Users of modern smartphones are often faced with a paradoxical situation: the application does not send notifications, the music stops when the screen is turned off, and instant messengers stop synchronizing messages in real time. In most cases, the root of the problem lies in the aggressive energy saving policy of the operating system, which forcibly “puts to sleep” background processes. Understanding how to enable Android bg (background mode) for specific apps is the key to stable operation of your device.
Operating system Android starting with version 6.0 and especially in versions 8.0, 9.0 and later, introduced strict restrictions on the operation of applications in the background. This is done to save battery power, but often hurts the user experience. In this article, we will analyze in detail the mechanisms for controlling background activity, from standard settings to hidden engineering menus.
You don’t need to be a programming expert to get your favorite services working. It is enough to sequentially follow the steps that we will describe below and return applications to the right to work when you need it.
Understanding Android energy saving mechanisms
Before moving on to the settings, it is important to understand the terminology. When we talk about enabling Android BG, we mean removing restrictions on the application's background activity. The system uses special algorithms such as Doze Mode and App Standbyto limit application access to the network and processor when the screen is off.
In some cases, the system automatically detects rarely used apps and puts them into deep sleep. This means that even if you have enabled notifications, they will not arrive until you manually open the application again. Battery optimization is the main enemy of background processes that we have to fight.
⚠️ Attention: Completely disabling restrictions for all applications in a row will lead to critical battery drain within a few hours. Act selectively, setting up only those apps where instant data delivery is important.
Various smartphone manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei) add their own add-ons over the standard one Android. These shells often have even more aggressive settings that can block applications from running even after you have allowed them to run in the background in the standard system menu.
Basic setup through the app menu
The easiest and safest way to allow work in the background is to use the standard settings menu for each specific application. This method works on 95% of devices and does not require obtaining root access or using complex utilities.
Go to the settings of your smartphone and find the “Applications” or “Application Manager” section. Select the app you are interested in, for example, messenger or email client. Inside the application menu, you need to find an item related to battery or power consumption.
Depending on the version Android and shell, this item may be called differently. Your task is to change the operating mode from “Optimized” or “Limited” to “No restrictions” or “Do not optimize”. This will give the application full access to processor resources even when the display is turned off.
- 📱 Open "Settings" and go to the "Applications" section.
- 🔋 Find the "Battery" or "Power Consumption" item inside the application card.
- ✅ Select the "Unlimited" option or uncheck “Battery optimization.”
- 🛡️ Make sure that network access and startup are enabled in the "Permissions" section.
After making changes, the system may show a warning that the application will consume more power. Confirm the action. Now background mode for this app is activated at the basic level.
If you cannot find the desired item in the application menu, use the search in the phone settings by entering the name of the app - this is often faster than scrolling through long lists.
Managing background processes through developer
For more advanced users there is a “For Developers” section. Hidden here are settings that affect the behavior of the entire system, including limits on background processes. Be careful: changing global settings may affect the stability of all apps.
To get to this menu, you must activate developer mode. Usually, to do this, you need to go to “About phone” and quickly click on the build number 7 times. After this, a new item “For Developers” will appear in the main settings.
Inside this section, find the “Applications” category. Here you will see the “Background Process Limit” option. By default, it is often set to "Standard limit" or "No more than 4 processes". Changing this value to “No limits” will allow the system to keep more active tasks in memory.
Settings -> For developers -> Applications -> Background process limit -> No limitsHowever, simply removing the limit is not enough. In the same menu there is an option “Keep the screen on” (while charging) and animation settings, which indirectly affect performance. But the main setting related to our topic is the ban on activities in the background. Make sure that the “Turn off background data” checkbox is not active globally.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Process limit | Standard / Without restrictions | High (number of active tasks) |
| Background data | Allowed | Medium (traffic in the background) |
| Window animation | 0.5x or 1x | Low (visual speed) |
| Strict policy mode | Disabled | Low (debugging) |
What are “Background processes” in developer menu?
These are applications that were launched by the user, but are now not visible on the screen. The system may kill them to free up random access memory (RAM) if there are too many of them. Increasing the limit helps keep applications “hot” for quick switching.
Specific settings for different manufacturers
Chinese smartphone manufacturers are famous for their unique approaches to memory management. Standard settings Android BG can be ignored by proprietary shells, such as MIUI, ColorOS or EMUI. Additional steps are required here.
On Xiaomi and Redmi devices, it is critical to enable “Auto-Run” for the application. Without this permission, the system will block the app from starting after you restart the phone, and it will not be able to work in the background until you open it again. There is also a separate “No Limits” toggle in the MIUI Battery Settings.
Users Samsung should check the App Sleep and Deep Sleep feature. If the app is included in the list of “Waking Applications”, it will work correctly. Otherwise, add it there manually through the “Battery and Performance” menu.
⚠️ Attention: MIUI, OneUI and ColorOS shell interfaces are updated regularly. Menu item names may change. If you do not find the described item, look for a similar one in the “Battery” or “Advanced Settings” section.
On smartphones Huawei i Honor there is a “Launch applications” function. Go to the battery settings, select this item and disable automatic control for the desired app. Then, in manual mode, allow “Autostart”, “Indirect launch” and “Work in the background”.
- 🔴 Xiaomi: Settings -> Applications -> Autostart (ON) + Battery -> No restrictions.
- 🔵 Samsung: Settings -> Battery -> Sleep applications -> Wakeful applications (Add).
- 🟢 Huawei: Settings -> Battery -> Launch applications -> Uncheck auto -> Allow everything manually.
Ignoring these specific settings is the most common reason why users complain that “nothing works”, even after following standard instructions. Make sure that you have checked exactly the proprietary features of your device.
☑️ Checking the manufacturer's settings
Using ADB to force enable
If the graphical interface does not give the desired result, you can use the debugging tool ADB (Android Debug Bridge). This method requires you to connect your phone to your computer and have basic command line skills, but it does allow you to change hidden system flags.
Using ADB, you can force an application to be added to the “white list” of ignoring battery optimization. This works at the level of system settings, which are sometimes hidden from the average user. You will need a computer with ADB drivers installed and a USB cable.
First find out the full package name of the desired application. This can be done through special utilities on the phone or by looking in the application settings at the very bottom of the card. The package name usually looks like com.example.app.
adb shell dumpsys deviceidle whitelist +com.example.appThis command adds the application to the mode exception list Doze. To undo an action, replace the plus with a minus at the end of the command. Be extremely careful when typing package names: a single character error will cause the command to fail or, in the worst case, affect a system component.
Using ADB gives maximum control, but requires caution. An error in the command can lead to unstable system operation, so write down the original values before changing.
You can also check the current status of the application in power saving mode via ADB. The command adb shell dumpsys deviceidle get whitelist will show a list of all apps that the system is not currently putting to sleep. This is a useful diagnostic tool.
Diagnosing and fixing synchronization problems
Even after all the settings, situations may arise when background work is still blocked. This may be due to a lack of RAM, a software version conflict, or errors in the application itself. In such cases, in-depth diagnostics are required.
Check whether the “Data Saving” mode is enabled on your phone in the mobile network settings. This mode often disables background data transfer for all applications except those on the white list. Disable it or add the necessary apps to exceptions.
Another reason may be an outdated version of the application. Developers are constantly adapting their products to new requirements Android for background work. Make sure that the latest version is available. Google Play or App Store latest version available.
⚠️ Attention: If the application continues to crash or does not work in the background after all the settings, try clearing its cache and data. Accumulated cache errors can block background services from starting correctly.
In extreme cases, when nothing helps, you can consider installing custom firmware or a kernel with a less aggressive task scheduler. However, this is a difficult path that requires unlocking the bootloader and carries the risk of losing the warranty.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Does enabling Android BG affect the speed of the phone?
Yes, it can. If you allow too many applications to run without restrictions, it will increase the load on the processor and RAM. The phone may start to work slower, and the interface may slow down when switching between tasks.
Why are settings reset after a reboot?
This is typical for some shells (for example, older versions of MIUI), which reapply their energy saving profiles when rebooting. In such cases, it is necessary not only to configure the battery, but also be sure to enable “Autorun” and pin the application in memory (lock in the recent tasks menu).
Is it safe to use ADB commands for an ordinary user?
Using commands to add to the whitelist (deviceidle whitelist) is relatively safe, since it does not change system files, but only adjusts the settings. However, deleting system applications or changing other settings via ADB can “brick” the device.
Is it possible to enable background mode only for Wi-Fi, but disable it for the mobile network?
Yes, in the settings of each application there is a section “Mobile data” and “Wi-Fi”. You can allow background data transfer only for Wi-Fi, while disabling it for the mobile network. This will help save traffic while maintaining synchronization at home or in the office.
What to do if the battery drains too quickly after settings?
Go back to the battery settings and look at consumption statistics. Find an app that's consuming a disproportionate amount of power in the background and set it back to Optimized. Not all applications require constant background activity.