Owning a Xiaomi Redmi 9S smartphone often involves wanting to squeeze the maximum performance out of the device, especially given that the MIUI shell is famous for its visual saturation. However, graphic effects such as smooth transitions between windows, scaling applications when launched and damping the screen can consume precious CPU resources. Disabling animation is a proven way to make the interface visually more responsive and fast.
Many users mistakenly believe that this requires installing third-party launchers or obtaining root rights. In fact, the Android operating system already has powerful tools for fine-tuning graphics that are available to every owner. Changing the parameters of zoom animation allows you to reduce the response time of the system, which is especially noticeable on budget models with limited hardware.
In this guide, we will discuss in detail the process of activating the hidden developer menu and then configuring the graphical interfaces. You will learn what parameters are responsible for the speed of the system and how to change them correctly so as not to disrupt the stability of the Redmi 9S. Competent setting will help you get rid of the feeling of “lags” when navigating the menu.
Why do you want to turn off animation on Android?
The graphics effects of modern smartphones are designed to hide the user’s downloading processes and make the interaction with the screen more natural. However, on mid-range and budget devices such as the Redmi 9S, each extra frame of the rendering puts an additional burden on the GPU and the CPU, which can lead to micro-latency, which is subjectively perceived as brakes.
When you turn off or zoom in on animation, the system stops wasting time drawing transition states. Application windows open instantly, lists scroll without inertia, and task switching occurs in a split second. It doesn't increase the CPU clock speed, but it makes the interface more efficient in terms of time.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling animations completely can make the interface twitchy and less pleasant to perceive.It is recommended not to put values on a note at once, but to try intermediate options to find a balance between speed and visual comfort.
In addition, lower graphics load indirectly affects power consumption. Less computation to render frames means less battery consumption, which is critical for Xiaomi’s autonomy. While the savings won’t be huge, combined with other optimizations, this will give a tangible increase in running time per charge.
Activation of the developer mode on Redmi 9S
Before you make changes to the system graphics settings, you need to access the hidden settings section. In the MIUI shell, as in pure Android, this section is hidden by default to avoid accidental changes by inexperienced users. The activation process is simple, but requires accurate execution of the sequence of actions.
You'll need to find the About Phone section in the main settings menu, and that's where the firmware and build version information is key to activating the engineering menu, and on Redmi 9S, the path to this section is standardized, but the names of items may vary slightly from one version of MIUI.
To activate the developer mode, follow the following steps:
- 📱 Open the Settings app and scroll down to About Phone".
- 🔍 Find the line "Version" MIUI" And press it fast. 7-10 successively.
- ✅ Wait for the pop-up notification “You’ve become a developer!".
- 🔙 Return to the main settings menu where a new section has appeared.
Once you do this, you'll see "Advanced" or "Developer" in the settings menu, usually at the bottom of the list or in the "Advanced Settings" section, and you'll now have access to Xiaomi's deep system settings, where you can manage USB debugging, background processes, and of course animation windows.
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If after 10 taps nothing happens, check if you have ad blockers or third-party launchers that can intercept touches. Try to press faster or, conversely, at a short interval.
Configure window parameters, transitions and duration
Inside the developer menu, there's a whole host of settings that affect how the interface behaves, and we're interested in a section that's often called "Drawing," or is in a group of parameters related to hardware acceleration, and there are three key parameters that you can control to dramatically change the speed of the UI.
The first is "Window animation." It controls the speed of opening and closing applications. The second is "Transition animation," which regulates the rate of switching between running programs and desktops. The third is "Duration of animation," which affects the time the system takes to complete graphic effects.
The optimal setting for most Redmi 9S users is to set the value "No animation" or "0.5x." The value of "1x" is standard and involves a full visualization of all effects. Reducing this figure to 0.5x speeds up processes by half, maintaining smoothness, but eliminating unnecessary delays.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value | The effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window animation | 1x | 0.5x or No animation | Instant application launch |
| Animation of transitions | 1x | 0.5x | Quick switching between screens |
| Duration of animation | 1x | 0.5x | Reduction of waiting time |
| Scope of typeface | Normal. | Small (optional) | Visual increase in space |
It's important to understand that changing these settings is instantaneous, you can experiment with different values in real time, switching between menus to evaluate the result, and if the interface gets too sharp, you can always go back to 1x.
