Extension only works on devices with UFS-On older smartphones (like the Redmi 6), this feature may not have an effect or even slow down the system.

6. Advanced methods: ADB, engineering menu and custom firmware

If standard settings don't work, you'll have to use advanced methods, which take longer and sometimes more technical knowledge, but give you maximum control over the system.

Method 1: ADB-commands to disable optimization

With ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can force application-specific optimization to be disabled.

1. Install. ADB-PC drivers.
2. Enable USB debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 taps → For developers → USB debugging).
3. Connect your phone to your computer and execute the command: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle whitelist +com.example.app Replace com.example.app with your application’s batch name (e.g. org.telegram.messenger for Telegram).

Method 2: Engineering Menu (MTK/Qualcomm)

On some Xiaomi smartphones (especially with Qualcomm processors), you can change the behavior of the system through the engineering menu.

1. In the phone app, dial the code ##4636##.
2. Go to the Battery Information or Usage Statistics section.
3. Find options related to background processes and turn off restrictions.

Method 3: Castom firmware (for experienced)

If nothing works, you can install an alternative firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) that won’t aggressively kill apps, but will require:

• 🔓 Unlocking the bootloader (will result in a data reset!).
• 🛠️ Installations of custom recaveri (TWRP).
• 📱 Hand-stitching through fastboot.

This method is suitable only for experienced users, as it carries the risk of losing the warranty and the "brick" (turning the phone into a "brick").

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ADB-Teams are the most effective way to disable optimization for specific applications, but require a PC connection. The engineering menu doesn't work on all models, and custom firmware is only suitable for power users.

7. Features for older Xiaomi models (until 2020)

On Xiaomi smartphones released in 2018-2019 (for example, Redmi Note 7, Mi 9), the problem with closing applications is especially acute.

• 📉 Small RAM (often 3-4 GB).
• 🐢 Outdated processors (Snapdragon) 6xx/7xx first-generation).
• 🔄 Old versions. MIUI (before MIUI 12) where optimization worked harder.

For such devices, recommendations:

1. Reverse MIUI 12 — if you have a newer version, try flashing the old one, which in some cases improves stability.
2. Use lightweight launchers like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, which consume less memory than a standard MIUI launcher.
3. Turn off all widgets – they are constantly hanging in memory and take up resources.
4. Install Magisk patch – Disable Flag Secure or Universal SafetyNet Fix can help with application background work.

If the phone is slowing down after all the settings, it may be time to consider replacing it.Modern apps (especially games and social media) require more resources than older smartphones can provide.

8. Frequent Mistakes and Myths About Closing Applications in MIUI

There are many "advice" on the Internet that not only do not help, but also do harm.

Myth 1: “You need to constantly clean your RAM manually”

❌ Reality: Manually cleaning memory through Task Manager doesn’t improve performance, but often degrades. MIUI They manage memory better than the user, and forced closure of applications causes the system to waste resources on re-runs.

Myth 2: “Switching off animations will speed things up”

⚠️ Reality: Turning off animations makes the interface visually faster, but doesn't free up RAM or prevent apps from closing.

Myth 3: “You have to shut down all Google services.”

❌ Reality: Google Play Services are critical to many apps, and shutting them down will cause messaging apps, maps, and banking to fail.

Myth 4: “Resetting to factory settings will solve the problem”

⚠️ Reality: Resetting will only help if the problem is caused by a specific bug (for example, after a failed update).In 90% of cases, after a reset, applications will close again - because this is a feature of the app. MIUI, not a mistake.

Myth 5: “You have to shut down all background processes.”

❌ Reality: Completely disabling background processes through Settings → Annexes → Background activity will cause notifications, synchronization and even calls to stop working.

Instead of following dubious advice, stick to the methods described in this article. They are tested on real devices and do not harm the system.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions