Skip to content
Mi Estela
EnglishEN
EspañolEnglishFrançaisDeutschItalianoPortuguês (Portugal)Português (Brasil)CatalàGalegoEuskara中文РусскийУкраїнськаRomânăPolskiTürkçeNederlandsSvenskaDanskNorskSuomiБългарски
Download free

Guide · EMUI, HarmonyOS & MagicOS

Mi Estela on Huawei & Honor: app launch and background activity

Huawei and Honor "automatically" manage which apps get to stay alive—and that automatic management kills presence apps. The fix takes one minute.

EMUI, HarmonyOS & MagicOSVerified on October 14, 2026

What happens if you don't touch a thing

With "Manage automatically" turned on, the system closes Mi Estela as soon as you lock the screen. With "Battery optimization" allowed, it can also put it to sleep.

Step by step

Taps, in order

  1. App launchSettings › search "App launch" › Mi EstelaTurn off "Manage automatically" and enable "Auto-launch," "Secondary launch," and "Run in background." On HarmonyOS: Settings › Apps & services › Apps.
  2. Battery optimization: don't allowSettings › search "Battery optimization" › dropdown "All apps" › Mi EstelaChoose "Don't allow" (meaning it will NOT be optimized).
  3. Location: "Allow all the time"Settings › Apps › Mi Estela › Permissions › LocationSelect "Allow all the time" and turn on precise location.
  4. Lock in RecentsRecents button › swipe down on the Mi Estela cardA lock icon appears—it won't be closed when you clear your recent apps.
  5. Power saving modeSettings › BatteryTurn it off if you want your people to see you without delays.
Heads up:
  • On Honor, the path is the same from the "Phone Manager" app › App launch.

Check that it works

Close Mi Estela completely, leave your phone with the screen off for ten minutes, and ask someone in your circle to check your card on the map: it should say "just now," not "10 minutes ago." If it doesn't, go back to the battery step—that's the one that fails most often.

Sources

Menu names change with every system update. When we couldn't confirm the exact name in English, we've marked it as approximate and linked the source.

We answer your questions

Frequently asked questions

My Huawei doesn't have Google Play. Can I install Mi Estela?

Mi Estela is available on Google Play and the App Store. If your Huawei doesn't have Google Play, drop us a line at hola@miestela.app and we'll walk you through your options.

Other brands

iOS 18 and iOS 26

iPhone

On iPhone everything lives in Settings and there are no manufacturer surprises. You just need to give Mi Estela the "Always" permission with precise location and leave background app refresh turned on.

See the steps →

Android 13 to 16 (Pixel & stock Android)

Android & Google Pixel

Since Android 11, the prompt inside the app no longer offers "Allow all the time"—you have to set it manually in Settings. Mi Estela takes you to that screen, but the tap is yours.

See the steps →

One UI 6, 7 & 8

Samsung (One UI)

Samsung puts apps to sleep if you haven't opened them in a few days—and a sleeping app can't share anything. A couple of taps in Battery settings and Mi Estela stays awake.

See the steps →

All guides → · How to get started →

Your people, close. Even when they're far away.

Download it free, invite someone, and discover your own way of staying close.

Download it freefor iPhone Download it freefor Android

Free to start · No ads · We never sell your data