Modern Xiaomi smartphones running the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS have a powerful hardware, but even top-end models eventually begin to experience a shortage of resources. Users often notice that applications are unloaded from memory, games begin to slow down, and the interface responds to commands with a delay. These are classic signs of overflowing RAM (RAM), when the system has no place to store data running programs.
RAM is a fast-acting storage where the processor holds active tasks. Unlike internal memory where photos and apps are stored, RAM is cleared when rebooted. However, background processes in Android are designed to stay in memory for quick start-up, creating conflict with heavy games or demanding applications.
In this article, we will discuss proven methods that will help you free up RAM and speed up the device. We will not use questionable cleaner applications that consume resources themselves, but turn to the built-in tools of the system and hidden developer settings.
Built-in cleaning and acceleration tools
The first thing the system offers is a full-time optimizer, which, despite some users' skepticism, runs deeper in the Xiaomi ecosystem than standard Android tools, not only closing processes, but also clearing the cache of system services, freeing up valuable megabytes.
To access the basic cleaning, you need to run the Security app, which is preinstalled on each of the brand's devices. Click on the Cleanup button (usually displayed as a broomstick or speed chart), the system will analyze the memory and suggest that you delete temporary files.
⚠️ Warning: Don't use Accelerate too often. Constant forced downloading of applications from memory causes the processor to restart them, which can lead to the opposite effect - increased battery consumption.
Deeper customization is available through the memory extension menu, and Memory Extension allows you to reserve some of your internal flash memory for RAM, which doesn't increase the physical volume of RAM, but helps the system keep more applications open.
- 🚀 Go to Settings. → The phone.
- 🧩 Find Memory Extension (available on 6GB models) RAM higher).
- 🔄 Select volume (2, 3 or 4 GB) and restart the device.
- ⚙️ The system will automatically redistribute resources at the start.
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Use the memory extension only if you have more than 20 GB of internal memory free. Flash memory is slower than real RAM, so there may be no increase in FPS in games.
Background Process Management and Auto Startup
The main resource eater in MIUI is the autorun of apps, and even if you shut down a social network or messenger, they can continue to hang in the background, waiting for a message or updating a feed, which leads to a critical lack of free RAM by mid-day.
To take control of the situation, you need to manually restrict background rights. Open the Security settings and select the Permissions section. Here you are interested in Autorun. Turn off this feature for all programs that do not need real-time notifications.
Next, set the restrictions for specific applications. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Choose a heavy application (for example, a browser or marketplace), click Charge Savings and set the value No restrictions only for those programs that should work always (messengers).
There's also a hidden mechanism for freezing background processes, so if you're preparing to run a heavy game, you can force everything to close through the multitasking menu. Swipe up the app card and press the lock icon to pin important programs, and close the rest with the X button.
Developer settings for advanced users
For those who want to get the most control, Android offers a developer menu, which is hidden in the settings that affect how the system behaves with memory. Be careful: the wrong setup can lead to unstable interfaces.
To activate the menu, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version (or OS Version). After the notification “You became a developer” appears, a new section will appear in the settings menu Additional → For developers.
Find the Apps section inside the developer menu, you can set the backend limit here, and the default is "Standard Limit," but you can choose "No More than 2 Processes," which will severely limit the number of applications that can be in RAM at the same time.
Settings → Additional → For developers → Applications → Limit of background processesAnother important parameter is to remain active. If you turn on this option, the system will destroy the application as soon as the user leaves the screen, which is guaranteed to free up RAM, but make multitasking impossible: when you return to the application, it will be loaded again.
- 🛠 Enable Strict Mode for Load Visualization.
- 📉 Set the limit of background processes on 2-4 unit.
- 🚫 Activate Do not keep activity for testing only.
- 🔄 After setting up, be sure to perform a full reboot.
What is ZRAM?
Optimization of animations and visual effects
The beautiful transitions and animations in HyperOS and MIUI look spectacular, but they also take up space in RAM and load the GPU. If your device starts to stutter, reducing visual load can be a lifesaver.
In the same developer menu, find the Drawing section, and you're interested in three things: "Window animation," "Jump animation," and "Duration of animation." Change their values from the standard 1x to 0.5x or even off.
The interface will become sharper and more responsive, not freeing up gigabytes of memory, but reducing the load on the GPU and reducing the number of frames you need to keep in the buffer, which indirectly helps the system run smoother when resources are scarce.
| Animation parameter | Standard value | Recommended for weak PCs | The effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window animation | 1x | 0.5x | Acceleration of opening/closing applications |
| Animation of transitions | 1x | 0.5x | Quick switching between screens |
| Duration of animation | 1x | Off | Instant interface response |
| Scope of typeface | Normal. | Small-time | More information on the screen |
⚠️ Attention: Disabling animations completely can make the interface "twitchy." 0.5x Maintaining a balance between speed and visual comfort.
Special modes for games and heavy tasks
If your goal is to free up the RAM specifically for games, use the built-in Game Turbo mode (or Accelerate Games), which automatically redistributes resources, giving priority to the running game.
When you run the game through the Game Turbo panel, the system forcibly closes background processes that are not on the exception list, and activates Performance mode, which prevents trottling (reduced processor frequency due to heating), although this affects the temperature of the case.
☑️ Preparation for the game session
Some Xiaomi models (especially the Black Shark series or flagships) have a Memory Fusion mode that works in tandem with a game accelerator.It aggressively unloads from memory anything that is not marked as important, freeing up to 30% of the RAM for the texture of the game.
Radical measures: resetting and reflashing
If the software methods don't work and the phone slows down even after the reboot, it may be system debris or update conflict, in which case a complete reset helps.
Before performing this procedure, be sure to back up all important data to your computer or the Xiaomi Cloud.Reset will delete all user data, returning the phone to the “out of the box” state.
The way to reset: Settings → About phone → Reset → Erase all data. After this procedure, the phone will work as fast as possible, since there will be no accumulated “digital garbage” in RAM over the years.
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A complete reset is a last resort, often just removing rarely used apps and clearing the cache to get the phone back on track.