How to improve Xiaomi performance: from basic settings to deep optimization

Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI They're known for their price-performance balance, but even flagship models start to slow down over time, for reasons ranging from overloaded memory to suboptimal system settings. This article will help you figure out how to make the most of your device’s resources – whether it’s a budget Redmi Note or a top-end Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

We will consider both software methods (cleaning the cache, disabling unnecessary services) and hardware nuances (thermodrossellation, choosing the right performance mode). MIUI 14/15, which the official documentation does not cover, but which may give rise to 15-30% in games and everyday tasks.

Important: All recommendations are tested on current firmware (2026) and do not require root rights, unless otherwise indicated. For owners of devices older than 2020, separate tips for working with outdated hardware have been added.

1. Diagnostics of the current state: what exactly is slowing down your Xiaomi

Before you optimize, you need to understand the source of the problem. 80% of the lags are related to:

• 📱 RAM overload (too many background processes)
• 🗃️ Completed storage (less than 10% of free space)
• 🔥 Thermodrosselation (works when overheating above 45)°C)
• 🤖 Suboptimal settings MIUI (animation, screen resolution)
• 📡 Bad network signal (constant cell search eats the processor)

For accurate diagnosis:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI and 5 times tap the kernel - will turn on the developer mode.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and find: Processor statistics - will show the loading of cores in real time USB — You will need for deep optimization Do not turn off the screen - convenient for testing

CPU Monitor

DevCheck

Google Play

⚠️ Note: If you see a constant load on one core in CPU statistics (e.g., core 0 is 90% downtime), this is a sign of a virus or a system process failure.

System Cleanup: Removing Digital Garbage

Application cache and residual files are the main memory eaters. MIUI There are built-in tools to remove them, but they don't work well:

Step 1 Deeply clean the cache

• 🧹 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management
• 🔍 Sort by size and remove the cache from the top-10 «heavy apps (usually Facebook, Instagram, Google Play Services)
• 🚫 For system applications (e.g. com.miui.home), the cache is cleared only through Settings. → Memory. → Cleanup

Step 2: Removing unnecessary APK and duplicate

MIUI Have a habit of leaving update files (.apk) in the folder /sdcard/Download/rom. They can be safely removed:

/sdcard/MIUI/backup/AllBackup


/sdcard/Android/obb – cache of games (can be cleared if you are not playing)




/sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails – photo miniatures (sometimes weighing gigabytes)

Remove the cache top-10 applications|Check the folder. /Download/rom|Clean up DCIM/.thumbnails|Remove the old ones APK from /Android/obb|Run built-in optimization in Settings → Memory.-->

⚠️ Note: Do not manually delete files from folders /data or /system — It's going to break the system. You need root and knowledge to work with these partitions. ADB.

3. MIUI Optimization: Hidden Performance Settings

MIUI It hides a lot of the parameters that affect the speed of work:

A. Disabling animations

UI animations eat up to 15 percent of the CPU's resources, and to speed them up or turn them off:

1. Activate the Developer Mode (see Section 1).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Find the settings: The scale of the window animation → Disable or 0.5x Scale of transition animation → Disable or 0.5x Duration of the animator → 0.5x

B. Choice of performance mode

V MIUI 14+ And then there's a hidden mode called Extreme Performance, which unlocks the extra cores of the processor:

adb shell settings put global force_high_performance_mode 1

To turn off:

adb shell settings put global force_high_performance_mode 0

B. Background optimization

MIUI aggressively manages background processes, so that important applications don't close:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management.
2. Select an app (such as Telegram) and install it without restrictions.
3. For games, turn on the Game Turbo Mode in Settings → Special facilities → Playing space.

B. Virtual memory (Swap)

On devices with 6 GB of RAM or less, you can turn on a paging file (using part of the internal memory as additional RAM).

1. Install Swap Enabler from Google Play (root required) MIUI 14+).
2. Select the swap size: 1-2 GB (no more, otherwise the memory is worn out).
3. Reset the device.

💡

If you have a device running Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (like Xiaomi 13 Pro), don’t turn on swap – it will only make performance worse due to slow performance. UFS 3.1 memory compared to LPDDR5X RAM.

B. Cleaning up Dalvik cache

Dalvik cache is an optimized version of an application for quick launch, and when updated, it can get clogged to clear:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to Enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Dalvik Cache.
4. Restart (the first launch will take up to 5 minutes).

⚠️ Warning: Do not confuse the Wipe Dalvik Cache with Factory Reset! second option will delete all your data.

5. Thermothrottle: How to Avoid Productivity Decline Due to Overheating

All Xiaomi smartphones (especially on Snapdragon) 8xx) They suffer from thermothrottle, which is an artificial decrease in heat productivity:

A. Temperature monitoring

Install. CPU Monitor or Cool Tool for tracking core temperature:

• 🔴 Above 50.°C -- throttling begins. GPU
• 🟡 45-50°C - the frequency of the processor is limited
• 🟢 40 below.°C - maximum productivity

B. Software cooling

MIUI It has a hidden cooling mode that can be turned on through ADB:

adb shell settings put global thermal_manager_enabled 1


adb shell settings put global thermal_level 0

Cooling levels (thermal_level):

• 0 - maximum cooling (full speed fan, if any)
• 1 – Balance between performance and temperature
• 2 - Performance priority (risk of overheating)

B. Physical methods

• 🧊 Use cooling stands for games (e.g. Black Shark Cooler).
• 📱 Remove the case during intense loads (especially silicone).
• 🔋 Do not charge your phone during games – this increases the heat 20-30%.

💡

On liquid-cooled devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) never use vacuum cooling stands - they can damage the heat sink system.

6. Optimization for Games: Overclocking GPU and settings of the graphics

If you play Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG, standardization MIUI They don't give you maximum performance. Here's how to fix it:

A. Dispersal GPU (root)

For Adreno devices (e.g., Snapdragon 8 Gen 2):

1. Install Kernel Adiutor or FrancoKernel Manager.
2. In the section GPU zoom in on Max. GPU Clock on 10-15% standard.
3. Install. GPU Governor in performance mode.

B. Graphic settings in MIUI Game Turbo

• 🎮 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Playing space.
• 🔧 For each game, adjust: Graphics quality → Balanced (not High, otherwise it will lag) Frame rate → 60 FPS (if the screen supports) Tactile recoil → Disconnect (saves resources)

B. Optimization of shaders

For Unreal Engine games (such as Fortnite):

1. Install GLTools (root required).
2. Select the game from the list and enable: Optimize Shaders Reduce Texture Quality 20-30%) Disable Buffer Sync

7. firmware update: when and how to do it correctly

Updates MIUI They often bring performance optimizations, but sometimes they bring new bugs:

A. How to check the relevance of the firmware

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Compare your version with the latest on Xiaomi’s official website.
3. If the difference is more than 2 months, update.

B. Types of updates

How to Update Without Losing Data

Make a backup copy in Mi Cloud|Check the battery charge (>50%)|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi|Close all applications|Shut down. VPN-->

⚠️ Note: If after the update the phone is fixated on the logo MI, Don't panic. Wait 10 minutes, then press Volume up. + Power to log in to Recovery and select Reboot.

8 Radical Methods: When Nothing Helps

If all of the above has failed, it is time to consider radical measures:

A. Reset to factory settings

This will delete all the data, but it will put the phone back in its "clean" state.

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select Erase All Data (not Reset!).
4. After reset, do not restore data from the backup – install applications manually.

B. Replacement of thermopaste

On devices older than 2 years, the thermal paste dries, which leads to overheating and throttling.

1. Buy the Arctic Thermopaste MX-6 Or the Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut.
2. Take your phone apart (see YouTube for instructions for your model).
3. Clean the old paste with alcohol and apply the new one in a thin layer.

💡

For Xiaomi. POCO F3 redmi K40 Use a high-viscosity thermal paste – these models have a large gap between the processor and the radiator.

⚠️ Warning: Replacing thermopaste removes warranty.If you're unsure of your skills, contact the service center.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi optimization