What is the RAM on the Xiaomi phone: a full analysis + optimization methods

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi Task Manager and wondered why only 1-2 GB of RAM is free out of 8 GB of RAM — even when the phone is idle? or noticed how the device begins to “brake” after several hours of operation, although the characteristics should “fly”? The reason lies in the features of RAM management (RAM) in MIUI firmware and background processes that users often do not take into account.

In this article, we will not just list what eats memory, but will analyze the specific mechanisms of its consumption using examples of real models (Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO F5, Xiaomi 13T), show how the load on stock and custom firmware differs, and give practical recommendations for optimization – without myths like “kill all processes manually”, You will learn why even 12 GB of RAM may not be enough when you actively use multimedia and games, and how to fix it.

How RAM works in Xiaomi smartphones: architecture and features of MIUI

Xiaomi’s RAM is managed by two key components: the Android kernel (which distributes resources between processes) and the MIUI add-on (which adds its optimization algorithms). Unlike “pure” Android, Xiaomi’s firmware caches data more aggressively and keeps applications in the background longer – this is done to speed up their reopening, but often leads to artificial “clogged” memory.

For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra with 12 GB of RAM, the system can reserve up to 3-4 GB for kernel and Google Play services, another 2-3 GB will take up background applications (even closed ones), and the remaining 5-6 GB will be dynamically distributed among active tasks. At the same time, the MIUI does not free up memory immediately after closing the application - it keeps it in a "sleep" state, hoping that you will soon be in it in a "sleep" state.

• 📱 Stock MIUI: uses the LMK (Low Memory Killer) algorithm, which kills processes only when critical memory is scarce, and this causes many "background" applications to be seen in the task manager.
• 🔄 Pixel Experience (LineageOS): More aggressively cleans RAM, but can cause delays when switching between applications.
• 🎮 Game mode: On the POCO and Black Shark models, up to 50% of the RAM is reserved for the game, blocking background processes.

It's important to understand that a full memory ≠ is a slow phone, and problems begin when the system lacks the resources available for new tasks, and it has to constantly switch between the cache and active processes, which causes lag.

Top-5 “eaters” of RAM on Xiaomi: what really loads memory

To optimize memory effectively, you need to know what processes are consuming it. We analyzed data from Redmi Note 11 Pro+, Xiaomi 12T and POCO X5 Pro devices and identified the main culprits. Note that this is not about viruses or bugs, but about legitimate system and user processes that MIUI does not optimize by default.

The mediaserver is a standalone process that is responsible for decoding video and audio. For example, when watching a film in 1080p via VLC or MX Player, it can take up to 1 GB of RAM, and if a music player is running at the same time, another +200-300 MB. While MIUI does not always correctly free up memory after the player is closed, which leads to “leaks”.

⚠️ Warning: If you see a com.xiaomi.midrop process in Task Manager with a consumption of >500 MB, it is not a virus, but a system service for transferring files over Wi-Fi Direct. It can be disabled through Settings → Connections → File Transfer, but this will block the fast data exchange between Xiaomi devices.

How to check what is occupied by RAM: step-by-step instructions

To know exactly what processes load RAM on your Xiaomi, you don’t need to install third-party utilities — built-in MIUI tools and hidden menus for developers are enough. We will show you how to get detailed information, including hidden system processes that are not usually displayed in a standard task manager.

Step 1: Open the extended memory monitoring:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.
4. Find Memory Use (or Memory Use in English).

Here you will see a real-time usage graph of RAM, including:

• 📊 Memory used: active processes + cache.
• 🗑️ Free memory: resources available for new tasks.
• 🔄 Cache processes: data that the system can quickly release when needed.

Check the list of applications in Settings → Applications → Application Management

Sort by consumption of RAM (tap by column "Memory")

Eliminate system processes (start with com.android. or com.miui.)

Pay attention to consumption applications >200MB in the background-->

Step 2: Use ADB for a detailed log (for advanced users):

adb shell dumpsys meminfo --oom

This command will list all processes sorted by priority killing when memory is scarce. Processes marked FOREGROUND or VISIBLE have (maximum priority) and will not be closed by the system even if RAM is full.

Myths about RAM: What doesn’t really work

There are a lot of “advice” on Xiaomi that are not only useless, but harmful, and we’ve collected some of the most common myths and explained why they don’t work — or even make things worse.

Myth 1: “You have to clean your memory manually.”

Many users are used to pressing the "Clear" button in Task Manager, believing that it will speed up the phone.

