Xiaomi Mi 9 slows down: what to do and how to speed up

The flagship Xiaomi Mi 9, released in 2019, is still popular thanks to the powerful Snapdragon 855 processor and high-quality screen. However, like any Android smartphone, it is prone to accumulation of system “junk” and software errors, which over time leads to a decrease in performance. If your Xiaomi Mi 9 began to slow down, freeze when unlocked or open applications for a long time, this is a signal that technical optimization is necessary.

Most of the time, the problem isn't physical wear and tear, but rather software conflicts or storage overflows. Modern versions of the MIUI shell get heavier with each update, and even the powerful hardware of the past may have trouble rendering the interface. Understanding the causes of the lags is the first step to restoring your device's performance.

In this article, we will take a closer look at proven methods for speeding up your smartphone, from basic cache cleaning to advanced developer system settings. You will learn how to properly manage background processes and what hidden MIUI features you should turn off for FPS gains in games and smooth interfaces.

Diagnosing the causes of low productivity

Before we take any drastic measures, we need to understand what is causing the delays. Often the culprits are background processes that consume CPU resources even when you are not using them. Android is prone to memory fragmentation, which is especially noticeable on devices with less than 8 GB of RAM.

One of the main reasons is internal storage overflow: When the disk space runs out, the system has no place to create temporary files for swaps, which leads to a critical slowdown in reading and writing data, and it is also worth checking the battery status: when the battery is worn out, the processor can artificially reduce the frequencies to avoid a sudden shutdown.

It's important to consider overheating. If the Xiaomi Mi 9 brakes during charging or hot weather, trottling, which is protection against overheating, works, in which case the performance decline is a standard reaction of hardware, not a software error.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone is warming even in downtime and it is very lagging, it may indicate a malfunction of the power controller or moisture entering the case.

Basic cleaning and memory optimization

The easiest and most effective way to bring the Xiaomi Mi 9 back to life is to clean the system properly. Xiaomi’s built-in Security app can delete temporary files, but for deep cleaning, it is better to use specialized tools or manually checking the folders of messengers.

Note the WhatsApp/Media and Telegram/Telegram Images folders, which can grow to tens of gigabytes over time, taking up the space the system needs to caching apps. Deleting old videos and photos from chat rooms often frees up to 10-15 GB of space.

Remember, Expand Memory, if it's available in your version of MIUI, which allows you to use some of your internal storage as virtual RAM, and while it's not a panacea, for heavy applications like Photoshop or Lightroom, it can give you a tangible boost in stability.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Memory and check how much space is occupied by system files.
• 🗑️ Remove the cache of apps you rarely use through the App Management menu.
• 📸 Transfer your photos and videos to a cloud server or computer, leaving at least 20% of your memory on your phone.
• 🔄 Regularly reboot the smartphone – it resets the hanging processes and cleanses RAM.

Developer settings to speed up the interface

For advanced users who want to make the most of the Xiaomi Mi 9, the hidden settings of the developer system are open. Here you can change the speed of animation of windows and transitions, which visually makes the smartphone work much faster.

To get to the menu, you need to click on the build number several times in the About Phone section. Once the developer mode is activated, look for the "Windows Animation Scale", "Scale of Transition Animation" and "Duration of Animation" paragraphs, change their value from the standard 1x to 0.5x or even "Animation is off".

Also on this menu is the important option, "Background Process Limit," which is the default system that decides how many applications to keep in memory, and a forced restriction can help if you have a lot of heavy programs installed, but it will lead to more frequent reboots when you switch.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change settings that have the word “debugging” or “simulation” in their name unless you understand their purpose.

Managing Autoboot and Background Services

MIUI is famous for aggressive memory management, but some apps have learned to bypass these limitations by running with the system. This not only slows down the Xiaomi Mi 9’s load, but also consumes battery. You can monitor autoboot through the Apps menu.

In Permissions → Autostart, disable all programs you don’t need right after you turn on your phone. Leave only messengers if notifications are important to you, and system services. Social media, stores, and games are best started manually as needed.

Another important aspect is the work of Google’s background services and MIUI. If you notice that the phone brakes after an update, try to clear the data of Google Play Services. Sometimes the cache of this service conflicts with new versions of applications, causing lags throughout the system.

• 🚀 Turn off auto-run for heavy apps like Facebook, Instagram and marketplaces.
• 🔒 Check Permissions: Ban applications from accessing geolocation and microphone in the background.
• 🛑 Use Do Not Disturb or Game Mode to block background activity while working.

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Use Flight Mode for 10-15 seconds if your phone starts to brake abruptly, this will force the reconnection of communication modules and reset the suspended network processes that often load the processor.

Problems with MIUI updates and resetting settings

Often, users are faced with a situation where the Xiaomi Mi 9 starts to slow down immediately after updating the firmware. This is normal: in the first hours or even days after the update, the system performs file indexing and database optimization, during which time the device can heat up and run slower than usual.

However, if the lags do not pass through 2-3 On the day of active use, the update may have been “curved” or conflict with user data, in which case it helps to clean the Cache partition through Recovery Mode. + Nutrition.

The radical but most effective method is a full reset to factory settings (Wipe All Data), which removes all debris, old configurations and errors accumulated over the years of use. Before this procedure, make sure to make a full backup of the data to the Mi Cloud cloud or to your computer.

⚠️ Note: When you perform a full reset (Wipe Data), all photos, contacts and correspondence will be deleted without recovery, unless backup is made.

Hardware limitations and storage wear

Remember, the Xiaomi Mi 9 is not new. The type of UFS 2.1 memory installed in this model has a limited resource of rewriting cycles. Over time, read and write speeds can fall, which manifests itself in the long run of applications and friezes when saving photos.

You can check the memory status and overall health of the system using diagnostic codes. Type ##6484## in the call to get into the CIT engineering menu, where you can run write speed tests and check for broken sectors.

If tests show critical errors or the speed has dropped significantly, software methods will not help, in this case, you can either accept the features of the old drive, or consider replacing the device with a more modern one, which uses fast memory UFS 3.0/3.1 or UFS 4.0.

• 💾 Memory wear is a natural process that cannot be completely stopped.
• 🌡️ Continuous overheating accelerates the degradation of memory crystals and processors.
• 🔋 The old battery also affects performance by preventing the processor from running at maximum frequencies.

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A comprehensive approach, including memory cleaning, disabling animations and autoboot control, can extend the life of the Xiaomi Mi 9 for another 1-2 years of comfortable use.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions