How to Clean RAM on Xiaomi: From Simple Methods to Advanced Settings

Modern smartphones in the Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO line have impressive performance, but even powerful devices can start to work slower over time. Most often, the cause of brakes and sudden closures of applications is overcrowded RAM. When the system lacks resources to process background processes, the interface begins to hang and games fly to the desktop.

RAM cleaning isn't just about removing debris, it's about keeping MIUI or HyperOS shells running. Unlike internal memory, which stores photos and files, RAM is working with data right now, and overflowing it is critically impacting performance. Below, we'll look at all the optimization options available, from standard tools to hidden engineering menus.

Don't ignore the system's resource-short signals. Timely cleaning allows you to extend the battery life, because the processor doesn't have to run in overload mode. Let's look at how to properly manage your device's resources.

⚠️ Warning: Forced shutdown of system processes through the engineering menu can cause the phone to run unsteady. Use advanced methods only if you understand the consequences of your actions.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The easiest and safest way to free up resources is to use a regular toolkit from developers. Each Xiaomi smartphone has a system application Security preinstalled, which automatically monitors resource consumption, which allows you to close the background processes with a single touch and make room for active tasks.

To start the cleaning procedure, you need to find a green shield icon on your desktop. Inside the interface, you'll see a pie chart showing the current download. Pressing the Cleanup button initiates the process of closing the least important applications. The system decides which processes can be completed without harming the user's current session.

But automatic cleaning isn't always effective for serious problems, it only closes the visible apps, leaving Google and MIUI deep services active. For a deeper job, go to the app's settings through the three-dot menu in the top right corner and check the acceleration settings.

☑️ Checking the regular cleaning

Done: 0 / 1

It's important to understand that using the speed function often can backfire, that the system has to reopen frequently used applications, which puts additional strain on the processor, and use this method wisely when you notice clear signs of memory shortage.

Manual control of running applications

Many users underestimate the capabilities of a standard task manager, called by a swipe or menu button. In the MIUI shell, this tool allows you not only to switch between windows, but also to manage priorities. With your finger in the thumbnail of the application, you can block it or force it to terminate.

Special attention should be paid to “heavy” applications such as social networks and marketplaces, which are prone to proliferation and consumption of huge amounts of resources even when folded, and regular manual cleaning of such programs from the list of running tasks is a good habit for owners of devices with a RAM capacity of up to 6 GB.

There is also a Memory Extension feature that takes a portion of internal memory and uses it as virtual RAM, available from the Settings menu → Additional Settings → Expand Memory, activating this setting helps the system keep more applications open, even though the virtual memory speed is lower than the physical one.

  • 📱 Social media: Telegram and WhatsApp often hang in the background, consuming up to 500MB.
  • 🛒 Marketplaces: Ozon and Wildberries require a lot of resources to display graphics.
  • 🎮 Games: Even folded, they can continue to load the processor.

⚠️ Warning: Do not block system applications with a gear icon or Mi logo. Forced shutdown may disrupt notifications or alarms.

📊 How much RAM is in your Xiaomi?
4GB
6GB
8GB
12 GB or more

Set up background activity restrictions

To prevent the memory from being filled with garbage automatically, you need to adjust the rules of conduct for each application. Modern versions of Android and MIUI have a flexible control mechanism. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, select the desired program and find the item “Activity Control”.

You can choose between a No Limits strategy for instant messaging, or a Background Activity Limit for games and videos, and a second option that forces the system to freeze the app as soon as you fold it, which saves RAM.

Also worth checking for auto-start. The Security app has a section called Auto-Start, and disable all programs except messengers and alarm clocks, which will prevent unnecessary processes from starting immediately after the phone is turned on.

The way to set up quickly:


Settings → Applications → All Apps → [Select App] → Activity Control → Limit background activity

By fine-tuning these settings, you can forget about manual cleaning for a few days, and the system will efficiently allocate resources, prioritizing only what you really need right now.

Hidden functions and debugging over USB

For advanced users, you can fine-tune it through the developer menu, and to activate it, you need to quickly click on the MIUI version number in the About Phone section several times, and then the "Developers" option will appear in the "Additional" menu.

Within this section, we are interested in the item "Background Process Limit"; the default is "Standard Limit", but it can be changed by forcibly limiting the number of simultaneous applications, for example, setting a value "No More than 4 processes" will force the system aggressively close the excess.

Risks of changing the process limit
Changing the standard limit of background processes can cause the music to stop when the player folds and the navigator to stop plotting the route in the background. Use this setting only if other methods do not help and the phone has less than 4 GB of RAM.> Another useful option is "Do not remain active." If you turn on this switch, the system will destroy the activity of the application as soon as the user leaves it. RAM, parameter Recommended value System Limitation Process Impact Standard or 4 Balance between multitasking and speed Animation windows 0.5x Visual acceleration of the interface Background mode Limit the reduction of battery consumption and RAM Use these settings with caution. For devices with 8GB of memory or more, changing the process limit is usually unnecessary and can even worsen the user experience due to constant rebooting of applications. Using third-party utilities to clean up If built-in tools are not enough, specialized applications from Google Play come to the rescue. The leaders in this niche are SD Maid, Files by Google and Greenify. They work deeper than a standard controller, finding hidden caches and processes that MIUI does not close. The Greenify app deserves special attention. It does not just close processes, but “freezes” them, simulating the state of the phone off. Let’s not open the application with the necessary permissions, but keep it from the background. Avoid “cleaners” with aggressive advertising, which themselves are a source of garbage and load on the system. 🧹 SD Maid: The Best Tool to Find Residual Files. ❄️ Greenify: Perfect for “freezing” voracious apps. 📂 Files: Basic cleaning of cache and duplicates. ⚠️ Warning: Avoid installing multiple cleaners at once, and they may be in conflict with each other to gain control of system processes, causing battery drain. When software is exhausted and the phone is still slowing down, you need to think about more radical measures. System debris and database errors accumulated over the years can interfere with normal operation. Before you complete a Wipe Data reset, make sure to back up all your important data in the Mi Cloud or on your computer. This process will remove everything from your contacts, photos, apps, and settings, returning your phone to the “out of the box” state. The alternative to a full reset is to flash your device through your computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility. Clean installation of global or Chinese firmware (with subsequent localization) removes all system errors and bloats the database, which often creatively solves memory problems. After returning to factory settings, don’t install all the device’s firmware through the Mi Flash Tool utility, if you gradually detect the problem in your system. 💡Factory Reset is the most effective way to combat software errors and memory fragmentation, but it takes time to reconfigure the device. Why does the memory fill up immediately after cleaning? Android is designed to use free memory to caching frequently used applications, which makes them faster to run. If the memory is empty, the system spends resources running applications from scratch, so 100% free memory on Android is not always a good thing. Does the weather widget on the desktop affect the RAM? Yes, active widgets, especially those that are updated in real time (weather, currency rates, news), keep processes in memory all the time. Removing heavy widgets can free up 50 to 150 MB of RAM. Do you need to close apps manually on Xiaomi? Most of the time, no. Mechanism of work MIUI It manages memory effectively. You only have to close applications manually if they're stuck or not behaving properly. Constant manual cleaning can even reduce autonomy. What is ZRAM and should I change it? ZRAM is a piece of RAM reserved for compressed system data. Changing its size requires root rights. For the average user, changing the standard ZRAM values will not bring noticeable performance gains and may not be a destabilizing system.