How to expand RAM on Xiaomi phone: real ways and myths

Xiaomi smartphones are known for their price-quality ratio, but even flagship models through the 1-2 The year of operation begins to "brake" due to a lack of RAM. 12 or POCO X5 It's getting slower to switch between apps, and games are starting to stoop, which is probably a problem with RAM. But can you increase RAM on your phone physically or programmatically? Spoiler: Yes, but not in the way that many people think.

In this article, we will analyze all working methods for expanding RAM on Xiaomi - from standard functions. RAM Expansion to extreme ways of overclocking and modifying firmware, and why some of the Internet's "tips" are not only useless, but also dangerous to the device. Ready!

1. What is it? RAM Expansion and how it works on Xiaomi

Function RAM Expansion (or “RAM Extension”) appeared in Xiaomi smartphones since the beginning of the year. MIUI 12.5 It has become a standard feature for most models. 2021 The technology is simple: the phone uses a portion of the internal memory (UFS/NAND) It's like extra RAM, but there's some nuances.

Unlike physical RAM (which runs at 1800-3200 MHz), flash-based virtual memory is 5-10 times slower. RAM Expansion only increases in the background — for active tasks (games, video editing), it is almost useless.+ Chrome tab and instant messengers, even 1-2 GB of virtual memory can help.

How does it work technically? MIUI It reserves up to 3 to 5 GB of internal memory for a swapfile, which is used on a cache basis. When physical RAM is not enough, data from rarely used applications is “reset” into this file, freeing up memory for active tasks.

⚠️ Attention: On models with UFS 2.1 (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) virtual memory is worse than on the computer UFS 3.1 (Xiaomi 12T or POCO F5). If your smartphone is older than 2020, don’t expect miracles. RAM Expansion.

What Xiaomi models support RAM Expansion?

To check if your smartphone supports the feature, go to Settings → The phone. → Memory and storage → RAM extension. If there's no point, then the hardware platform is not compatible.

2. How to turn on RAM Expansion on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

If your smartphone supports the technology, you can activate it in 30 seconds.

1. Open Settings and go to About Phone.
2. Select Memory and Storage (on some firmware - Storage).
3. Tap on the RAM Extension (or Virtual) RAM global versions MIUI).
4. Move the slider to the desired volume (we recommend starting with 1-2 GB).
5. Restart your phone and the changes will take effect.

After activation, the menu will be updated with the following message «+XGB is next to total RAM. For example, if you have a Redmi Note 12 Pro with 8GB of physical memory and you add 3GB of virtual memory, the system will show 11GB.

Close all background applications

Check the space available (needs at least 5 GB)

Connect your phone to charge (recommended)

Don't interrupt the setup process-->

⚠️ Note: Some custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS) feature RAM Expansion may not work well or at all. Check compatibility on the forum before installing alternative software. XDA Developers.

If after turning on the smartphone began to slow down more, try:

• 🔄 Reduce the amount of virtual memory to 1 GB.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔋 Restart the device in safe mode (hold the power button) → Safe regime).

💡

If, after activation, RAM Expansion phone started to warm up, disable the function and check the load on the processor through the application CPU Monitor (available on Google Play).

3. Myths about expanding RAM on Xiaomi: what doesn't work

There are a lot of RAM tips on the Internet that are either useless or harmful, and we'll take a look at some of the most popular myths and explain why they won't work.

Myth 1: “You can add RAM through a memory card”

Some users believe that microSD can be used as RAM, as was done on older PCs with ReadyBoost in Windows Vista.

• 🚫 Android does not support the use of memory cards as RAM at the hardware level.
• 🐢 Even if it worked, microSD speeds (even if it did) UHS-II) 100+ less than the physical RAM.
• ⚠️ Applications attempting to emulate this process (e.g, ROEHSOFT RAM-EXPANDER), They need root rights and often break the system.

Myth 2: “Cleaning the cache frees RAM”

Many people think that regular cleaning of cache through Settings → Warehouse → Cleaning up will help to "free" the RAM:

• 🧹 Application cache is stored in internal memory, not in RAM.
• 🔄 Clearing the cache can increase the load on RAM, as the system will have to reload data.
• ⚡ The only way to really free RAM is to close the background applications manually or use the adb shell to force cleanup.

Myth 3: “Root rights will allow you to add RAM”

Some "gurus" claim that root can unlock hidden memory or emulate extra gigabytes.

• 🔧 Yes, with root you can activate swap on the memory card, but this will not increase RAM, but only create a paging file (as in the case of the paging file). RAM Expansion, but worse).
• 💥 Incorrect swappiness settings (the kernel parameter responsible for using swap) can lead to system freezes.
• 🚨 In most modern Xiaomi (C) MIUI 14+) root breaks data encryption and blocks access to banking applications.

