Xiaomi phone charges very slowly: what to do and how to speed up the process

Your Xiaomi (be it Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Mi 11) suddenly began to charge like a “turtle”? instead of the usual 1-2 hours to fully charge takes 4, 5 or even 6 hours? the problem is familiar to many owners of smartphones of this brand. In 80% of cases, slow charging is not a failure, but the result of improper settings, worn-out accessories or software failures. But how to distinguish the “treatable” case from that requires a visit to the service center?

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible causes, from the banal contamination of the connector to the hidden MIUI functions that slow down charging, how to diagnose a problem in 5 minutes, what settings should be changed first, and when it really is time to change the battery, and also unique life hacks for models with support for fast charging (33W/67W/120W), which Xiaomi does not advertise in the official instructions.

1. Checking the charger and cable: where to start the diagnosis

The first thing to do is to eliminate the human factor, which is that 60 percent of the time, slow charging is due to a faulty or unoriginal charger, and even if you use Xiaomi's "native" power supply, it could fail over time.

How to check:

• 🔌 Use a different power supply with the same or more power, such as if you have a Redmi Note 10 Pro (33W), try charging from POCO F4 (67W). If the speed has increased, the problem is with the original ZU.
• 🔗 Change the cable, even microscopic damage to the insulation or oxidation of the contacts inside. USB-The connector can reduce the current. USB-C → USB-C — They often “sink” when used with adapters. USB-A.
• 📱 Connect your phone to another device (laptop, power bank, other smartphone in mode) OTG). If charging goes even slower - the cable or phone connector is to blame.

Tip: If you have a model that supports fast charging (Mi 11 Ultra, Redmi K50, etc.), pay attention to the inscription on the power supply. The original Xiaomi RAMs are labeled MDY-12-XX (where XX is power in watts), counterfeits often pose as the absence of such marking or the inscription Made in China without specifying the exact characteristics.

2. Cleaning the connector. USB-C: Why dirt kills charging speed

Dust, pocket pile, contact oxidation, all of these things create additional resistance, so that the phone can't consume the current it claims, so instead of 33W, you get 5-10W, and you get a charge that stretches for hours.

How to clean the connector correctly:

1. Turn off the phone and get it out. SIM-card (if the connector is combined).
2. Take a plastic toothpick (not metal!) or a wooden stick wrapped in a soft cloth soaked in alcohol.
3. Carefully walk through the inner contacts of the connector, removing visible contaminants. Don't push hard - the contacts are thin!
4. Let the phone dry for 10-15 minutes before connecting the charger.

⚠️ Warning: Never use needles, pins or other metal objects to clean. The risk of closing contacts and incapacitating the power controller is extremely high. If there are traces of corrosion (green plaque) inside the connector, you should contact the service.

3. MIUI settings that slow charging (and how to turn them off)

MIUI has hidden "battery care" features that artificially limit charging current.This is done to extend battery life, but often results in the phone charging 2-3 times longer.

Where to look for these settings:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Settings
2. Find Optimized Charging (or Adaptive Charging in newer versions of MIUI) and disable it, which will remove the 80-90% charge limit.
3. In the same menu, check the Power Saving Mode. If it's on, turn it off or set Balanced Mode.
4. For models with MIUI 14+, go to Settings → Special Features → Battery Features and turn off Slow Charging.

If you have heavy applications (games, navigators, 4K video) running during charging, the system automatically reduces the current to avoid overheating. Close any unnecessary programs before connecting to charging.

Deactivate "Optimized charging"|Select the “Balanced” regime"|Close background annexes|Check the temperature of the phone (should be) < 35°C)-->

4. Battery: how to determine wear and when to change it

Lithium-polymer batteries in Xiaomi smartphones are designed for 500-800 full charging cycles. After that, their capacity drops by 20-30%, and the charging speed decreases by 1.5-2 times. If your phone is more than 2 years old, and it began to charge slowly even with the original RAM - to blame the wear of the battery.

