Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is one of the most popular budget smartphones of 2018, but even after 2-3 years of active use it begins to “slow down”. The reasons can vary from overloaded memory to outdated firmware. In this article, we will analyze the specific methods of acceleration that work on MIUI 10-14 (including global and Chinese versions), and also tell you what mistakes users often make when trying to “overclock” the phone.
It’s important to understand that the Redmi Note 5 features a Snapdragon 636 processor and 3/4GB of RAM (depending on the modification), which prevents the device from being as fast as it was on the day of purchase, under current application requirements, but the right setup can return up to 30-40% of performance without replacing hardware.
We're not going to recommend "magic" cleaning apps -- most of them just make the problem worse -- instead, we're going to focus on system tools, hidden MIUI settings, and safe tricks that really help, and start with the simplest and gradually move on to more radical measures.
1. Cleaning up cache and garbage without third-party applications
The first thing to do is to delete temporary files that are accumulating in the system. On the Redmi Note 5, the cache can take up to 5-8 GB, even if you haven't installed heavy games. Cleaning up won't delete your data, but will free up space and reduce the load on the processor.
How to do this:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Memory. → Cleaning (or Settings) → Warehouse → Clean in new versions MIUI).
- 🧹 Click “Clean” – the system will automatically find unnecessary files (app cache, residual data, thumbnails).
- 🔍 For deep cleaning, tap "Deep cleaning" and select the category "Junk files».
- 🗑️ In the Apps section, sort programs by cache size and manually clean those that take more than 500MB (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).
One important caveat: Do not clear the cache of system applications (e.g. com.android.systemui or com.miui.home) – this can cause interface failures, and do not use the “Clean Up” functions in third-party utilities such as Clean Master or CCleaner – they often delete important data and slow down.
⚠️ Attention: If the applications are loading longer on the first run after cleaning the cache, that's OK. Cache is needed to speed up the reopening of programs, but the excess slows down the system. After 1-2 days, work stabilizes.
2. Disable animation and visual effects
MIUI is known for its beautiful yet resource-intensive animations. On the Redmi Note 5 with 3-4 GB of RAM, they can cause noticeable delays when switching between screens. Turning off the extra effects will make the interface less smooth visually, but much faster in operation.
How to remove animation:
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap on MIUI Version 7 times. You will receive a notification “You have become a developer”.
- Return to Settings → Additional → For Developers (or Settings → System → Advanced Settings → For Developers).
- Find the animation block and set the values: 🎞️ The scale of window animation - Disable or 0.5x 🎞️ Transition animation scale – Disable or 0.5x 🎞️ Duration of animation - Disable
Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.
You can also turn off the background wallpaper with paralax effect (they also eat resources).
- 🖼️ Go to Settings. → Wallpaper.
- 🔄 Choose a static image instead of live wallpaper or animated themes.
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If the interface seems to be “teared” after disabling the animation, try setting a 0.5x value instead of completely disabling. This will maintain minimal smoothness without losing performance.
3. Optimization of autoboot and background processes
Many apps on the Redmi Note 5 run automatically when the phone is turned on and run in the background, consuming RAM and battery power. Disabling unnecessary services can free up to 1 GB of RAM.
How to manage autoload:
- 🚀 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Autoboot.
- 🔍 Sort the programs by the date of last use.
- ❌ Turn off autoload for apps you use less than 1 time per week (e.g. games, banking programs, rarely used instant messengers).
- ⚠️ Do not disable system services called com.android., com.miui. or com.google.* – this can lead to unstable work.
For more in-depth optimization of background processes:
- 🔄 Enable energy saving mode in Settings → Battery → Battery mode. Select Balanced or Charge Savings, which will limit background activity.
- 🛑 In the Settings section → Annexes → Permits → Auto-run disable background activity for unnecessary programs.
| Type of application | Recommendation on autoloading | Risk of shutdown |
|---|---|---|
| Social networks (Facebook, Instagram) | Shut down. | Notifications will be delayed |
| Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) | Leave (but limit background activity) | Loss of messages when completely disconnected |
| Games (PUBG, Genshin Impact) | Shut down. | No risk. |
| System Services (Google Play Services) | Don't touch it. | Failures in the work of Google services |
⚠️ Note: After disabling the autoboot, some apps may stop showing notifications, VK Or OK won't notify you of new messages until you manually open them. To fix that, go to the app-specific notification settings and turn on the "Show notifications" option».
4. reset the partition cache (Dalvik-Cache) without loss of data
If the phone is slowing down after updating MIUI or installing new apps, the problem may be in the Dalvik cache, a special section where optimized versions of programs are stored for quick download, and if this cache is damaged, the system starts to "hang"; cleaning it will not delete your data, but will require a reboot.
How to Reset Dalvik-Cache:
- Turn off the phone.
- Press the Power + Volume buttons up at the same time and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo and Recovery menu appear.
- Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection. Choose the language (usually English or Russian).
- Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
- Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.
- Choose Reboot. → Reboot to System.
Once the cache is reset, it can take up to 5-10 minutes for the phone to start up, which is normal. It restores optimized data for installed applications. Don't interrupt the process or force the device to turn off.
What if after resetting the cache, the phone is stuck on the Mi logo?
5. Update firmware and rollback to stable version of MIUI
Redmi Note 5 slowdowns are often due to unstable MIUI updates. Xiaomi regularly releases patches, but some contain bugs leading to lags. For example, in MIUI 12.5-13 versions, users complained about freezes due to memory optimization Memory Extension.
How to update or roll back the firmware:
- 🔄 Update: Go to Settings → The phone. → Update the system. If a new version is available, download and install it. Check the reviews in the forums beforehand (e.g., check the reviews on the forums, 4PDA Xiaomi Community – no complaints about bugs.
- 🔙 Recoil: If the lags appeared after the update, you can go back to the previous version. For this: Download stable firmware for Redmi Note 5 (codename whyred) from the official Xiaomi website. Move the file to the root folder of the phone (not in folders!). Go to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three dots (menu) → Select a firmware file. Confirm the installation and wait until it's finished.