Keep apps running
How to Stop Xiaomi Killing Apps on HyperOS and MIUI (2026)
By the llcloud team 4 min read
Quick answer
On a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO phone, allow Autostart for the app, set its battery saver to No restrictions, turn off Pause app activity if unused and lock it in recent apps. On HyperOS these sit under Settings > Apps, then the app. Xiaomi's cleaner and battery manager can still force-stop apps, which switches accessibility off until you turn it back on.
Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones are known for closing background apps hard. Autostart is off for most apps, the battery saver freezes apps once the screen is dark, and the Security app's cleaner force-stops whatever it finds. Here is how to keep an app running on HyperOS 2, HyperOS 3 and MIUI 14, and what to do when it is closed anyway.
Why does my Xiaomi close apps in the background?
Xiaomi adds several layers on top of Android's own battery rules. Autostart decides whether an app may start itself, for example after a restart or when Android wants to reconnect it. Battery saver per app decides whether it may keep working with the screen off. The cleaner in the Security app and Clear all in recents can force-stop apps. All three hit apps that work quietly in the background, like a notification light or a DNS filter. The hub guide on why Android kills background apps covers the general picture for every brand.
How do I keep an app running on HyperOS and MIUI?
Do all of these. Menu names differ between HyperOS 2, HyperOS 3 and MIUI 14, so each step says where to look.
1. Allow Autostart
- Open Settings > Apps (on MIUI 14, Settings > Apps > Manage apps).
- Tap the app.
- Turn on Autostart. On some builds it is called Background autostart and sits under App permissions, or in a separate list at Settings > Apps > Permissions > Background autostart.
2. Set battery saver to No restrictions
- On the same app screen, tap Battery saver (on HyperOS 2 it may read Battery, on HyperOS 3 Power).
- Choose No restrictions.
3. Turn off Pause app activity if unused
Still on the app's screen, switch off Pause app activity if unused. Left on, it can remove permissions from an app you rarely open, even one that works for you all day.
4. Lock the app in recent apps
- Open the app, then open recent apps.
- Long-press the app's card and tap the lock icon. On some MIUI versions you drag the card down instead.
- A small lock shows on the card. Clear all and the cleaner now skip it.
5. Check the phone's battery mode
Open Settings > Battery and keep the mode on Balanced or Performance when you rely on the app. Battery saver and Ultra battery saver close most background apps whatever you set per app.
6. Leave the cleaner alone
The Security app's Cleaner and Boost speed features close apps to free memory. Avoid running them, or exclude the app if your version offers a locked apps list there.
Which switch does what?
If you only have a minute, this is what each setting protects against.
| Setting | What it stops | Skip it and |
|---|---|---|
| Autostart | Being blocked from starting itself | It stays closed after a restart or a clean |
| No restrictions | Freezing once the screen is off | The app sleeps until you open it |
| Pause app activity if unused off | Losing permissions after a quiet spell | Grants can vanish without warning |
| Recents lock | Clear all and the cleaner | One tap can force-stop it |
| Balanced battery mode | Phone-wide limits | Battery saver overrides your per-app choices |
On Xiaomi, Autostart and No restrictions together do most of the work.
Can Xiaomi still close the app after all this?
Yes. HyperOS is one of the most aggressive skins, and even with every step above it can still close an app now and then. We have had reports of HyperOS phones disconnecting notification access as well as accessibility after a full checklist. None of these settings is a guarantee. They make stops much rarer, 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 itself. To do it by hand:
- Open Settings > Additional settings > Accessibility (on some builds just Settings > Accessibility).
- Tap Downloaded apps, then the app.
- Switch it on and confirm.
If notification access is off too, search Settings for Notification access and switch the app back on there.
AuraDisplay tells you when this happens. Since version 3.5.4 it posts a notification saying Android switched off its accessibility access, usually with a Turn back on button that opens the right screen. Allow AuraDisplay to post notifications, or the warning cannot reach you. Turn on Keep AuraDisplay Running in its settings as well. That foreground service helps, but it is not armour on HyperOS.
For a VPN-based filter such as Repel's tracker filter, look for Always-on VPN in your VPN settings (search Settings for VPN, then tap the app). If you only want tracker blocking with nothing running, Private DNS on Android works with no app in the background.
What next once the app stays alive?
With the app running reliably, set up the light itself. Our guide to getting a notification light on Android walks through it, edge lighting on any Android covers phones without a punch hole, and notifications on Always On Display explains what to expect with the screen off.
Sources
Questions
Where is Autostart on HyperOS?
Open Settings > Apps, tap the app and look for Autostart or Background autostart on its screen. On some HyperOS and MIUI 14 builds there is also a list at Settings > Apps > Permissions > Background autostart, where you can switch the app on. Without it, Xiaomi blocks the app from starting itself in the background, for example after a restart.
What does No restrictions do on Xiaomi?
It tells Xiaomi's battery saver to leave the app alone in the background. The default setting lets the phone limit or freeze the app once the screen is off. Find it under Settings > Apps, the app, then Battery saver or Battery. On HyperOS 3 the entry may be called Power instead. Pick No restrictions.
Why does my Xiaomi keep switching off an app's accessibility?
The app was force-stopped, and Android turns accessibility off on a force-stop. On Xiaomi that is often the Security app's cleaner, clearing recents or the battery manager. The app cannot turn it back on by itself. Lock the app in recents, allow Autostart and set No restrictions to make it rarer, and turn accessibility back on in Settings when it happens.
Do I still need to turn off MIUI optimization?
Usually not. It was a common tip on older MIUI versions, and on many current HyperOS phones the switch is hidden or gone. Try the Autostart, No restrictions and recents lock steps first. If an older MIUI phone still closes the app, the switch is in Developer options, but it changes other system behaviour too.
