How to speed up Xiaomi smartphone: the full guide

Owners of devices with a MIUI shell or a new HyperOS often notice that over time, the performance of the gadget decreases, it is a natural process of accumulation of system “garbage”, fragmentation of data and outdated software algorithms. However, in the Xiaomi ecosystem there are many tools that allow you to return fast work even to older models without losing warranty.

Optimization does not require deep knowledge of programming or superuser rights (root). It is enough to consistently perform a series of actions to clean the cache, disable unnecessary services and properly configure the interface. In this article, we will discuss proven methods that actually work in practice.

Before we get to the complex manipulations, it is worth assessing the current state of the system. Often the problem lies in the banal lack of free space or background processes that eat up the resources of the processor.

Memory Cleanup and Storage Optimization

The first step to speed up is to free up RAM and permanent memory. When the internal storage space runs out, the read and write speed drops, causing "freezes" and long application runs. The built-in Security tool offers basic cleaning, but for deep cleaning, it's better to use the manual method.

You need to remove the cache of heavy applications like social networks and instant messengers that tend to grow to gigabytes, check the Download folder and delete old APK installation files that are no longer needed, and release at least 15-20% of total storage is critical to stable file system operation.

Special attention should be paid to the memory extension feature, which uses a portion of the permanent storage as virtual RAM, which can help in multitasking on current models, but on older devices with slow eMMC memory, this approach sometimes backfires.

Use the built-in analyzer to manage your storage effectively. Go to Settings → Memory and see which apps take up the most space. Often users forget about the videos they watched in messengers or downloaded maps in the navigator.

• 🗑️ Remove unused apps that you haven’t run for more than a month.
• 📸 Move photos and videos to the cloud or to your computer, leaving only thumbnails on the device.
• 🔄 Clean the gallery cart regularly as deleted files continue to take up space.

⚠️ Warning: Do not delete system files and folders with unknown names at the root of internal memory manually. MIUI data loss.

Once cleaned, be sure to restart the device, allowing the system to redistribute files on the disk and start the background processes again, which often gives an instant boost to the responsiveness of the interface.

Customization of animations and interface

Visual smoothness of the smartphone depends on the settings of animation. Standard transitions to HyperOS and MIUI can seem prolonged, creating the illusion of slow work. Changing the speed of animation is the fastest way to make the interface “live”.

To access hidden settings, you need to activate the developer mode. Click 7 times on the build number in the About Phone section, then go to Additional → For Developers. Here we are interested in the Drawing section.

Find the parameters "Window animation scale", "transition animation scale" and "Animator duration scale." These are set to 1x by default. Changing the value to 0.5x will speed up the system response by half without losing visual appeal.

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The 0x value completely disables animation, but the interface can get twitchy. The optimal balance between speed and smoothness is 0.5x.

It's also worth turning off or reducing the number of widgets on your desktop. Live wallpaper and constantly updated news or weather widgets consume CPU resources even in the background. Minimalist desktop is the key to fast work.

• 🎨 Install static wallpaper instead of live images.
• 📉 Reduce the number of widgets on the home screen to a minimum.
• 🚫 Turn off the “smart” app sorting features if they cause lags.

These changes don’t require technical skills, but the result is noticeable immediately, the smartphone begins to respond to touches faster, and the transitions between menus become almost instantaneous.

Background Process Management and Autoboot

One of the main reasons for battery drain and performance decline is excessive application activity in the background. MIUI shell is known for its aggressive memory management policy, but some applications still manage to bypass restrictions.

In the Applications → Permissions → Autorun section, only those programs that really need to run with the system (for example, messengers for receiving notifications) must be left on.

There is also a hidden mechanism for limiting background activity: In the Developer menu, find the item “Background Process Limit” and setting the limit “No More than 2 Processes” will help free up RAM for an application that is running right now.

Pay special attention to high-access applications. Some programs may use geolocation or microphone in the background to load the processor. Check battery usage statistics regularly to identify voracious applications.

If an application is rarely needed but is pathetic to remove, use the Freeze feature or simply force it to stop after use, which will prevent cache accumulation and background activity until the next run.

⚠️ Note: Do not limit the work of Google system services and Xiaomi security services, this can lead to failures in the operation of push notifications and instability of the entire system.

Controlling autoload is a balance between convenience and performance, and fine-tuning allows you to keep the notifications you need, but free up resources for gaming and hard work.

Game mode and game accelerators

For owners of gaming smartphones Xiaomi and POCO critically important maximum return on iron. built-in Game Turbo is a powerful tool that redistributes the system resources in favor of running the game.

When Game Turbo is activated, the system prioritizes gameplay, limits background activity of other applications, and optimizes network connectivity, and touchscreen sensitivity settings and color enhancements are also available.

Some models have a Memory Extension feature that adds virtual RAM, which can be useful for heavy gaming, but it’s worth testing individually, as virtual memory speeds are lower than physical.

Remember to clear the memory before running heavy games. Game Turbo usually does this automatically, but manually cleaning through Task Manager will not be superfluous.

• 🎮 Add all games to the Game Turbo list for automatic optimization.
• 🌡️ Monitor the temperature of the device and, if necessary, remove the case during the game.
• 📶 Use Do Not Disturb mode so that notifications don’t interrupt the gameplay.

Proper game mode settings allow you to squeeze the most out of the Snapdragon or MediaTek processor, providing a stable FPS and minimal twitching of the image.

Hidden settings and engineering menu

Deep in the system MIUI There are hidden tools that are designed for engineers, but they're useful for ordinary users. SIM-maps and networks that also affect the response rate of the network.

By typing ##4636### in the dialer, you will be taken to the test menu, where you can choose your preferred network type. For example, switching from 5G/4G/3G/2G to 4G/3G/2G (if you don’t catch or are unstable) can save charge and reduce modem load.

Also on the Developer Menu is the option, "Window Switching Animation," which makes navigation between apps instantaneous, although it makes the interface unsmooth, a last resort for very old devices.

Another important parameter is the "Background Process Limit," and by setting "No Background Processes," you guarantee that the application you're running will use all the RAM available, but once the application is closed, it will be rebooted instead of being retrieved from memory.

You need to be careful with these settings, and you need to change only the settings that you're sure you're going to have, and you can always reset to factory settings if you have problems.

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The engineering menu is a powerful tool, but changing your network settings without understanding can lead to loss of connectivity.

System update and resetting

Regular firmware updates are an important aspect of maintaining performance. With newer versions of MIUI and HyperOS, developers often fix optimization errors and improve memory performance, but on very old models, newer versions can slow down.

If after the update, the smartphone began to work worse, it is worth waiting a few days. the system conducts file indexation and optimization of applications in the background, which in the first hours after installation causes heating and lag.

The cardinal but most effective method of acceleration is a full reset to factory settings (Wipe Data), which removes all accumulated over the years of use of “garbage”, remnants of remote applications and conflicting settings.

Before resetting, make sure to back up your data. Use the Mi Cloud cloud or local save to your computer. Once reset, the phone will work as fast as it did on the day you bought it.

⚠️ Warning: Full reset deletes ALL data, including photos, contacts and apps. Make sure you have an up-to-date copy of important information.

After reset, take your time to install hundreds of applications at once, set only the minimum you need and watch the system work. Often, specific, poorly optimized programs cause the brakes.

• 🔄 Check system updates in the About Phone section regularly.
• 💾 Backup before any major changes to the system.
• 🧹 Perform a complete reset once in a while 1-2 year to maintain the cleanliness of the system.

This approach allows you to extend the life of the device for several years, pushing back the need to buy a new smartphone.