The “Accelerator” function on Xiaomi: what it is and how to use it

If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone, you’ve probably encountered the term “acceleration” in your device settings, a feature that often raises questions about what it actually does, whether it’s safe to use, and how to set it up properly for maximum performance. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what’s behind the term, how the acceleration mechanism in MIUI firmware works, and give practical recommendations for optimizing your gadget.

Many users mistakenly believe that “acceleration” is some magical mode that instantly converts an old smartphone into a flagship. In fact, it is more complicated: it is a set of optimizations that affect the operation of the processor, RAM and background activity of applications, and improper use can lead to overheating, accelerated battery discharge or even unstable system operation.

What is the “acceleration” in Xiaomi smartphones?

The MIUI acceleration feature is a set of software and hardware optimizations designed to improve the performance of the device, and depending on the firmware version and smartphone model, it can include:

• 🔥 Overclocking of the processor - a temporary increase in clock frequency CPU/GPU for resource-intensive tasks (games, video editing).
• ⚡ RAM cleaning – forced closure of background processes that are not currently in use.
• 📉 Background restriction – reducing application activity in the background (e.g. data synchronization).
• 🔄 Optimizing animations – reducing delays when switching between screens and launching applications.

It's important to understand that "acceleration" is not a constant boost, but a dynamic adjustment to current tasks. For example, when a game is started, the system can automatically increase the CPU frequency, and after closing, return it to standard values. However, in manual mode, the user can force some optimizations to be activated, which is not always safe.

In the latest versions of MIUI 14/15, the acceleration feature is integrated into Settings → Special Features → System Acceleration (some models may have different paths), and on older devices it may be called Performance Mode or Turbo Game Mode.

How to Accelerate at Iron and Software Levels

To understand how acceleration affects a smartphone, let’s go into technical detail: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon or Mediatek Helio/Dimensity chipsets today support Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS), the dynamic change in CPU core voltage and frequency, and the MIUI acceleration function controls these parameters:

• 📈 CPU Governor is an algorithm that determines how fast the processor should respond to a load. In acceleration mode, an aggressive profile is used (for example, performance instead of balanced).
• 🔋 Undervolting/Overvolting — change in voltage at the cores to reduce heating or increase stability during acceleration.
• 🖥️ GPU Boost – forced increase in the frequency of the graphics accelerator (relevant for games and rendering).

In addition to hardware optimizations, MIUI also uses software tricks:

Critical: On devices with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2 processors, the acceleration function can automatically shut down when overheated above 45°C to avoid trottling (decreased performance), due to the chipset’s hardware limitations, not the firmware.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with a basic configuration (for example, Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) Forced acceleration can lead to lags due to weak cooling.Before activation, check the temperature of the processor in the application. CPU Monitor.

Where to find and how to enable acceleration on Xiaomi

The path to acceleration settings depends on the MIUI version and the smartphone model.

1. MIUI 14/15 (new models): Go to Settings → Special features → System Acceleration. Here you will find the Speed Slider and additional options such as Game Optimization or Memory Cleanup.
2. MIUI 12/13 (medium models): Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Performance Mode. Here you can choose between Balance, Performance and Battery Savings.
3. Older versions (MIUI 11 and below): Search in Settings → Additional → Optimization or search for settings with the request “accelerate”.

On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi 12 Pro or POCO F4 GT), the acceleration feature is integrated into the game center (Settings → Applications → Game Turbo Mode).

Close all background applications

Check the temperature of the processor (should be <40°C)

Connect the charger (recommended)

Make a backup copy of important data-->

Once the acceleration is activated, the system may suggest restarting the device. Don't ignore this requirement, some optimizations are only applied after the reboot. Also note the notification of increased power consumption: in acceleration mode, the battery can go down 15-30% faster.

When is acceleration really necessary and when is harmful

The acceleration function is not a universal solution for all problems, but it is useful for the following scenarios:

• 🎮 Games: To run demanding projects like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile at maximum settings.
• 🎥 Video editing: When working in CapCut, KineMaster or Adobe Premiere Rush, where rendering speed is important.
• 📊 Benchmark: To get maximum scores in AnTuTu or Geekbench (but remember, this doesn't reflect real performance).

At the same time, there are situations where acceleration is contraindicated:

• 🔋 Low battery power: If less than 20% is left, overclocking the processor can cause a sudden shutdown.
• ☀️ Hot weather: Ambient temperature above 30°C the risk of overheating increases by 2-3 times.
• 📱 Background work: For normal surfing the Internet or watching videos, acceleration is not necessary and only consumes resources.

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If you notice that the smartphone has become very warm after turning on the acceleration, try turning off the option “GPU Boost” in the performance settings. This will reduce the load on the GPU without significant loss of FPS in games.

Especially careful should be the owners of devices with Mediatek Helio G processors (for example, Redmi Note 10 or POCO M4 Pro), these chipsets are prone to overheating due to less efficient architecture, and constant acceleration can shorten their life.

Hidden Acceleration Settings: How to Get the Most

In addition to the standard options in the settings menu, MIUI There are hidden options that can be activated through the engineering menu or ADB-Let's look at the most useful ones:

1. Enable the “Performance Mode” mode via ADB:

adb shell settings put global force_high_performance true

This command forces the system to be in maximum performance mode. Note that once the device is restarted, the setting will reset, and to make it permanent, you need to use Tasker or similar automation applications.

2. disable thermal throttling (only for power users!):

adb shell settings put global thermal_engine_disable true

This command disables the overheating protection, which can cause permanent damage to the processor, and use it only for testing and return the settings to their original state immediately.

3. Set up the CPU task scheduler:

The engineering menu (#4636###) allows you to change the Governor CPU to performance or ondemand, but this requires superuser rights (root) that void the warranty.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-A command or engineering menu without understanding the consequences can lead to a soft-brick device.

Alternatives to Standard Acceleration: What Works Best

If the built-in acceleration feature in MIUI doesn’t suit you, you can consider alternative ways to optimize performance:

• 🛠️ Castom cores: Firmware cores such as FrancoKernel or ElementalX allows you to fine-tune the frequencies CPU/GPU It requires an unlocked bootloader and root.
• ⚙️ Booster apps: Utilities like Game Booster 4X or CPU Tuner offers more flexible acceleration profiles than standard settings MIUI.
• 🧹 Cleaning the system: Regular use SD Maid or CCleaner for garbage and cache removal can give a greater speed boost than forced overclocking.
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings: If the smartphone has become slow over time, sometimes it is easier to make a complete reset than trying to speed it up programmatically.

Among custom firmware, LineageOS or Pixel Experience are unique; they lack the heavy MIUI interface and often run faster even without additional optimizations; however, installing them requires experience and deprives the user of some of Xiaomi’s branded features (such as Second Space or Mi Share).

If you’re not ready for radical measures, try turning off animations in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additional → For developers and set the animation scale to 0.5x or Disabled). This will visually speed up the interface without risking iron.

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The biggest performance gains come from a combination of cleaning the system from debris + turning off unnecessary background processes. Forced overclocking of the processor usually gives +5-15% FPS in games, but reduces battery life by 20-40%.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When using the acceleration feature, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and how to fix them:

If after activating the acceleration, the smartphone began to spontaneously restart, this may indicate a battery failure or power problems with the processor.

1. Disable all optimizations and see if the problem is recurring.
2. Check the battery health through the AccuBattery app.
3. If the reboot continues, contact the service center.

On devices with MIUI Global Stable, flashing to MIUI EU or China ROM sometimes helps, as they can have more optimized performance profiles, but this requires unlocking the bootloader and involves the risk of data loss.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions