How to Clean RAM on Xiaomi: Effective Methods Without Data Loss

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

Have you noticed that your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO are slow to open apps, hang around when switching between tasks or shut programs spontaneously? 90% of the time, overloaded RAM is to blame. Even top-end models like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or POCO F6 Pro accumulate background processes, cache and junk data that eat up resources.

RAM (or RAM) is the phone's "short-term" memory, which is responsible for speeding tasks. When it's clogged, the system has to constantly load data from the slow drive, which causes lags. Fortunately, you can clean up the RAM on Xiaomi without drastic measures like factory resetting. In this article, 5 proven ways, including hidden MIUI features that work even on budget models like the Redmi Note 12 or the POCO M6 Pro.

Before you start cleaning, it’s important to understand: on Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, the system automatically optimizes RAM when you lock the screen, but this is often not enough for heavy use. If you actively play Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile, mount video in CapCut or keep 20+ tabs open in Chrome, manual cleaning is a lifesaver.

Method 1: Built-in RAM cleaning in MIUI (fastest method)

The easiest way to free up RAM is to use Xiaomi’s built-in Cleanup tool, which is available on all devices with MIUI 12 and up, including the Redmi 10, POCO X5 and flagship series.

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to About Phone → Memory (or Storage on some models).
3. Slip the RAM tab (RAM) at the top of the screen.
4. Press the Clean button (usually located at the bottom right).

The system will show how much memory was freed. On the Xiaomi 13T with 12 GB of RAM, this method frees up an average of 1.5-3 GB, on budget models like the Redmi A2 - about 500 MB-1 GB. However, this method has a disadvantage: it closes all background applications, including messengers and music.

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If the Clean button is inactive, then the RAM is already optimized. Try other methods from this article.

For a more subtle setup:

• 🔄 Autoclean: Turn on the Clean When Locked in the same menu – the phone will automatically free RAM when the screen is turned off.
• 📊 Monitor: Click on RAM Use to see which apps consume the most memory (often Facebook, TikTok or Telegram are to blame).
• ⚡ Acceleration: Some firmware has a button to Accelerate – it not only cleans the RAM, but also optimizes the CPU.

Method 2: Manually Closing “Gluttonous” Applications

Not all programs are equally useful. Some (especially social media and games) continue to work in the background even when you're not using them. For example, Instagram can take up to 400 MB of RAM in the background, and PUBG Mobile can take up to 1.2 GB if not closed correctly. Here's how to find and close such apps:

1. Open Recent Apps (swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold).
2. Look at the list of programs that are running. Notice the ones that are marked with the icon. 🔄 (background).
3. Close unnecessary apps with a swipe up. To completely clean, click on the basket or cross icon (depending on the model).

But there is a caveat: some system processes (e.g. com.miui.home or android.systemui) cannot be closed manually – they will automatically restart. Moreover, on Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, aggressively shutting down all applications can lead to the opposite effect: the system will waste resources on their re-run.

🎮 Games (PUBG, Genshin Impact, Free Fire)

📱 Social networks (TikTok, Facebook, Instagram)

💬 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp with a lot of chats)

🎵 Music services (Spotify, YouTube Music in the background)

📺 Video players (MX Player, VLC file-loaded)-->

For advanced users:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo

This command (introduced through ADB on PC) will show detailed statistics of how all processes use RAM, but without root rights, you can't force system services to shut down.

Method 3: Cleaning up cache and junk files

Application cache and system temporary files can take up to 2 to 5 GB of memory, which indirectly affects RAM performance. When internal storage is lacking, the system starts using RAM for the buffer, which slows down, and cleaning the cache helps solve this problem.

How to clear the cache on Xiaomi:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Chrome or Gallery).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. For complete cleaning, tap Clear the data, but note: this will reset the program settings!

For mass cleaning:

• 🧹 Use the built-in Cleaner (Broom Icon in Settings) → Memory).
• 🗑️ Remove unnecessary files in files → Garbage (e.g. duplicate photos or old ones) APK).
• 🔍 Check the Download folder – heavy files often accumulate there.

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the phone starts to brake

Never clean.-->

⚠️ Warning: Do not clear the cache of system applications (such as Settings or Phone) unnecessarily. MIUI.

Method 4: Optimization through Performance Mode (Game Turbo)

If you use Xiaomi for games or resource-intensive tasks (video editing, streaming), turn on the performance mode. It not only clears the RAM, but also reconfigures the CPU cores for maximum impact. On new models (Xiaomi 14, Redmi K70), this mode is called Game Turbo.

How to activate:

1. Open Settings → Special Features → Performance Mode (on older versions of MIUI, the path may be different).
2. Choose Game Mode or Maximum Performance.
3. Turn on options: Clean RAM when you start the game Disabling background processes Network optimization (for online games)

Some devices (e.g., POCO F5) have a hidden Performance Mode feature that overclocks the processor to enable it:

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In the menu that opens, select Battery Information → Three-dot menu → Performance mode. But remember, this will increase battery consumption by 15-20%.

Method 5: Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If all previous methods failed and the phone is still slowing down, there may be a deeper problem: memory fragmentation, corrupted system files, or a virus, in which case hard reset will help, but remember: this will delete all data from the device, including photos, contacts and applications.

How to reset:

1. Create a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup or Mi Cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.
4. After restarting, set your phone as new.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and newer after reset, you may need to link to your Xiaomi account.If you forget your password, the phone will become a brick»!

An alternative to hard reset is to reset only settings (without deleting files):

• 🔧 Settings → System system → Additionally. → Resetting settings.
• 📱 Select Reset All Settings (Do not Erase All Data!).

Additional Tips for Keeping RAM Clean

To avoid having to constantly clean the working memory, follow these recommendations:

• 🚫 Do not install RAM cleaners from the Play Market (such as Clean Master or DU They consume resources themselves and often contain advertising.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI — In new versions, optimized memory. Check the updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📴 Turn off auto-start applications: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Autorun. disable Autorun for unnecessary programs (e.g. AliExpress or Likee).

Watch the health of the battery

For POCO and Redmi owners with extended memory (RAM Expansion):

This feature allows you to use part of the internal memory as a virtual RAM, to configure it:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Extension of RAM.
2. Select the amount of virtual memory (recommended 1-3 GB).
3. Reboot the phone.

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Extension of RAM is useful for multitasking, but it does not replace physical memory; on weak devices (such as the Redmi 9A), it can even slow down due to the low speed of eMMC memory.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up RAM on Xiaomi