How to Clean RAM on Xiaomi: A Complete Memory Freeing Guide

Why Xiaomi is “slowing down” and how it relates to RAM

Have you noticed that your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO has started to hang up, slowly open apps or spontaneously reboot? 90% of the time, overloaded RAM is to blame. Even flagship models with 8-12 GB of RAM face resource shortages over time due to the features of the MIUI shell and background processes.

RAM is the phone's "short-term memory" where active application data is stored. When it gets clogged, the system starts to force tasks to close, leading to lags, game crashes and slow multitasking. For example, with 3 GB of free 6 GB, the phone is already running at its limit. And if it's free less than 1 GB, wait for the hang-ups.

In this article, we’ll break down 7 proven ways to clean up Xiaomi’s RAM, from basic to advanced, including hidden MIUI settings and development teams, and find out why a standard “clean everything” in the multitasking menu is the worst solution.

Method 1: Manually clean through the multitasking menu

The most obvious, but not always effective method: on most Xiaomi models (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11) it is enough:

1. Press the square button (or swipe up late on new versions of MIUI 14+).
2. Slip the basket icon at the bottom of the screen (or select “Close everything”).

But there's a catch: it keeps system processes and applications with auto-run rights in mind, like com.miui.analytics or com.xiaomi.ab, which will immediately restart.

• 🔄 Hold your finger on the application card and swipe it up (does not work on all firmware).
• 🛑 Using the “close everything” gesture twice in a row – sometimes it resets the cache of processes.

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If RAM is clogged again in 5-10 minutes after cleaning, then the applications are to blame for the autoload. They need to be manually disabled (see Method 3).

Method 2: Optimization with Security App

MIUI has a built-in memory cleanup tool called Security (or Global Firmware Security) that not only covers background tasks, but also analyzes RAM consumption by application.

1. Open Security (Icon with Shield)
2. Go to the “Optimization” or “Boost” section.
3. Click on “Clean” or “Optimize”.

Important: this method does not remove the cache of applications, but only stops unnecessary processes.

• 📊 Tap on Details (or Details) and manually select applications to close.
• 🔧 Enable the Deep Clean option (if available) – it resets the Dalvik cache and ART.

Method 3: Disabling Autoboot Applications

The main reason for overloaded RAM is programs that start spontaneously when you turn on your phone or after unlocking, such as Facebook, AliExpress or Mi Video, which can wake up every 10 minutes, even if you are not using them.

To turn them off:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want (such as TikTok).
3. Slip "Stop" and turn off the slider.

For mass blackout:

• 🛡️ Use Security → Autorun (list of all applications with batch shutdown option).
• ⚡ V MIUI 13/14 Added the section "Special permissions" - there you can also control auto-run.

Disable auto-run for social networks (Facebook, Instagram)

Remove from the autoload messengers (except the main one)

Check out games (many run in the background for "notifications")

Disable auto-run for system applications (Mi Video, Mi Music, if not used)-->

⚠️ Warning: Do not disable auto-start for com.android.phone, com.miui.home or Google services – this can disrupt your phone.

Method 4: Using the Developer Mode

For advanced users, Xiaomi offers hidden settings that limit background processes.

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI» (A notification will appear saying, “You have become a developer»).
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Key options are now available:

⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to restart after changing the settings, return the settings to the original state.

Method 5: Cleaning RAM through ADB-Teams (for experienced teams)

If standard methods don't work, you can manually manage memory through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires you to connect your phone to your PC, but gives you full control.

1. Install Platform Tools on your computer.
2. Enable USB debugging in the developer settings.
3. Connect Xiaomi to your PC and type in the command line:

adb shell


su




echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

This command resets the core cache, which instantly releases up to 30-40% of RAM without rebooting.

• 📱 Adb shell am kill-all – closes all user processes.
• 🔍 adb shell dumpsys meminfo – shows detailed statistics on memory usage.
• ⚡ Adb shell pm trim-caches 1000000000 – clears the cache of applications (1 GB).

Method 6: Reset the cache of the system (without data loss)

If RAM is clogged due to a damaged MIUI cache, resetting the /cache partition cache will help. This will not delete your files or applications, but requires a reboot.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart.

After this procedure:

• 🔄 RAM will be cleaned more efficiently in standard operations.
• 🚀 The number of accidental reboots will decrease.
• ⚠️ The first switch on after reset can take 5-10 minutes.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data – the second option will completely reset the phone to factory settings!

Method 7: Installation of a custom core (for enthusiasts)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, custom cores like FrancoKernel or Perseus optimize memory management at the system level.

• 🔧 Change the algorithms of unloading processes from RAM (LMK — Low Memory Killer).
• 📈 Increase the priority of active applications.
• ⚡ Reduce delays when multitasking.

For installation:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool.
2. Install custom recovery (TWRP or OrangeFox).
3. Select the kernel through Install → Select ZIP.

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Castom cores require an unlocked bootloader and may be insecure. Backup via TWRP before installation!

Frequent questions about RAM on Xiaomi