How to Clean RAM on Xiaomi Phone: A Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones sooner or later face a situation where the device starts to run slower, applications open longer, and the interface slows down when switching between tasks. These are classic signs of a lack of RAM, which is filled with the cache of running programs and system processes. Unlike internal memory, where your photos and files are stored, RAM is responsible for the speed of the system right now, and its overflow directly affects the comfort of using the gadget.

Android operating system with a proprietary shell MIUI or new HyperOS has its own features of resource management, which differ from “pure” Android. To effectively clean up RAM, it is not enough to simply close applications – you need to understand how the background processes work and what hidden tools the manufacturer provides. In this article, we will discuss proven optimization methods that will help return your smartphone to its previous speed.

Use of the built-in MIUI accelerator

The easiest and most affordable way to do this is through the regular Security app. Unlike third-party utilities, this system tool has deep access rights to the core of Xiaomi's system and can safely complete processes that actually consume resources.

When you click on the Clean up or Accelerate button, the system analyzes the current state of RAM and forcibly closes applications that are not currently in use. However, it is worth remembering that aggressive cleaning can lead to the reboot of frequently used programs, which, paradoxically, can temporarily increase battery consumption.

💡

Use the Acceleration widget on your desktop to quickly clean RAM with one tap without opening the full Security app settings.

For a deeper analysis, the Security app includes a Memory Cleanup feature that lets you choose which apps to close, which is useful if you know that some heavy game or video editor is getting stuck in the background and slowing down other services.

⚠️ Warning: Don't use Accelerate every 5 minutes. Android is designed to keep frequently used apps in memory for quick start-up. Constant forced cleaning forces the processor to work harder by re-downloading data.

Manual control of running applications

Manually closing apps is a basic skill that allows you to control what exactly works in the background. On Xiaomi smartphones, navigation can be done through three buttons or gestures, but access to the list of running tasks is always done by swiping from the bottom up (or pressing the menu button) and holding a finger.

In the window that opens, you'll see cards of all active programs. To free up RAM, you can press the "Clean" button (usually a cross or an X), which will close all applications at once, and if you want to free up resources for a particular difficult task, just swipe the card.

Special attention should be paid to applications that have permission to work in the background. Even after closing the card, some services, such as messengers or email clients, continue to work. To stop them completely, go to Settings → Applications → All applications, select the desired software and click the Stop button.

It is important to distinguish between closed and stopped. A simple closure through the multitasking menu often leaves services alive, whereas a Stop button in the settings forcibly completes the process before the next manual user starts.

Set up auto-start and background activity restrictions

One of the main reasons for overflowing memory on Xiaomi devices is uncontrolled auto-run of applications. Many programs prescribe themselves in start-up to run with the phone on, even if you are not using them, Control over this process gives a significant increase in performance.

To manage this setting, you need to go to the Security app and find the Permissions or Auto-Start section, which provides a complete list of programs that can run themselves, and it is recommended that you leave only messengers (for notifications) and alarms on.

• 📱 Social Media: It’s better to disable auto-run if you don’t need instant notifications as they’re actively consuming resources.
• 🎮 Games: Never be in auto-run, they are only needed at the user’s request.
• 🛒 Marketplaces and stores: work quietly without a constant background, saving battery and RAM.

Additionally, in the battery settings for each application, you can select the “No Limits”, “Energy Saving” or “Strict Limit” mode for heavy applications, setting the “Strict Limit” mode (or “No Background Activity”) to ensure that it is completely offloaded from RAM once it is out of the program.

Expanding memory with a virtual swap

Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are equipped with Memory Extension, which allows you to reserve some of the internal flash memory (ROM) and use it as an addition to RAM, which is especially true for models with 4 or 6 GB of RAM.

Activation of the function is done through the Settings menu → Additional settings → Expansion of memory. The system will prompt you to select the amount of memory you add (usually from 2 to 5 GB depending on the model).

It's worth noting that virtual memory is slower than physical memory, and it doesn't replace full RAM, it just helps the system not unload the applications completely, and if you have 8GB or more of physical memory, turning on this feature can be redundant and even slightly reduce the speed of writing to the disk due to constant background activity.

Cleaning the cache and removing system debris

While the application cache primarily occupies the built-in memory, its excess indirectly affects the overall system performance and processing speed, and some temporary files may occupy buffer zones associated with RAM.

To clean the cache, you can use the standard tool in the Security → Cleanup app. However, for more careful work, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, select the most voracious program (for example, Telegram, YouTube or Instagram), and select Memory → Clear the cache.

It is important not to confuse Cache Clearing with the Erase All Data button, but the second action will completely delete the program and your logins, passwords and correspondence inside it, returning it to the “just from the store” state.

⚠️ Attention: Regularly completely clearing the cache of all applications at once can cause the phone to start running slower in the first minutes after cleaning, as the system will have to re-form the necessary temporary files.

It is also worth checking the download folder and removing old files that can be indexed by the system’s media scanner, putting an extra load on the processor and memory when searching for content.

Third-party applications and radical measures

If standard MIUI methods don't work, you can turn to specialized software, but you have to be very careful about choosing such software, because many of them are resource eaters themselves.

The most effective and secure are SD Maid (for deep file cleanup) and Files by Google. They don't hang in the background all the time, but only run on demand for analysis and cleaning. Avoid "accelerators" with bright interfaces that promise to increase memory by 200% - this is a marketing ploy.

As a last resort, if the phone is slow even after rebooting and cleaning, it may require a factory reset, a radical method that completely clears the RAM and internal memory of user debris, but requires prior backup of all important data.

💡

The best way to speed up the phone is not to install new “accelerators”, but to properly set up auto-start and periodically restart the device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)