Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the once-quick device begins to hang, open applications for a long time or unexpectedly close background tasks. This is especially true for devices running MIUI and HyperOS shells, which are famous for their functionality, but also for resource requirements. System optimization is not just cleaning the cache, but a set of measures aimed at eliminating software conflicts and hardware limitations.
In this article, we will take a closer look at why Xiaomi is starting to slow down even if it was a flagship model a year ago. We will look at the impact of crowded memory, background processes, advertising modules and the features of the processor. Understanding the root of the problem will allow you not only to temporarily speed up the gadget, but also to extend its comfortable life without having to immediately buy a new device.
It is worth noting that a sudden drop in performance can signal both a banal lack of space and critical errors in the file system. Smartphones of this brand have their own unique features, such as aggressive energy saving and built-in advertising, which often become invisible to the user, but significantly load RAM and processor.
Overflow of internal memory and cache
One of the most common reasons why Redmi or Xiaomi is slow to start running is critically filling the built-in storage. 10-15%, The system has no place to place temporary files and swap data. Flash memory in smartphones is designed so that when you fill in, the speed of writing and reading data drops significantly, which the user perceives as interface lags.
Special attention should be paid to the cache of messengers such as Telegram and WhatsApp, which can accumulate for years gigabytes of viewed photos and videos that are technically unnecessary for work, but take up precious space. Standard cleaning through settings often does not affect the deep folders where media files are stored.
To clean the application effectively, you need to not only remove the application, but also work with the file system manually or through advanced utilities. Android/data, where the "tails" of remote programs often remain.
⚠️ Warning: When manually cleaning folders at the root of the system, never delete files that you do not know the purpose of.This can cause system applications to fail or data to be lost.
Also worth mentioning is the Trash Bin feature in the gallery and file manager, where many users delete photos but forget to clear the cart where they continue to occupy space for another 30 days, and releasing that space will instantly affect the speed of the file manager.
Aggressive work of the MIUI shell and advertising modules
Shell MIUI (And the HyperOS heiress is known for its rich functionality, but it's a resource-intensive thing to do, and there are a lot of services in the background that deal with themes, music, video and, most importantly, advertising (MSA — MIUI System Ads constantly survey servers to show you a suggestion that loads the processor and Internet channel.
Turning off ads isn't just a matter of aesthetics, it's a real way to speed up the phone. Every pop-up banner or preload ad content in folders requires processing power. On budget models with entry-level processors, this becomes a noticeable bottleneck.
- 🚫 Disable recommendation services in the application "Security".
- 🚫 Remove personalized ads in your Mi Account settings.
- 🚫 Disable Internet access for system applications that do not need it (for example, Calculator or Recorder).
- 🚫 Turn off automatic updates of themes and wallpapers.
Another factor is widgets and live wallpaper. Beautiful desktop animation consumes graphics accelerator (GPU) resources. If your phone starts to slow down, try switching to static wallpaper and removing unnecessary weather or news widgets that constantly update data.
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Use Second Space mode to separate work and personal applications, which not only structures data, but can also isolate heavy workflows from the personal system.
Problems with RAM and background processes
The lack of RAM (RAM) is a scourge of modern Android smartphones, especially in the Xiaomi ecosystem, where applications can hang in the background for quite a long time. When RAM is filled, the system begins to actively use internal memory as virtual, which, as we have already found, is much slower.
MIUI has a specific memory management policy, which is that it tries to keep applications open for quick start-up, and it can aggressively kill processes if it thinks they are harmful to the battery, and this constant cycle of closing and reopening applications creates a sense of twitching interfaces.
You can use built-in tools or third-party monitors to diagnose your current load, but it is better to set up the system correctly once than to constantly clean the memory:
- 🔍 Check which apps have auto-run permission.
- 🔍 Disable "Memory Extension" on older models if it is unstable (use of part of internal memory under the control of the device). RAM).
- 🔍 Limit background activity for heavy applications in battery settings.
It is important to distinguish between memory loss and memory leakage, where an application eats up a resource and does not give it up even after closing, in which case only a complete reboot of the device or removal of a problematic application helps.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t use third-party “Task Killers” apps; in modern versions of Android, they do more harm than good, forcing the system to constantly restart system services.
Outdated software and errors after the update
Often users wonder why Xiaomi’s phone brakes immediately after a firmware update, which is normal: in the first 24-48 hours after installing a new version of MIUI or HyperOS, the system indexes files, optimizes databases and recompiles applications (ART), during which time the device can warm and run slowly.
However, if the lags do not go away after a couple of days, the problem may lie in the conflict of the old app cache with the new version of the system. After major updates (for example, switching from Android 12 to 13), it is recommended to perform a full reset to avoid software errors.
What is ART and why does it affect speed?
It’s also worth checking for updates to the apps themselves in Google Play or GetApps. Older versions of programs may not work properly on the new version of Android, causing the interface to freeze.
In some cases, the problem lies in the particular version of the firmware that came out with bugs. In user communities, you can often find information that a particular version (for example, MIUI 14.0.X) is problematic, and it is better to wait for the next patch or roll back to a stable version.
Animation settings and developer parameters
The visual part of the interface also consumes resources. If you have a budget model of the phone, standard animation speed can create the illusion of slow work. Accelerating animation is a simple but effective trick that makes the interface more responsive.
To access these settings, you need to activate the developer menu, which is a hidden section for engineers, but it's also useful for ordinary users, and to open it, you need to quickly click on the version number in the About Phone section 7 times.
After activating in the menu Additional → For developers, find the following parameters and change them:
- 🎨 The scale of animation windows: change with 1x on 0.5x.
- 🎨 Transition animation scale: change with 1x on 0.5x.
- 🎨 The duration of the animator: change the 1x on 0.5x.
☑️ Setup for developers
Also on this menu, you should pay attention to the limit of background processes. It's "Standard" by default, but you can try to limit the number of processes to 3-4 if RAM is critically low, however, this can lead to more frequent reboot of applications.
Hardware restrictions and overheating
You can't discount the physical condition of the device, either. Snapdragon or MediaTek processors have protection mechanisms: when you reach a certain temperature, they force you to lower your clock speed (trottling), and if the phone overheats, it starts to brake to keep from burning.
The cause of overheating can be not only heavy play, but also a faulty battery, a thick case that prevents heat transfer, or using the phone during fast charging. Battery degradation also affects the ability to provide the necessary current for peak CPU loads.
Below is a table of the dependence of symptoms on the probable cause:
| Symptoms. | Probable cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Lags only in games | Overheating or trottling | Remove the cover, reduce the schedule. |
| The long menu opening | Memory overload | Cache and photo cleanup |
| Brake after update | Indexation of the system | Wait 1-2 days |
| Accidental reboots | Unstable firmware or battery | Resetting or replacing the ACB |
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Hardware wear (memory and battery degradation) is a natural process. If the phone is over 4-5 years old, software acceleration methods will only give a temporary effect.
If the phone is old, it's possible that the physical wear of the drive has led to a slowdown in reading speed, and then only a complete flashing with formatting all partitions will help, but this does not guarantee long-term results.