How to see what is spent RAM on Android Xiaomi: 5 ways with a detailed analysis

RAM on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the key resources that determines the speed of your device. If your Redmi, POCO or Mi started to slow down, slow down when switching between applications or spontaneously close programs, most likely, the problem lies in the lack of RAM. But how to understand what processes or applications eat up memory? In this article, we will examine all the available methods, from standard MIUI tools to hidden functions for power users.

It is important to consider that Xiaomi is actively optimizing the background of applications through its own algorithms (Memory Extension, Deep Clean), which can mask the real consumption of RAM. We will show you how to circumvent these limitations and get accurate data on memory consumption, including system processes that are usually hidden from the user.

1. Standard monitoring through the “Settings” of MIUI

The easiest way to check RAM consumption is to use built-in MIUI tools. This method is suitable for all modern Xiaomi smartphones (starting with MIUI 12 and later), including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T and others. The interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the overall algorithm remains unchanged.

To open the section with information about RAM:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5-7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if it is not already enabled).
3. Return to the main Settings menu and open a new section for developers.
4. Scroll down to the Memory block and select Memory Use.

Here you will see a graph of real-time RAM loading, as well as a list of applications sorted by consumption level. Note the Average Usage column, which shows how much memory an application takes in the background. System processes (such as com.miui.home or android.systemui) can take up up to 30-40% of RAM even on a clean device — this is normal for MIUI.

2. Hidden mode "Memory Details" (for power users)

MIUI has a hidden utility called Memory Details that provides advanced statistics on RAM usage, including data on cached processes and “killed” applications (those that were forcibly shut down by the system), which is not available through the standard menu, but can be run using ADB or a special shortcut.

Method 1: Through ADB (PC required):

adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.SubSettings

After completing the command, a menu will appear on the smartphone screen where you need to select Memory Details.

Method 2: Through a shortcut (without PC):

1. Create a shortcut on your desktop with the address: intent:#Intent;component=com.android.settings/.SubSettings;end
2. Open the shortcut and select Memory Details.

In this section you will find:

• 📊 Timetable for the use of RAM for the last 3/6/12/24 hour.
• 🔍 List of all processes, including hidden system processes (e.g. mediaserver, surfaceflinger).
• ⚡ Information about “killed” applications (which programs the system closed to free memory).
• 🛠️ Memory fragmentation data (relevant for devices with 4-6 GB of RAM).

⚠️ Note: If you see high-consumption com.xiaomi.miservice or high-consumption com.miui.analytics (over 200-300 MB) in the process list, this may indicate a malfunction of Xiaomi services. → Annexes.

3. Analysis through Security (Security and Optimization)

The Security app in MIUI not only scans for viruses, but also provides detailed information about resource consumption, which is convenient because it does not require activation of the developer mode and shows the binding of RAM consumption to the battery - you can see which applications simultaneously "eat" memory and discharge the battery.

Instructions:

1. Open the Security app (if it isn’t on the desktop, search through search).
2. Go to Optimization (or Boost in newer versions).
3. Slap the icon. ⚙️ (settings) in upper right corner.
4. Choose Memory Use or Battery and Performance.

Here you'll see:

• 📱 Top.-5 applications for RAM consumption (with an indication of the time of activity).
• 🔋 The connection between memory and battery – which programs drain the phone due to high CPU/RAM load.
• 🚫 List of "blocked" applications (those that MIUI limited in background work).

Top applications for memory consumption | RAM and battery consumption | List of blocked background processes | Recommendations for optimization-->

Note the Deep Clean option, which, if active, can aggressively close the background processes, leading to a false sense of lack of RAM. In some cases, disabling this feature (in Security → AutoStart settings) helps stabilize the device.

4. Third-party utilities: what to choose for Xiaomi

Standard MIUI tools don’t always show the full picture, especially if the problem is in system processes or drivers, and third-party applications will help in such cases. We tested 10 popular utilities and selected the ones that work best on Xiaomi without conflicts with MIUI:

We recommend starting with DevCheck or Simple System Monitor, as they do not require root rights and do not conflict with MIUI optimizations. If you need to forcefully close processes, try Greenify - it gently "sleeps" applications without disrupting the system.

