How to Clean RAM on Xiaomi Redmi 4X: The Complete Guide

Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi 4X budget smartphone often face a situation where the device starts to work slower after a year or two of active use. It is a natural process of accumulation of system debris, which inevitably occurs when installing many applications and surfing the Internet. RAM is filled with temporary data, which leads to interface freezes and long start programs.

Memory cleaning is not just about removing unnecessary files, but a comprehensive process of optimizing the MIUI system. Unlike other brands, Xiaomi’s shell has its own specific resource management features that you need to consider to achieve maximum effect. Proper cleaning allows you to extend the comfortable use of the device without the need for an immediate replacement of the smartphone.

In this guide, we will look at all available methods, from standard system tools to advanced settings for developers, you will learn which processes can be safely completed and which should not be touched, so as not to disrupt the stability of Android.

Analysis of the current load of RAM

Before you start actively freeing up resources, you need to understand the current state of the system. It is important for owners of Redmi 4X to know how much free memory is available at the moment and which processes consume it most. Standard monitoring tools allow you to quickly assess the situation without installing third-party software.

To get detailed information, use the built-in engineering menu or standard task manager. Clicking on the memory indicator in the menu of running applications will show only the tip of the iceberg, while the developer mode gives more accurate figures, which will help to understand whether the memory problem is chronic or caused by a specific “heavy” application.

Note that loading RAM in Android by 70-80% is normal. The system does not specifically clean RAM completely to open frequently used programs faster. The alarm is only worth sounding when less than 200-300 MB are free, which is a critical indicator for the Redmi 4X with its 2 or 3 GB of memory.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t aim to free up 100% of RAM. Completely cleaning up all background processes will force the system to reboot them every time it starts, which will only increase battery consumption and processor load.

You can use hidden commands or debugging menus to make accurate diagnoses, so you can see real numbers and see where gigabytes go, and it often turns out that the lion's share of resources is not the system, but the specific application that eats up memory in the background.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The easiest and safest way to clean up RAM on the Xiaomi Redmi 4X is to use the pre-installed Security app, a system tool designed specifically for the MIUI shell and that knows what processes can be completed without compromising stability. It frees up a significant amount of resources at a single click.

The app automatically scans the system for temporary files and running services, pressing the cleanup button to force it to close background tasks that are not on the exception list, and is an effective method for quickly "reanimating" a smartphone before launching a resource-intensive game or heavy program.

• 🚀 Click on the desktop security application icon.
• 🧹 Select Clean or Accelerate from the main menu.
• ✅ Wait for the scan to be completed and press the large clean button.
• ⚙️ Go to the cleaner settings to select the depth of the scan.

In the Security settings, you can set up automatic cleaning, for example, the system can free up memory when the free amount drops below a certain threshold, a useful feature for Redmi 4X that helps maintain performance at an acceptable level without constant user intervention.

⚠️ Note: The "Acceleration" function in the Security app only closes user applications. System services that take up memory will remain active, as they are necessary for Android to work.

Regular use of the built-in cleaner helps maintain the hygiene of the system, but it is worth remembering that this is a temporary measure: after a while, the background processes will start again, so it is better to combine this method with the deeper settings, which will be discussed below.

Manual control of running applications

Automated tools aren't always effective, especially if you need to free up memory for a specific task right now. Manual control allows you to pinpoint "glutty" applications that were not closed by the system. In Xiaomi Redmi 4X, this is done through the menu of the last programs running.

To access the task list, you need to click the appropriate touch-sensitive navigation button or swipe from the bottom up (depending on the type of navigation you choose). This displays all the application cards that are currently in RAM. Simply swiping the card removes the application from RAM.

But there's a more efficient way to clean up the whole thing, and at the bottom of the running task menu, there's usually a button that shows a broomstick or a cross, and clicking on it closes all the apps except those on the exception list, which allows you to instantly free up a lot of resources.

It's important to be able to distinguish between apps that you can close and those that you should leave behind. Messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp will stop accepting notifications when you close, and Google or MIUI system services should be avoided manually, as they will start again immediately after using the battery.

Set up autoload and background activity restrictions

One of the main reasons for the memory shortage on the Redmi 4X is the uncontrolled auto-run of applications, many programs are prescribed to auto-boot to constantly hang in the background and flicker notifications, and managing this parameter is a key step in optimizing RAM.

MIUI has a dedicated section for auto-run control, where you can prevent apps from running with the system, and disabling auto-runs for social media, stores and games will significantly reduce the load on the processor and memory immediately after you turn on your smartphone.

You can also set individual limits for each application. In the battery settings or in the application menu, you can choose the option "No restrictions" (for instant messengers) or "Limit background activity." For Redmi 4X with its modest RAM, the second option is preferred for most programs.

Customizing these settings requires a personalized approach, and if you are critical to instant notifications from a particular program, you will have to leave it in the boot. Otherwise, the harsh resource savings will only benefit the Xiaomi Redmi 4X by making the interface more responsive.

Cleaning cache and deleting temporary files

Although the cache is stored primarily in internal memory, its proliferation indirectly affects the overall performance of the system and the speed of work with data. When internal memory is filled with garbage, the system is more difficult to manage virtual memory and swap, which can lead to a feeling of lack of RAM.

Cache clearing can be done either through the Security app or manually through the settings of each app, the second method is more time-consuming, but allows you to pinpoint only the programs that occupy the most space, often browsers, YouTube and social networks.

To access manual cleaning, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Choose a voracious app, click Memory and then Clear Cache. It is important not to confuse this button with the Clear Data button, as it will delete your logins, passwords and settings inside the app.

• 🗑️ Open the settings of a specific heavy application.
• 📂 Go to the Storage or Memory section.
• 🧹 Click the Clear Cache button (not data!).
• 🔄 Repeat the procedure for top-5 most severe programs.

Cleaning your browser cache regularly also frees up space and speeds up the Internet. In Chrome or standard MIUI, this is done through browsing history. Deleting temporary Internet page files can free up hundreds of megabytes, which will positively affect the overall speed of the Redmi 4X.

⚠️ Note: When cleaning the cache of some applications (such as maps or navigators), they may temporarily slow down when they are next launched, as they will have to re-upload the necessary data.

Advanced settings for developers

For advanced users, the Xiaomi Redmi 4X offers access to the developer menu, where you can fine-tune the work of RAM, which contains options that allow you to limit the number of background processes, which radically changes the behavior of the system when resources are scarce.

To activate the developer menu, you need to quickly click on the build number in the About Phone section several times, and once the notification appears, a new option will appear in the settings menu Additional or Developer, and this is where the powerful RAM management tools lie.

Find the process-related section and select the option "Background Process Limit." The default is "Standard Limit." Changing this to "No More than 2-3 Processes" will cause the system to aggressively unload old applications from memory, making room for an active task.

Path to setup: Settings → Advanced settings → For developers → Limit background processes

Another useful feature is to turn off animations. While this won't add physical memory, visual responsiveness will increase significantly. Reducing the scale of window animation, transition and animator duration to 0.5x, or completely shutting down, will create the illusion of a more powerful processor and more RAM.

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If you've set a hard limit on background processes, don't be surprised that the music in the player can stop when you switch to other tasks. That's normal behavior when you set it up.

Using these settings makes Redmi 4X a more docile tool, but it’s worth remembering that settings that are too aggressive can disrupt multitasking, causing apps to restart each time you switch.

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The combination of disabling autostart and setting the background process limit gives the maximum performance boost on older Xiaomi devices.

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