How to speed up Xiaomi phone on Android: from cleaning the cache to changing the firmware

Xiaomi has started to slow down after the update MIUI? Apps take a long time to open, animations twitch and battery goes down in half a day?The problem isn't "weak hardware" - even Redmi's flagship models K70 or POCO F6 They lose speed over time due to clogged systems, background activity and unoptimized settings, and in 90% of cases, the speed can be restored without resetting to factory settings or buying a new phone.

In this article — 12 Proven ways to speed up Xiaomi, from basic (cleaning cache, turning off animations) to advanced (change firmware, limiting processes). 2020–2026 They're working without root rights, and they're focusing on the problems. MIUI 14/15, where brakes are often associated with aggressive battery optimization and Xiaomi Cloud background services.

Before proceeding: If the phone starts to lag after falling or getting moisture, the problem may be damage to the drive (eMMC/UFS). In this case, software won't help, you need a diagnostics center. For everyone else, read on.

1.Diagnostics: Why is Xiaomi slowing down?

Before optimizing, identify a bottleneck. Start settings. → The phone. → System status and check:

• 🔋 Battery charge: If it is below 15%, the phone is forced to limit performance.
• 📱 CPU load: Always above 70%? So some application is loading the processor.
• 🗃️ Memory: If less than 1 GB of RAM is free, the system begins to “kill” background processes, which causes hanging ups.
• 🌡️ Temperature: above 45°C – trottling (forced processor frequency reduction).

Also open the Settings. → Annexes → Battery status and see which programs use the most power. -- Frequent brake culprits:

• 🎮 Games (Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile – Even after closing, processes can leave the background.
• 📱 Social networks (TikTok, Instagram) – actively use cache and geolocation.
• 🔄 System services (MiuiDaemon, Google Play Services) – sometimes “hang” after updates.

Critical: If you see a high-load mediaserver process in System State, the problem is the damaged media files (photo/video) that need to be found and deleted, more on this in the section on memory cleanup.

2. Basic cleaning: cache, debris and unnecessary files

The first thing you need to do is to free up space in memory and delete temporary files. Even if you have 256 GB of storage, the cache that's clogged slows down the system.

1. Cleaning the application cache: go to Settings → Annexes → Application management, select any and click Clear cache. Use Settings for bulk cleaning → Memory. → Clean up.
2. Remove unnecessary files: in the same Memory menu, click Clean up garbage (MIUI automatically find remnants of remote programs, duplicate photos and old ones APK).
3. Storage optimization: in Settings → Memory. → Memory analysis find large files (such as undeleted videos from WhatsApp or Google Maps cache).

For deep cleaning, use third-party utilities:

Important: Do not clear the cache of system applications (e.g. com.android.systemui) – this can cause the interface to crash MIUI. If after cleaning the launcher stopped working, restart the phone.

3. MIUI Optimization: Hidden Performance Settings

Xiaomi hides a number of parameters that affect the speed of work.

1. Enable Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times click on the version MIUI. You will receive a notification saying, “You are a developer".
2. Go back to Settings → More → For developers and find:

• ⚡ Background Process Limitation: Set a “Previous Process Maximum 2” (saves RAM, but some notifications may come with a delay).
• 🎯 Animation of windows / transitions: set the scale 0.5x Or turn it off completely (no animations available).
• 🔄 Do not save actions: disable – this will speed up the switch between applications.
• 🛠️ Debugging by USB: Please include (some tweaks are required) ADB).

Also in Settings → Battery → Select Performance Mode:

• 🔋 Balance – for everyday use.
• ⚡ Performance – if you want maximum speed (battery consumption will increase by 15-20%).

On models with Qualcomm Snapdragon (for example, Redmi Note) 12 Pro+) Open the settings further → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network type and select Only LTE. This will turn off the automatic switch to 3G/2G, which sometimes causes the communication module to freeze.

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If after changing the developer settings, the phone began to overheat, return the "Restriction of background processes" to the default value (4 processes).

4.Switching off background: what can be safely turned off?

MIUI It's known for aggressive background activity -- even after it's closed, it keeps working:

1. Turn off autostart: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Auto-run. Leave only messengers and system services.
2. Limit background activity: in the same settings of the application, select Battery → Limit background activity.
3. Freeze unnecessary services through ADB (rootless):

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytics


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.ab




adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution

These teams will disable Xiaomi’s analytics, ad services and system ads.

• ❌ com.android.phone – responsible for cellular communication.
• ❌ com.google.android.gms – Google services (will cause a failure of the Play Market).
• ❌ Any processes with miui in the name, if not sure of their purpose.

For convenience, use the App Inspector utility (available in the Play Market) to see which apps are active in the background and how much resources are consumed.

5. Advanced methods: firmware and core

If the basic methods didn't work, consider alternative firmware. MIUI It's often slowed down by the abundance of pre-installed services and aggressive optimization:

For firmware:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (you will have to wait 7-15 days).
2. Install. TWRP Or OrangeFox via fastboot:

fastboot flash recovery twrp.img


fastboot boot twrp.img

1. In recovery, make a backup (Backup) → Select Partitions) and go ZIP-firmware.

Note: Firmware of unofficial versions may lead to:

• ⚠️ Loss of warranty (unless you return the official firmware before visiting the service).
• ⚠️ Google Pay issues (due to lack of SafetyNet certification).
• ⚠️ Non-functioning sensors (e.g, NFC on some models POCO).

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Pixel Experience or LineageOS firmware can increase speed by 30-40%, but requires technical skills. MIUI EU — It retains all the functions of the original shell, but without advertising and unnecessary services.

6. Hardware restrictions: when nothing helps

If the phone is slowing down even after all the optimizations, the problem may be in the hardware:

• 🔋 Worn-out battery: with capacity below 70%, the power controller limits performance.Check battery health via AccuBattery or in the service menu (#4636## → "Battery information").
• 🖥️ Damaged memory (eMMC/UFS): If the phone is "freezes" when writing files (for example, while shooting a video), memory cells may be damaged. A1 SD Bench – Recording speed below 50 MB/s speaks to the problem.
• 🔥 Overheating: If the processor is heated above 60°C, trottling works. Clean the phone of dust (especially important for the use of the device). POCO X3 Redmi Note 10 Pro with Active Cooling).

For models with removable battery (for example, Redmi) 4X) try:

1. Remove the battery for 10 minutes (reset the power controller).
2. Wipe the contacts of the battery and phone with alcohol.

If there is a problem in memory, it will temporarily help:

• 📁 Use of adoptable storage (converting microSD into internal memory).
• 🔄 Transfer of frequently used applications to a memory card (Settings) → Annexes → Move it to SD).

Critical case: if the Xiaomi phone brakes when simply scrolling menus or typing, and in logcat (available via ADB) bugs E/StorageManager, It's probably a memory controller that's damaged, and it's only a motherboard replacement that helps.

7.Alternative launchers and lightweight applications

Standard launcher MIUI It's beautiful, but it's gluttonous:

• 🚀 Nova Launcher – supports gestures, lightweight and customizable.
• ⚡ Lawnchair – imitates Pixel Launcher, minimalist design.
• 🛠️ Smart Launcher 6 – automatically sorts applications by category.

Also install lightweight versions of popular apps:

Use it for games. GFX Tool or Game Turbo (built-in) MIUI), limit FPS and permission. PUBG Mobile install:

• 🎮 Permission: HD (instead of Ultra HD).
• 🔄 Frequency of personnel: 30 FPS (instead 60/90 FPS).
• 🌿 Graphics: Balanced.

This will reduce the load on the processor and increase battery life by 20-30%.

8.If nothing worked: dumping and service center

When all methods have been tried and the phone is still slowing down, there are two options:

1. Hard Reset: deletes all data but returns the system to a factory state. How to do it: Create a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup. Go to Settings. → The phone. → Reset settings. Select Delete all data and confirm.
2. Contact the service: if the brakes appeared after a fall, moisture or self-disassembly, the problem may be in the: 🔌 Oxidized contact motherboard. 💾 Damaged memory chips (eMMC 5.1 is particularly prone to wear and tear). 🔥 Overheating of the processor due to dried thermal paste.

The cost of diagnostics in official Xiaomi services - from 500 rubles. UFS (For example, in Redmi Note 9 Pro, it will cost 3-5 thousand rubles, but it will give a speed increase of 2-3 times.

The last tip is if your Xiaomi is older. 4 years (e.g. Redmi Note) 7 or Mi 8), It may be time to consider replacing it, and modern applications (especially games and social networks) are optimized for new processors (Snapdragon). 7/8 Gen 2, Dimensity 9000), And even after all the optimizations, the old models will lose in performance.

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Before reset, check if your Mi Account is linked to your phone. After Hard Reset, you may need to enter your login/password, especially if Find Device was enabled.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi acceleration