Fixed apps on Xiaomi – what does it mean and how to use them?

Introduction: Why Fixed Apps Are Important for Xiaomi

If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone, you've probably encountered the term "fixed apps" in your system settings, a feature that, while simple, often raises questions about what it does, how it affects performance, and why some apps automatically make it to this list. Unlike the standard home screen "fixing" icons, it's about deep integration.

In this article, we’ll look at what pinned applications are in the context of MIUI, how they differ from regular ones, and why setting them up correctly can make your device work better, which apps should be secured and which shouldn’t, and how to avoid common mistakes that lead to unnecessary battery consumption or slowing down your smartphone.

We'll focus on the hidden features that aren't mentioned in the official manuals, but are used by experienced users for subtle optimization, for example, why fixing messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp can both speed up their work and, conversely, cause freezes - it all depends on the settings.

What are the fixed applications in MIUI?

Fixed applications (or Pinned Apps in the English version of MIUI) are programs that the system gives priority to resource use. Unlike conventional applications that can be closed to save battery or RAM, those that are fixed remain active in the background even if you haven’t used them in a long time.

This feature appeared in early versions of MIUI (beginning with MIUI 8) as a response to users’ complaints that the system is too aggressively “killing” background processes. For example, if you listen to music on Spotify and switch to another player, an unattached application can be forcibly closed after a few minutes, interrupting playback.

It’s important to understand that anchoring is not the same as adding “autboot” or “optimization exceptions” to the system, a separate mechanism that works at the Android kernel level and directly interacts with the MIUI Task Manager. However, not all applications can be fixed, and the system blocks this ability for programs that have not been tested for compatibility with the background work.

How to check the list of fixed applications on Xiaomi

To see which apps are already attached to your device, follow the following steps:

1. Open the Settings.
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Special Accesses.
4. Slip on the item "Accessed Apps" (or "Pinned Apps" in global firmware).

Here you will see a complete list of programs that are allowed to work in the background without restrictions. By default, MIUI automatically anchors system applications (for example, Phone, Messages, Camera) and some Google services. However, user applications (for example, VK, Instagram, Yandex.Maps) do not fall here - they need to be added manually.

Why you need fixed applications: pros and cons

The main advantage of anchoring is that critical applications are stable, such as:

• 📱 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp): instant notifications without delay.
• 🎵 Music Players (Spotify, VK Music: Playing is not interrupted when switching to other tasks.
• 🚗 Navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Navigator): maps are updated in the background, even if the screen is turned off.
• 🔄 Background services (e.g. Tasker or Automate): Automation works without failure.

However, the function has a downside:

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption: fastened applications consume energy even in standby mode.
• 🐢 Slowing down the system: if you fix too many programs, MIUI It will start to slow down due to lack of RAM.
• 🛑 Optimization conflicts: Some apps (like Facebook) can block background work despite being fixed.

💡

If you notice that your smartphone is running out faster after you fasten your apps, check them through Settings → Battery → Battery Use. Perhaps one of them “eats” up to 20-30% of the charge in the background.

How to add or remove an application from fixed

The process of managing fixed applications is simple, but has nuances depending on the version of MIUI.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Special Accesses → Fixed Applications.
2. Click on the + icon (or Add Apps in older versions).
3. Select the desired application from the list. If it is not available, then the system blocks the anchoring (more on this below).
4. To remove tap on the application in the list and uncheck the tick.

Important: some applications (like Google Play Services or MIUI Daemon) cannot be removed from the attached ones, they are critical to the system, and trying to disable them can lead to crashes.

Make sure the app is really needed in the background

Check out reviews on Google Play (no complaints about high battery consumption)

Close all unnecessary background processes before adding

Reboot your smartphone after the changes-->

If the desired application is not in the list available for fixing, this can mean:

• 🔒 The app does not support background work (for example, some games).
• 🛠️ This feature is disabled in the firmware for third-party programs (relevant to the MIUI China).
• 🐞 The app has a bug and doesn’t appear in the menu (try reinstalling it).

Which apps should be fixed and which ones should not

Not all programs need to be fixed, and below is a table of recommendations for popular categories:

Pay special attention to system applications, like MIUI Security or Google Play Services, which are already the defaults, so don't touch them, but Mi Video or Mi Music can be removed from the list if you don't use them.

Common Problems and Their Solutions

Even after you set up your fixed apps correctly, Xiaomi users face some problems.

⚠️ Note: If after fixing the application began to “fly out” or not open, try to clear its cache in Settings → Annexes → [Title of the annex] → Clear the cache. Often this helps without removing the cache from the cache.

Problem 1: The application is not kept in the fixed (itself is removed from the list).

Solution: This may be related to:

• 🔄 Automatic resetting of settings after updating MIUI (check the firmware version).
• 🛡️ by the antivirus or MIUI Optimization (Stop It Temporarily).
• 📱 Incompatible with your smartphone model (relevant for older devices like Redmi) 4X).

Problem 2: The fixed application is still closed by the system.

Solution: Check:

• 🔋 Battery settings: Go to Settings → Battery → Select battery mode and set Performance (not Energy Savings).
• 🔄 Auto Start Settings: C Settings → Annexes → Application management → Auto-run make sure the application is allowed.
• 📱 App Version: Update to the latest version on Google Play.

Problem 3: After fixing several applications, the smartphone began to slow down.

Solution: Remove all programs except the most essential ones (e.g., leave only the messenger and the navigator) and check the free RAM in Settings → About Phone → Memory. If less than 1 GB is free, restart the device.

💡

If the attached app starts to “glut”, first try to reboot the smartphone, in 70% of cases, this solves the problem without additional settings.

Hidden opportunities: ADB-Teams for Advanced Users

For those who want more control over the attached applications, there is a way to manage through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which will allow you to pin even those programs that do not appear in the standard MIUI menu.

Note: Using ADB requires the inclusion of Developer Mode and can lead to unstable system operation with incorrect commands.

Here are the main teams:

# View the list of fixed applications


adb shell cmd deviceidle whitelist




Add the application to the fixed (replace com.example.app with the application package)



adb shell cmd deviceidle whitelist +com.example.app




Remove the application from the fixed



adb shell cmd deviceidle whitelist -com.example.app

To find out the batch name of the application, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "appendix name"

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as Facebook or Snapchat) may block work after being forced to secure through a ADB. It's because of their internal security mechanisms, and then you have to reset the app or reinstall it.

You can also use ADB to turn off automatic attachment of system applications that you don't need, for example, if you don't use Mi Pay, you can remove it from the list:

adb shell cmd deviceidle whitelist -com.miui.mipay

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions