Xiaomi Redmi 4X, released back in 2017, has long been considered the king of the budget segment thanks to the metal body and reliable Snapdragon 435 processor. However, time takes its toll, and modern applications have become much more demanding on the system resources.
Don't rush to buy a new gadget. Often, the problem can be solved by software methods without opening the case. Optimizing the MIUI shell, cleaning up accumulated "digital dirt" and competently adjusting animations can breathe a second life into the device. In this material, we will analyze proven ways that will help significantly improve the performance of your device.
Before you start taking drastic measures like resetting, it's worth checking the state of the hardware. Battery wear or overcrowded memory can nullify any software tricks. The critical factor is the occupancy of internal memory: if less than 10% is free, the system will run extremely slowly regardless of the power of the processor.
Analysis and cleaning of internal memory
The first step to speed should be revision. Android requires free space to create temporary files and cache. When the storage is packed, the speed of reading and writing data drops, causing noticeable friezes when you scroll through menus or launch cameras.
Use Xiaomi’s built-in Security app, which allows you to quickly assess memory status and delete unnecessary files, but don’t rely on automatic cleaning alone, as it often leaves large files that take up space.
- 🗑️ Go to Settings. → Storage and analyze which folders take up the most space.
- 📸 Check the folder. DCIM/Camera and WhatsApp/Media: It often stores thousands of old photos and videos that can be transferred to a computer.
- 📱 Remove unused apps, especially heavy games that you don’t run anymore.
Special attention should be paid to the cache of social networks and instant messengers. Apps like Telegram or Viber can accumulate gigabytes of viewed media for years. Clearing the cache through the settings of a particular application is safe and does not delete your correspondence, but frees up valuable gigabytes.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from Android system folders manually through the file manager unless you are sure of their purpose.This can lead to system malfunction or loss of application data.
Once cleaned, reboot the device, which is a standard procedure that helps the system redistribute resources and correctly map the space that has been released.
Optimization of MIUI interface and animations
The MIUI shell is known for its beautiful but heavy-duty interface. On the Snapdragon 435 processor, complex transition animations can cause micro-latency, and turning off or accelerating these effects is one of the most powerful ways to make a smartphone more visually responsive.
To access hidden settings, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly press 7 times on MIUI Version. After the message “You became a developer” appears, you can move to fine-tuning.
Why do you need a developer mode?
On the menu Additional. → For developers, find a section related to drawing, and there will be items like "Scale of window animation," "Scale of transition animation," and "Scale of animator duration».
- 🚀 Set the value 0.5x This will double the window opening speed for all three animation parameters.
- 🛑 For maximum performance, you can select the option “Animation is disabled”, but the interface will become less smooth visually.
- 🔄 In the same menu, find the “Limit of background processes” and set a limit on the 2-4 process so that old applications do not hang in memory.
Also, you should disable unnecessary visuals, such as Live Wallpaper and widgets with constant updates to the desktop, which consume CPU resources even in standby mode.
⚠️ Warning: Changing the background limit can cause music players or navigators to be offloaded from memory when switching to other tasks.
Managing Autoboot and Background Processes
Many installed applications tend to run alongside the system and continue to run in the background, consuming RAM. On the Redmi 4X, which typically comes with 2 or 3GB of RAM, it's a critical resource.
MIUI has a built-in tool to monitor autoloads. Go to Settings → Apps → Permissions → Autorun. You should leave only messengers (for notifications to come) and system services on.
Also, check the installed list, and users often forget about programs they haven't used in years, and removing them is the easiest way to reduce the workload on the processor.
For advanced users, it is possible to freeze applications through ADB or special utilities, but this requires root rights and carries risks. Standard MIUI means simply prohibit auto-run and background activity for heavy applications that you rarely use.
| Type of application | Recommended action | Impact on speed |
|---|---|---|
| Social media | Leave auto-start (for notifications) | Average. |
| Games | Prohibit auto-start and background work | High. |
| Shops (E-commerce) | Completely ban background activity | High. |
| Google System Services | Don't touch it. | Critical |
Check the Task Manager regularly, and if you see that the application you closed is running again, it has its own restart mechanisms that you need to limit in your battery settings.
Disabling advertising in the MIUI system
One reason why a phone can seem slow is pop-up banner ads and recommendation services, which are not only annoying, but also use a network interface and processor to download content.
To remove ads, you need to turn off msa (MIUI System Ads). Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data. Find the msa list and turn off the slider. The system will ask you to wait 10 seconds before confirming — that's okay.
💡
If the msa service does not turn off the first time, repeat the procedure 2-3 times. Sometimes it takes several attempts to successfully shut down.
You should also go through the built-in apps. In Music, Video, Explorer and Downloads, you usually have a "Receive recommendations" or "Show ads" switch in your settings, and disabling these features will make your apps cleaner and faster.
Personalized advertising is also worth mentioning: in Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising services can turn off ad personalization. This will not remove banners completely, but will stop collecting data about your preferences.
⚠️ Warning: After updating the firmware, the settings for accessing personal data may reset. Periodically check the permission list to ensure that the ads do not return.
Use of lightweight versions of applications
Modern versions of popular apps (Facebook, Instagram, VKontakte, YouTube) are becoming increasingly bloated, requiring powerful hardware that the Redmi 4X may already lack for comfortable work.
The solution is to switch to Lite versions of applications, which are designed specifically for devices with limited RAM and a weak processor, which take up significantly less space and consume less traffic.
- 📉 Use Facebook Lite or VK Lite instead of full versions.
- 📺 YouTube Go or the browser version of YouTube is much faster than the native app.
- 🌐 Browsers like Opera Mini or Via consume less resources than heavy Chrome.
Replacing the main applications with their lightweight counterparts is perhaps the most effective software method to speed up the old smartphone without losing functionality.
☑️ Optimization check
Do not forget that Lite-versions may have a stripped down functionality, but for basic tasks – watching tape, correspondence and watching videos – their capabilities are more than enough.
Radical measures: Resetting and reflashing
If software optimization fails to deliver the desired result, the final software argument is a complete factory reset, which will remove all data, applications and accumulated system debris, returning the phone to the “out of the box” state.
Before the procedure, make sure to back up important data via Mi Cloud or on your computer. Reset will delete everything without the possibility of recovery.
💡
A full reset (Wipe Data) is often more effective than manual cleaning, as it removes hidden system logs and registry errors accumulated over the years of use.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The process will take a few minutes, after which the phone will turn on as new.
For the most experienced users, there is a way to install custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience). Pure Android without MIUI add-ons runs on the Snapdragon 435 much faster and smoother. However, this procedure is complex, requires unlocking the bootloader and carries the risk of turning the phone into a brick if errors occur.
Should you switch to castom? If you're willing to spend time learning forum instructions (like 4PDA) and want maximum performance -- definitely, yes. If you want a phone as a reliable workhorse, you'd better limit yourself to resetting stock firmware.