Modern operating system-based smartphones Android have powerful power management mechanisms that often work against the user. You open a useful messenger, navigator or habit tracker, but as soon as the screen goes dark, the system mercilessly “kills” the process in order to save battery power. As a result, you do not receive important notifications, and apps do not perform background tasks.
The solution to this problem lies in the correct system configuration, which many mistakenly call simply “startup”. In fact, we are talking about a set of settings: allowing work in the background, exclusion from battery optimization and adding to the autorun list. Without these actions, even the most necessary applications will be constantly restarted, consuming more resources than if they were running continuously.
In this article we will look in detail at how to make your smartphone keep the necessary apps active. We will look at the differences in approaches for pure Android and shells from Chinese manufacturers, such as Xiaomi, Huawei i Samsung. Understanding these nuances will allow you to create a stable ecosystem on the device, where the software works exactly as you intended.
Why Android closes applications in the background
The main reason for the aggressive termination of processes lies in the philosophy of security and energy efficiency Google. The system strives to minimize battery consumption by limiting the activity of background services. For the average user, this means that a browser or game minimized to the background quickly becomes frozen or completely closed.
Smartphone manufacturers often reinforce these restrictions with their own add-ons. Shells like MIUI, ColorOS or One UI have built-in task managers that clear RAM even more actively than the standard mechanism Android. This causes email or message notifications to arrive with a delay and widgets to stop updating.
⚠️ Warning: Completely disabling all power saving restrictions may result in faster battery drain. Add to exceptions only those apps that really need to run constantly.
It is important to understand the difference between autorun when you turn on the phone and running in the background. Autorun means the app starts immediately after the system boots, while running in the background allows it to function while you are using other applications. For stable operation of messengers and trackers, it is often necessary to configure both parameters.
If you notice that the application closes immediately after minimizing, check the battery settings for a specific application, and not just the general system settings.
Setting up autorun on pure Android
In smartphones with a “clean” operating system, such as Google Pixel or line devices Moto, the setup process is the most transparent and logical. There are no complex hidden menus here, and all the necessary switches are located in the standard settings section. However, even here you need to perform several sequential steps to ensure a guaranteed result.
The first step is to find the desired application in the list of installed apps. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications and select the software you are interested in. In this menu, you will need to change several key parameters, which by default may be limited by the system to save resources.
Pay special attention to the “Battery” or “Battery Consumption” item. Here, the default mode is often optimized, which limits background activity. You need to switch it to No Limit or Unlimited mode. This will give the system a command not to interrupt the operation of this processeven if the screen is turned off for a long time.
- 📱 Go to the settings of a specific application through the main menu of the phone settings.
- 🔋 Find the “Battery” section and select the “Without” operating mode restrictions."
- 🔔 Check the "Notifications" section and make sure that all categories are enabled.
- 📂 Enable permission for "Autorun" if such an item is available in the advanced settings.
Additionally, it is worth pinning the application in memory if your model supports this function. This is usually done through the recent applications menu: find the window of the desired app, click on the icon above it or hold your finger to select the “Pin” option. This will prevent accidental closing of the app when clearing the memory with the “Close All” button.
Specific settings in the MIUI shell and HyperOS
Smartphone brands Xiaomi, Redmi i Poco are notorious for their severe restrictions on background processes. Standard Android settings are often not enough here, since the proprietary security system MIUI or the new one HyperOS has its own managers that override system permissions.
For apps to work correctly in these shells, you must use the special “Security” application (shield icon), which is pre-installed on the device. Inside it is the “Permissions” section, where the critical “Autorun” item is hidden. Without activating this switch, the application will not be able to start on its own after the device is rebooted.
In addition, in the “Security” menu there is a “Battery” or “Energy Saving” section. Here you need to find a specific application and set its status to “No restrictions”. This action cancels the system's aggressive policy of clearing memory specifically for the selected software, allowing it to hang in RAM for an unlimited time.
Path to settings: Security → Permissions → Autorun → Enable the desired applicationDo not forget that even after setting up autorun, the system may prompt you to close the application when blocked screen. Always select the "No restrictions" or "Do not restrict" option if a pop-up window asks about the behavior of the app in the background. Ignoring this step will negate all previous setup efforts.
Why is MIUI so aggressive towards background processes?
Xiaomi has historically focused on the budget segment with small batteries, so it has implemented extremely strict power saving algorithms that often block even legitimate background tasks.
Features of working with Samsung One UI and Huawei EMUI
Devices from Samsung and Huawei use their own unique approaches to resource management, which also require manual adjustments. In the shell One UI from Samsung, the settings are scattered across different menus, which can confuse an inexperienced user. The key role here is played by the "Sleep Mode" function and the list of "Applications that never sleep."
