Xiaomi phone brakes and lags: 12 proven ways to speed up work

Your Xiaomi has started to slow down, apps are taking a long time to open, and animations are twitching? This is a common problem that comes up even on relatively new models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The reasons can lie in both clogged memory and MIUI firmware errors, background processes or hardware limitations.

In this article, we’ll look at 12 working methods to speed up Xiaomi without resorting to radical measures like factory resets: what MIUI settings eat up resources, how to clean the cache correctly, when to upgrade the firmware and when to roll back on the old version, and consider hidden developer features that help optimize performance on weak chipsets (for example, Snapdragon 4xx or Helio Gxx).

Important: If the phone starts to brake suddenly (without installing new apps or updates), first check it for overheating - this may indicate wear of the battery or thermal paste.

1.Cache and garbage cleanup through built-in MIUI tools

System system MIUI It has a built-in tool to clean up unnecessary files – Security → Cleaning. But many users neglect it or use it inefficiently. Here's how to do it right:

• 🧹 Deep Cleanup: Go to Settings → Memory. → Clean up your memory and select Deep Clean. This will not only remove the app cache, but also temporary system files that can take up to 1-3 GB.
• 📂 Manually clean the cache of individual applications: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management, select the “heaviest” app (such as Facebook or TikTok) and click “Clear Cache".
• 🔄 Auto Cleanup: Enable the Settings option → Memory. → Auto-cleaning, so that the system itself removes garbage at a low level of free space (it is recommended to set a threshold of 10-15%).

⚠️ Please note: Do not clear the Google Play Services cache and MIUI System – This can cause disruptions to Google services and Xiaomi branded features (such as Quick Apps or Game Turbo).

Clear the cache of all applications|Remove unnecessary APK-file in the Download folder|Check the folder. MIUI/Extra trash|Clear history in the browser and messengers-->

If there is still not enough space after cleaning, check the folder. MIUI/Extra — There are often duplicate photos and videos from messengers, and it is also worth removing unnecessary ones. APK-files from the Download folder that take up space and may conflict with installed applications.

2. Optimization of background processes and autoboot

One of the main causes of brakes is background processes that consume RAM and battery power, and MIUI has hidden settings to limit their activity.

First, open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Auto Run. Here you will see a list of programs that start automatically when you turn on your phone.

• 🎮 Games, for example, PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact)
• 📱 Social media (Instagram, VK, Twitter)
• 🛒 Shops (AliExpress, Wildberries)

Next, go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management → Select Mode and activate Charge Saving (even if you don’t care about the battery) This mode automatically limits the background activity of applications, which unloads the processor.

Once a week |Only when the phone starts to brake |Never clean |I use third-party boosters-->

For advanced users: Enable Developer Mode (7 times click on Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version) and install:

• 🔧 Limit background processes → "Maximum 2 of the process"
• 🔄 Do not keep active (delete all applications from memory when the screen is locked)

⚠️ Attention: Limiting background processes to 2 may cause some applications (such as instant messengers) to take longer to load when opened.This method is recommended only for devices with 2-3 GB of RAM (such as Redmi). 9A POCO C31).

3. Update or rollback of MIUI firmware

Sometimes the brakes are caused by firmware bugs. For example, in MIUI 14 on some models (Xiaomi 11T, Redmi Note 10 Pro) there were problems with optimization for Dimensity chipsets, in which case either updating to the latest version helps or rolling back to stable.

How to update firmware:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click "Check Updates." If a new version is available, download and install.
3. After the update, reset the cache (the same menu update the system has a button "Clear the cache").

How to Reverse the Old Firmware:

If the brakes are on after the upgrade, you can go back to the previous version.

1. Download the firmware from the official MIUI Downloads website (choose Stable, not Developer).
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of the phone’s memory.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three-point → Select a firmware file.

⚠️ Attention: Firmware rollback erases all data (except files on the memory card). → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

4. Disable animation and visual effects

MIUI is known for its beautiful animations, but they can significantly slow down weak devices, and you can turn them off through the developer's settings:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Find the items: Window animation scale → Disable animation scale transition animation → Disable animation animation duration animator → Disable animation

You can also turn off background blur in the menu and notifications:

• 🖼️ Go to Settings. → Screen. → Lock screen style and disable "Blurring background".
• 📱 B Settings → Notifications → Notification settings disable "Transparency of the notification panel".

These changes will make the interface less smooth, but will speed up the opening of applications by 15-30% (based on tests on Redmi 9C and Poco M3).

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If after disabling animations, the phone still brakes, try to change the theme to standard (MIUI Default) - some third-party themes overload the GPU.

5.Memory optimization: what to do if RAM is constantly clogged

On 3 to 4GB of RAM devices (like the Redmi Note 8 Pro or Poco X3 NFC), even after cleaning the background, memory fills up quickly.

• 🔄 Expansion of RAM: B MIUI 12.5+ There is a function of settings → Additionally. → Memory. → Extension of RAM: It allows you to use part of the internal memory as a virtual RAM (up to 3 GB.
• 🗑️ Restricting applications in memory: In the developer settings (For developers), set the Background Process Limit to "Maximum 3 Processes".
• 📱 Use of "Lite" versions of applications: Replace heavy social networks with lighter versions: Facebook Lite instead of Facebook Messenger Lite instead of Messenger Twitter Lite (web version via Facebook Lite). PWA)

If your Xiaomi supports microSD cards, transfer some of the applications to it:

1. Insert the card (UHS-I Class 10 is recommended).
2. Go to Settings. → Memory. → Default memory and select SD-map.
3. B Settings → Select the heavy app (such as Google Maps) and click "Move to" SD-map".

⚠️ Note: Not all applications can be moved to SD-It can also slow them down if the memory card is slow (e.g. Class 4).

6.Reset to factory settings: when it really needs to

If all the previous methods didn't work, the last thing that you can do is reset the factory settings, which will delete all the data, but it will return the phone to its original speed.

• 🐢 The phone is slowing down even after cleaning and updating.
• 🔄 There was a firmware failure (for example, after a failed update).
• 🦠 Suspicion of a virus or malware.

How to properly reset the settings:

1. Make a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Reset settings.
3. Select "Erase all data" and confirm.
4. After reset, don’t restore data from the backup — check if the brakes are gone first. If so, restore data piecemeal (contacts first, then applications).

If the phone still brakes after reset, it may indicate:

• 🔋 Battery wear (check in Settings) → Battery → Battery status).
• 🛠️ Problems with iron (for example, the dump of memory chips).
• 🔥 Overheating of the processor (use the application) CPU Monitor for diagnostics).

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Resetting to factory settings helps in 80% of cases, but if the brakes are associated with hardware (battery, processor, memory), the effect will be temporary.

7. Alternative firmware: should we switch to custom?

If standard methods don’t work, some users are considering installing custom firmware (like LineageOS, Pixel Experience or Xiaomi.eu).

How to install custom firmware:

1. Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Xiaomi account and wait 7-15 days).
2. Install TWRP Recovery (instructions are on 4PDA for each model).
3. Download the firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu for Redmi Note 10) and install via TWRP.

⚠️ Note: Castom firmware does not support Widevine L1, That's why Netflix, Disney.+ Other services will work in low resolution (480p). Google Pay support may also be missing due to lack of SafetyNet certification).

If you’re a beginner, it’s best to start with Xiaomi.eu – it’s a modified MIUI without ads and unnecessary apps, but with all the features (including Game Turbo and IR Blaster) saved.

FAQ: Frequent questions about brakes on Xiaomi