How to check the status of the battery:

• 📊 Type in the Phone app the combination ##4636##, then select Battery Information. See Health. If it's below 80%, change the battery.
• 🔋 Install the AccuBattery app (available on Google Play) and it will show the actual battery capacity and charging speed in mAh.
• ⚡ If the phone is discharged for 3-4 When used normally and warms up during charging, these are sure signs of battery degradation.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to reanimate a worn-out battery by calibration or full discharge, and this will not only not help, but can cause the battery to bloat, which is dangerous to health. If the capacity has fallen below 70%, the only solution is to replace it.

5. Software failures: resetting settings and flashing

Sometimes slow charging is associated with firmware glitches, especially after MIUI updates. If all hardware reasons are excluded (cable, ROM, connector, battery), you should try software methods:

Soft reset settings:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Network Settings Reset (this will delete stored Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, but will not affect personal data).
3. If it doesn’t help, reset all settings (without deleting files).

Hard reset (if nothing helps):

• Make a backup of the data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
• Turn off the phone, then press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
• In the Recovery menu, select Wipe data/factory reset (manage by volume buttons, select by power button).

If the problem persists after the reset, it may be the firmware's fault. Install the latest version of MIUI via Settings → System Update or manually through the Mi Flash Tool (instructions are available on the official Xiaomi website).

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Before resetting, write down the phone's IMEI, and type *#06# into the call and take a picture of the screen, which will help restore communication if the network goes missing after the reset.

6.Overheating: Why a hot phone charges slowly

Lithium polymer batteries don't like high temperatures. If the phone heats up above 35°C during charging, the power controller automatically reduces the current to avoid battery damage.

• 🔥 Using your phone while charging (games, video shooting, navigation).
• ☀️ External heat sources (direct sunlight, charging near the heating battery).
• 🛠️ Failures of the cooling system (clogged ventilation gap, dried the thermal paste on the processor).

How to solve the problem:

• Charge your phone in the shade and at room temperature (optimally 20-25°C).
• Remove the cover - it can block the heat transfer.
• If the phone warms up even in simple, check the background processes in Settings → Applications → Working and forcibly close the unnecessary.
• For game models (POCO F5, Black Shark) use a cooling stand or fan.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone is very hot even without load (over 40)°C), this may indicate a malfunction of the battery or motherboard, in which case immediately stop using and contact the service - the risk of fire is not excluded!

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If the phone heats up to 45°C or higher during charging, the power controller can completely block fast charging, leaving only a slow (5W) mode.

7. Power controller problems: when repairs are needed

If you've tried all of the above, but the phone still charges slowly, the problem may be in the power controller, the power distribution chip.

• The phone is charged only when it is off.
• The charging speed jumps (it is 18W, then 3W, then stops altogether).
• Charging is ongoing, but the percentage is not increasing (or growing very slowly).
• The phone does not detect the charger (it writes “Slow Charging” even with the original 67W RAM).

In this case, self-repair is impossible - diagnostics are required in the service center. The cost of replacing the power controller on Xiaomi models varies from 1,500 to 5 000 rubles (depending on the complexity of the work).

How to choose a service:

• 🔧 Preference is given to official Xiaomi service centers (the list is available on the website). mi.com/ru/service).
• 💰 Check the cost of diagnosis – in some workshops it is free for subsequent repairs.
• ⚠️ Avoid workshops that offer to "reflash the controller" instead of a replacement.This is a temporary solution that could make the problem worse.

8. Alternative charging methods: what to do if nothing helps

If repairs are delayed and the phone needs to be charged urgently, use these methods:

Safe ways:

• 🔄 Use wireless charging (if the model supports Qi) speed will be lower, but sometimes it is the only working option (for example, when the connector is damaged).
• 🔋 Connect your phone to a power bank with support PD (Some external batteries provide a more stable current than socket RAM.
• 💻 Charge from laptop/PC via USB 3.0 (blue connector) Modern ports issue up to 15W, faster than from USB 2.0 (2.5W).

Extreme measures (use at your own risk!):

• ⚡ Turn on air mode while charging. This will turn off all radio modules (Wi-Fi, 4G, Bluetooth, reducing the load on the processor and accelerating charging on the 10-15%.
• ❄️ Refrigerate your phone before charging (for example, by putting it in the refrigerator on the phone). 5-10 Do not overdo it - condensation inside the housing can cause short circuits!

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If the phone only charges when it's off, never leave it unattended while charging! this could indicate a power controller malfunction, which increases the risk of fire.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's slow charging