How to speed up Xiaomi smartphone: from simple settings to deep optimization

Why Xiaomi is starting to slow down and when it’s time to act

Even Xiaomi’s flagship models start to run slower after 1-2 years, not only due to the natural aging of iron, but also due to the features of MIUI firmware, which actively uses background processes for analytics, advertising and synchronization, the first signs of slowing down: delays when opening applications, hanging animations, long camera load or sudden overheating.

According to XDA Developers, up to 30 percent of performance is lost to accumulated cache, up to 20 percent to autoloading unnecessary services, and another 15 percent to memory fragmentation. But the good news is that 90 percent of these problems are solved software-based, without replacing iron. This article is just proven methods, from basic to advanced, with the specifics of Redmi, POCO and the Mi line.

Before you start optimizing, define a “diagnosis”:

• 🔄 Lags when switching between applications → memory-problem (RAM).
• 🐢 Long loading of system menus → cache overloaded.
• 🔥 Overheating and sudden shutdowns → background processes or viruses.
• 📉 Quick battery discharge → Optimization is needed for speed and autonomy.

1.Cache and garbage cleanup: the first step to dispersal

Cache speeds up the re-launch of applications, but over time it becomes a dump of unnecessary files. MIUI has built-in cleaning tools, but they often miss the deep layers of the system. Let's start with them, then move on to manual methods.

Open Settings → Storage → Cleanup. This will show you the amount of garbage (usually 1-3 GB). Click Clean, but don’t limit it to: go to Additional → App Cache and delete the data for all programs except messengers and banking applications (their cache is better to clean selectively).

Normal garbage (Clean-up tab")|Application cache (section "Additional")|Downloads (Download folder)|folder DCIM/Thumbnails (photo-picture)|Logs of the system (folder) /data/log, if there is root)

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For deep cleaning, use SD Maid (requires root) or Files by Google (works without superuser rights).

• 🗑️ Residual files after deleting programs.
• 📁 Empty folders and duplicate photos.
• 🔍 Hidden Logs from System Processes.

⚠️ Warning: Don't clean the folder Android/obb manually, this is game data that you're going to have to re-download. → Annexes → Application management → [Game] → Warehouse → Clear the data.

2. MIUI optimization: disabling unnecessary functions

MIUI is overloaded with services that are rarely used but are constantly hanging in the memory, such as Mi Video, Mi Music, Mi Browser and Mi Pay, which start automatically even if you don't use them, and can be turned off without consequences.

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Sort the list by size or alphabet and turn off auto-start for:

• 🎵 Mi Music, Mi Video (if you use it) YouTube/VLC).
• 🌐 Mi Browser (replace with Chrome or Firefox).
• 💳 Mi Pay, Mi Credit (unless you pay through Xiaomi).
• 📊 Analytics, MSA (statistics-collection).

Mi Browser|Mi Music|Mi Video|Mi Pay|Theme Store|Nothing.|Others-->

Another resource eater is animations and visuals. Turn them off in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (stamp 7 times to open Developer Settings, then:

Settings → Additional → For Developers →


- Window animation scale: 0.5x or Disable




Transition animation scale: 0.5x or Disable




- Scale of animation duration: Disable

💡

Turning off animations speeds up navigation by 15-20 percent, but makes the interface less smooth. The optimal balance is to set a 0.5x value.

3. Autoboot and background processes management

By default, MIUI allows all applications to start at the start of the system and run in the background, this applies even to underutilized programs that “wake up” every few minutes, checking for updates or showing notifications.

To limit autoloading:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun.
2. Turn off autoplay for all apps except instant messengers, calls, and critical services (like Google Play Services).
3. Return to the list of apps, select any and click Limit Background Activity.

For advanced users: use ADB to turn off background activity for system applications (PC required). Connect your phone to your computer, enable USB Debugging, and do:

adb shell cmd appops set [application package] RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND deny

List of packages for popular applications:

• 📱 Mi Browser: com.android.browser
• 🎵 Mi Music: com.miui.player
• 📊 Analytics: com.miui.analytics

⚠️ Warning: Disabling background activity for Google Play Services or Services & Feedback may disrupt push notifications and account sync.

4.Firmware and kernel updates: when it really helps

Xiaomi’s performance is heavily influenced by the MIUI version and the Linux kernel, for example, MIUI 14 optimized memory management for budget models (Redmi 9/10), and HyperOS (for new devices) added dynamic resource allocation.

Check the relevance of the firmware:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. If you have an update, install it. For stable operation, choose a stable branch (not beta!).
3. After the update, reset settings (not data!) to Settings → Additional → Reset settings.

If official updates don’t work, consider custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) that lacks the heavy MIUI shell and often runs faster, but it requires unlocking the bootloader and losing warranty.

5. Memory optimization: from swap to virtual RAM

Lack of RAM (RAM) is the main reason for lags on budget Xiaomi (for example, Redmi 9A with 2 GB of RAM).The system begins to “kill” background applications, and when switching between them, it reboots.

Decisions:

• 🔄 Enable swap (virtual memory): Settings → Additionally. → Swap size → Install 1-2 GB (for 3-device devices)+ GB RAM).
• 📱 Use it. RAM-extension (available on MIUI 12.5+): Settings → Additionally. → Memory. → Expansion RAM → Add 1-3 GB from internal storage.
• 🧹 Limit background processes: In Developer Settings, set Process Limit: Maximum 2–3.

On devices with 4+GB of RAM, virtual memory (swap) can reduce performance due to slow internal memory (eMMC).Test the speed gain with Geekbench before and after powering on.

For manual memory management, use Greenify (requires root or ADB). This app freezes unnecessary processes, freeing up RAM.

1. Add apps to Greenify that shouldn’t work in the background (like games or social media).
2. Enable the Aggressive Doze option for deep optimization.
3. Set up automatic cleaning on schedule.

6 Hardware Methods: When Software Optimization Does Not Help

If all of the above methods did not work, the problem may be in the iron:

• 🔋 Worn-out battery (capacity) < 70%) → Phone limits performance to save energy.
• 🔥 Processor overheating → Thermothrottle reduces the frequency of the cores.
• 💾 Damaged memory (bad blocks) → lags for reading/write data.

Diagnosis:

1. Check the battery status via ##4636## → Battery information or AccuBattery app.
2. Run a performance test in the Throttling Test CPU (to show if the frequencies are declining due to overheating).
3. Scan memory for bad blocks using the A1 SD Bench (Random Write section).

Decisions:

• 🔋 Replace the battery (cost for Xiaomi – 1,500–3,000) ₽). After replacement, perform reset to factory settings.
• 🧊 Apply a new heat paste to the processor (relevant to the processor) POCO F1/F2, Mi 9/10).
• 💾 If memory is damaged, the only way out is to replace the motherboard.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with Snapdragon processors 8xx (For example, Mi 11 Ultra) thermothrottle begins at 45-50°C. Use cooling stands or gamer covers with fans.

7.Alternative launches: Lite modes and cloud systems

If the phone is used for basic tasks (calls, instant messengers, browsing), consider:

• 🌐 MIUI Lite – Lightweight version of the shell for weak devices (available on Redmi) 7/8/9).
• ☁️ Cloud systems (such as Samsung DeX or Windows 365) – allow you to run resource-intensive applications on the server.
• 📱 Second user – create a clean profile without unnecessary apps in Settings → System system → Multiple users.

For games: use streaming services (Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce NOW) to avoid loading the iron. On Xiaomi with Snapdragon 7xx/8xx, they work without lags at Internet speeds of 25 Mbps.

Frequent questions