Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have impressive performance, but over time, even the most powerful devices can start to work slower. This is a natural process associated with the accumulation of app cache, fragmentation of files and updating software that requires more resources. Users often notice delays in the interface, long opening programs or slowing down in games, which significantly reduces the comfort of using the gadget.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to speed up your device, which does not require deep knowledge in programming. We will look at both the regular tools of the MIUI system and advanced customization methods available through the developer menu. Understanding the processes occurring under the hood of the Android operating system will help you manage your smartphone resources competently.
Before we start taking drastic measures, it is important to conduct a basic diagnostic of the system's state. Often the problem lies not in the hardware, but in software conflicts or storage overflows. Xiaomi Redmi has powerful built-in optimization, but it requires the right user interaction to achieve maximum results.
Analysis of the causes of slowing down the smartphone
The first step to speed up is understanding what your device is using. The Android operating system that runs the MIUI shell tends to accumulate temporary files and background processes. Over time, this leads to a shortage of RAM and a decrease in the CPU response speed. It is important to distinguish between time lags and system problems that require intervention.
One of the main reasons for the brakes is the overflow of internal memory. When the free space runs out, the system does not have enough space to create temporary paging files, which critically affects performance.
⚠️ Note: Install applications from unknown sources (« APK-files from dubious sites often lead to infection of the system by miners or advertising software, which quietly consume the resources of the processor in the background.
Temperature is also important, and if the processor overheats, the trottling mechanism is triggered, which artificially lowers the frequencies for cooling, and it protects the iron, but makes the interface extremely slow, check if the vent is covered with a cover, and make sure that the device does not have processes that cause abnormal heating.
Basic cleaning with the “Safety” application
Each Xiaomi smartphone has a Security system app, which is the first optimization tool to quickly free up space and close background processes that are not currently in use, and it helps keep the system on track without the need for third-party software.
To start, open the app and select Cleanup, the system will analyze the presence of junk files, cache and residues of deleted programs, press the cleanup button to delete temporary data, then go to the Accelerate section, where you force the background applications to close, freeing up RAM.
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For a deeper cleaning, go to the Security app settings and enable automatic garbage cleaning when you lock the screen, which will help keep the system clean without you.
Don't just rely on automatic cleaning. Periodically check the Deep Clean section, where you can find large files, duplicate photos and rarely used apps. Removing unnecessary content is the easiest way to free up to 20% of internal memory, which will directly affect the speed of work.
Let’s look at the main features available in this section:
- 🧹 Cache Clearing – Delete temporary files that take up space but don’t carry important information.
- 🚀 Acceleration – Closing background processes for release RAM.
- 📦 Application Management – Removing programs you no longer use.
- 📸 Photo analysis – search for similar pictures and screenshots to remove.
MIUI settings to improve productivity
The MIUI shell offers many tweaks that can both improve and degrade the device. Competent configuration of visuals and system settings makes the interface more responsive. Many users are unaware of the hidden features that are available in the standard menu.
First of all, you should pay attention to animation. Beautiful transitions between screens look spectacular, but require GPU resources. If your Xiaomi Redmi is not a flagship line, a decrease in graphics quality can give a noticeable increase in speed. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → For developers (how to turn on, we will tell you below) and find animation scales.
Change the animation scale, transition and animator duration from 1x to 0.5x or even Off. This will make the menu work visually faster. Also in the Advanced Settings section, turn off the Advanced Memory feature if you have less than 4GB of RAM, as it may not work properly on slow drives.
Another important parameter is the limitation of background activity, so in the battery settings, you can prevent applications from running in the background unless they are messengers or navigators, this will save charge and unload the processor. However, be careful: system services are not recommended to limit, so as not to disturb the stability of the work.
Using Developer Mode for Fine Customization
The developer menu is a powerful tool for anyone who wants to make the most of their device, and it hides the parameters that affect the processor, graphics, and memory management, and it's safe to turn on it, if you understand what each function is responsible for.
To activate the menu, go to Settings → About the phone and press 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI». After the notification “You became a developer!”, you can go to the settings. In the “For developers” section, find the item “Enable forced hardware rendering”. GPU». This will shift some of the tasks to CPU on the graphics processor, which can speed up the interface.
Also, consider the background limit: Set a limit of "No more than 2 processes" or "No background processes" if you want maximum performance in games, but remember that this will reboot applications when you switch between them.
☑️ Check before activating the developer mode
An important parameter is Logger size, which can be a little faster because the system requires less resources to maintain logs, but for the average user, the difference may not be noticeable.
⚠️ Note: Do not change the settings associated with the "Minimum width» (DPI), If you're not sure what you're doing, the wrong value can make the interface unreadable, and you'll have to reset it completely to get it back.
Optimization of storage and work with files
Reading and writing speeds directly affect smartphone performance: When internal memory is over 85% full, file system speeds drop, and regular cleaning and file distribution are key to Xiaomi’s stable operation.
Use the built-in file manager to find large files. Often users forget about downloaded videos, document archives or heavy installation files of games. Moving media files to a memory card or cloud storage (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk) will free up precious space.
Comparison of cleaning types:
| Type of cleaning | Impact on speed | Security | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearing the cache | Low/Mediocre | Safe. | Weekly |
| Deletion of applications | High. | Safe. | If necessary, |
| Reset to factory | Maximum. | Demands backup. | Every 1-2 years |
| Cleaning "The Other" | Average. | It needs attention. | Monthly |
Special attention should be paid to the Other folder in the vault, which often stores data from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), which store media files from chat rooms for years, and clearing the cache of these applications through their own settings can free up gigabytes of space.
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Free space on the internal drive is a critical factor in speed, try to keep 10-15% of the total memory free for stable system operation.
Radical measures: Resetting and reflashing
If the software methods don’t work, the last and most effective way is to completely reset to factory settings, which removes all user data, apps and settings, returning the phone to a “out of the box” state. For Xiaomi Redmi, it is often the only solution with a strong software “clutter”.
Before resetting, make sure to back up your contacts, photos and important documents. Go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all the data. The process will take a few minutes, after which the phone will turn on with a clean system. You will be surprised how quickly it will start working.
In extreme cases, when even a reset doesn’t help or the current version of MIUI is unstable, you might consider installing a different version of the firmware (Global on China or vice versa, or switching to custom firmware) that requires unlocking the bootloader and using a PC.
Risks of flashing
After reset, take your time to install hundreds of applications at once, set only the minimum required and monitor the behavior of the system, which will help identify the "heavy" application if the problem recurs.