How to Turn Off Battery-Draining Background Apps on Xiaomi
Background apps are the biggest hidden battery drain on any Android phone. HyperOS gives you powerful tools to control exactly which apps can run behind the scenes.
Step 1: Find the Worst Offenders
Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage and tap "View usage". Apps at the top of the list are consuming the most battery. Common culprits: TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, news apps with auto-refresh.
Step 2: Restrict Autostart
Autostart allows apps to launch automatically in the background. Disable it for non-essential apps:
Settings > Apps > Manage Apps > [App] > Autostart → OFF
Or manage multiple apps at once: Settings > Apps > Manage Apps → tap the filter icon → sort by Autostart → disable for all non-critical apps.
Step 3: Set Battery Mode per App
Settings > Battery > App Battery Saver (or via individual app settings):
| Battery Mode | Background Behavior |
|---|---|
| No restrictions | Full background activity (use for WhatsApp, email) |
| Optimized (default) | Balanced restriction (use for most apps) |
| Restrict | Minimal background activity (use for games, social) |
Set social media and entertainment apps to "Restrict" — they don't need to run in background.
Step 4: Limit Background Processes (Developer Options)
If you've enabled Developer Options (see Article 29): Developer Options > Background Process Limit → set to "At most 3 processes". This caps how many apps run simultaneously.
Step 5: Lock Only Essential Apps in Recents
When clearing the Recents screen, HyperOS kills unlocked apps. Lock apps you need always running (WhatsApp, navigation) by tapping the lock icon on their Recent card. Swipe away everything else to free RAM.
