Maximum acceleration of Xiaomi phone: from basic settings to advanced overclocking

Why Xiaomi is starting to slow down and how to fix it

Even Xiaomi’s flagship models start to run slower after 6-12 months of use, not only because of the natural aging of iron, but also because of the features of MIUI firmware, which actively uses background processes for analytics and advertising. 80% of the time the slowdown is due to overloaded memory, fragmented storage or unoptimized system settings.

Performance drops unevenly: some users experience lags when opening the camera, others with a long load of applications, others complain of interface freezes when battery power is low (less than 15%), the reasons are always individual, but the solutions are universal. In this article, we will discuss methods of acceleration from the simplest (clearing the cache) to radical (flashing to custom software).

It's important to understand that some methods require unlocking the bootloader and may be insecure, and we'll highlight those points separately so you can assess the risks, and we'll start with safe methods that don't require root rights or technical skills.

1. Cleaning the system: remove garbage and cache

The first step is to free up memory space and delete temporary files, and MIUI has built-in tools for this, but they often don't work well.

• 📱 App cache: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management, select any application and click Clear Cache. Repeat for all commonly used programs (especially instant messengers and social networks).
• 🗑️ System garbage: Use the built-in Security app → Pay attention to the Deep Clean section, which deletes residual files after uninstallation of the software.
• 📁 Files. MIUI: In a file. MIUI/Backup/AllBackup store backups of the system that can weigh several gigabytes.Remove old backups if they are not needed.

To automate the process, we recommend the SD Maid utility (requires root rights to work properly), it finds duplicate files, cleans application databases and removes empty folders. The alternative without root is Files by Google, which analyzes the storage and suggests removing unnecessary files (for example, screenshots older than 30 days).

⚠️ Note: Do not cache system applications like com.miui.home or android.process.media manually through Settings → All applications. This can cause a launcher to crash or media files to be lost.

Delete the cache of messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

Clean Downloads folder from old files

Check the "Large Files" section in the "Files" app

Remove unused APKs from MIUI/Backup/Apk folder

Disable automatic backup in Mi Cloud-->

2. MIUI optimization: disabling unnecessary functions

MIUI is overloaded with features that most users don't need, but consume resources, like the second space, the kid mode, or the Xiao AI smart assistant, running in the background even if you're not using them.

• 🔍 Interface animation: Go to Settings → About the phone, tap 7 times on the version MIUI, To activate Developer Mode. Then to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers, set: The scale of the window animation → Off. Scale of transition animation → Duration of animation → 0.5x
• 📡 Background activity: C Settings → Battery → Battery mode select Performance. Then in Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Autorun disable autorun for all applications except instant messengers and banking services.
• 🎨 Themes and widgets: Live wallpaper and animated themes eat up to 10% of the charge and increase the load on the body GPU. Return to the standard theme in Settings → Screen. → Wallpaper.

Pay special attention to Mi Cloud and Sync. These services constantly exchange data with Xiaomi servers, even if you are not using the cloud. Turn off sync contacts, notes and photos in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.

Second space

Regime for children

Xiao AI's Smart Assistant

Themes and wallpaper

None of the above.-->

3. Setup of autoboot and background processes

One of the main reasons for the brakes is the uncontrolled auto-start of applications. Even after closing, many programs continue to run in the background, consuming RAM and CPU. MIUI has two levels of boot control:

1. Standard mode: Settings → Applications → Application management → Autorun. You can turn off autoruns for individual applications here. However, some system processes (e.g., com.miui.analytics) are not displayed here.
2. Developer Mode: Activate it (as described above) and in Settings → Additional → For developers, find: Background Process Limit → Set Without Background Processes (risky) or Maximum 2 Processes. Don’t Save Actions → Turn on to save RAM (but applications will reboot more often).

For advanced users, we recommend the utility Greenify (requires root or ADB-It freezes unnecessary applications, keeping them from waking up:

• 📊 Analytics applications (Facebook, TikTok)
• 🎮 The game launchers (Xiaomi Game Turbo)
• 🛒 Stores (GetApps, Google Play)

⚠️ Warning: Disabling auto-run for banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff) can lead to problems with push-notifications of payments.

adb shell dumpsys meminfo

To install ADB, follow the instructions in Section 5-->

4. Firmware Update: When and How to Do It

The slowdown may be due to the outdated version of MIUI. Xiaomi regularly releases updates that optimize resource consumption and fix bugs. However, not all updates are useful: some users complain that after upgrading to MIUI 14, the phone became slower due to the new interface and additional services.

How to update correctly:

1. Check the current version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. Download the latest stable firmware for your model from the official Xiaomi website (select the Global or EEA region for Europe).
3. Move the firmware file (.zip format) to the root folder of the phone and go to Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three dots → Select a firmware file.

If the phone gets worse after the upgrade, you can roll back to the previous version via Fastboot (instructions in section 6).Be sure to back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset before that.

5. Advanced methods: ADB and overclocking teams

For users who are ready to dive into the technical details, there are ways to speed up Xiaomi via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that does not require root rights, but gives access to hidden system settings.

First, install ADB on your PC:

1. Download the Google Platform Tools.
2. Unpack the archive in the folder C:\adb.
3. Enable USB debugging on your phone (Settings → Additional → Developers).
4. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line: Adb devices If the device is displayed, you can proceed to optimization.

Useful. ADB-speed-up:

• 🚀 Shutdown MIUI-Optimization (reduces lags): adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1
• 🔄 Increase the limit of background processes (for multitasking): adb shell settings put global bg_process_limit 10
• ⚡ Disable animation (as in developer mode, but forced): adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0 adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0 adb shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0

Once you have the commands, restart your phone, and you can see the effect immediately: the interface will become more responsive and the switching between applications will be smoother, but some commands (such as increasing the process limit) can reduce battery life.

💡

ADB-commands are valid until the next firmware on the phone. MIUI They need to be reused.

Extreme measures: iron discharge, firmware and replacement

If none of these methods work, there are radical solutions that should be considered only if the phone is no longer usable (hangs longer than 5 seconds, constant reboots).

• 🔄 Hard Reset: Deletes all data, returns the phone to factory settings. Do it through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Resetting. Important: Pre-save IMEI (Type *#06# and take a picture of the screen).
• 📥 Fastboot firmware: If the reset didn't work, run your phone through the Mi Flash Tool. Download the firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater site, unpack and follow the instructions: Install Mi Phone Manager drivers. Launch Mi Flash Tool, select a firmware folder. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (clip the power supply) + Volume down. Press Refresh, then Flash.

Replacement of the battery or flash memory:

Xiaomi

⚠️ Note: Fastboot firmware deletes all data, including files in internal memory. TWRP, Back up through it before you run the firmware, and make sure you download the firmware for your model, and the error will cause the phone to fail.

7. Alternative firmware: whether to switch to caste

If you’re ready to lose the warranty, consider installing custom firmware (like LineageOS, Pixel Experience or ArrowOS) that lacks the heavy MIUI interface and often runs faster on older models.

The advantages of custom firmware:

• ✅ No Advertising and Unnecessary Xiaomi Services.
• ✅ More frequent security updates (monthly vs quarterly at MIUI).
• ✅ Ability to fine-tune performance (cores, schedulers).

Cons:

• ❌ Loss of warranty (if you do not return the official firmware before visiting the service).
• ❌ Possible bugs with camera or sensors (especially on newer models).
• ❌ Difficulty of installation for beginners (need an unlocked bootloader).