Why Xiaomi is slowing down and how to fix it: the complete guide to speeding up your smartphone

Your Xiaomi has slowed to open apps, got stuck while scrolling or suddenly overheated? This is a common problem that occurs even on flagship models like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 12 Pro+. The causes of brakes can vary from overloaded memory to errors in the firmware of MIUI. In this article, we will discuss 12 proven ways to return the smartphone to performance without complex manipulation and the risk of damaging the device.

The first thing to understand is that brakes rarely come on suddenly, and they're usually the result of accumulated problems, like dozens of background processes, cache, outdated software, or even viruses, and we'll start with simple solutions (cleaning up memory, turning off animations), and then we'll move on to deeper settings, from battery calibration to reset to factory settings, and we'll focus on Snapdragon 7-series and 8-series models, which are more likely to lag due to overheating and trottling.

If you're not sure where to start, take a quick test: open Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and click on the logo several times. If you say "You're a developer!", you already have access to hidden settings, which will make optimization easier. If not, don't worry: most of the ways work and without developer rights.

1. Cleaning of RAM and cache

The most common cause of brakes is a lack of RAM (RAM), Xiaomi aggressively caches data to speed up the launch of applications, but over time this leads to overloading of the system.

• 🧹 Close all apps: swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and close all cards. MIUI 14+ There is a "clean everything" button - use it.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache: go to Settings → Annexes → App management, select any app (such as Chrome or Instagram) and click "Clear Cache." Repeat to 5-10 the hardest programs.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone: Long periods of operation without rebooting accumulate errors in the core of the system. Just hold the power button and select "Reboot".

For deep cleaning, use the built-in Optimization tool:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Optimization.
2. Click “Clean” – this will delete unnecessary files and stop background processes.
3. Activate the Auto Clean option (if you have one in your MIUI version).

⚠️ Warning: Do not cache system applications like com.android.systemui or com.miui.home, which can cause interface failures. Also avoid Play Market cleaners, which often delete important data and display false warnings.

2. Disable animation and visual effects

MIUI is known for its beautiful animations, but they consume CPU and RAM resources, and turning off the extra effects can speed up the interface by 15-20%.

1. Activate Developer Mode (if you haven’t already): Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version and click on the logo 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find sections: Windows animation scale → select No animation scale transition animation scale → No animation animation duration animation → Off.

We also recommend that you disable unnecessary visual effects:

• 🌈 Live wallpaper: replace them with static in Settings → Wallpaper.
• 🔍 Unlocking Effects: In Settings → Screen locking → Unlocking effects select "No".
• 📊 Transparency of the notification panel: in Settings → Display. → Notification panel style select "Solid Color".

In the models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T pro POCO F5) Disabling animations will also reduce power consumption, which will positively affect battery life.

3. Optimization of background processes and autoboot

Many applications continue to run in the background even when you're not using them, which consumes CPU, RAM and battery. MIUI has built-in tools to manage background processes:

First, limit the autoload:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autoboot.
2. Turn off autoboot for all applications except instant messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) and system services.

Then set the limitations for background processes:

• 🔋 Battery Limitation: C Settings → Battery and productivity → Battery management select "Limit background activity" mode for unnecessary applications".
• 🚫 Notifications Ban: In each app’s settings, turn off notifications if they are not critical (e.g. for games or news apps).
• ⚡ Optimization MIUI: In Settings → Battery and productivity → Optimize: Enable the option of Deep Optimization (not available on all models).

For advanced users, if you have root access, you can use the Greenify app to force the hibernation of unnecessary processes. Without root, Brevent provides similar functionality (requires ADB).

⚠️ Warning: Do not limit system processes like com.android.phone or com.miui.securitycenter, which can cause mobile phone loss or sensor errors. Do not disable autoboot for Google Play Services, which will disrupt many apps.

4. Update of firmware and system core

Outdated firmware is one of the main reasons for the brakes. Xiaomi regularly releases updates that fix bugs, optimize resource consumption and add new features. MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click "Check Updates." If a new version is available, download it and install it.
3. After the update, be sure to restart the phone.