⚠️ Note: Do not use applications like this RAM Booster or Clean Master – These often contain ads and can impair performance by constantly clearing the cache that actually speeds up the smartphone.

Advanced diagnostics via ADB (for technical users)

If you want the most accurate data on RAM consumption, including information about each stream and dedicated memory, you can use the command dumpsys meminfo via ADB. This method is suitable for diagnosing complex cases, for example, when a Xiaomi smartphone suddenly reboots or “hangs” for no apparent reason.

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and activate Debugging over USB in the developer settings.
2. Open the command line (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) and type in: adb shell dumpsys meminfo
3. To analyze a particular application (e.g. Facebook) use: adb shell dumpsys meminfo com.facebook.katana

In the conclusion of the command, pay attention to the following parameters:

• 📌 Java Heap – memory allocated for Java applications (normal: 50-150 MB for one application).
• 📌 Native Heap – memory used by native processes (high values may indicate leakage).
• 📌 TOTAL — total RAM consumption by the process (if it exceeds 500MB for a conventional application, this is cause for concern).

If you see processes with abnormally high consumption (e.g., com.android.systemui takes up more than 1 GB), this may indicate:

• 🐞 Memory leak in firmware (relevant for beta versions) MIUI).
• 🦠 Infection with a virus (some Trojans disguise themselves as system processes).
• 🔄 Optimization conflict (for example, simultaneously working) MIUI Optimization and a third-party booster).

6. How to release RAM without harming the system

When you find voracious processes, don’t rush to force them to close, which can lead to unstable smartphone operation. Instead, follow safe optimization methods:

Step 1: Cleaning the cache of system applications

Many MIUI processes (e.g. com.miui.gallery or com.android.providers.media) accumulate a cache that takes hundreds of megabytes of RAM over time to clear it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
2. Select a system application (such as Gallery or Music).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

Step 2: Disable Auto-Run Unnecessary Applications

Many programs (especially social networks and instant messengers) are launched when the phone is turned on and hang in the background, consuming RAM.

1. Open Security → Autostart.
2. Turn off auto-run for applications that shouldn’t work in the background (such as games or rarely used utilities).

Step 3: Set up MIUI Optimization

The new MIUI versions have Memory Extension, which uses a portion of the ROM as virtual RAM, which can help on devices with 4-6 GB of RAM:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Expand memory.
2. Turn on the option and select the volume (recommended 1-2 GB).

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If your smartphone is still slowing down after optimization, try rolling back the firmware to a stable version of MIUI. Beta versions often contain memory management bugs.

Step 4: Restart in Safe Mode

If you suspect that the problem is caused by a third-party application, load your smartphone in safe mode (hold the shutdown button → Safe Mode). This mode only works system processes. If the RAM stopped leaking, then one of the installed applications is to blame.

7. Frequent reasons for overspending of RAM on Xiaomi

Based on the analysis of thousands of Xiaomi devices, we identified the TOP-5 reasons why RAM is inefficiently consumed:

1. Social media backups (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) can take up to 500-700MB of RAM even when rolled up.
2. For example, MIUI 14 for the Redmi Note 11 had a bug that caused the com.android.phone process to consume up to 1 GB of memory.
3. Viruses and mining bots: Some Trojans disguise themselves as system processes (e.g. com.android.google) and use RAM for covert mining.
4. Optimizer conflict: Simultaneous operation of MIUI Optimization and third-party boosters (e.g., CCleaner) leads to a “twitch” of memory.
5. Popular games like Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile may not release RAM after closing.

If you notice that RAM is used up even when your phone is idle (for example, overnight consumption increases from 20% to 70%), most likely one of the system processes is to blame, in which case only resetting or flashing will help.

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On Xiaomi devices with 8+GB of RAM, a background memory consumption of 30-40% is the norm.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions