Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face situations where the usual charging time of the device suddenly increases. If the gadget used to gain capacity in an hour, now this process can be delayed for two or three hours.
The problem can be both a simple software failure and a physical wear and tear of components: in the MIUI or HyperOS operating system, there are many background processes that consume energy even when turned off, affecting the rate of recharge. It is important to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis to identify the root of the problem.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the main factors affecting charging speed and offer proven solutions, learn how to distinguish software glitches from hardware malfunctions and understand when it is time to change the battery and when it is enough just to clean the cache.
Programmatic causes and background processes
The software is the most common cause of slowing charging. The Android operating system in the MIUI shell uses background services. Even when the screen is off, applications can update, sync data, or track geolocation, which puts a strain on the processor, which in turn consumes energy as the incoming current.
The user may not notice the activity of the applications, but the charging indicator will react to this by reducing the speed, especially the impact of navigators, social networks and messengers, which require constant connection to the server, sometimes the process sticks and the system misallocates resources.
To fix the problem, check the list of running applications. In Settings β Battery and Performance, you can see which programs consume the most power. If you pick up an application that should not work in the background, it should be limited or removed.
You should also pay attention to the function "Optimize night charging." It specifically slows down the process to extend the life of the battery chemistry. If you need to quickly charge your phone, this option is better temporarily disabled in the energy saving settings.
Problems with charger and cable
External accessories are the second most popular culprit for slow charging, and cables tend to be rubbed inside the insulation, causing the current to drop, and even if the wire is visually intact, the inner copper vein may have damaged, causing the fast charging protocol to be inactive.
The original Xiaomi and Redmi power supplies support Quick Charge and PD (Power Delivery) technology, and when using cheap analogues or old charging, the phone goes into safe low-current charging mode, which is protection against overheating and surges, but the speed drops significantly.
- π Checking the cable: Try replacing it USB-cable on a knowingly serviceable, preferably original or certified.
- π Unit power: Make sure the power supply delivers sufficient current (minimum 2A for fast charging).
- π Contacts: Inspect connectors for oxidation or dirt that interferes with tight contact.
Sometimes the problem lies in the socket or the extension, which gives an unstable voltage, in which case the current may be interrupted, and the phone will constantly re-initiate the handshake protocol with the charger, losing precious time.
π‘
Use cables labeled 5A or 6A to activate maximum charging speeds (e.g. 67W or 120W) as conventional cables will not physically let the required current through.
Effect of temperature on charging speed
Temperature is critical for lithium polymer batteries. If a smartphone heats above 35-40 degrees Celsius, the power controller automatically reduces the current to prevent the battery from bloating or ignition. This is standard protection, but it significantly increases the charging time.
Heating can happen for a variety of reasons: playing while charging, being in the direct sun, using a cover of dense material that does not remove heat. In winter, on the contrary, too low a temperature also blocks fast charging until the device warms up.
β οΈ Warning: Never put a charging phone under your pillow or on upholstered furniture.This disrupts the heat sink and can cause overheating and battery damage.
To speed up the process, it is recommended to remove the protective case during charging, especially if ultrafast charging technology is used, and you should also avoid using energy-intensive applications during this period.
Battery wear and tear
Any battery has a limited lifetime of charge-discharge cycles, and typically after 500-800 full cycles, the capacity drops to 80 percent of its value, and the internal resistance rises, and the high resistance prevents current from rapidly entering the cells, which is why most of the time is spent on "finishing" the last 20-30 percent.
You can tell if the battery is worn out by the behavior of the phone: it quickly discharges, turns off at 10-15% charge or hangs for a long time by 99%, in such cases, software methods will not help, you need a physical replacement of the battery.
How to check battery wear on Xiaomi?
If the phone is more 3-4 In the years since, slowing charging is a natural aging process of chemistry, it makes sense to consider buying a new battery from an authorized service to restore the device to its previous autonomy.
Diagnostics through engineering menu and reset
For deep diagnostics, you can use the CIT engineering menu, which allows you to check the voltage and current in real time, and also run hardware tests, and you can enter through the code # # #6484## or through the settings menu.
If the software failure is serious, resetting to factory settings can help, which will delete all data, but is guaranteed to clear the system of errors that interfere with the correct operation of the power controller.
βοΈ Actions before discharge
Once you reset, you don't have to install hundreds of applications immediately, you let the system run clean to assess the charging speed, and if the problem is gone, it's either third-party software or the accumulated debris that's been left behind.
Comparison of charging acceleration methods
Here's a table that will help you compare the effectiveness of different methods and see which one you should use in your situation. Some methods give instant results, others take time.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Data risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable replacement | Tall. | Low. | No. |
| Closure of annexes | Medium | Low. | No. |
| Cooling of the device | Tall. | Medium | No. |
| Reset to factory | Maximum | Tall. | Yes (full) |
| Battery replacement | Maximum | Tall. | No. |
As you can see from the table, it's always a simple matter of changing accessories and checking the temperature, and radical measures like resetting or replacing the battery are only necessary in extreme cases.
π‘
A comprehensive approach, including the inspection of accessories, temperature and software, solves the problem in 90% of cases without contacting the service.
When you need to replace the connector or controller
If none of the software methods worked and the cables and power supplies are working, the problem may be in the hardware of the smartphone itself. Often the bottom plume with the USB Type-C connector fails. Contacts in the connector are loosened or oxidized, causing the phone to not see the powerful charger connected.
The more serious failure is the failure of the power controller on the motherboard, which can happen after a voltage surge, moisture or impact, in which case the current goes, but very slowly, or the phone can spontaneously reboot while charging.
β οΈ Warning: If you notice that the connector is wobbling or to start charging you need to look for "position", do not delay the visit to the service.
Repairing the connector is a low-cost and fast procedure, requiring a qualified sharer to replace the controller, and is more expensive, but often cheaper, to buy a new phone.
Prevention of charging problems
So, in order to avoid slow charging in the future, it's important to follow simple rules of operation: Don't let a deep discharge to zero regularly, try to keep the charge in the range of 20-80%, which will reduce the load on the chemical elements.
Use only certified accessories. Cheap cables with AliExpress or gas stations often don't have the necessary protection chips and can not only slowly charge but also damage the power controller.
Is it true that you need to dispose of zero?
Clean the dust connector regularly, and the pile accumulates in your pockets, which is compressed inside the port and prevents the cable from entering the end, and you can clean it carefully with a wooden toothpick or compressed air.
Compliance with these recommendations will prolong the life of your Xiaomi and ensure a stable charging speed throughout the life of the device. Remember that the correct handling of the battery is the key to a long smartphone life.