Xiaomi phone lags - what to do? full guide to speeding up

Your Xiaomi has slowed down, apps have been slow to open, and animations have been slow to hang? This is a common problem faced by owners of the brand's smartphones, from budget Redmi to flagship Mi and POCO. The causes of brakes can be due to software failures and hardware limitations. In this article, we will examine all possible solutions, from basic to advanced, that will help return the device to performance.

It's important to understand that not all lags are the same. For example, camera freezes are often associated with a lack of RAM, and games friezes are associated with overheating of the processor. We structured the materials so that you can quickly find a solution to your particular situation, start with simple methods that do not require technical skills, and gradually move on to more complex manipulations of the system.

If after reading the article the problem remains – at the end you will find a diagnostic table that will help determine whether to carry the phone to the service center or you can cope on your own.

1.Diagnostics: Why Xiaomi started to slow down?

Before you start "treatment", you need to identify the source of the problem, and the brakes can manifest themselves in different ways:

• 🐢 Slow animation – transitions between screens “slow down”, menus open with a delay.
• 🔄 Spontaneous reboots – the phone suddenly turns off and on.
• 📱 «Glitzy gestures – swipes do not work, taps are registered late.
• 🔥 Overheating - the body is very heated even with minimal load.
• 🎮 Lags in games — FPS falling, graphic artifacts, hanging.

The most common causes are:

Critical information: If the brakes appeared after a phone drop or moisture hit, turn it off immediately and contact the service - this may be a sign of damage to the motherboard.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi phone started to lag after the update MIUI, Do not try to roll back on the old firmware without a backup – this can lead to a “brick” (complete inoperability) of the device.

Basic acceleration methods: cleaning and optimization

Start with simple actions that don't require a deep knowledge of the system, and 60 percent of the time, they solve the brake problem.

Cleaning up cache and garbage

Application cache and system debris accumulate over time and can take up several gigabytes of memory to clean them up:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
2. Click Clean up garbage (delete temporary files).
3. Select Deep Clean → Mark unnecessary files (e.g. APK, Logs) → Clean.

For more thorough cleaning, use the built-in Security app:

• 🧹 Open Security. → Optimization → Cleanup.
• 🔍 Run a virus check (sometimes the brakes are caused by malware).
• 📉 In the Memory Management section, close the background applications.

Clear the cache in Settings → Memory

Remove unused applications

Disable the autoload of unnecessary programs

Reboot the phone-->

Disabling animations and visual effects

MIUI is known for its beauty, but it consumes resources to speed up the interface.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the items: Window animation scale → select No animation. Transition animation scale → No animation. Animation duration → Off.

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when it starts to brake.

Never clean.-->

3. Optimization of memory and background processes

Lack of RAM is one of the main causes of lags. Xiaomi aggressively manages background processes, but sometimes it works against the user.

Limitation of background applications

MIUI allows you to manually control which applications can work in the background:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or Instagram).
3. Slip the Battery → select Limit background activity.

Use of the “Smart Memory” function

The new versions of MIUI have a built-in tool for optimizing RAM:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Activate the Smart Memory Switch.
3. Choose Aggressive Mode (if available).

⚠️ Note: If notifications (e.g., messengers) have stopped coming after the background processes are limited, add these applications to the Battery Exclusions section.

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To quickly release RAM, hold the Home button (or swipe up and hold it on the screen without buttons) → click on the basket icon at the bottom of the screen.

4. Update firmware and rollback to stable version

Xiaomi malfunctions are often caused by firmware bugs. The manufacturer releases patches regularly, but sometimes updates, on the contrary, worsen performance.

Verification and installation of updates

Update MIUI to the latest version:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. If a new version is available, download and install it (preferably via Wi-Fi).

If the update “weighs” more than 1 GB, it is a major update before installing:

• 🔋 Charge your phone to at least 50%.
• 📱 Make a backup of the data (Settings) → The phone. → Backup).
• 🕒 Take 20-30 minutes (installation may take time).