If automatic updates don’t help or you want to install stable global firmware (for example, instead of Chinese firmware), do it manually:

• 📥 Download the firmware: official versions are available at en.miui.com. Choose a version for your model (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro).+ 5G It has the code name peux).
• 🔧 Install via Recovery: Downloaded.zip file move to the phone's root folder. turn off the phone, then press the Power Button + Volume up to enter Recovery. select Install update.zip and confirm installation.
• Perform reset: Go to Settings → The phone. → Setting reset. Select "Erase all data" and confirm the action. Once rebooted, the phone will look like new if the phone doesn't respond to commands or if it's stuck on the logo. MIUI, Reset via Recovery: Turn off the phone. Press the power button. + Volume up to enter Recovery. select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data and confirm. After reset, select Reboot → Reboot to System. On models with a locked bootloader (for example, the official global versions), resetting via Recovery may not work. 💡Resetting to factory settings removes all data, including hidden files and system settings.This is the only way to get rid of deep-rooted viruses or firmware errors. 7. If you’re ready to go beyond standard settings, here are some advanced ways to speed up Xiaomi: 🔧 Unlocking the bootloader and installing the custom core: this allows you to fine-tune the processor, graphics accelerator and memory. Popular cores for Snapdragon: FrancoKernel or Kiran Kernel. 📉 Undervolting: Kernel Auditor can reduce CPU voltage, which will reduce heat and increase battery life. Dangerous! Incorrect settings can lead to unstable operation. 🗃️ Transfer of applications to SD-Card: if you have an Adoptable Storage model (e.g. Redmi) 9A), You can expand your internal memory with a microSD. For this, format the card as internal storage in Settings. → Warehouse. 🛠️ Shutdown MIUI Optimizations: in Settings → For developers, turn off the option MIUI Optimization. This will remove some of the limitations of the system, but it can cause gestural malfunctions. 8 Gen 1/2 (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi K60 Pro) it is useful to disable thermal throttling. ADB-Adb shell settings put global thermal_manager_enabled 0 Beware though: This can cause overheating and damage to the processor! FAQ: Frequent questions about the brakes on Xiaomi Why Xiaomi is slowing down after the update MIUI? This is a typical problem when you switch to a new firmware version: 🔄 Old data incompatibility: once updated, cache and application settings may conflict with the new system.Solution: clear the cache in Settings → Warehouse → Clear the cache. 📦 New background services: MIUI often adds new system processes that consume resources. → Annexes → Manage applications and disable autoboot for unnecessary services. 🐛 Firmware errors: If the lags appeared immediately after the update, check the forums (for example, 4PDA) I'm not sure if you're looking for any bugs in your version, but if you're looking at the previous firmware, you might need to roll back. 2-3 So, you can do a factory reset. How do you check which application is loading the processor? There are several ways: Built-in monitor: go to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Battery usage: This shows the applications that consume the most power (usually they load the processor). CPU Monitor: install CPU Monitor or DevCheck from Play Market. They show the CPU cores booting in real time. ADB-Commands: Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell top -m 10 She'll draw a list out of 10 If a system application (like mediaserver) is to blame, try clearing its cache or rolling back updates. Does replacing the heatpaste with Xiaomi help? Yes, but only for models with active cooling (like Black Shark or Black Shark). POCO F4 GT). On most Xiaomi smartphones, the thermopast is applied only to the memory chip and the processor, and its replacement gives a temporary effect (on the device). 2-3 When it makes sense: 🔥 Phone overheats to 70°C+ minimally loaded. 🎮 Productivity in games is falling through 10-15 minute. 🔋 The battery is quickly discharged due to constant trottling. Risks: Loss of warranty (if you open the case); damage to plumes or contacts during disassembly. Wrong choice of thermopaste (for example, liquid metal without insulation) can close the contacts. For most users, it's better to try software optimization first. Can you speed up Xiaomi with custom firmware? Yes, but it's only for power users: ⚡ No "garbage": in MIUI There are many pre-installed apps and services that can't be removed. Custom firmware (like Pixel Experience) don't have that. 🔄 Newer Android versions: even for older models (for example, Redmi Note 8 Pro) there are firmware on Android 13. 🎛️ Flexible settings: you can fine-tune the processor, graphics and network: 🚫 Loss of guarantee. 📱 Possible bugs (not working) NFC, camera trouble). 🔒 Risk of "bricking" the phone if installed improperly: recommended firmware for beginners: LineageOS (stable) or ArrowOS (with a balance of functions and performance). Why Xiaomi slows down when connecting to Wi-Fi or mobile network? Network problems are often related to the Internet: 📶 Unstable signal: if the signal level is weak (1-2 And the answer is, you know, dividing, you're spending a lot of resources on your phone. 3G or turn on the "Only" mode 4G" In Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks. 🔒 VPN Firewall: Some applications (such as AdGuard) may conflict with system services. 📡 Problems with DNS: change DNS-server 8.8.8.8 (Google or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) in Wi-Fi settings. 🔄 Firmware errors: on some models (e.g. Redmi Note) 10 Pro) there were bugs with a Wi-Fi module 6. Solution: Turn off Wi-Fi 6 in the router settings or update the phone firmware. If the brakes only appear when downloading files, check settings → Special features → Network optimization and turn off the option “Background Limitation”.