How to Make Xiaomi Phone Smoother: A Complete Guide to Optimization MIUI

Your Xiaomi is slowing down, apps are late, and the interface twitches when scrolling? This is a typical problem even for flagship models after a year of use. MIUI, But don't rush to drop your phone before the factory settings: 90 percent of the time, you can get it back to software.

In this article, we will discuss 10 working ways to speed up Xiaomi, from basic (cache cleaning) to advanced (kernel setting through ADB). All methods tested on Redmi Note models 12 Pro+, Poco F5, Xiaomi 13T and older versions MIUI 14/15. No root rights or risky manipulations – only secure solutions that won’t damage the warranty.

Important: If your smartphone is older than 2019 (like the Redmi Note 7 or Mi 9), some methods may be less effective due to hardware limitations.

1.Diagnostics: Why Xiaomi is slowing down?

Before optimizing, you need to understand the root of the problem. Brakes on Xiaomi are divided into three categories:

• 🔋 Hardware - wear of the battery (capacity) <80%), processor overheating, damaged memory.
• 📱 Software - overloaded MIUI, conflicting applications, viruses.
• 🎯 System – incorrect animation settings, background activity of services Google/Mi.

To identify a bottleneck, perform a quick check:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone. → System status and check the time. If the screen is on for more than 6 hours at 20% charge, the battery is a problem.
2. Run Settings. → Annexes → Memory state, if free. <1 GB - you need to clean the cache.
3. Install the app CPU Throttling Test (from Play Market) If the test shows a permanent trottling of the processor at 50%+ — The phone is overheating or the battery is worn out.

If the diagnostics show hardware problems (battery wear, overheating), software optimization will give a temporary effect, in which case it is better to immediately go to the section on hardware solutions.

System Cleanup: Removing Digital Garbage

MIUI It's known for actively cacheing data and leaving tails after you delete applications, even after you clean it up through Settings. → The storage system is left with gigabytes of unnecessary files. Here's how to delete them completely:

Deep cleaning of the cache

Standard Method through Settings → Annexes → [Select an application] → Warehouse → Clearing the cache only removes a portion of the data:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Memory Cleanup.
2. Press Deep Clean (at the bottom of the screen).
3. Select System Garbage, Residual Files and Cash Mini-Programs.
4. Confirm the cleanup. 11 This method releases up to 3-5 GB space.

2.2 Removal of duplicates and unnecessary APK

MIUI frequently leaves update files (.apk) and duplicate media files to find them:

• 📁 Use the file manager Mi File Manager (built-in) or Files by Google.
• 🔍 In search, type *.apk – delete all files except those in the folder. /system/app.
• 🖼️ To find duplicate photos / videos, use the Duplicate Files Fixer app.

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After cleaning, restart your phone – this will allow you to do so. MIUI to calculate the free space and optimize the work of the background cache.

Clearing Dalvik cache (without root)

Dalvik cache is a temporary file that the Android virtual machine creates to speed up the launch of applications, which over time fragments and slows down the system, and can be cleaned through recovery mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. Select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Confirm the action and restart.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! second option will reset the phone to factory settings.

3. MIUI Optimization: Hidden Performance Settings

MIUI It has hidden options that allow you to speed up animations, disable unnecessary services and reassign system resources, most of which are not available in the standard menu, but can be activated through the developer or ADB.

Activation of the performance mode

Starting with MIUI 12, The system has a hidden mode Ultra Performance Mode, which disables background activity and optimizes CPU/GPU. To turn it on:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find Performance Mode and select Ultra.
4. Reboot the phone.

This mode is automatic:

• 🚀 Disables animation of windows and transitions.
• 🔄 Limits background synchronization.
• 🎮 Prioritizes resources for active applications.

3.2. Customization of animation through ADB

Even in Ultra Performance mode MIUI It uses transition animations that create the brake effect to shut it down completely:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging in the developer settings.
2. Download ADB Tools and open the command line in the folder with adb.exe.
3. Enter the commands: 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
4. Reboot the phone.

Then the interface will switch instantly, without delay. To get back the animation, replace the 0 with 1 in the commands.

Activate the Developer Mode|Enable Ultra Performance Mode|Turn off animation through ADB|Reboot the phone-->

3.3 Disconnecting unnecessary Xiaomi services

MIUI It runs a lot of background services by default that collect statistics, update widgets, and check for updates, and some of them can be turned off without consequences:

⚠️ Attention: Disconnection MSA If you notice any problems, return the service via the command adb shell pm enable com.xiaomi.msa.global.

4. App Management: What is the brake on your Xiaomi?

According to the data XDA Developers, up to 40% of brakes on Xiaomi are caused by third-party apps not working properly:

• 📱 Social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) – constantly working in the background.
• 🎮 Games with aggressive optimization (Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile).
• 🔄 Launchers and widgets (for example, Nova Launcher or KWGT).
• 🛡️ Antiviruses and Cleaners (Clean Master, CCleaner).

Here’s how to manage applications so they don’t slow down the system:

Limitation of background activity

MIUI Allows you to manually restrict applications that don’t need to work in the background:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select a problem app (like Facebook).
3. Press Battery Consumption → Limit background activity.
4. Choose Strictly Limit.

For mass restriction:

• 📌 Use the settings. → Battery → Battery mode → Choice of applications.
• 🔄 Select Manual Setup and mark apps that shouldn’t work in the background.

Freezing of unnecessary applications

Some system applications (Mi Browser, Mi Music, Mi Pay) cannot be removed, but they can be "freezed" - disable without deleting.

1. Install App Inspector (from Play Market)
2. Find an unnecessary app (e.g. com.android.browser for Mi Browser).
3. Click Disable (rights required) ADB).

List of safe to disable system applications:

• 🌐 com.android.browser - Mi browser.
• 🎵 com.miui.player - Mi Music player.
• 💳 com.mipay.wallet - Mi Pay wallet.
• 📺 com.miui.videoplayer - video player Mi.

Alternatives to “heavy” annexes

Some applications can be replaced with lighter analogues:

5. Hardware Solutions: When Software Optimization Doesn't Help

If all of the above methods fail, the problem may be in the "iron" here's what to check first:

Wear of the battery

Battery capacity <80% From the nominal, the phone automatically limits the performance of the processor to extend the time:

• 🔋 By code: enter in the dialer ##4636## → Battery information.
• 📊 Using the AccuBattery app (shows real capacity).

If the capacity is below 2500 mAh (for most Xiaomi models), the battery needs to be replaced.

• 💰 Redmi Note 10/11: 1500-2000 ruble.
• 💰 Xiaomi 12/13: 2500-3500 ruble.
• 💰 Poco F4/F5: 2000-2800 ruble.

Processor overheating

MIUI Starts to trottl (limit) the processor at a temperature above 45°C. To check for overheating:

1. Install CPU Monitor or AIDA64.
2. Run a stress test (e.g., Genshin Impact at maximum settings).
3. If the temperature is above 50°C, clean the phone of dust or replace the heat paste.

Causes of overheating:

• 🌡️ Clogged radiator (dust in the speaker or connector) USB).
• 🔥 Dry thermopaste (relevant for phones over 2 years old).
• ☀️ Using the phone under direct sunlight.

⚠️ Note: If the processor temperature rises above 60°C in idle (no load), this may indicate a battery failure or short circuit on the motherboard!

5.3. Damaged memory (eMMC/UF)

On cheap models (Redmi) 9A, Poco M3) EMMC 5.1 slow memory is often used, which degrades over time:

• 🐢 Slow recording/reading of files (for example, photos are stored with a delay).
• 🔄 Frequent reboots when running a camera or games.
• 🚨 Memory is damaged in Settings → Warehouse.

Memory health can be checked through AIDA64 (storage → If the Health score is below 90%, memory should be replaced.

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On eMMC-based phones (instead of UFS) So software optimization has a temporary effect, and the only long-term solution is to replace the memory chip in the service.

6. Radical methods: resetting and custom firmware

If nothing has worked, there are two options:

1. Hard reset (complete cleaning of the phone).
2. Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS).

Hard Reset (Severe Reset)

This is an extreme measure that deletes all the data, but it puts the phone back to the factory state.

1. Save all important data (photos, contacts, messages) on your PC or in the cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm.
4. After reset, do not restore data from the backup MIUI — It'll bring back old bugs. Install applications manually.

Efficiency of the method: on Xiaomi 11T Pro after reset, the smoothness increase was up to 40% (according to AnTuTu tests).

Installation of custom firmware (for advanced)

If you’re ready to lose warranty, custom firmware (like the Pixel Experience) can bring smoothness back to even older phones.

• 🚀 Clean Android without unnecessary services Xiaomi.
• 🔄 Regular security updates.
• 🎯 Possibility of fine tuning of the core.

Cons:

• ⚠️ Loss of guarantee.
• 🔧 Installation difficulty (needs unlocked loader).
• 🔋 Possible problems with the battery or camera.

Instructions for installing Pixel Experience:

Optimization for older models (2019 and earlier)

For phones like the Redmi Note 7, Mi A2 POCO F1 recommend:

• 📉 Back on. MIUI 12 (lighter than MIUI 13/14).
• 🔄 Use the Nova Launcher with disabled animation.
• 🎯 Install the FrancoKernel kernel (root required).
• 🚫 Turn off all widgets and live wallpaper.

7.Prevention: How to Prevent Brakes in the Future

To prevent your Xiaomi from slowing down again, follow these rules:

• 📵 Don’t install “cleaners” and “boosters” – they only make things worse.
• 🔄 Once a month, clean the cache through Settings. → Memory. → Deep cleaning.
• 📥 Don’t store more than 10,000 photos or 500 videos on your phone – transfer them to your PC or cloud.
• 🔋 Charge your phone to 80% and don’t discharge below 20% to extend battery life.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI only 1-2 months after release – the first versions often contain bugs.

It is also useful to monitor the status of the phone using widgets:

• 📊 CPU Monitor – Processor Temperature and Boot.
• 🔋 AccuBattery – battery health.
• 📁 Files by Google – Control of free space.

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The most common reason for re-braking is overloaded storage. 10-15% total amount of memory (for example, 16 GB free on 128 GB phone).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi optimization