Reverse to stable firmware (if the update worsened the work)

If the lags came after the update, you can bring back the old version of MIUI. It's a risky procedure - only do it if you're confident in your actions.

Step-by-step:

1. Download stable firmware for your model from the official Xiaomi website (select the Stable section).
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root directory of the phone’s memory.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update → Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Select the update file.
4. Select update.zip and confirm the installation.

⚠️ Warning: Rolling back the firmware will reset all settings to factory. If you have an unlocked bootloader, check the compatibility of the version before the procedure. MIUI with your model – the wrong firmware can “brick” the phone.

5. Reset to factory settings: when and how to do

If no method has worked, the last chance before contacting the service is a hard reset, which will delete all data from the phone, so first:

• 📎 Create a backup copy (Settings) → The phone. → Backup).
• 🔐 Remember or record your Mi Account details (required to unlock after resetting).
• 📋 Save important files to your PC or cloud.

Resetting methods:

Reset via settings

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.

Reset via Recovery (if the phone is not turned on)

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (use volume buttons for navigation, power for confirmation).
4. Confirm the action (Yes) and wait until it is completed.
5. Select Reboot to reboot.

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Resetting to factory settings deletes all data, including photos, messages and installed applications, and can only be restored from a backup.

6 Advanced methods: acceleration, cores and custom firmware

If you're willing to take risks for maximum performance, consider the following options: They require unlocking the bootloader and may be unwarranted!

Installation of the custom core

Castom cores (e.g., FrancoKernel or Perseus) optimize the processor, improve battery management and reduce the lag.

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool.
2. Install custom recovery (TWRP).
3. Download the right kernel for your model from the XDA Developers forum.
4. Sweep it through TWRP (instructions depend on the model).

Transition to Custom Firmware (AOSP)

Firmware based on Android Open Source Project (for example, LineageOS, Pixel Experience) lacks the “heavy” shell MIUI and often work faster.

• ❌ Loss of Xiaomi branded features (such as Second Space or Game Turbo).
• ❌ Possible bugs with camera or sensors.
• ❌ Lack of official security updates.

Popular firmware for Xiaomi:

⚠️ Warning: Installation of custom firmware can lead to loss IMEI, If you have a broken camera or sensor problem, check the user reviews of your model before you run the firmware. 4PDA or XDA.

7. Hardware problems: when it's time to get into service

If the software didn't work, the brakes could be caused by the iron.

• 🔋 Fast battery discharge + overheating → The battery may be worn out (check in the AIDA64 battery-set → Status).
• 📉 Constant "flights" of applications → Flash memory may be damaged (check through the Smartisan Memory Test in Google Play).
• 🔥 Overheating even in plain → processor failure.
• 🎯 «Dead Zones on screen → touchscreen.

What you can do on your own:

• 🔧 Replace the battery (if the capacity has fallen below 70% of the nominal capacity).
• 🧴 Change the heat paste (requires disassembly of the phone).
• 📲 Test your phone without a case – sometimes overheating is caused by poor ventilation.

If you are not sure about your abilities, contact the service center. Average repair prices (for Xiaomi in 2026):

Critical information: if the phone is warranty, do not open it yourself - this will void the warranty obligations of Xiaomi.

8 Prevention: How to Prevent Brakes in the Future

To make Xiaomi work consistently, follow these guidelines:

• 📵 Do not install applications from unverified sources – they may contain malicious code that overloads the system.
• 🔄 Regularly update the firmware in new versions MIUI fix critical bugs.
• 🗑️ Clean the cache every 1-2 weeks (via Settings) → Memory).
• 🔋 Avoid full battery discharge – this speeds up wear and tear.
• 📴 Do not load your phone while charging (especially games or video editing).

Useful monitoring applications:

• 📊 AIDA64 — diagnosis of iron and temperature.
• 🔍 Greenify – suspends background processes.
• 📈 AccuBattery – battery condition monitoring.

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Regular maintenance (cleaning, updating, temperature control) extends the life of the phone by 20-30% and reduces the risk of sudden lags.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi brakes