Cleaning up RAM on Xiaomi Redmi 4: from manual methods to hidden MIUI features

Xiaomi Redmi 4 with its 2 or 3 GB of RAM is still a popular budget smartphone, but over time even it begins to “slow down.” The reason often lies in overloaded RAM – the system lacks free resources for smooth operation. Unlike flagships, where memory allows you to keep dozens of applications in the background, on Redmi 4 every megabyte in the account.

The problem is compounded by the MIUI: the shell aggressively caches data, and background processes (such as miui.analytics or com.xiaomi.mipicks) can take up to 300-500 MB of RAM even in standby mode. In this article, 7 proven ways to clean up memory, from basic to little-known, taking into account the specifics of Redmi 4 (codename prada) and MIUI versions from 8 to 14.

Why RAM on Redmi 4 clogs faster than on new smartphones

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 430/435 architecture paired with 2-3 GB of LPDDR3 has two key limitations:

• 🔹 Narrow throat memory: the RAM controller in the chipset supports bandwidth up to 6.4 GB / s, which is 2 times lower than that of modern smartphones. This leads to congestion when multitasking.
• 🔹 No swap file: Android on Redmi 4 does not use the swap partition (unlike some custom firmware), so RAM is filled without a “reserve».
• 🔹 Aggressive cache MIUI: The shell reserves up to 15-20% of memory for system processes, even if they are not active.

In addition, Redmi 4 suffers from memory leakage in older versions of MIUI (up to 11 inclusive). For example, the mediaserver process could eat up to 1 GB of RAM when playing video in some applications. In MIUI 12-14, the problem is partially solved, but in practice users still encounter lags at ≈80% of RAM load.

⚠️ Warning: If less than 300 MB (at 2 GB of RAM) or 500 MB (at 3 GB) remains after cleaning the RAM, this is a signal that there is a lack of resources for normal operation. In this case, only turning off background processes or installing a lightweight firmware will help.

Method 1: Manual cleaning through the “Recent” menu

The fastest, but also the most superficial method, which only closes user applications without affecting system processes, is suitable for emergency release of 100-300 MB of RAM:

1. Click on the “Recent Apps” button** (square or swipe up with a delay on MIUI 12+).
2. Slip on the “Close Everything” icon** (cross or basket at the bottom of the screen).
3. For selective cleaning, swipe up the cards of unnecessary applications.

On Redmi 4 with MIUI 8-10, the "Close Everything" button can be hidden to return it:

1. Go to Settings. → Home screen and recent.
2. Activate the "Show the Close button"* (or Show "Clear all" button in English localization).

⚠️ Attention: Frequent manual cleaning can increase battery consumption.Forced closure of applications causes the system to reload them into memory the next time it runs, which wastes additional resources.

Method 2: Optimization with Security App

The Security app (com.miui.securitycenter) in MIUI has a built-in RAM cleaning tool. Unlike the manual method, it can close system processes, but with reservations:

Update the Security app on Google Play

Close all active applications manually

Connect to charging (recommended when cleaning >1 GB of data)

Turn off the mobile Internet (so as not to interrupt background updates)

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Instructions:

1. Open the Security app** (Shield icon).
2. Go to the "Optimize" tab**.

After cleaning, look for the Auto-start section in the same app, where you can turn off autoloads for unnecessary applications (such as games or social networks), which will prevent them from automatically running in the background.

1. In “Security” select AutoRun → AutoRun control.
2. Sort the list by Last Run** and disable apps that shouldn’t work in the background.

Method 3: Using Developer Options (Developer Mode)

The hidden "Developers" settings** limit background processes and reduce the system's RAM usage, and activate them as follows:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI»** (You will be notified that you have become a developer!).

Now available key options for optimizing RAM:

• 🔧 «Background Process Limit (Limit background processes): set a process maximum 2 (for 2 GB of RAM) or a process maximum 3 (for 3 GB of RAM).

⚠️ Note: Don't keep activities may result in the loss of unsaved data in applications (such as draft messages or forms in the browser.

Method 4: Cleaning the cache of system applications

Xiaomi system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery, com.android.browser) often accumulate cache that takes up to 1GB of RAM in the background.Cache cleaning won't delete important data, but can speed up:

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show all processes.

Pay special attention to these processes (they most often overload RAM on Redmi 4):

• 📱 com.miui.home (Launcher) - cache up to 200MB.
• 🌐 com.android.browser – cache up to 300MB (even if you don’t use it).
• 📷 com.miui.gallery – cache up to 500 MB when used actively.
• 🔍 com.miui.analytics – a system statistics collector, can take 100-150 MB.

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If the app starts to run slower after cleaning the cache, it's normal for the system to take time to recover temporary files, and in 5-10 minutes, the speed will return to its previous level.

Method 5: Disabling unnecessary system services (without root)

Some Xiaomi system applications can be disabled without superuser rights. This won't remove them completely, but it will prevent them from running in the background. Use this method if you notice that RAM is clogged even without active user applications.

List of safe to disable services (checked on Redmi 4):

How to turn it off:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search, type the process name (e.g. mipicks).
3. Select the application and click “Disable”**.

⚠️ Warning: Do not disable processes with names such as com.android.phone, com.android.systemui, com.miui.securitycenter, and this will cause your phone to fail!

Method 6: Installation of lightweight firmware (for advanced)

If all previous methods have failed and there is less than 200 MB of free memory, alternative firmware should be considered.

• 📱 MIUI Lite: official lightweight version from Xiaomi (available for the first time) MIUI 10-12 Remove unnecessary system applications and optimize RAM consumption.
• 📱 LineageOS (Android 10–11): custom firmware without a “heavy” interface MIUI. Requires unlocking the loader.
• 📱 Pixel Experience: Pure Android with minimal background memory consumption.

The advantages of lightweight firmware on Redmi 4:

• 🔹 Free up to 300-500 MB of RAM due to the absence of unnecessary services.
• 🔹 Increased battery life (by 10-15%).
• 🔹 Lags disappear when switching between applications.

Disadvantages:

• 🔸 Loss of warranty (when unlocking the bootloader).
• 🔸 Lack of certain functions MIUI (Second Space or Game Turbo).
• 🔸 Risk of “bricking” when installed incorrectly.

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Before installing custom firmware, be sure to back up through TWRP Recovery and check compatibility with the Redmi 4 model (codename prada).Incompatible firmware can bring the phone down!

Method 7: Hardware reset (last chance)

If RAM is clogged due to corrupted system files or viruses, and other methods do not help, you will be reset to factory settings. This will delete all data from the phone, so first:

Create a backup of contacts (export to VCF)

Save photos on PC or cloud

Write down usernames/passwords from accounts (Mi Account, Google)

Check that you know the password from your Mi Account (required after reset)

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Resetting instructions:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select “Erase all data” (Erase all data).
3. Enter the password from the Mi Account (if linked).

After discharge:

• 🔹 Do not restore data from the backup immediately – first check how the “clean” system’s RAM behaves.
• 🔹 Install apps selectively, avoiding heavy games and social networks.
• 🔹 Turn off auto-update apps on Google Play.

FAQ: Frequent questions about RAM on Redmi 4