Xiaomi phone brakes: what to do to restore speed

Your Xiaomi has started to hang, apps are opening late and the interface twitches when scrolling?This is a common problem that owners of the brand's smartphones face regardless of the model - whether it's the budget Redmi Note 12 or the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Brakes can appear on both new devices after a MIUI update and on older devices with a worn-out battery.

In 90% of cases, the causes lie on the surface: overloaded memory, background processes or outdated firmware. But sometimes hardware malfunctions are to blame, for example, the degradation of eMMC flash memory after 2-3 years of intensive use, which is typical for low-end Redmi models 9A/9C. In this article, we will analyze the system and hardware causes of braking, and also give step-by-step instructions for restoring performance without going to the service center.

1. Diagnosis: how to determine the cause of braking

Before you start "treatment", you need to identify the source of the problem, inhibitions can manifest themselves in different ways:

• 🐢 Slow animation – transitions between screens occur in jerks, fading effects twitch.
• ⏳ Long download applications – even lightweight messengers like Telegram open 5-10 seconds.
• 🔄 Spontaneous reboots – the phone suddenly turns off and turns on when loaded.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge - the battery sits down for 3-4 hourly.

For accurate diagnosis, use the built-in MIUI tools:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 5 times on the “Kerole” line to activate Developer Mode.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable Process Statistics.
3. Run the problem application and check the CPU boot in the CPU Use section.

If the CPU load exceeds 70% at rest, a problem in the background or viruses. If the brakes appear at 20-30% load, the chipset may degrade (relevant to older models on the Snapdragon 625/636).

⚠️ Attention: If the phone only brakes when connected to charging, the problem may be in the power supply.Using non-original adapters with voltage higher 5V/2A leads to overheating of the power controller and drawdown of performance.

System Cleanup: Cache, Garbage and Unnecessary Files

The first thing you do with the brakes is to make room for memory, and the MIUI system uses the cache to speed up the work, but over time it turns into garbage, which takes up gigabytes of space.

Step-by-step:

1. App cache cleanup: Go to Settings → Apps → App management, select the “heavy” app (like Facebook or TikTok) and click Clear Cache. Use Settings → Storage → Cleanup for bulk cleaning.
2. System garbage removal: Open the standard Security app (shield icon), go to the Cleanup tab and run a deep scan. Pay special attention to the Advertising junk and Residual Files sections.
3. Photo and video optimization: The Xiaomi Gallery has a built-in tool for finding duplicates: Gallery → Albums → Duplicates. We also recommend you to include media compression in Gallery Settings → Cloud Settings → Download quality.

After cleaning, restart the phone, which will allow the system to recalculate the free space and optimize the operation of flash memory. If after these actions the brakes remain, move to the next step.

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Do not remove the cache of system applications (such as MIUI Launcher or Security) manually through the file manager.

3. MIUI Optimization: Disabling animation and background processes

The MIUI shell is known for its heavyweight, especially on budget models with 3-4 GB of RAM, and fortunately some of the jewelry can be turned off, greatly speeding up the system.

The most effective settings:

• ⚡ Turn off animation: Activate Developer Mode (as in the first section), then go to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and set: The scale of the animation window: 0.5x Scale of transition animation: 0.5x The duration of the animator: 0.5x
• 🔄 Background Process Limiting: In the same section for developers, find the Process Limit option and select a Maximum 2 process in the background. This will reduce the load on RAM, but some applications will reboot when you return to them.
• 📱 Switching to Light Mode: In Settings → Screen. → Select Standard Mode over Saturated Mode, which will reduce the load on the GPU.

For models with Snapdragon 4xx/6xx (e.g. Redmi 9/Note 10), we recommend that you turn off:

• 🌐 Auto-update MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙) → Auto-update
• 📊 Data collection MIUI In Settings → Additionally. → Confidentiality → Special permits → Use data

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Turning off animations gives you up to 30 percent speed gains on weak chipsets, but makes the interface less fluid visually.

4. Settings reset: when it really helps

If previous methods have failed, it's time to consider tough measures, resetting to factory settings is a radical but effective way to get the phone back to speed.

• ✅ Helps if brakes are caused by: - Accumulation of errors in the system after multiple updates - Conflicts between user settings and new versions MIUI - Viruses or malicious applications that have entered the system
• ❌ It will not help if the reason is: Physical wear of flash memory (especially on models with eMMC) - Battery degradation (if the phone turns off when the phone is turned off 30-40% Damage to the motherboard (after falls or moisture)

How to properly reset:

1. Create a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup or manually copy important files to your PC.
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
3. Choose Clear everything and confirm the action. The process will take 5-15 minutes.
4. After restarting, do not restore data from the backup immediately – first check the speed of the clean system.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with bootloader unlocked, resetting your settings can result in your device being locked.Be sure to have a Mi Account and your phone is tied to it before you do the procedure.

5. Hardware problems: when to carry in the service

If the software didn't work, the reason for the braking is the hardware.

The most vulnerable models according to the statistics of service centers:

• 📱 Redmi 9A/9C — Problems with eMMC memory after 1.5-2 years
• 📱 Redmi Note 8/8 Pro – overheating and trottling of the Mediatek Helio chipset G90T
• 📱 POCO X3 NFC — battery degradation 300-400 charge-cycle

For self-diagnosis of hardware problems, use:

1. Battery test using code ##4636## (Battery Information section) If the state is rated "Good" but the capacity is less than 80% of the nominal value, the battery needs to be replaced.
2. Memory check via AIDA64 (Site "Storage"). If the read/write speed is below 50 MB/s, the flash memory is degraded.

The cost of repair in official Xiaomi services:

• Battery replacement: 1500-3000 ₽
• Replacement of flash memory (eMMC/UFS): 3000-6000 ₽
• Maternity board repair: 5000-12000 ₽

6. Alternative firmware: is it worth switching to caste

If your Xiaomi is slowing down due to the heavy shell MIUI, you can consider installing an alternative firmware.

• 🔧 Pixel Experience – “clean” Android with minimalist interface, ideal for weak devices
• ⚡ LineageOS is a stable, open source firmware that supports most Xiaomi models
• 📱 Xiaomi.EU – modified version MIUI free of advertising and unnecessary services

Advantages of custom firmware:

• Lack of built-in advertising and unnecessary Xiaomi services
• More frequent security updates
• Ability to fine-tune productivity

Disadvantages:

• Loss of warranty (if phone warranty)
• Risk of "bricking" if installed incorrectly
• Lack of some MIUI features (e.g. Second Space)

Installation instructions (based on the Pixel Experience):

1. Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Mi Account binding and wait 7 days).
2. Install custom TWRP recavators via fastboot: fastboot flash recovery twrp.img fastboot boot twrp.img
3. In TWRP, make a full backup (Backup section).
4. Sweep through firmware and GApps (if you need Google services).

⚠️ Note: On new Xiaomi models (after 2022), custom firmware installation may block Widevine L1, Netflix and other streaming services will be operating in low resolution.

7.Prevention: How to Prevent Brakes in the Future

To prevent your Xiaomi from starting to slow down again, follow these guidelines:

• 🔄 Regular Cleanup: Once a month, clear the cache through Settings → Warehouse → Clean and delete unnecessary files from the Download folder.
• 📱 Background Process Control: Limit Auto-Run Applications in Settings → Annexes → Auto-start control. Turn off auto-start for social media and instant messengers.
• 🔋 Proper charging: Avoid full discharge and charging before 100%. Optimal range — 20-80%. Use only original adapters.
• 🔒 Security: Do not install APK-Regularly scan your phone for viruses through Security → Antivirus.

For advanced users:

• 🛠️ Shutdown MIUI Optimization (requires root): This service is responsible for "optimization" MIUI, But it often causes lags. It shuts down through the ADB: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.optimization
• 📊 Temperature monitoring: Use the app CPU Monitor to monitor overheating if the processor temperature exceeds 60°C in simple - requires cleaning from dust.

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The most common reason for brakes on Xiaomi after 2-3 years of use is a combination of worn-out battery (capacity < 70%) and clogged memory (less than 10% of free space). Regular cleaning and replacing the battery every 2 years extends the life of the phone by 30-50%.

Frequently asked questions