How to see what is using RAM on Xiaomi: hidden features and tools

RAM is one of the key smartphone resources that drive system speed, multitasking and overall performance. On Xiaomi devices (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark), RAM loading can vary depending on the version of MIUI, installed applications and background processes. If your phone starts to “slow down,” spontaneously close apps or overheat, the first diagnostic is to check RAM usage.

Unlike computers where RAM monitoring is integrated into Task Manager, Xiaomi has a deeper layer of RAM monitoring, and in this article we’ll look at all the available methods, from standard MIUI tools to hidden developer commands to third-party utilities, and not only how to view current memory loads, but also how to identify the “gluttonous” processes that can cause lags.

1. Standard monitoring through “Settings”

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It doesn’t require superuser rights or installing additional programs, but provides basic information about how RAM is loaded.

To open the statistics section:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Background.
• 🔍 Click several times on the item Version MIUI, Notify “You’ve become a developer!” (unless you’ve previously activated the developer mode).
• 🔧 Return to the main Settings menu and open a new section → For developers.
• 📊 Scroll down to the debugging block → Memory statistics (some firmware may refer to as Memory Use).

Here you'll see a real-time RAM loading graph, and a list of applications organized by the amount of memory you consume. Note that this section only shows user applications, not system processes. Other methods will be required to fully analyze them.

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If the Memory Stats section is missing, upgrade to the latest version of MIUI. On older versions (below MIUI 12), this tool may not be available.

2. MIUI Task Manager: Hidden Opportunities

MIUI has a similar task manager, but it's hidden from the general public.

1. Activate the Developer Mode (as described above).
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option to Show processes in the menu of recent applications and enable it.
4. Now, when you open the multitasking menu (swipe up with a delay), the Task Manager button will appear at the bottom.

This section shows:

• 📱 Active applications – those that are currently open or running in the background.
• 🔄 System processes – Android services and MIUI (For example, com.miui.home - launcher).
• 📊 Total memory used and free RAM.
• ⚠️ High priority processes (in red or orange).

You can force the task manager to close unnecessary processes, but be careful: if you stop the system application (for example, com.android.phone), you can lose communication or Wi-Fi.

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The MIUI Task Manager only shows the processes that can be safely closed, and critical system services are not displayed here to prevent failures.

3. ADB teams for in-depth analysis

If you want a complete picture of how RAM is used, including hidden system processes, use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, which requires connecting your smartphone to your computer, but provides the most detailed data.

Instructions:

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC.
2. Connect Xiaomi via USB and allow debugging over USB in the developer settings.
3. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with adb.exe.
4. Enter a command to view all processes:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo --oom

This command will display a list of all processes, sorted by the amount of memory consumed, indicating:

• 📌 PID (processor).
• 📱 Packet name (e.g. com.whatsapp).
• 📊 The amount of memory used in KB or MB.
• ⚠️ Priority (foreground, visible, service, etc.).

To analyze a specific application, use:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo <name packet>

For example, for Instagram:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo com.instagram.android

Third-party applications for monitoring RAM

If you’re uncomfortable with ADB or built-in tools, install specialized utilities from Google Play. They offer a user-friendly interface and additional features such as memory cleanup or automatic monitoring.

Top.-3 apps:

When choosing an application, pay attention to:

• 🔍 Root rights: Some utilities (e.g. SystemPanel) require root for full access.
• 📊 Data visualization: Graphs or diagrams make analysis easier.
• ⚠️ Security: Avoid programs with suspicious permissions (access to the security system) SMS, contact).

5. Hidden system logs: how to read them

MIUI has detailed logging of all processes, including the use of RAM, which can be extracted without root rights, but requires technical skills.

Method 1: Through Logcat (for developers)

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and activate the adb logcat.
2. Enter a command to filter logs from memory:

adb logcat | grep -i "memory\|oom\|lowmemory"

This command will output events associated with memory shortage (OOM – Out of Memory) when the system is forced to close processes.

Method 2: Bug Report (Error Report)

• 🐞 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.
• 🔧 Click 5 times on the kernel version (the notification “Error Report enabled” will appear»).
• 📄 Back to Settings → Additionally. → Reporting errors and creating a report.
• 📎 The log file will be saved in the folder /sdcard/bugreports. It can be opened on PC using Logcat Reader or Android Studio.

In logs, look for lines that mention LMK (Low Memory Killer), a system mechanism that kills processes when there is a lack of RAM. If such records occur often, this is a sign that your device lacks RAM.

Download ADB Platform Tools on PC

Enable debugging over USB on Xiaomi

Install Xiaomi drivers (if the PC does not recognize the device)

Backup of important data (in case of failure)-->

6. RAM optimization: what to do if memory is overloaded

If your analysis shows that your RAM is up to 80 percent or more, even when you're not using a resource-intensive application, it's time to take action.

Programmatic methods:

• 🧹 Background cleaning: in Settings → Annexes → App management disable auto-start for unnecessary programs.
• 🔄 Update MIUI: In new versions of the firmware optimized memory manager.
• 🚫 Bloatware Removal: Use Adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 <packet> to remove pre-installed applications (e.g. com.miui.analytics).

Hardware methods:

• 🔋 Thermopaste replacement: overheating impairs performance, leading to increased RAM consumption.
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings: If the lags appeared after the upgrade, resetting can help.

Common myths about RAM:

⚠️ Warning: Don't believe the "memory optimizers" from Google Play that promise to "free RAM with one tap." Android manages memory on its own, and forced cleaning can only hurt by forcing the system to reboot processes.

If the problem persists after all the manipulations, your device may be physically lacking in RAM.

• 📱 Switching to a model with a large amount of RAM (for example, from 4 GB to 6-8 GB).
• 🔧 Use of the function RAM Expansion (available on some Xiaomi devices with a MIUI 13+), which borrows part of the internal memory from RAM.

7. Frequent reasons for overloading RAM on Xiaomi

It's not always a high memory load that's a consequence of a lot of applications, sometimes it's system bugs or MIUI specifics.

Top.-5 cause:

1. MIUI Memory Leaks: Some firmware versions (e.g. MIUI 12.5 on the Redmi Note 10) suffer from bugs where system processes do not release RAM after use.
2. Google Play Services and Google App can consume up to 500-800MB of RAM.
3. Viruses and Mining Bots: Some malicious applications disguise themselves as system applications and load memory.
4. Non-optimized games: Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty can take up to 2-3 GB of RAM in the background.
5. Animations and Visual Effects: in Settings → Additional → For developers, turn off Windows Animation and Animation Scale (set the value to Disable Animation).

If you suspect a virus, check the device through Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light. For memory leaks in MIUI, watch for firmware updates - Xiaomi regularly releases patches.

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On devices with 4GB of RAM or less, the normal memory load is 50-60%, and if that number is higher than 70%, look for a problem in the background or virus.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions