Many smartphone users are faced with a situation where important notifications arrive late, and instant messengers stop working in the background. Most often, the reason for this system behavior is aggressive optimizing power consumptionintroduced by Android developers. Standard algorithms try to extend battery life by artificially limiting the resources of applications that you rarely use.
This leads to the fact that the necessary apps “fall asleep” deeper than they should, and cannot update data or notify you about an event in a timely manner. To force the system to stop limiting the background processes of specific applications, you must manually change the settings for their operation. In this article, we will analyze all the available methods of deactivation restrictions, from simple menu settings to hidden functions for developers.
Before making changes, you should understand that completely disabling restrictions can negatively affect the operating time of the device on a single charge. However, for mission-critical applications such as navigators, activity trackers or work messengers, this is often the only correct solution. Next, we will describe in detail how to find a balance between performance and autonomy.
Why Android limits the operation of applications
Starting with version Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a mechanism appeared in the operating system Doze Mode. Its main task is to put the device into deep sleep mode when the screen is turned off and the phone does not move. In this state, network activity is suspended, and background processes are blocked until the user picks up the gadget again.
With the release of newer versions, such as Android 9 Pie and Android 10, the system has learned to analyze usage patterns. If you rarely open a certain app, Android automatically marks it as "infrequently used" and imposes strict restrictions on it. This helps save battery, but often breaks the functionality of apps that must run constantly.
⚠️ Attention: Disabling optimization for a large number of applications can cause the battery to drain much faster and the phone itself to heat up even in your pocket.
Smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei, often add their own add-ons on top of standard Android. These shells (MIUI, One UI, EMUI) are known for even more aggressive memory and energy management. They can “kill” processes even more actively than pure Android, requiring additional actions from the user to configure exceptions.
Understanding exactly how the system allocates resources allows you to more competently manage the device. You can leave the default settings for games and entertainment applications, but allow full background activity for work tools.
Basic settings through the app menu
The easiest and safest way to change energy saving settings for a specific app is to use the standard Android settings menu. This method does not require root access or connection to a computer and is available on most modern devices. You will need to find the desired application in the list of installed ones and change its energy consumption profile.
First, go to the Settings section of your smartphone. Find item Applications or Applications and notifications. In the list that opens, select the app whose operation you want to optimize, for example, an email client or instant messenger. Inside the application menu, look for a section that may be called Battery, Energy consumption or Battery consumption.
- 📱 Find the “Battery optimization” or “Background mode” item in the list.
- ⚙️ Click on it and select the “Do not optimize” or “No restrictions” option.
- ✅ Save the changes and restart the device to apply the settings.
The interface may differ depending on the operating system version. On some models Samsung or Honor the path may look different, but the logic remains the same: you need to find the power management of a specific application and remove restrictions from it. Sometimes you need to switch the application list view to “All applications” to see hidden system processes.
☑️ Checking application settings
It is important to note that after updating the operating system, the settings may be reset to factory settings. In this case, the procedure will have to be repeated. It is also worth remembering that some system applications may not have options available for modification, since their operation is critical to the functioning of Android itself.
Using Developer Mode for Advanced Users
For those who want more detailed control over the behavior of the system, there is a hidden “For Developers” menu. Here you can manage not only individual applications, but also global settings for sleep and background processes. Access to this menu is closed by default to prevent inexperienced users from accidentally disrupting the system.
To activate developer mode, go to Settings → About phone (or System). Find the line Build number and quickly click on it 7 times in a row. After this, you will see a message that developer mode is activated, and a new section will appear in the main settings menu.
Inside the developer menu we are interested section Applications or Background processes. Here you can find the option Background process limit. By default, it is set to “Standard Limit,” which allows the system to decide how many applications to keep in memory. Changing this setting to "No limits" may help, but requires caution.
| Parameter | Description | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| Do not turn off the screen | Screen lights up while charging | Off |
| Process limit | Max. number of background processes | Standard |
| Background scan | Run application scan | On |
| Doze mode | Aggressive energy saving | On. (default) |
⚠️ Attention: Changing settings in the developer menu may lead to unstable system operation or rapid battery drain. Return the default values if you notice strange behavior of the phone.
Also in this section you often see the option Adaptive Power Saving. If enabled, the system will try to predict your actions and restrict applications that you are not currently using. Disabling this feature will make battery behavior more predictable, but less economical.
How to disable Developer Mode?
To hide the developer menu, go to Settings → System → Developer options and turn off the main switch at the top of the screen. The menu will disappear from the list of settings.
Features of the MIUI, One UI and EMUI shells
Owners of smartphones from Chinese and Korean manufacturers are often faced with additional layers of battery protection. Shell MIUI from Xiaomi, EMUI from Huawei and One UI from Samsung have their own task managers that work independently of the standard Android settings. This creates a situation where changing the settings in Android itself does not produce results.
On devices Xiaomi and Redmi you need to go to the “Security” application (green icon with a lightning bolt). There you should select the item Battery → Activity Control. In this list you need to find the desired application and set its status to “No restrictions”. Only after this the system will stop “killing” the process in the background.
- 🔋 On Samsung (One UI): Settings → Device Maintenance → Battery → Background restrictions → Sleep mode → Add the application to exceptions.
- 🛡️ On Huawei (EMUI): Settings → Battery → Launch applications → Disable automatic management for the desired app.
- 🚀 On OnePlus (OxygenOS): Settings → Battery → Battery optimization → All applications → Select application → Do not optimize.
It often happens that even after all the settings, the application continues to be unloaded from memory. In this case, on some shells the “Pin” or “Lock” function helps. To do this, you need to open the menu of running applications (square or swipe from the bottom), find the window of the desired app and click on the lock icon or pull the window down until it locks.
On Xiaomi and Redmi phones, be sure to enable autorun for important applications in the “Security” menu, otherwise the system will block them from starting after a reboot.
It is worth considering that shell interfaces may change with updates. If you do not find the indicated items, try using the settings search by entering the keywords “battery”, “energy” or “autostart”. This is the fastest way to find the current menu location in your firmware version.
ADB commands to globally disable restrictions
For advanced users for whom standard tools are not enough, it is possible to manage settings through the Android debug bridge (ADB). This method allows you to make changes to system databases that are not accessible through the normal interface. You will need a computer with the ADB driver installed and a smartphone connected via USB.
Before you begin, you must enable USB debugging in the “For Developers” menu. Connect your phone to your PC and open Command Prompt. Make sure that the device is visible in the system by running the command adb devices. If everything is connected correctly, you will see the serial number of your device.
adb shell dumpsys deviceidle whitelist +com.example.appThe above command adds the application with the package name com.example.app to the system whitelist DeviceIdle. This means that Doze mode will not apply to this application, even if the phone is lying motionless. The batch name can be found in the application properties or through special manager apps.
There is also a command to completely disable the Doze mode, although this is not recommended to do on a permanent basis:
adb shell dumpsys deviceidle disableTo return the mode back, use the command adb shell dumpsys deviceidle enable. To reset the whitelist for a specific application, use the command adb shell dumpsys deviceidle whitelist -com.example.app. These changes persist even after a reboot, unless you explicitly change them back.
⚠️ Warning: Using ADB commands requires care. Entering incorrect commands may cause system services to fail. Always check the application's batch name before entering.
ADB commands allow you to bypass manufacturer software restrictions, but require a computer and basic command line knowledge.
The impact of settings on battery life
Disabling battery optimization is always a trade-off between functionality and battery life. When you allow an app to run without restrictions, it gets permission to use the processor, GPS, internet, and sensors in the background. This inevitably leads to an increase in energy consumption.
Applications that use geolocation have a particularly strong impact on the battery. Navigators, mileage trackers or applications for finding taxis, working in the background without restrictions, can drain your phone in a few hours. Therefore, it is important to approach the settings selectively: disable optimization only for those apps that really need it.
If you notice that after making changes the phone begins to quickly discharge or heat up in your pocket, check the battery consumption statistics. Usually in the Settings → Battery section you can see which application consumes the most energy. If this is not a critical service, it is better to return standard restrictions for it.
Modern Android algorithms are smart enough to balance the load on their own in most cases. Manual intervention is required only in specific cases when the standard system logic conflicts with your needs. Properly configuring exceptions allows you to maintain ease of use without sacrificing complete autonomy.
Is it safe to keep optimization disabled all the time?
For most users, permanently disabling optimization for all applications is not recommended. This will lead to rapid battery degradation and possible overheating of the device. It is better to use this method specifically for 2-3 key applications.
Are settings reset after updating Android?
Yes, when updating the operating system to a new major version (for example, from Android 13 to 14), optimization settings can be reset to factory values. You will have to go through the setup procedure again for important applications.
Why does the application still not work in the background after setup?
Perhaps the limitation is set not only in Android, but also in the manufacturer’s shell (MIUI, EMUI, etc.). Check the autostart and energy saving settings in your smartphone's proprietary optimization utilities.
Is it possible to completely disable Doze mode?
Technically, this is possible through root access or ADB commands, but doing this is highly undesirable. This will lead to the phone being discharged in standby mode within a few hours, since the system will stop “falling asleep.”
Does disabling optimization affect the speed of the phone?
Disabling optimization itself does not speed up the phone, but only allows applications to work more actively. However, if there are too many heavy background processes running, this can lead to a lack of RAM and a sluggish interface.