How to watch the RAM on Xiaomi: all the ways

Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are equipped with an impressive amount of RAM, but over time the system can start to work slower and applications can be unloaded from memory. Users often wonder how to accurately find out the current amount of free and occupied RAM to understand whether the device has enough resources or it is time to clean the background processes.

Unlike computers, where a task manager is enough, on Android devices, access to detailed statistics can be hidden in the depths of the menu or require activation of special modes. In this article, we will examine all available methods, from standard settings of the MIUI shell and HyperOS to the use of engineering codes and third-party utilities.

Understanding how RAM works on your gadget will help extend its autonomy and speed up the interface, and we’ll look not only at how you view it, but also at the nuances of interpreting the data so you can distinguish between normal system behavior and real resource scarcity.

Checking through standard system settings

The easiest and safest way to find out basic memory information is to go to the standard settings menu. However, manufacturers often hide the detail by showing only the total volume. To see a more detailed picture, you need to find the About phone or Advanced Settings section. Depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS, the path may vary slightly, but the logic remains the same.

Click on Memory (or Storage if you switch to RAM) to see the usage schedule, which shows the total physical memory and the amount available right now, and can also tell you which applications are consuming the most resources, which is useful for optimization.

⚠️ Note: In new firmware versions, Xiaomi can hide the exact number of megabytes in the public domain, showing only the percentage of occupancy, which is made to simplify the interface, but complicates diagnosis for advanced users.

If the standard menu isn't enough, you can use the built-in cleaning tool. Go to the Security app, which is preinstalled on all the brand's smartphones. By clicking on the Cleanup button, you'll see the current RAM load and you can (with a single tap) free up resources by closing the background processes.

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To quickly clean up your memory, use the Memory Cleanup widget on your desktop. Add it over a long tap over an empty area of the screen and select "Widgets" → "Security."

Use of the “Developers” menu

To get more technical information, you need to activate hidden debugging mode. This allows accessing to system logs and CPU and memory details. To open access, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI or HyperOS version seven times. Once the "You're a developer" notification appears, the menu will expand.

In the Addition section (or in the basic settings), we'll see a Developers section, and we'll be interested in the Services section, and you'll see not just the amount of memory you're using, but a list of specific processes that are eating up resources in real time.

• 📱 Running Services: Shows active applications and system processes with memory for each.
• 📉 Usage statistics: Demonstrates how the phone has behaved since the last reboot.
• 🛑 Background process limit: allows you to artificially limit the number of applications running in the background (not recommended for beginners).

Using this section requires caution. Changing the settings in the developer menu can lead to unstable system operation or unexpected closure of important applications, such as instant messengers. If you are not sure about the purpose of a particular option, it is better to leave the default values.

Engineering menus and hidden codes

The deepest level of diagnostics is available through an engineering menu that is hidden from the average user. USSD-This method allows you to see technical information about the condition of the iron, including detailed statistics on memory modules.

Most Xiaomi devices use the code ##6484## or #4636## to log in to the engineering menu. Once you enter the last character, the menu will open automatically. If the codes don't work, your firmware version or regional modification may block this access.

##4636##

Once you log in, select Phone Information. Scroll down to the Memory section, and you can see not only the total volume, but also the details by memory type, which is especially important when diagnosing performance issues.

Third-party monitoring applications

When built-in tools are scarce, specialized tools from the Google Play store come to the rescue, providing a more user-friendly interface and historical data, and the leader in this niche is the CPU-Z application, which displays information about SoCs, sensors and, of course, memory.

The RAM tab in these applications shows the total volume, memory type (like LPDDR4X or LPDDR5) and current load, which gives you an idea of how efficiently the device manages resources, and applications like DevCheck or AIDA64 that provide detailed reports are also popular.

Using third-party software has its advantages: you can see the history of changes and receive notifications when there is a critical shortage of RAM. However, it is worth remembering that such applications consume some of the resources themselves, working in the background.

Analysis via computer and ADB

For professional diagnostics, when the phone is unstable or not fully turned on, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging is used, which requires a connection to a PC and install drivers, but gives access to console commands of the system.

Once the device is connected and USB debugging enabled, you can enter a command in the command line on the computer to output a list of processes and memory they occupy, which allows you to see "hidden" processes that are not displayed in the normal interface.

adb shell dumpsys meminfo

The team will produce a detailed report, where Total RAM will be broken down into categories: Native, Dalvik, Unknown, and others, an indispensable tool for developers and advanced users who want to find memory leaks in a particular application.

Virtual Memory and RAM Extension

In modern Xiaomi models with the shell MIUI 12.5 and later, as well as in HyperOS, there is a function of expanding RAM. The system takes a part of the permanent memory (ROM) and uses it as an addition to RAM. You can check the status of this feature in the settings menu.

Go to Settings → Expand Memory. Here you will see how many gigabytes are allocated to the virtual RAM and you can change this setting. After changing, you need to restart the device. However, you should understand that the speed of virtual memory is lower than that of physical LPDDR.

⚠️ Attention: Continuous use of memory expansion can accelerate wear on the phone drive, as write/rewrite cycles will be more intense. Use this option only when real resource shortages are in place.

The efficiency of this technology depends on the speed of the internal drive. On low-cost models with slow eMMC memory, the performance gains can be missed, and in some cases even get micro-lags of the interface.

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Memory expansion is a useful feature for multitasking, but it does not replace physical RAM and can affect the longevity of the drive.

Interpretation of indicators and standards

Understanding the numbers is key. Many users panic when they see 70-80% of RAM is occupied. However, for Android, the “wasted memory” principle is used. The system preloads frequently used applications to RAM to run them instantly.

Anxiety should be struck only when there is less free memory. 10-15%, And the phone starts to slow down, and the apps reboot every time they switch. Normally, even high loads are not a problem if the interface is running smoothly.

• 🟢 Up to 60%: Perfect condition, reserve for heavy games and tasks.
• 🟡 60-85%: Normal workload for a modern smartphone.
• 🔴 Over 90%: Critical zone, likely lags and app crashes.

If you see a constant high load even after rebooting and cleaning, you may have a problem application or a malicious miner, in which case analyzing the list of running processes through the developer menu will help.