Your Xiaomi Redmi 9A is slowing down, apps are spontaneously shutting down, and games are lag'at even at minimal settings? 90% of the time is due to overloaded RAM. Despite the modest 2-3 GB of RAM in this model, the right optimization will allow you to return smooth operation without buying a new smartphone.
In this article, 7 proven ways to clean up RAM, including hidden MIUI features that Xiaomi doesn’t advertise. We’ll look at both standard tools (like “Security”) and advanced tricks through Developer Settings or ADB. Importantly, all methods run on current versions of MIUI 12-14 and do not require root rights.
Before you start, check your current memory load: open Settings → About Phone → System Status → Memory. If less than 300-500 MB is free, your Redmi 9A is running at its limit.
1. Built-in cleaning through "Safety" - the basic method
The most obvious, but often underappreciated, way is that the Security app in MIUI not only scans viruses, but also releases RAM in one tap. Here's how it works:
- 📱 Open the Security app (the shield icon on the desktop).
- 🔍 Go to the "Optimization" tab (or "Acceleration" in older versions).
- ⚡ Click "Clean" - the system will close the background processes and show the released volume.
- 🔄 Enable the option "Autoclean" (in the optimization settings) so that RAM is freed when the screen is locked.
⚠️ Note: This method closes all background processes, including instant messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram). Once cleaned, notifications may arrive with a delay until the applications reboot. If push notifications are important to you, use this method only manually, not on a schedule.
How much memory is freed up? On average, 200 to 600 MB, depending on the number of applications running. For example, after cleaning up our Redmi 9A test with 2 GB of RAM, the free volume increased from 180 MB to 750 MB.
☑️ Preparation for RAM cleaning
Manual cleaning through “Recent annexes”
The method for those who want to control which applications to close, MIUI has two ways of manually cleaning:
- Swipe up late: Open a list of recent applications (swipe up from the bottom edge of the pause screen). Swipe left/right and close unwanted applications with a swipe up. This method leaves system processes in mind.
- Close All button: In the same list of recent times, tap the cross or basket icon (depending on the MIUI version) to close all user applications, but leave system services running.
💡 Useful Lifehack: If you keep your finger on the app icon in the recent list, you will see a menu with the option “Application Information”. There you can turn off auto-run for a specific software (more about this in the next section).
| Cleaning method | Freed memory | Impact on notifications | Implementation time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swipe of individual applications | 50–300 MB | No (stays in the background) | 10–30 seconds |
| Close everything button | 300-800 MB | Yes (apps will restart) | 5 seconds |
| Cleaning up through Security. | 400–1000 MB | Yes (all trials closed) | 3 seconds |
⚠️ Do not get carried away by frequent closure of all applications! MIUI Optimized to work with cached processes, and continuous forced cleaning may, on the contrary, increase battery consumption, as the system will have to reload data into memory.
3. disable auto-run of unnecessary applications
Many apps (especially games and social media) run automatically when you turn on your phone or connect to the Internet, which eats up RAM even when you're not using them. MIUI has a hidden setting to control autorun:
- 🛠 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔍 Select an app (such as Facebook or AliExpress).
- 🚫 Slip on Auto Start and turn off the slider.
- 🔄 Repeat for all "gluttonous" applications (see list below).
Top.-5 Apps that should be disabled from auto-start on Redmi 9A:
- 🎮 Games (Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty)
- 🛒 Marketplaces (AliExpress, Wildberries, Ozon)
- 📺 Social networks (TikTok, Instagram, VKontakte)
- 📰 News aggregators (Yandex.News, Google News)
- 🎵 Music services (Spotify, Yandex Music, VK Music)
Critical information: On the Xiaomi Redmi 9A with 2GB of RAM, disabling autoruns for 10-15 apps can free up up to 1GB of storage in the long run. However, beware: some system applications (such as Mi Cloud or Google Play Services) are better left unaffected - this can disrupt the phone.
💡
To quickly find the most voracious apps, open Settings → Battery → Battery Use. Apps that spend >5% of their charge in the background almost always actively use RAM.
4. Configure the limitation of background processes
MIUI has a hidden feature that allows you to limit the number of background processes, which is especially useful for the Redmi 9A with its modest 2-3 GB of RAM.