If you want to experiment, here is a command to create a swap file (requires busybox and root):

su


dd if=/dev/zero of=/sdcard/swapfile bs=1M count=1024




mkswap /sdcard/swapfile




swapon /sdcard/swapfile

⚠️ Attention: Using swap on a microSD reduces card life by 3-5 times due to constant rewrite cycles.

4. Alternative ways to optimize RAM without extension

If RAM Expansion doesn't work or it doesn't work on your model, so try these methods. They won't increase the physical amount of memory, but they will help you use it more efficiently.

1. Disconnecting background processes

By default. MIUI aggressively caches applications even when they're not in use to limit background activity:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or TikTok).
3. Slip the battery. → Background restriction → Limit.

2.Use of the performance mode

In some models (POCO F4 GT, Black Shark 5) has a hidden Game Turbo mode that optimizes the allocation of RAM for games:

• 🎮 Keep the game icon on the main screen → Details. → Performance mode.
• ⚡ Enable Memory Cleanup before Startup (available in the MIUI 13+).

3. Resetting the system cache

If the phone is slowing down after the update, try resetting the system cache (does not delete user data):

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to Enter Recovery.
3. Select Wipe cache partition → Yes.
4. Reset the device.

💡

The most effective way to free up RAM is to limit the background activity of social networks and instant messengers, for example, Telegram in the background can take up to 500 MB of memory even without active use.

4. Installation of lightweight versions of applications

Replace the “heavy” applications with their lighter versions:

5. Extreme methods: acceleration and modification of firmware

If you're willing to take risks, there are ways to get the most out of your phone, but remember, these methods can take away warranties, cause overheating, or even brick your device.

1. Acceleration of RAM through the core

On some smartphones (POCO F3, Redmi K40) You can increase the frequency of RAM through the custom core (for example, FrancoKernel or Kirisakura:

1. Install. TWRP and a custom core with acceleration support.
2. Use the Kernel Adiutor app or EX Kernel Manager.
3. In the Memory section, increase the frequency. DRAM 10-15% (for example, from 1800 MHz to 2000 MHz).

⚠️ Attention: RAM overclocking increases power consumption and heat generation. on Snapdragon 7xx/8xx This can lead to trottling (automatic performance decline) already through the 10–15 play-off.

2. Replacement of RAM physically

Theoretically, some models (Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, Black Shark 4 Pro) can be replaced with RAM chips, but in practice it is:

• 💰 It costs more than buying a new phone (chip price) LPDDR5 — from $50 for 4GB).
• 🔧 Requires soldering equipment and microelectronics skills.
• ⚠️ 90% probability will lead to loss of warranty and damage to the motherboard.

If you do want to try it, look for a donor fee on AliExpress or eBay (for example, for Redmi). K50 Gaming sometimes sells RAM modules on RAM $30–$But keep in mind that even a successful replacement does not guarantee stable operation - you need firmware with support for new memory capacity.

6. Comparison of methods: what really works?

To make it easier for you to choose the right method, we have collected all methods in one table with an assessment of effectiveness and risks.

As you can see, the safest and most effective methods are a combination of RAM Expansion + optimization of background processes + Extreme methods (overclocking, replacing chips) are only justified for enthusiasts or owners of outdated models (Redmi Note 8 Pro, Mi). 9T).

💡

If your smartphone is released before 2020, the best way to increase RAM is to buy a new phone. RAM Expansion on older chipsets (Snapdragon) 6xx, Helio Gxx is extremely inefficient.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When you try to expand RAM, users often make critical errors that lead to the opposite effect, the phone starts to brake even more. Let's take a look at the most common ones.

Error 1: Including the maximum volume RAM Expansion

Many people think that if you add 5GB of virtual memory, the phone will fly.

• 🐢 Excessive swap slows down the system as data is constantly being rewritten between RAM and storage.
• 🔋 Battery consumption increases by 10-15% due to the active operation of flash memory.

Solution: Start with 1-2GB and monitor performance in Developer Options → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 5 times tap the version number → Come back to the extra. → For developers → Memory).

Mistake 2: Using “RAM Optimizers” from the Play Market

Apps like this RAM Booster or Clean Master promises to “free up memory with one tap:

• 🧨 They simply kill all background processes, including system processes, which leads to bugs.
• 📊 Some “optimizers” themselves consume up to 100-150 MB of RAM in the background.

Solution: Use built-in tools MIUI (Security → Optimization) or manual process management via adb:

adb shell am kill-all

Error 3: Ignoring firmware updates

Many people turn off auto-updates to keep them on the brakes, but in newer versions. MIUI They often optimize memory management:

• 📱 V MIUI 14 added dynamic RAM distribution for games.
• 🔄 V MIUI 13.5 fixes memory leakage bug in Google Play Services.

Solution: Update at least once every 2-3 months. Check the forum reviews before updating (4PDA, XDA) bug-proof.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions