How to see what takes up RAM on Xiaomi: detailed instructions

RAM on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is a critical resource that determines the speed of the device. If the phone starts to slow down, applications spontaneously close or the system gives a notification of “Not enough memory”, then it’s time to figure out what exactly loads RAM and how to fix it. Unlike computers where memory monitoring is carried out through Task Manager, MIUI has its own nuances – especially if we are talking about the latest versions of the shell (MIUI 14/15) based on Android 13/14.

In this article, we will look at all the ways to check RAM boots, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features for power users. You will learn how to distinguish normal memory consumption from abnormal ones, which processes can be safely closed and which should not be touched. We will separately focus on the typical RAM eaters in Xiaomi smartphones and give recommendations for optimization. If your device suddenly became slower, but you are not sure about the reason – this guide will help to make an accurate “diagnosis”.

Standard Monitoring through Security (MIUI 12-15)

The easiest way to see what’s taking up RAM on Xiaomi is to use the built-in tool in the Security app, which works on all current versions of MIUI (12 to 15) and doesn’t require superuser rights. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to Accelerate (or Optimize in older versions).
3. Click on the Memory (RAM) tab.
4. The system will display a list of applications and processes sorted by RAM consumption.

Here you'll see:

• 📊 The total amount of RAM your device has and how much of it is occupied.
• 🔍 Top consumers are apps that are active at the moment.
• ⚙️ System processes (e.g., com.miui.home, launcher or android.system).
• 🚫 Clean button – but use it with caution (more on this below).

Note that this menu only displays active processes. Application background activity (e.g., messengers or Google services) cannot be seen here – it will require other tools. It is also worth considering that MIUI sometimes “hidden” system processes from the user to avoid accidental closure of mission-critical services.

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If you see a mediaserver or android.media process on the list with high RAM consumption, this may indicate a media playback error.Rebooting the device usually solves the problem.

2. Advanced analysis through "Developer Settings"

For those who want more detailed information about RAM loading, Xiaomi has a hidden tool called Developer Settings, which allows you to see not only current consumption, but also the history of RAM use, as well as identify memory leaks that lead to slowdowns.

First, you need to activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times in a row on the MIUI version (you will be notified “You became a developer”).
3. Go back to the main Settings menu and open a new section for developers.

Now let’s move on to memory analysis:

1. In the Developer Settings, look for the Service → Memory (or Memory in English).
2. Press Average Memory Use in 3 hours (or another period).
3. The system will show a graph and a list of processes indicating peak RAM consumption.

You'll find this menu:

• 📈 RAM usage schedule for a selected period (helps detect sudden jumps).
• 🔎 List of all processes, including hidden system processes (e.g. com.xiaomi.midrop for file transfer).
• ⚠️ Warnings about high consumption (if a process is out of the ordinary).
• 🛠️ The ability to forcefully stop the process (but be careful!)

⚠️ Warning: Don't stop processes with names like android., miui., or com.qualcomm.* (on Snapdragon processors). This can cause a system crash or reboot the device. If you're not sure, you'd better restart the phone.

3. Use of third-party applications (CPU Monitor, DevCheck)

If the built-in tools of MIUI seem not informative enough, you can install third-party utilities for monitoring RAM. They provide more flexible settings, historical data and the ability to configure notifications about high memory load. Here is the top -3 application for Xiaomi:

An example of working with DevCheck:

1. Install and open the application.
2. Go to the Memory tab.
3. Here you will see: 📊 Total RAM and how much is free. 🔧 Memory type (e.g., LPDDR4X 2133 MHz). 📉 Use schedule for the last 5–30 minutes. 🔍 List of top consumers with PID (process ID).

Third-party applications are useful if you need to monitor RAM consumption in the background or analyze the behavior of the system after installing new software, but remember: these utilities themselves consume resources, so you should not keep them constantly active.

DevCheck|CPU Monitor|Simple System Monitor|Enterprise MIUI|I Do not monitor-->

4.Analysis through ADB (for advanced users)

If you're willing to go deeper, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) gives you the most control over RAM analysis, which requires you to connect your smartphone to your computer, but it can also get data that you can't get through the GUI.

• 🕵️ Hidden system processes that are not displayed in the standard menu.
• 📝 A full memory dump showing each allocated block.
• 🔄 Real-time dynamics of consumption change.

Instructions for using ADB:

1. Download and install Platform Tools on your computer.
2. On your smartphone, enable USB debugging in the Developer Settings.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and in the command line (or Terminal) type: adb shell dumpsys meminfo For a specific application (e.g. Facebook): adb shell dumpsys meminfo com.facebook.katana

In the output of the dumpsys meminfo command, pay attention to the following parameters:

• Java Heap is memory allocated for Java objects (critical for applications).
• Native Heap is the memory used by native code (such as games).
• PSS (Proportional Set Size) is the real amount of RAM that takes up the process taking into account shared libraries.
• USS (Unique Set Size) is the memory that the process uses exclusively.

⚠️ Warning: If you see a process with PSS > 500 MB in the output of ADB that is not a game or video editor, this is an excuse to check the phone for viruses or reset the app cache through Settings → Applications.

Install Platform Tools on PC|Enable debugging on USB Xiaomi|Connect your phone to the original cable|Check the connection of the adb device team|Learn the output of dumpsys meminfo-->

5.Typical RAM Eaters on Xiaomi and How to Deal With Them

Even if you’re monitoring memory usage correctly, it’s helpful to know which apps and processes are most likely to load RAM on Xiaomi smartphones.

If you find something suspicious in the process list (e.g., com.android.XXX with an unfamiliar name), check it out via VirusTotal. Some viruses disguise themselves as system services but consume an abnormally high amount of RAM.

Another useful tip: if your Xiaomi started to slow down after the MIUI update, try rolling back the firmware version or resetting to factory settings. Often the cause of lags is errors in new software builds, especially on budget models (for example, the Redmi Note 10 after upgrading to MIUI 14).

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The most voracious processes on Xiaomi are launcher (com.miui.home), media scanner (android.process.media), and cloud services (com.xiaomi.xmsf), which optimize for the highest productivity gains.

6. RAM optimization: what can be done right now

Just knowing what takes up RAM is not enough – you need to act. Here are proven ways to free RAM on Xiaomi without root rights:

• 🔄 Reboot the device. This closes all background processes and resets the cache. MIUI Reboot every 2-3 days.
• 🚫 Limit application background activity. Go to Settings → Apps → [Select App] → Battery → Background activity and set a limit.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache of system applications. In Settings → Storage → Cache data, click Clear. This won't delete personal files, but will free up to 1-2 GB of storage.
• 🔧 Turn off animations. In Developer Settings, set: Window Animation Scale → Turn off Transition Animation Scale → Disable This will reduce the RAM load when switching between tasks.
• 📱 Use Easy Mode. In Settings → Special Options → Easy Mode, activate this option. It simplifies the interface and reduces resource consumption.

If your smartphone supports RAM expansion (for example, Xiaomi 12T or Redmi Note 11 Pro+), you can increase the amount of RAM due to the built-in memory:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Click on the RAM Extension (or Virtual RAM).
3. Select volume (usually 1-3 GB) and confirm.

This feature creates a swap file on the internal drive, which is used as additional RAM, but remember: virtual RAM is slower than the physical, so a noticeable increase in performance will only occur when multitasking (for example, when you start a game and messenger at the same time).

7.When to sound the alarm: signs of malfunctioning RAM

Sometimes high RAM consumption is not the fault of the software, but a hardware problem. Here are signs that something is wrong with your Xiaomi RAM:

• 🔥 A smartphone overheats even for simple tasks (e.g., messenger).
• 🔄 Spontaneous reboots, especially when you start a camera or game.
• 🐢 Strong lags with free memory (e.g. 2GB is free, but the interface is slowing down).
• 📉 Decrease in performance over time (e.g. after a year of use).
• 🚨 Application installation errors (e.g., “Not enough memory” although RAM is free).

If you see at least 2-3 items from the list, this is the reason:

1. Check RAM through Developer Settings → Memory → Memory Test (not available on all models).
2. Test the device using GSam Labs (showing hardware failures).
3. Contact the service center if the tests confirm the fault of the memory module.

On some Xiaomi models (such as the POCO F3 or Xiaomi 11T), the problems with RAM may be related to overheating of the chipset, in which case replacing the thermal paste or installing a cooling case will help. If the warranty is still valid, do not try to repair the device yourself - this may cancel it.

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To check if the lags are causing overheating, install the CPU Thermometer app and run a load test (e.g., a game) if the temperature is above 70°C, it is critical.

FAQ: Frequent questions about RAM consumption on Xiaomi