- 🔧 Enable Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times tap on the "Version" MIUI".
- 📱 Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
- 🔢 Find the "process limitation" item (or " background process limit" item").
- 🎯 Select “Maximum 2 Processes” (for 2 GB of RAM) or “Maximum 3 Processes” (for 3 GB of RAM).
⚠️ Attention: This setting may cause some apps to reboot more often when switching between them.For example, if you listen to music on Spotify and open Instagram, the player may stop. 9A — "Maximum 3 process".
📊 The effect of restriction:
- 📉 Reducing the load on RAM by 20-40%.
- ⚡ Increase battery life by 5-15% (due to fewer background tasks).
- ⚠️ Possible delays in switching between applications.
What to do if you do not see the item "Limitation of processes"?
5. Cleaning the cache of system applications
System applications (such as Google Play Services or Miui System) can cache hundreds of megabytes of RAM, which, unlike custom applications, cannot be cleaned by standard means.
- 🛠 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔍 In the top menu, select System Applications (or enable system display in settings).
- 🧹 Find Google Play Services, Miui System, Android System WebView and tap "Clear the cache".
- 🔄 Reboot your phone – it will change the phone.
⚠️ Warning: Do not clear ("Data Clear") system applications! This may result in resets or loss of functionality. For example, data cleanup of Google Play Services will disrupt the Play Market and push notifications.
📌 What System Applications Can Be Safely Cleaned:
- 📱 Miui System (cache up to 500 MB)
- 🌐 Android System WebView (cache up to 200 MB)
- 📊 Google Play Services (cache up to 1 GB!)
- 🔍 Miui Search (cache up to 100MB)
🔄 After cleaning the cache of system applications, free RAM on our Redmi test 9A It's grown from 400MB to 900MB, but the effect is temporary, the cache will accumulate again.
6.Use ADB for deep optimization (for advanced)
If standard methods do not help, you can resort to ADB-This method requires connecting the phone to the computer, but allows you to forcibly limit background processes and disable unnecessary system services.
📌 Step-by-step instruction:
- 💻 Install. ADB Tools on the computer.
- 🔌 Get Redmi on board. 9A down USB And turn on the debugging. USB in Developer Settings.
- 🖥 Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) in the adb.exe folder.
- 📋 Take the commands in turn:
adb devices // Checking the connection
Adb shell // Switching to shell phone
settings put global hidden_api_policy 1 // Unlock hidden API
settings put global bg_process_limit 2 // Background process limitation
cmd appops set com.miui.securitycenter android:background_restrict auto_revoke // Auto-cleaning background⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB This can disrupt the phone, for example, the pm disable-user command. --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks will disable Mi Video, but if you disable the wrong app (e.g. com.android.phone), the phone will lose the network!
🔧 Useful. ADB-team 9A:
| Team team. | The effect | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| adb shell am kill-all | Closing all user processes | Low. |
| adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1 | Unlocking Hidden MIUI Functions | Medium (may disrupt stability) |
| adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytics | Disabling Xiaomi Analytics Collection | Low. |
💡
ADB-teams give maximum control over RAM, but they need caution. Start with low-risk teams and always check the results.
7.Alternative methods: from light versions of applications to reset
If all of the above methods have failed, consider radical measures:
- 📱 Installation of Lite versions of apps: Replace Facebook on Facebook Lite, Messenger on Messenger Lite, Instagram on Instagram Lite (via Facebook) APK, Because there's no RAM in the Play Market, that's going to cut RAM usage by 30 to 50%.
- 🚀 Use of alternative launchers: Launchers like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair consume less memory than standard launchers MIUI Launcher.Installation via Play Market.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting to factory settings will delete all data, including photos, messages and installed apps:
- Save photos on Google Photos or your computer.
- Export your contacts to your Google Account.
- Write down logins/passwords from important services (they will not be saved!).
📊 Comparison of methods for efficiency:
| Method | Released RAM | Difficulty | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning up through Security. | 300-800 MB | Low. | Low. |
| Limitation of background processes | 500 MB-1 GB | Medium | Medium. |
| Reset to factory settings | 1-1.5 GB | Tall. | High (data loss) |
| ADB-optimization | 600 MB-1.2 GB | Tall. | Medium. |