Why Redmi 9C NFC is starting to brake and how to fix it
Xiaomi Redmi 9C NFC smartphone based on the Helio G35 processor and 2-3 GB of RAM was not originally positioned as a flagship, but even budget devices eventually begin to “hang up.” The reasons for the brakes usually lie in an overloaded MIUI system, background consumption of applications or outdated firmware. For example, after a year of active use on the device accumulates up to 5-7 GB of unnecessary cache files, and autoload is clogged with dozens of unnecessary services.
In this article, 10 proven ways to speed up the Redmi 9C NFC, from basic (memory cleaning) to advanced (processor core tuning) are all tested on current versions of MIUI 12-14 and do not require root rights, except for one exception (specified separately).
If your smartphone is slower after the upgrade, don't rush to reset the settings. 80 percent of the time, just roll back the animation and limit the background processes, and let's start with the simplest steps.
1.Cache and garbage cleanup: the first step to speeding up
System cache and residual application files are the main brakes on the Redmi 9C NFC. Even after deleting programs, their data can take up to 1-2 GB of memory, manual cleaning is more effective than automatic cleaners from Google Play, which consume resources themselves.
How to clean the cache correctly:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Warehouse → Clean up and click on “Clean up garbage». MIUI automatically finds unnecessary files (including the Google Play Services cache, which often slows down the system).
- 🗑️ For deep cleaning, open Settings → Annexes → Manage apps, select each of the most commonly used (e.g. Facebook, Instagram) and click Clear cache» + «Clear the data” (Warning: This will reset the application settings!).
- 🔍 Check the Download folder and DCIM/.thumbnails — There are often duplicate photos and uploaded files that are no longer needed.
Critical: After cleaning the Redmi 9C cache, NFC can run slower for the first 5-10 minutes, which is normal. The system recovers the data for commonly used applications. If the brakes are still there after an hour, move on to the next step.
2. Optimization of autoboot and background processes
MIUI by default allows dozens of applications to run when the system starts and run in the background. This eats up 30-40% of RAM, leaving the Redmi 9C NFC with a critically small margin for current tasks.
Instructions for setting up autoload:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autoboot.
- Sort the list by date of last use. Apps that you haven't opened for more than a month, feel free to turn off (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music, Games).
- For social networks (VK, Telegram), leave the autoload, but limit background activity: in the settings of each application, find the "Battery" item and select "Limit background activity".
Additionally, check Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management. Here you can manually select apps that shouldn’t work in the background. For example, Google Play Store and YouTube can be restricted without losing functionality.
Disable auto-run of unnecessary applications|Limit background activity of social networks|Check the battery settings for each application|Reboot the smartphone after the changes-->
3. Customize the animation and visual effects of MIUI
The Redmi 9C NFC uses screen transition animation that not only consumes resources, but also subjectively makes the interface “slower,” and turning off or accelerating these effects gives an instant boost in responsiveness, especially on the weak Helio G35 processor.
How to speed up animation:
- 🛠️ Enable Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times click on the "Version" MIUI». Return to the main settings – a new section “For developers” will appear».
- ⚡ In the section For developers, find the items: The animation scale of the window → Select animation disabled or 0.5x; Transition animation scale → same value; The length scale of the animator → Disconnected.
After the changes are applied, the interface will become less smooth, but the response to touch will improve by 20-30%. If the effect is too sharp, return the 0.5x value for all points.
What happens if you turn off all animations?
4. firmware update and rollback to stable version of MIUI
Xiaomi regularly releases updates for the Redmi 9C NFC, but not all of them are optimized for weak iron. For example, switching from MIUI 12 to MIUI 13 could add new features, but at the same time increase RAM consumption by 10-15%.
How to check and update the firmware:
- Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
- If you have a new version, download it and install it. Importantly, charge your phone at least 50 percent before upgrading and connect to Wi-Fi.
- If after the update, the smartphone began to work slower, check the reviews on forums (for example, 4PDA or Mi Community). If complaints about the brakes are massive, consider rolling back.
The rollback will require:
- 🔗 Download stable firmware version from the official Xiaomi website (choose Global or Russia region).
- 📁 Move the firmware file (.zip format) to the root folder of the phone and rename it to update.zip.
- 🔄 Go to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Threefold (⋮) → Select a firmware file.
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If the smartphone gets overheated after the upgrade, reset to factory settings (Settings → Additional → Reset) and this will remove conflicting data from old and new versions of MIUI.
5.Memory optimization: disabling unnecessary MIUI services
MIUI contains many pre-installed services that can’t be removed but can be disabled, such as Mi Pay, Mi Roaming, Game Turbo and Second Space, which take up space in memory and are periodically launched in the background, and deactivating them will free up to 300-500 MB of RAM.
List of safe to disable services:
| Service | What's he doing? | Can I turn it off? |
|---|---|---|
| Mi Pay | Xiaomi payment system | Yes (unless you use it) |
| Game Turbo | Optimizer for games | Yeah (unless you play) |
| Second Space | Second work table | Yes. |
| Mi Roaming | Roaming services | Yes (unless you're traveling) |
| Mi Video | Standard video player | Yes (if you use VLC or MX Player) |
How to turn it off:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the desired service in the list, open its page and click “Disable” (the button will become active only after clicking on the button «⋮» top-right).
- Confirm the action. The service will disappear from the menu, but its data will remain in memory.
⚠️ Note: Do not disable Google Play Services, Miui Daemon or Security – this will lead to unstable operation of the system or complete inability to use the smartphone.
6.Using lightweight alternatives to standard applications
Standard MIUI applications (e.g. Browser, Gallery, Camera) are often overloaded with unnecessary functions, and replacing them with lightweight ones can speed up work by 10-15%, especially if RAM is scarce (2 GB).
Recommended replacements:
- 🌐 Browser: Bromite (no ad) or Firefox Lite (weighs 5MB).
- 📷 Camera: Open Camera (more settings, less lags when shooting).
- 🎵 Music: VLC Musicolet (does not require the internet to play).
- 📁 File Manager: Simple File Manager (no ad, 1MB weight).
When installing alternatives, remember to disable standard MIUI applications (see the previous section). It is also helpful to remove widgets from the home screen – they constantly update data in the background.
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Replacing the standard MIUI launcher with a Nova Launcher or Lawnchair can further speed things up, but requires manual customization of icons and widgets.
7. Advanced methods: CPU overclocking and kernel setting (requires root)
If all the previous methods didn't work well, and the smartphone is still slowing down, you can try overclocking the processor or optimizing the kernel, which are risky methods that require root rights, but give performance gains of up to 30-40%.
What can be done:
- 🔧 Install Kernel Adiutor or FrancoKernel to manually adjust Helio processor frequencies G35. Optimal values: Minimum frequency: 800 MHz (instead of the standard 600 MHz); Maximum frequency: 2.3 GHz (by default 2.0 GHz).
- 🔋 Set up an I/O scheduler on bfq or cfq (improving responsiveness when multitasking).
- 🗜️ Turning off thermal throttling (restriction of performance when heating) – this will give an increase in speed, but the phone will warm up more strongly.
Critical information: Overclocking reduces the life of the processor and can lead to overheating. On the Redmi 9C NFC, without additional cooling, it is not recommended to raise the frequency above 2.1 GHz - this is a threshold for the Helio G35 without risk of damage.
⚠️ Warning: Before overclocking, back up your data through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and check the temperature of the processor in AIDA64. If it is more than 45 in plaintiffs°C, overclocking is contraindicated.
8.Extreme measures: factory reset and flashing
If the Redmi 9C NFC slows down even after all the optimizations, there are two radical methods: hard reset (Hard Reset) or flashing to custom firmware (for example, LineageOS), reset deletes all data, but returns the smartphone to a “clean” state, and custom firmware can give performance gains due to the lack of unnecessary MIUI services.
How to make a Hard Reset:
- Create a backup of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
- Go to Settings → Additional → Resetting → Erase all data.
- Confirm action. The phone will reboot and return to factory settings.
To flash on LineageOS or Pixel Experience, you will need:
- 🔓 Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (it will take 7-14 days to wait for permissions).
- 📥 Download firmware from the forum XDA Developers (for example, here).
- 🔧 Set through TWRP Recovery (requires an unlocked bootloader).
Advantages of custom firmware:
| Parameter | MIUI | LineageOS |
|---|---|---|
| RAM consumption | 1.2–1.5 GB | 0.8–1.0 GB |
| Autonomy | Medium | Higher than 10-15% |
| Updates | Regular but heavy | Less, but more stable. |
⚠️ Warning: Flashing voids warranty and may cause the device to "brick" (breakdown). 9C NFC Not all custom firmware supports NFC — Check this before installation.