Keep apps running
How to Stop Honor and Huawei Killing Apps (MagicOS 9, EMUI)
By the llcloud team 4 min read
Quick answer
On Honor (MagicOS 9) and Huawei (EMUI) phones, search Settings for App launch, switch off Manage automatically for the app and turn on Auto-launch, Secondary launch and Run in background. Then set battery optimization for the app to Don't allow, keep power saving off and lock the app in recent apps. A force-stop still turns its accessibility service off until you turn it back on.
Honor's MagicOS and Huawei's EMUI share a long history of strict background management. Unless you take over, the phone decides which apps may start and keep running, and quiet background apps often lose. Here is how to keep an app running on MagicOS 9 and recent EMUI versions, and what to do when it gets closed anyway.
Why does my Honor or Huawei phone close apps?
Both brands manage app launches for you. With Manage automatically on, the system decides whether an app may launch itself, be started by another app and stay running with the screen off. On top of that come battery optimization, power saving modes and a cleaner in the Optimizer or Phone Manager app. Honor's own support page admits that apps running in the background for a long time can still be stopped by the system. The hub guide on why Android kills background apps covers the bigger picture.
A note on Huawei: recent Huawei phones ship without Google Play, so apps from Play, including ours, may not be available there. The steps below still apply to any app you run.
How do I keep an app running on MagicOS and EMUI?
Do all of these. Labels below are from MagicOS 9 and recent EMUI. Menus move between versions, so searching Settings for the switch name is often fastest.
1. Set App launch to Manage manually
- Open Settings and search for App launch (on many models Settings > Apps > App launch, on older ones Settings > Battery > App launch).
- Find the app and switch off its automatic management.
- In the Manage manually window, turn on Auto-launch, Secondary launch and Run in background, then tap OK.
2. Turn off battery optimization for the app
- Open Settings and search for Battery optimization.
- Tap the small triangle next to Don't allow and choose All apps.
- Find the app and choose Don't allow.
3. Keep power saving off
Open Settings > Battery and switch off Power saving mode and Ultra power saving when you rely on the app. Ultra power saving limits the phone to a handful of apps.
4. Lock the app in recent apps
- Open the app, then open recent apps.
- Swipe the app's card down, or tap the lock on the card, depending on your version.
- A lock icon confirms it. Clear all now leaves it alone.
5. Watch out for the cleaner
The Optimizer or Phone Manager app can close background apps when it cleans or optimizes. Avoid running it for apps you depend on, and check its settings for anything that cleans automatically.
Which switch does what?
If you only have a minute, this is what each setting protects against.
| Setting | What it stops | Skip it and |
|---|---|---|
| Run in background | Freezing once the screen is off | The app sleeps until you open it |
| Auto-launch | Being blocked from starting itself | It stays closed after a restart or a clean |
| Secondary launch | Being blocked when another app or the system starts it | Some background events never reach it |
| Battery optimization Don't allow | Android's own Doze limits | Work is delayed into short windows |
| Recents lock | Clear all and quick cleans | One tap in recents can force-stop it |
Run in background is the one Honor's own guidance singles out. If you change only one thing, change that.
Can it still close the app after all this?
Yes. Honor says plainly that it is still working on long-running background apps, and on some older EMUI versions a system component closes apps that are not on Huawei's own list, with no user setting to stop it. None of these steps is a guarantee. They lower the odds, and recovery takes a few taps.
If the light or the app's switch is off again
A force-stop switches off the app's accessibility service, and the app cannot switch it back on by itself. To do it by hand:
- Open Settings > Accessibility features > Accessibility (on some versions just Settings > Accessibility).
- Tap the app under the installed services.
- Switch it on and confirm.
AuraDisplay watches for this. Since version 3.5.4 it posts a notification when Android switches off its accessibility access, usually with a Turn back on button that opens the right screen. Make sure AuraDisplay may post notifications, or the warning cannot reach you. Its Keep AuraDisplay Running option adds a foreground service that makes stops rarer, but it is not armour.
For a VPN-based filter such as Repel's tracker filter, search Settings for VPN, tap the app and turn on Always-on VPN if your version offers it. To block trackers with nothing running, see Private DNS on Android.
What next?
With the app running reliably, set up the light using a notification light on Android, or edge lighting on any Android for phones without a punch hole. Our Always On Display guide explains what the light can do with the screen off.
Sources
Questions
What does App launch do on Honor and Huawei phones?
App launch decides whether an app may start itself, be started by other apps and keep running in the background. With Manage automatically on, the phone makes that choice and often closes quiet background apps. Switch it off for the app and turn on Auto-launch, Secondary launch and Run in background. Run in background matters most.
Where is App launch in MagicOS 9?
The easiest way is to open Settings and search for App launch, or just Launch. On many models it sits under Settings > Apps > App launch, and on older ones under Settings > Battery > App launch. Find the app in the list and switch off its automatic management to open the manual options.
Why does my Honor phone turn off an app's accessibility service?
The app was force-stopped, and Android switches accessibility off whenever that happens. On Honor and Huawei phones it often comes from the battery manager, the Optimizer cleaner or Clear all in recents. The app cannot turn it back on by itself. Set App launch to Manage manually so it happens less, and turn accessibility back on in Settings when it does.
