How to make Xiaomi phone not lag: a complete guide to removing brakes

Slowing down and hanging on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most common problems faced by the brand’s users. Even the flagship Redmi K70 or POCO F6 Pro models eventually begin to “brake” over time, not to mention budget devices like the Redmi Note 12 after a year of active use. The reasons can be due to software failures and hardware limitations, but in 90% of cases lags are eliminated without visiting the service center, it is quite competent to optimize the system.

In this article, we will look at all possible causes of brakes, from overloaded memory to incorrect MIUI updates, and give step-by-step instructions for their elimination. Particular attention will be paid to hidden settings that the manufacturer does not advertise, but can radically improve performance. If your Xiaomi became slower after the update or just over time, the following methods will help it return to its previous speed.

1.Diagnostics the problem: why Xiaomi is starting to lag

Before you start “treatment”, it is important to understand what causes the freezes, and the brakes on Xiaomi usually appear in three scenarios:

• 📱 Interface lags – hanging when scrolling menus, opening apps or returning to the home screen.
• 🎮 Drawdowns in games - jerks, friezes or a sharp fall FPS in mobile games (such as Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile).
• 🔄 Slowdowns after updates – problems appeared immediately after the new version was installed MIUI.

The main culprits are:

A critical mistake of many users: ignoring the diagnosis through the engineering menu. Code ##4636## displays the real state of hardware components, including the wear of flash memory, the main cause of lags on older Xiaomi.

⚠️ Attention: If the brakes appeared after a phone drop or moisture hit, the problem may be hardware (detachment of the memory chip, oxidation of contacts.

System Cleanup: Remove garbage and optimize memory

The first step in fighting lags is to free up internal memory and clean up temporary files. Even 10-15 GB of free space on Xiaomi may not be enough if the system is clogged with cache and residual data from remote applications.

How to properly clean your memory:

• 🧹 App cache: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management, select the heaviest app (like Facebook or TikTok) and click Clear Cache. Repeat for top-10 place-of-place applications.
• 🗑️ Residual files: Use the built-in Cleanup utility (broom icon in the settings menu) or third-party tools like SD Maid (requires root for deep cleaning).
• 📁 Duplicates and unnecessary files: Files by Google or Xiaomi File Manager apps will help you find and delete repetitive photos, old ones APK loading.
• 🔄 Storage optimization: In Settings → Memory. → Optimize enable the Deep Clean function (available on the MIUI 14+).

For models with 128 GB of memory and less, it is recommended to leave at least 20% of free space. If less than 10 GB is free, lags are inevitable due to data fragmentation.

Remove the cache top-5 applications|Check the folder Downloads to unnecessary files|Cleaning the basket in the Gallery|Disable autosave messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram)|Run deep optimization in memory settings-->

⚠️ Warning: Don't use cleaners like Clean Master or CCleaner, which often delete critical system files, leading to even more lags. MIUI.

3. MIUI setup: Hidden settings for acceleration

MIUI is known for its abundance of background processes and animations that steal resources, and turning off unnecessary visuals and optimizing system settings can increase speed by 30-40%.

Key settings for acceleration:

• ⚡ Turn off animations: Activate Developer Mode (7 times tap on the Version) MIUI In Settings → About the phone, then in Settings → Additionally. → For developers, install:
• 🔋 Restriction of background activity: C Settings → Battery → App Power Management select “Limit background activity” for all applications except instant messengers.
• 📡 Shutdown MIUI Optimizations: In the same menu for developers, deactivate the option MIUI Optimization (may cause crashes on some firmware, but speeds up work significantly).
• 🔒 Ad Blocking: In Settings → Memory. → Clean up enable “Ad Blocking in Apps” (available on the MIUI 13+ global firmware).

For models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K60 Pro) additional performance gains include the inclusion of a dark theme and the installation of a static wallpaper instead of live ones.

MIUI 14|MIUI 13|MIUI 12.5|Older. MIUI 12|Custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience, etc.)-->

4. Update and roll back firmware: when lags are called by software

A common cause of brakes is unstable MIUI updates. The manufacturer releases patches regularly, but some contain errors that lead to performance drawdowns. If the lags appeared immediately after the update, there are two options:

1. Recoil on the previous version (if the backup was saved).
2. Manual installation of stable firmware via Fastboot or Recovery.

How to safely update/roll back firmware:

• 🔄 Through the Built-in Update: Go to Settings → The phone. → Update. If you have a new version, download it and install it. Importantly, before upgrading, charge your phone at least 60 percent and connect to Wi-Fi.
• 💾 Manual installation: Download the official firmware for your model from en.miui.com, rename the file to update.zip And put it in the root of the memory. → The phone. → Update system press three points → «Select a firmware file».
• ⏮️ If the lags appeared after the update, in the same menu, select “Pause Updates” for 30 days, and then manually install the previous version (you can download on forums like 4PDA).

For power users, the alternative is to install custom firmware like Pixel Experience or LineageOS, which lacks the heavy MIUI shell and often works faster, but this requires unlocking the bootloader and can be insecure.

⚠️ Note: Installing firmware via Fastboot erases all data, including photos and contacts. pre-backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and Reset or Xiaomi Cloud.

5. App Optimization: What’s Retarding Your Xiaomi

Even on top-end smartphones like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, some apps can hang the system, most often the culprits:

• 🎵 Music streaming services (Spotify, Yandex Music) – constantly working in the background.
• 📺 Social networks (TikTok, Instagram) – aggressively cache videos.
• 🎮 High-demand games (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile) – overheat the processor.
• 📊 System applications (Mi Video, Mi Browser) – duplicate functions and slow down MIUI.

How to reduce the load:

1. For games: in Settings → Special permissions → Game turbo mode enable optimization for a specific game. This will limit the background processes and allocate more resources.
2. For social networks: in the application settings, turn off “Autoplay video” and limit the cache to 100 MB.
3. For system applications: disable or remove unnecessary ones through Settings → Applications → App management → Show everything (e.g. Mi Pay, Mi Roaming).

If the lags only appear in one app (like Google Chrome), try:

1. Clear his cache and data.
2. Install an alternative (such as Firefox or Brave).
3. Disable hardware acceleration in browser settings (if available).

💡

For models with 6GB of RAM or less, turn on Virtual Memory Extension in Settings → Additional → Memory. This will add up to 3GB of virtual RAM through internal storage, but reduce the available file space.

6. Hardware causes: when the "iron" is to blame

If the software methods didn't help, the problem could be in the hardware.

• 🔋 Worn-out battery (capacity below 70%) – leads to processor trottling.
• 💾 Damaged flash memory (especially on budget models with eMMC instead of the same memory) UFS).
• 🌡️ Overheating – causes automatic productivity decline.
• 🛠️ Chip detachment - after falls or bumps.

How to check for "iron":

1. Battery: Install AccuBattery and check the current capacity. If it's below 80%, replace the battery.
2. Memory: Type in ##4636##, go to Testing and select Memory. If Internal Storage is marked in red, memory is degraded.
3. Overheating: Use the CPU Monitor to monitor the temperature, and if it exceeds 60°C in a simple, you need to change the heat paste or clean the dust.

For models older than 3 years (for example, Redmi Note 9 or POCO X3 NFC) characterized by wear eMMC memory, in this case, the only solution is to replace the memory module (cost ~ 3-5 thousand rubles).

⚠️ Warning: If the phone started to lay down after changing the screen or battery in an unofficial service, the cause may be damage to the plumes or improper assembly.

Radical methods: resetting and flashing

If none of the previous methods worked, there are extreme measures: hard reset or full flashing, which will return the phone to a factory state, but erase all data.

How to perform the reset:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Reset settings.
3. Select “Erase all data” and confirm the action.

How to search your phone via Fastboot:

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi website (file with the extension.tgz).
2. Unpack the archive and install the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
3. Turn off the phone, press Volume Down + Power to log in to Fastboot.
4. Connect your phone to your PC, open the Mi Flash Tool, select the firmware folder and press Refresh, then Flash.

For models with a locked bootloader (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and later) before the firmware will need to unlock Bootloader through the official application Mi Unlock Tool. the process takes up to 72 hours (you need to link the Mi Account and wait for confirmation).

💡

Resetting to factory settings deletes all data, including photos in internal memory. Pre-copy important files on your PC or in the cloud (Google Drive, Xiaomi Cloud).

8.Prevention: How to prevent lags in the future

To prevent Xiaomi from starting to slow down again, follow the simple rules:

• 📵 Do not install applications from unknown sources – they may contain malicious code that overloads the system.
• 🔄 Update your firmware regularly, but don’t install beta versions. MIUI main-phone.
• 📴 Use lightweight alternatives to heavy apps (e.g. Twitter Lite instead of the main client).
• 🔋 Keep your battery healthy – charge your phone up to 80% and don’t discharge below 20%.
• 🧹 Clean the cache once a month through the built-in Cleanup utility.

For gamers: If you play heavy games on Xiaomi, install the Game Booster from Google Play and set up a performance profile. This will help reduce the load on the system during gaming sessions.

For owners of older models (Redmi 5, Mi A2, etc.), the only way to extend the life of the phone is to install a light firmware like LineageOS without GApps or Havoc-OS.

💡

If you use navigation frequently (Yandex.Maps, Google Maps), turn off the navigation «3D-buildings" in the application settings. GPU and shrink the lanyards.

FAQ: Frequent questions about lags on Xiaomi