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Guide · HyperOS 2 & MIUI 14

Mi Estela on Xiaomi, Redmi & POCO: autostart & unrestricted

HyperOS and MIUI are among the most aggressive systems when it comes to killing background apps. Three quick tweaks (autostart, unrestricted battery, and the lock in Recents) and Mi Estela stays alive.

HyperOS 2 & MIUI 14Verified on October 14, 2026

What happens if you don't touch a thing

Without "Autostart," Xiaomi won't let Mi Estela launch on its own after a reboot or after you close it. And if the app's battery saver is set to the default mode, the system can kill it as soon as the screen goes off.

Step by step

Taps, in order

  1. AutostartSettings › Apps › Manage apps › Mi Estela › AutostartTurn it on. On some versions it's under Permissions › "Autostart" or "Autostart in background."
  2. App battery saver: "Unrestricted"Settings › Apps › Manage apps › Mi Estela › Battery saverChoose "Unrestricted."
  3. Location: "Allow all the time"Settings › Apps › Manage apps › Mi Estela › App permissions › LocationSelect "Allow all the time" and make sure precise location is on.
  4. Don't let the app get pausedSettings › Apps › Manage apps › Mi EstelaTurn off "Pause app activity" (wording may vary slightly).
  5. Lock it in RecentsRecents button › long-press Mi Estela › lockThis keeps it from being closed when you clear your open apps.
Heads up:
  • The "Balanced" or "Performance" battery mode (Settings › Battery) plays much nicer with presence apps than "Battery Saver" mode.
  • Don't touch "MIUI optimization" in Developer options—Mi Estela doesn't need it, and flipping it can break other things.

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

Why does Xiaomi need so many extra steps?

Because HyperOS and MIUI prioritize battery life and close apps on their own. It's not Mi Estela's fault—it happens to any app that needs to stay alive with the screen off.

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 →

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