To add a app to this white list on Samsung, go to Settings → Device maintenance → Battery → Background restrictions. In the "Apps that never sleep" section, click "Add" and select the apps you want. This ensures that the system will not suspend them, even if you do not use the phone for several hours.
On smartphones Huawei i Honor s shells EMUI or HarmonyOS the situation is similar to Xiaomi. There is also a phone manager here, where you need to manually enable autostart. In addition, it is important to disable the “Launch Applications” function, which automatically manages rights, and put the desired apps into manual control mode with all items enabled (autorun, indirect launch, work in the background).
| Brand / Shell | Where to look for autorun | Battery settings | Additional action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi / Redmi | Security application | Security → Battery | Pin to memory |
| Samsung | Settings → Battery | Sleep mode | Sleep exceptions |
| Huawei / Honor | Phone manager | Launch applications | Manual control |
| Google Pixel | Settings → Applications | Battery → No restrictions | Pinned in recent |
Device owners Samsung should also check the adaptive battery settings. If enabled, this feature learns your habits over time and may decide that a rarely used app doesn't need to be kept in mind. For critical services, it is better to disable adaptability.
On Samsung and Huawei devices, it is critical to disable the “adaptive” battery functions for important applications, otherwise the system itself will limit their operation after a week of use.
Using ADB to force autostart
For advanced users who are faced with the fact that the standard settings do not help, there is tool ADB (Android Debug Bridge). This is a command line utility that allows you to manage the system at a deep level. With its help, you can forcefully enable the autorun component for an application that the system stubbornly blocks.
Before you start, you must enable “USB Debugging” in the “For Developers” menu on your smartphone and install ADB drivers on your computer. After connecting the device via cable, you can send commands that change hidden Android registry settings that are not available through the regular interface.
The command to enable autorun is as follows. You need to know the exact name of the application package (eg com.telegram.messenger). Enter the command in a terminal on your computer to change the state of the boot event receiver component.
adb shell pm enable-recipient com.applicationname/.BootReceiverIt is worth noting that using ADB requires caution. An incorrect package or command name may cause system instability or boot errors. Always check the package name before entering the command. You can find it through applications like App Inspector or in the developer settings.
⚠️ Attention: The interface and available ADB commands may vary depending on the Android version and manufacturer. Always check the command syntax for your specific device model.
This method is especially effective for older or specific applications that have not been optimized for new versions of Android and therefore are not visible in the standard permission lists. It allows you to “wake up” the hidden launch mechanisms laid down by software developers.
☑️ Preparing to work with ADB
Common problems and solutions
Even after completing all the settings, users may encounter a situation where the application still closes. Most often this is due to the fact that the “process killer” is triggered at the kernel level or a third-party antivirus is blocking the activity. In such cases, an integrated approach to diagnostics helps.
Check whether you have third-party memory cleaners or antiviruses installed. apps like Clean Master or aggressive settings of the built-in antivirus may have their own “black lists” that override system permissions. Add the required application to the exceptions of the antivirus itself.
Another common problem is the power saving mode. If you have Power Saver or Ultra Saver mode enabled, it will automatically override all your startup and background settings. For apps to work properly, this mode must be disabled.
- 🚫 Disable third-party cleaners and memory optimizers.
- ⚡ Turn off the global power saving mode on your phone.
- 🔄 Reboot the device after making all the settings to apply the changes.
- 📡 Check to see if Airplane mode or background data limit is enabled.
If all else fails, try uninstalling and installing the application again. Sometimes when updating the system, access rights are lost, and a clean reinstallation forces the system to request permissions again, which allows you to correctly register them in the registry.
After any major reconfiguration of the system, be sure to completely reboot the smartphone, and not just turn off the screen, so that all services update their configurations.
Does autostart affect the speed of operation? phone?
Yes, a large number of applications in startup can slow down the phone's startup and increase RAM consumption. However, for 5-10 important apps, this impact is minimal on modern devices with 4 GB of RAM or more.
Is it possible to configure autorun for games?
Technically it is possible, but it does not make sense. Games should not be running in the background as they consume a lot of resources. Autostart is intended for messengers, trackers and system utilities.
Why are settings reset after a system update?
Major Android updates (for example, from version 13 to 14) often reset application permissions for security purposes. You will have to go through the process of setting up background work and autorun again.
Is it safe to use ADB commands?
Using ADB commands is safe if you know exactly what you are doing. Changing settings via ADB does not violate the warranty, but requires care not to disable system components.
Do you need Root to configure autorun?
In most cases, root access is not needed. Standard permission settings and working with ADB are sufficient for 99% of tasks. Root is required only for deep modification of kernel system files.