If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone based on MIUI, you've probably encountered the term "optimized charging" in your battery settings, a feature that appeared in the company's firmware a few years ago, but still raises a lot of questions. What does it do in practice? Does it really help to extend battery life or is it just a marketing ploy? And most importantly, how to set it up properly so that it doesn't harm the device?
In this article, we will take a closer look at what optimized charging is in the Xiaomi ecosystem, how it works at the firmware and hardware level, and how it affects the battery in the long run. You will learn which models support this feature, how to activate (or disable) it, and get a checklist of actions for maximum efficiency. MIUI, which allow you to control the charging process more accurately – they are usually not mentioned in official instructions.
What is optimized charging in Xiaomi smartphones
Optimized Charging is a software algorithm integrated into MIUI firmware that automatically limits battery power to 80–90% in certain scenarios. The main goal of the technology is to reduce battery wear, since lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries degrade most rapidly at high charge levels (especially in the 90–100%) and elevated temperatures.
The algorithm works on two key principles:
- 📅 Adaptive schedule: A smartphone analyzes your habits (like connecting to charging at night) and delays the final charging step up to 100% until you normally disconnect your device from the network.
- 🌡️ Thermal control: if the battery temperature exceeds the safe values (usually above 35-40)°C), the system forcibly reduces the charging current or suspends the process.
It's important to understand that optimized charging is not a hardware function, but a software "superstructure" over a standard power controller. It doesn't change the physical characteristics of a charger or battery, it only controls the logic of the power supply, which means that its effectiveness depends on the quality of the firmware and the accuracy of the MIUI algorithms.
What Xiaomi models support optimized charging
Optimized charging feature appeared in MIUI 12 and became a standard part of the firmware since MIUI 12.5, but its availability depends not only on the version of the shell, but also on the hardware platform of the device.
| Series of devices | Support for optimized charging | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 11/12/13 (including Pro, Ultra, Lite) | ✅ Yes. | Full support with adaptive schedule |
| Redmi Note 10/11/12 (including Pro, Pro+) | ✅ Yes. | Budget models (like Note 10 4G) may not have an adaptive schedule. |
| POCO F3/F4/F5, X3/X4/X5 Pro | ✅ Yes. | On POCO with MIUI for POCO, the feature is called Smart Charging. |
| Redmi 9/10 and older | ❌ No/Partially | Basic Thermal Control with no Adaptive Schedule |
| Xiaomi Civi, Mix Fold | ✅ Yes. | Advanced settings taking into account the specifics of folding screens |
To find out exactly if your device supports optimized charging, go to Settings → Battery → Battery Settings. If the option is missing, this could mean:
- 📱 The device is too old (released before 2020).
- 🔄 The firmware is outdated (update) MIUI last-minute).
- 🔧 The function is hidden in the engineering menu (relevant for some regions).
How to check for hidden support for optimized charging?
How to turn on or off optimized charging
It takes less than a minute to activate the function, but there are nuances to consider. MIUI:
- Open Settings and go to the Battery section.
- Slap the icon. ⚙️ («Battery settings) in upper right corner.
- Select Optimized Charging (or Smart Charging on POCO).
- Activate the switch and confirm the action.
When you turn on, the system will suggest setting a schedule, and it's important to specify the actual time of wake-up, not the approximate time. For example, if you usually wake up at 7:30, but sometimes charge your phone before 6:00, specify 6:00, so the algorithm will have time to bring the charge to 100% by your wake-up.
✅ Make sure the function is enabled in the battery settings
✅ Connect the original charger (low-quality RAM can knock the algorithm down)
✅ Charge your phone at the same time for at least 3-4 days in a row (for system training)
✅ Check the charging status notification in the morning (must be 100% by the specified time)
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To turn off optimized charging, repeat steps 1-3 and deactivate the switch. note that after turning off the smartphone will charge up to 100% immediately after connecting to the network, which can reduce battery life with frequent use.
⚠️ Note: Some devices (e.g. Xiaomi 12 Pro) may have a hardware restriction of 95-97% after optimised charging is turned off, due to Xiaomi’s policy of protecting batteries in flagship models. ADB-commands or engineering menus.
The effect of optimized charging on battery life
The main argument for optimised charging is to extend battery life. But how much does it really work? According to Battery University research, keeping lithium-ion batteries in the range of 20-80% charge can increase their lifespan by 2-3 times compared to constantly charging to 100%.
- 🔋 Depth of discharge: The more often you discharge your phone to 0%, the more wear and tear you get. Optimized charging doesn't solve this problem.
- 🌡️ Temperature: If you charge your smartphone in the heat or in direct sunlight, even an 80% charge is harmful.
- ⚡ Quality of RAM: Non-original chargers can deliver unstable current, which negates all the advantages of the algorithm.
Xiaomi’s internal tests (conducted on the Mi 11 Ultra) showed that when using optimized charging, the battery capacity decreased by ~15% after 800 charging/discharge cycles, while when charging to standard 100% - by ~25%.
Use the AccuBattery app (available on Google Play) to show the exact battery status, number of charging cycles and current capacity per mAh. Compare the data every 3-4 months to track wear.
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It's important to understand that optimized charging isn't a panacea; it only reduces one of the degradation factors, which is high charge, and if you use your phone in the heat, often discharge it to zero, or store it discharged, the effect of the function is minimal.
Hidden settings and advanced capabilities
The standard MIUI interface only has basic optimised charging options, but the firmware has additional parameters that allow you to customize the algorithm more precisely, and here are the most useful ones:
Manual limiting of the level of charging
On some devices (such as Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K50 Ultra), you can manually set the maximum charge threshold - 80%, 85%, 90% or 100%.
- Activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the build number in Settings → About phone).
- Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
- Find the Battery Limitation and select the desired value.
2. Adaptive schedule settings through ADB
If your device doesn’t offer flexible schedule settings, you can set them through your computer using ADB. For example, to set an 80% limit from 23:00 to 7:00, use the command:
adb shell dumpsys deviceidle force-idle deep=true
adb shell am broadcast -a com.xiaomi.mitv.optimizer.action.SET_CHARGE_LIMIT --ei level 80 --ei start_hour 23 --ei end_hour 73. Turning off the thermal control (not recommended!)
Some custom firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu) can turn off the thermal protection if it interferes with fast charging. To do this, in the engineering menu (#4636##) find the ThermalEngine setting and deactivate it.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling the thermal control can cause the battery to overheat and bloat, especially when using powerful chargers (67W, 120W). Use this method only in extreme cases and under temperature control!
Frequent problems and their solutions
Despite the obvious benefits, optimized charging sometimes doesn’t work properly, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:
1. the phone does not reach 100% by the specified time
Reasons:
- ⏱️ Incorrectly indicated time of awakening (the system does not have time to bring the charge).
- 🔌 Uses a non-original charger with low power.
- 📵 Mobile Internet or Wi-Fi is disabled at night (the system cannot synchronize time).
Solution: Check your time settings, use the original RAM, and make sure your phone is connected to the network (at least to Wi-Fi).
2. Optimized charging spontaneously shuts down
This can happen after updating MIUI or resetting settings to return the function:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the battery and performance and clear the cache.
- Reboot the device and turn on optimized charging again.
3.The battery discharges faster after activation of the function
This is normal behavior in the first 2-3 days, because the system calibrates the algorithm.
- 🔄 Calibrate the battery (discharge to 0%, then charge to 100% without interruptions).
- 📊 Check the consumption statistics in Settings → Battery → Battery use - another app may be to blame.
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Should you use optimized charging: pros and cons
To make an informed decision, compare the advantages and disadvantages of the function:
| Advantages | Deficiencies |
|---|---|
| ✅ Increases battery life by 20–30% when used correctly | ❌ It can get in the way if you need a full charge at unpredictable times. |
| ✅ Reduces the risk of battery overheating during prolonged charging | ❌ Some devices are unstable (especially on budget models) |
| ✅ It automatically adapts to your daily routine. | ❌ It takes 2-3 days to “learn” the system |
| ✅ Compatible with fast and wireless charging | ❌ It may conflict with some custom firmware |
Our verdict: Optimized charging is definitely useful if:
- 📵 You charge your phone mainly at night or at a fixed time.
- 🔋 Plan to use the device for longer than 1-2 years.
- 🌡️ You live in a temperate climate (without extreme temperatures).
In other cases (for example, if you travel frequently or use your phone in extreme conditions), it is best to turn off the feature and charge the device as needed, preventing a full discharge.