Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones are complex computing devices where RAM and built-in ROM storage play a critical role in the speed of the interface. Users often face the need to diagnose these components when buying a used gadget or when strange system glitches appear. Android memory check is not just a look at free space in the gallery, but a deep analysis of the technical characteristics and physical condition of the chips.
Owners of Mi, Poco and Redmi devices have the unique advantage of having a deeply integrated MIUI shell or a new HyperOS that provides advanced hardware testing tools. However, standard settings menus don’t always show the full picture, hiding important details about memory type, read/write speed or the presence of broken sectors, which is why it’s important to know how to properly use hidden features and third-party utilities to get reliable data.
In this article, we will take a look at all the validation methods available, from simple statistics to complex engineering tests, learn how to distinguish software fill errors from real hardware problems, and understand how virtual memory expansion works in your device to avoid false conclusions about resource shortages.
Analysis of the regular means of the MIUI and HyperOS system
The first and most accessible step for any user is to access the built-in diagnostic tools. The Android operating system in conjunction with the Xiaomi shell provides basic but useful information about the state of the drive. To get this data, just go to the Settings → About phone menu, which shows the total amount of internal memory and the approximate amount of free space.
More detailed statistics are available through the Security app, which is pre-installed on all smartphones of the brand. Inside the Cleanup section, the system analyzes files and shows what exactly takes up space: app cache, large video files or system data, which allows you to quickly identify bloated programs that consume resources in vain.
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Use the built-in storage analyzer in the Security app once a week to delete temporary messenger files that can take up gigabytes of space.
But you have to keep in mind that standard tools only show logical volume, they don't report the health of the memory chip or its actual speed, and if the system says that the memory is full, even though you see a lot of free space, it could be a sign of hidden system logs or file system errors that require more in-depth intervention.
Using CIT’s Engineering Menu for Deep Diagnostics
For Xiaomi and Redmi owners, the most powerful tool is the hidden CIT (Customer Integration Test) menu, which is designed for factory testers and allows you to check every component of the device, including RAM and internal memory, for physical malfunctions.
You need to dial the combination ##6484## or ##4636##. If the code does not work, you can try to log in via the Settings menu → About Phone → Version of the kernel (you need to press 5-7 times). In the open list of tests, you should find items related to Storage or Memory. The test can take several minutes to run, during which the system will record and read test data.
☑️ Checking in CIT menu
If the test is successful, you will see a Pass message. If errors are detected, the system will give Fail a specific address or type of error. This is the most reliable way to check the physical integrity of memory chips before buying a used device.
⚠️ Attention: In the engineering menu CIT Be careful with formatting or reset options, select only items called "Test" or "Check", avoiding actions like "Format" or "Wipe" to avoid losing data.
Checking RAM through third-party applications
Android hardware often only shows the total amount of RAM, without detailing its type (LPDDR4X, LPDDR5) and current real-time loading. For professional information, it is best to use specialized utilities such as CPU-Z, AIDA64 or DevCheck. These applications have access to system sensors and can read SPD-like memory chip data.
Once you install an application like CPU-Z, you go to the Device or Memory tab, and here you'll see the exact name of the processor that's directly linked to the memory controller, and the type of RAM you've installed. You also see the number of active channels, which affects the speed of data exchange, which is especially important for gamers, because dual-channel mode significantly improves performance in heavy games.
In addition, these programs allow you to track the memory frequency in real time, if the frequency is constantly low, perhaps the power saving mode is turned on, limiting performance, Free RAM monitor helps to understand how effectively the system manages background processes and does not “kill” the desired applications.
Testing the speed of reading and writing the drive
The amount of internal memory is not the only important parameter. The speed of the drive (ROM) directly affects the speed of launching applications, installing updates and copying files. Xiaomi smartphones use different types of memory, from slow eMMC 5.1 in public-sector to ultrafast UFS 3.1 or UFS 4.0 in flagships. You can check the real speed using benchmarks such as AAndBench or AndroBench.
To do the test, you just run the application and press the Benchmark button, and the program records a large amount of test data and counts them, calculating the average speed in megabytes per second (MB/s). The results should be compared to reference values for your type of memory. UFS 3.1 The normal reading speed is higher. 1500-2000 MB/s.
A slow recording speed often indicates that the drive is full or worn out. Flash memory tends to degrade over time, especially if it is often filled to the end. If the speed in tests is much lower than the manufacturer's stated, this can be a signal that the drive will soon fail.
| Type of memory | Reading speed (min) | Recording speed (min) | Device level |
|---|---|---|---|
| eMMC 5.1 | 250 MB/s | 120 MB/s | Budgetary |
| UFS 2.1 | 500 MB/s | 150 MB/s | Medium. |
| UFS 3.0 | 1000 MB/s | 200 MB/s | High-pitched |
| UFS 3.1 | 1500 MB/s | 700 MB/s | Flagship |
Why does the speed drop when you fill?
Diagnostics through computer and ADB-commands
For advanced users who want to get the most information without installing unnecessary apps on their phone, a great solution is to use a computer and an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging bridge, which allows you to ask the system for accurate technical data about the memory partitions that are hidden in the normal interface.
First, activate USB debugging mode on your smartphone. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on MIUI Version to notify you of the developer mode. Then on the Additional → For developers, activate the USB debugging switch.
Connect your phone to your computer with a cable and open the command line on your PC. Enter the following command to get a list of memory partitions:
adb shell cat /proc/partitionsThis command will display a table of all partitions of the disk, and more detailed information about occupied and vacant space in bytes can be obtained by the command:
adb shell df -hUsing ADB also allows you to check for file system errors and see how the system sees the physical disk, which is especially useful if the phone is unstable and there are suspected logical errors in the partition structure.
⚠️ Attention: When working with ADB-Never use format commands without a full backup, as this will lead to the irretrievable loss of all data.
Expanding Memory: Myths and Reality of Work
Modern Xiaomi and Redmi models with MIUI 12.5+ and HyperOS have a feature called "Memory Extension" that allows you to reserve a portion of the embedded storage (ROM) and use it as additional RAM (RAM). From the Settings menu → Additional settings → Expansion of memory, you can select the amount of memory you add (usually from 2 to 5 GB).
Technically, this is done by creating a swap file, similar to the Swap in Linux. When physical RAM fills up, the system starts dumping less active data there. However, it is worth noting that even fast UFS memory is much slower than real LPDDR. So performance gains are not noticeable in all scenarios.
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The memory expansion feature is useful for multitasking (holding more apps in the background), but doesn't add power for heavy gaming or video processing.
Turning this feature on has the downside: it reduces the life of the onboard drive’s rewrite cycles as it starts to run in a more intense mode. If you have 8 GB of physical memory or more, the extension can be turned off to extend the life of the drive. On devices with 4 GB of RAM, this feature may be the only way to comfortably use heavy applications.