• ❌ MIUI will immediately download the same processes back (especially the system services of Google and Xiaomi).
• ❌ Forced cleaning resets the cache, which makes applications open longer the next time they run.
• ✅ Exception: Cleaning only makes sense before running a resource-intensive game or shooting a video in 4K.

Myth 2: “Switching off animations frees up RAM”

Customization of Windows Animation = Off. in the developer menu does speed up visual transitions, but does not affect memory consumption.Animations are handled by a graphics processor (GPU) rather than RAM. However, this can indirectly help if the phone slows down due to a lack of CPU performance (for example, on the Redmi 9A with 2 GB of RAM).

adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0


adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0




adb shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0

But remember: this will not free up memory, but only make the interface less smooth.-->

Myth 3: “Clean Master (DU Speed Booster) Apps Help”

These tools are not only useless, but also dangerous:

• 🚫 They often kill system processes, leading to a crash MIUI.
• 🚫 Many of them consume RAM themselves and display false warnings about "critical loading."
• 🚫 Starting with Android 8.0, Google has limited the capabilities of such apps, so they can’t really optimize memory.

⚠️ Warning: If you see an app on Google Play called "MIUI RAM Booster" or "Xiaomi Speed Optimizer" is a scam. Xiaomi doesn't release separate memory cleanup utilities, all the features are already built into the firmware.

Practical ways to optimize RAM without root and custom firmware

If your Xiaomi is slowing down due to a lack of RAM, don’t rush to buy a new phone. Here are some really working methods that will help free up resources without risking damage to the system. They are all tested on models with 4-12 GB of RAM and are relevant for MIUI 13/14.

1. Limit background activity of unnecessary applications

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

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or Tinder).
3. Slip the battery. → Limit background activity.
4. Turn on the Limit option.

This won't remove the app, but it will prevent it from consuming RAM when it's folded, except that you don't restrict messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) if you want to receive notifications.

2. disable the "smart" MIUI optimization

MIUI has a function called Auto-Clean Memory, which should free up RAM when you lock the screen, but it often doesn't work properly, killing the processes and leaving the garbage.

• Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Memory Optimization.
• Turn off the automatic cleaning option.
• Manually set up Clean when blocked only for unnecessary applications.

3. Use the "Light" versions of the applications

Many popular services have lightweight versions that consume 2-3 times less RAM:

💡

Replacing 3-4 “heavy” applications on the light version can free up to 1-1.5 GB of RAM in the background.

4. Set up game mode to save memory

If you play Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile, or other resource-intensive games, use the built-in Game Turbo:

• Open the game, call the notification bar and tap the Game Turbo icon.
• Enable options: 🎮 Clear memory before starting 🔋 Limit background processes 📶 Disable Wi-Fi/ mobile data for background

This will temporarily suspend all unnecessary processes, freeing up maximum resources for the game.

What to do if nothing helps: radical methods

If after all the optimizations, the phone still brakes and the memory is less than 500 MB, it's time to consider radical measures. They require more effort, but they can return the device to its previous speed.

1. reset to factory settings (without data loss)

A full reset removes all settings and cache, but you can save data:

1. Make a backup through Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select Resetting (save media files).

After discharge:

• 📱 Do not restore applications from backup – install only the ones you need.
• 🔄 Turn off automatic app updates on Google Play.

2. Installation of custom firmware (for advanced)

If your device is supported by a community (e.g., Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro), you can install a lightweight firmware like:

• 🐧 Pixel Experience is pure Android without the unnecessary services of Xiaomi.
• ⚡ LineageOS is stable and fast, but without Google Apps by default.
• 🔥 Corvus OS is optimized for gaming and multi-tasking.

⚠️ Warning: Installing custom firmware will unlock the bootloader, which can result in: 🚨 Warranty Loss (if the device is new). 🔐 Widevine L1 issues (there won't be Full HD on Netflix). 📵 Possible bugs with a NFC module or camera. Check compatibility on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forum before installing.

3. Hardware memory extension (swap file)

On some models (POCO F4 GT, Xiaomi 12 Pro) you can create a paging file on internal memory, which will be used as additional RAM.

adb shell


su




echo 1024 > /proc/sys/vm/swappiness




dd if=/dev/zero of=/data/swapfile bs=1M count=1024




mkswap /data/swapfile




swapon /data/swapfile

⚠️ This method requires root rights and can shorten the lifetime of internal memory (due to frequent recordings). UFS 2.1 and below.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi RAM