Cleaning RAM on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro: a complete guide with hidden chips

Your Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro started to slow down, applications spontaneously close, and in the task manager hangs a warning about the lack of memory? The problem lies in overloaded RAM (RAM) – even 4 GB installed in this model can be clogged with background processes, cache and “junk” services MIUI. Unlike flagships, budget Xiaomi smartphones suffer from aggressive optimization of the system, which often works against the user.

In this article, 7 proven ways to clean up RAM, including hidden MIUI 12/13 features that are not described in the official documentation. We will analyze not only standard methods like closing applications, but also unique tricks for the Redmi 8 Pro related to the features of its hardware (Snapdragon 665 processor and modified firmware).

1. Manual app closure: why it doesn't always work

The most obvious way is to swipe applications on recent tasks, but on the Redmi 8 Pro, this method often backfires: the system immediately restarts closed programs, spending even more resources, and this is due to the AutoRun feature in MIUI, which aggressively caches frequently used applications.

To make the closure really free RAM:

• 📱 Open Recent Tasks (button to the right of Home").
• 🚫 Click on the app icon and select Close All (don’t swipe one at a time!).
• 🔄 Restart your phone immediately afterward, and this will prevent automatic restarts.

⚠️ Attention: Redmi 8 Pro with MIUI 12.5+ Swipe up in recent tasks does not kill the process, but only hides it from the list. → Annexes → Application management → [Select an application] → Stop it.

This method has a temporary effect (10-30 minutes of free memory), but does not solve the problem of system processes that eat up to 1.5 GB of RAM in the background.

2. Hidden Memory Cleanup in MIUI: Where to Find It

Xiaomi hides the deep-cleaning RAM tool in an obscure place. On Redmi 8 Pro, it's called System Optimization and works differently than the standard "boost" in the notification bar. Here's how to activate it:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5 times on the line version of MIUI (the message will appear "You became a developer").
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.
4. Find Memory Cleanup and turn it on.
5. Activate the Auto Clean option when you lock the screen.

This feature forcibly kills background processes when you turn off the screen, freeing up to 800-1200 MB of RAM. However, it has a side effect: some applications (for example, messengers) will take longer to load when you unlock.

3. Disabling Autostart and Background Activity

By default, MIUI allows all installed applications to run automatically and run in the background. On the Redmi 8 Pro, this results in the RAM being clogged again in 5-10 minutes even after manual cleaning.

First, turn off autostart:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 📊 Select the Auto Start tab.
• 🚫 Turn off auto-run for all applications except system (phone, messages, settings).

Then limit background activity:

• 🔄 Return to Application Management and select the Permissions tab.
• 🔍 Find the Background Activity item.
• 🛑 For each application, set a limit without restrictions. → Limit.

⚠️ Note: Do not limit background activity for Google Play Services, MIUI Daemon and Security – This will cause system failures and notifications.

After these actions, free memory will be 30-40% more, but some applications (for example, music players) will stop working in the background.

4. Cleaning the cache of system applications (without root)

MIUI system applications (e.g. com.miui.home, com.android.systemui) accumulate cache that can take up to 500MB of RAM. Unlike custom programs, their cache cannot be cleaned by standard means.

We use ADB (without root rights):

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC.
2. Connect Redmi 8 Pro over USB and enable USB Debugging in the developer settings.
3. Open the command line in the adb folder and type:

adb shell pm trim-caches -1


adb shell cmd activity broadcast -a android.intent.action.CLEAR_DALVIK_CACHE

These commands will force the cache of all applications, including system ones, to be cleared, and the effect is to release 200-700 MB of RAM and speed up the interface, and you can repeat the procedure every 2-3 days.

For convenience, create a shortcut on your desktop with these commands (use the.bat file). After cleaning, reboot your phone - this is a must for applying changes.

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If after cleaning the cache through ADB, the phone began to boot more slowly, follow the command adb shell sync - this synchronizes the file system and eliminates the lags.

5. MIUI Optimization for Weak Devices (Lite Mode)

The Redmi 8 Pro doesn’t officially support MIUI Lite mode, but it can be activated through hidden settings, which disables animations, simplifies the interface and reduces RAM consumption by 20-25%:

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that appears, select Phone Information.
3. Scroll down and find Force GPU Rendering – turn it off.
4. Go back to the main menu and select Battery Settings.
5. Enable Performance Mode → Charge Saving (this indirectly activates the lightweight MIUI mode).

Visually, the changes will be minimal (some shadows and animations will disappear), but in the background, the system will stop loading unnecessary modules, for example, it will turn off preloading weather and news widgets that eat up to 300 MB of RAM.

⚠️ Warning: Once Lite mode is activated, some features (such as Always-on Display and Live Wallpaper) will stop working. To return them, repeat the steps and turn on Force GPU Rendering back.

6. Alternative launchers: how they affect RAM

The standard MIUI launcher (com.miui.home) is one of the main memory eaters on the Redmi 8 Pro. It constantly holds up to 400-600 MB of RAM for preloading widgets and animations. Replacing it with a lightweight launcher can free up to 1 GB of memory.

The best options for the Redmi 8 Pro:

• 🏆 Nova Launcher (Settings: Turn off animations and preload)
• ⚡ Lawnchair 2 (optimized for weak devices)
• 📱 Smart Launcher 5 (Automatic Cache Cleaning)

How to install and configure:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play.
2. When you first start, select it as the default launcher.
3. Open the launcher settings and turn off: 🎨 Transition animations 🔄 Auto-update widgets 📱 Preloading of applications

MIUI

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Stop

After you replace the launcher, check the free memory in Settings → About Phone → Memory Status. The difference will be noticeable after 10 minutes of use.

7.Extreme measures: resetting the section cache and rolling back updates

If all previous methods have failed and there is less than 500MB of free memory, it's time for radical measures. There are two extreme ways to do this on the Redmi 8 Pro:

Method 1: Reset the partition cache (does not delete data)

• 🔧 Turn off the phone.
• 🔘 Press the power button. + Loudness up before the appearance of the Mi logo.
• 📱 In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Cache Partition (use volume buttons for navigation).
• 🔄 Confirm the action and restart the phone.

Method 2: Reverse MIUI updates (if the lags appeared after the update)

Some versions of MIUI 12.5+ contain bugs that cause RAM to become clogged with system processes. If the problem started after the update, go back to the previous version:

1. Download the firmware from Xiaomifirmwareupdater.com (select Stable for Redmi 8 Pro, encoding olivelite).
2. Transfer the.zip file to the root of the phone’s memory.
3. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
4. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Select the firmware file.
5. Specify the downloaded file and confirm the rollback.

⚠️ Note: Firmware rollback will reset all settings (but won't delete files).Before the procedure, back up via Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset. Versions MIUI 12.0.3.0 may conflict with new apps (e.g. Google Pay will stop working).

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Resetting the partition cache is the safest way to radically clean the RAM, but it does not delete user data. Use the firmware rollback only if you are sure that the problem started after a specific update.

FAQ: Frequent questions about RAM cleaning on Redmi 8 Pro