Turned off the screen on Xiaomi and the music or podcast was interrupted? This is standard MIUI behavior that many users consider a bug — but this is actually how energy saving works. In 2026, the problem is relevant for all models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. In this article, we will analyze why this happens, how to circumvent the limitations of the system and what settings will help listen to the sound with the screen off without loss of quality.
We warn you right away: there is no universal solution. The methods depend on the version of MIUI (13/14/15), the smartphone model and even the installed applications. We tested all methods on the Xiaomi 13 Pro (MIUI 15), POCO F5 (MIUI 14) and Redmi 10C (MIUI 13) - and are ready to provide working instructions. If you encounter a problem on another model, check compatibility in the comments or FAQ at the end of the article.
Why does Xiaomi block sound when the screen is off?
The reason is MIUI's power saving policy, where when the screen goes out, the system automatically pauses background processes, including media playback, to reduce battery consumption, which is a behavior that's core-level and controlled by three mechanisms:
- 🔋 Doze Mode is an Android deep sleep mode that activates after 30 minutes of inactivity. It aggressively closes all background tasks, including players.
- ⚡ MIUI Optimization – branded optimization Xiaomi, which forcibly “freezes” applications when blocking the screen.
- 📵 Background Restrictions – Background Restrictions that the user can adjust manually (or they are applied automatically to save charge).
Interesting fact: on POCO and Black Shark (Xiaomi’s gaming sub-brands), these restrictions are often less stringent — the manufacturer assumes that users of these lines are more likely to listen to music during games or training, but on Redmi budget series, energy saving works as hard as possible.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 13+ and MIUI 14+ Google has put additional restrictions on the operation of background services, which means that even the shutdown "MIUI Optimization may not work – you will need to manually configure permissions for each application.
Method 1: Disable MIUI optimization (works on 80% of models)
The most reliable method is to deactivate proprietary optimization that blocks background processes, which is suitable for MIUI 12-15, but newer versions may require additional permission adjustments.
Steps:
- Open the Settings. → The phone.
- Tap 7-10 times on the MIUI version until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
- Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
- Find the option to Disable MIUI Optimization (or MIUI Optimization) and move the slider to the Off position.
- Reset the device.
Then check the audio playback with the screen off. If the problem persists, move on to the next method - there are likely additional restrictions from Google on your model.
Check the MIUI version (on some firmware the option is hidden)
Update the system to the latest version
Install a patch through Magisk (requires root)
Try an alternative player (VLC, Poweramp)-->
Method 2: Configure permissions for media player
If optimisation is not working, the problem may be in the application's individual resolutions. MIUI and Android 13+ block the default back-end of the programs. To play sound when the screen is off, you need to manually resolve:
- 🎵 Replay in the background (for Android 12)+)
- 🔄 Auto-start (so that the player does not close when blocked)
- 📱 Working in the background without restrictions (for MIUI)
Instructions:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select your media player (such as YouTube Music, Spotify or VLC).
- Slip the Permits. → Additionally.
- Activate: Playback in the background (if any) Auto Run Show over other windows (for some players)
Battery → No restrictions.
YouTube Music and Spotify may need additional permission to Ignore Battery Optimization. Find it in Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → All apps.
💡
If the player still stops, try to turn on Do Not Disturb mode with an exception for media, which sometimes paradoxically helps to bypass the limitations of MIUI.
Method 3: Use of alternative players
Standard applications (Mi Music, Google Play Music) often ignore user settings due to integration with MIUI. The solution is to install a side player with support for background play. We tested 5 applications - the results in the table:
| Player. | It's off-screen. | Requires root. | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| VLC | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | Supports all formats, there is an equalizer |
| Poweramp | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | Paid, but best sound among the tested |
| Musicolet | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | Lightweight, no advertising, works on Android 5+ |
| JetAudio | ⚠️ Partially. | ❌ No. | Sometimes interrupted by MIUI 14+ |
| BlackPlayer | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | Minimalist interface, supports themes |
Important: On MIUI 15 (Android 14), even VLC can be blocked when idle for longer periods (more than 1 hour), in which case only disabling Doze Mode via ADB or root will help.
If you use YouTube Premium or Spotify, try their web version in Firefox with the "Desktop Site" mode enabled. Sometimes this bypasses MIUI's background play restrictions.
Method 4: ADB commands for deep tuning (for advanced)
If standard methods fail, manual adjustment via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will allow you to disable Doze Mode for a particular application or completely deactivate energy saving.
Instructions:
- Install ADB Tools on your PC.
- Activate USB Debugging in Settings → For Developers.
- Connect your phone to your PC and execute at the command line: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle whitelist +com.package.name (replace com.package.name with your player's ID, such as com.spotify.music).
- To completely disable Doze Mode (not recommended!): adb shell dumpsys deviceidle disable
If the problem persists, check:
- MIUI Version (update to the latest stable firmware).
- root rights (some custom firmware requires a Magisk module Disable Flag Secure).
- Conflicts with other applications (e.g., cleaners like Clean Master aggressively close the background processes).
💡
Xiaomi with MediaTek (Helio, Dimensity) processors has more sound problems than Snapdragon, which is due to the chipset’s energy-saving drivers.