☑️ Checking the animation settings
Additional options to speed up the MIUI interface
In addition to direct animation settings, the Xiaomi developer menu has other options that can positively affect the performance of the Redmi 9S. In particular, it is worth paying attention to the options associated with background processes and graphics rendering.
One useful feature is limiting background processes. Android tries to keep as many running apps as possible in memory for quick access, but on devices with limited RAM, this can lead to constant reboots of active tabs and slowdowns.
It is also recommended to check the hardware acceleration settings. Make sure the "hardware acceleration" option is enabled. GPU-It'll force the system to use the GPU to render. 2D-The interface elements, unloading the CPU. 9S With its graphics chip, it gives a tangible increase in smoothness.
⚠️ Warning: Do not disable options related to "Simulated Memory Lack" or "Do not save actions" if you do not understand their purpose.This can lead to unstable application operation and loss of unsaved data.
Another important aspect is to control the refresh rate of the screen if your firmware version allows you to do this through hidden menus. Although the Redmi 9S has a 60Hz screen, properly synchronizing animations with this frequency is critical. Make sure that the "Show Surface Updates" section (for diagnostics) does not include unnecessary overlays that can consume resources.
Secret team to reset graphics settings
Comparison of methods: Global firmware vs. Chinese
Xiaomi owners often face differences in the settings menu depending on the regional version of the firmware. ROM (The developer menu is usually fully translated and structured according to Google standards. ROM or in early versions MIUI For other markets, the location of points may differ.
On global versions of Redmi 9S, the path to animation settings is most often located at: Settings → Additional settings → Developer → Drawing. In Chinese firmware, this section can be called “System” or hidden deeper in the engineering menu available through special codes.
The differences also concern the availability of certain features. For example, global firmware may lack some of the aggressive battery optimization techniques that are present in the Chinese versions and affect the background rendering. If you have been re-furbishing the device, consider that the menu structure may not match the generally accepted standards.
Below is a table comparing the availability of functions in different versions of the software:
| Function | Global MIUI | China MIUI | EuROM (Castom) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale of animation | Available. | Available. | Available. |
| Limitation of processes | Standard. | Aggressive. | Expanded |
| The path to the menu | Standard. | Maybe different. | Standard. |
| Language | Russian/English | Chinese/English | Multilingual |
If you can't find the right item, try searching by settings, type the word "Animation" or "Developer" into the search box, and the system will suggest the desired section, which is a universal method for any version of MIUI.
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Regardless of the firmware version, the key settings Windows animation scale, Transition animation scale and Animator duration scale are present in any Android device, changing only their location in the menu.
Possible problems and solutions
After making changes to the system settings, users sometimes encounter unforeseen interface behavior, such as some applications may stop displaying pop-ups or menus correctly, because app developers coded waiting for certain time slots for animations.
If you notice that the Redmi 9S has stopped working after the animations have been turned off, or the buttons have stopped responding to short clicks, try to return the animation value to 0.5x instead of completely disabling. The complete lack of visual feedback (0x) sometimes conflicts with the touch scripts of old applications.
Another common problem is the sticking of the interface, and if the system starts to behave strangely, force the reboot. 10-15 It's a second until the device vibrates and reboots, and it clears the GPU cache and resets the time errors.
- 🔄 If there are glitches, first of all, reboot the device.
- 🔍 Check system updates: sometimes interface bugs are patched MIUI.
- 🛠 Use the “Developer Reset” function in the same menu.
Keep in mind that turning off animations is not a panacea for all performance problems. If a smartphone is slow even with graphics disabled, the problem may lie in crowded memory, background viruses or physical wear of the drive, in which case only a complete reset or replacement of the device will help.