How to expand RAM on Xiaomi: real ways and settings

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a shortage of RAM, especially on budget models where RAM is limited to 4 or 6 GB. This leads to constant reboots of background applications, micro-lags when switching between tasks and slow interface performance. Users are looking for ways to expand RAM on Xiaomi to improve the performance of the device without buying a new gadget.

There are several approaches to this problem, from built-in system functions to third-party utilities. It is important to understand that physically increasing the number of memory chips is impossible, but you can optimize the use of available resources. In this article, we will discuss virtual memory, developer settings and specialized programs for creating a swap partition.

Before you start taking action, you need to clearly distinguish between internal memory (ROM) and RAM. RAM is a temporary storage where the processor stores data from running applications. When it's not enough, the system starts to reset applications, which you notice as "outs."

Modern MIUI and HyperOS shells offer built-in optimization mechanisms that use a portion of permanent storage as an addition to RAM. However, the effectiveness of such methods depends on the speed of your drive, since UFS memory works differently than traditional RAM.

Don’t expect a miracle: expanding memory with software methods will not turn a budgetary into a flagship, but can significantly smooth the system. Next, we will look at specific steps that will help you squeeze the most out of the existing hardware.

Built-in memory expansion function in MIUI and HyperOS

Starting with certain firmware versions, Xiaomi has introduced a feature that allows you to use some of the internal memory for RAM needs, a technology known as Memory Extension or "Memory Extension", which automatically redistributes resources when the usual 4 or 6 GB are filled.

You don't need to be an experienced engineer or superuser to activate this option, but you do it through the standard settings menu if your device model supports this feature, and it usually offers 2 to 4 GB of virtual memory, which can make multitasking a big difference.

Keep in mind that using internal memory as RAM can slightly reduce the wear rate in the long run, although modern eMMC and UFS drives have a high rewrite life. If you are actively using heavy applications, turning this feature on is a justified step.

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The memory extension feature may not be available on older smartphone models or in early versions of MIUI, even if the amount of internal memory allows it to be activated.

The process of turning on is simple, but it requires rebooting the device, and once activated, you'll notice that the About Phone menu displays an increased value of available RAM, not magic, but a smart reallocation of system resources that helps keep more applications in the background.

Set up developer parameters to optimize RAM

If the built-in memory extension is not enough or it is missing, you can turn to the hidden settings of the system. The Developer Menu contains parameters that affect how Android manages background processes and application cache.

First thing you need to do is activate the developer mode. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI" or "Version". OS". After the notification “You became a developer” will open access to the extended menu.

Inside the menu, find the memory-related section, and we're interested in "Background Process Limit" and "Do Not Save Actions." Setting a background limit to "Standard Limit" or "No More than 4 Processes" helps the system to clean up memory more aggressively, making room for active tasks.

Also, look at the animation settings. While they don't increase the physical amount of RAM, the reduction in the scale of the animation of windows and transitions creates a sense of faster system operation, which reduces the load on the GPU and indirectly helps RAM.

• 🚀 Find the item "Limit of background processes" in the developer menu.
• 🚀 Set a value of "No More than 2 Processes" for maximum performance in games.
• 🚀 Turn off the "Absolute Background Activity Ban" option if notifications stop working.
• 🚀 Reset the developer settings if the system starts to behave unstable.

Using third-party applications to create a Swap file

A more advanced method that was popular before Xiaomi introduced system features was to create a swap file, a dedicated file on an internal drive that the system perceives as additional RAM, requiring special applications, often called "SWAP No Root".

The principle of such programs is to create a file of a certain size (for example, 1 GB or 2 GB) and force it to mount as a swap partition.This allows Android to move less active data from the fast RAM to this file, making room for running games.

It is important to understand that root rights may be required to operate such applications, although many modern utilities are able to bypass this limitation using special drivers or adb commands. Without root rights, the effectiveness of the method may be lower, since the system will restrict access to low-level memory management functions.

Once you have created the file and activated the function in the application, you need to restart the device. In some cases, you need to restart the application after you turn on the phone to re-activate the swap partition.

Expanding RAM through a computer and ADB-team

For users who don’t want to install dubious apps directly on their phone, there is a method of using USB debugging and command line on a computer, which is considered safer and cleaner, since it does not require installing additional software on the Android system.

You will need a computer with ADB drivers installed and the smartphone itself with USB debugging enabled. By connecting the device, you can send a command that will change the priorities of memory allocation or activate hidden functions if they are in the firmware, but hidden from the user.

One effective command is to resize the DALVIK cache or force the zRAM to turn on if the kernel allows it, but this method requires caution: an incorrect command can lead to a cyclic bootloop.

adb shell wm size density 400


adb shell setprop persist.sys.zram_enabled 1

The second command in the example tries to activate memory compression (zRAM), which is a more efficient way of "extension" than creating a swap file. ZRAM compresses data in RAM, allowing more information to be stored there before it is dumped onto a disk.

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Use of the ADB-commands - the cleanest way of optimization, not clogging the system with unnecessary applications, but requiring the presence of a PC.

Comparison of methods of memory expansion

Each of the methods examined has its pros and cons. Built-in function MIUI It's the most stable, but it's not available everywhere. SWAP They offer flexibility, but they can reduce the speed of the drive. ADB-Teams are effective but difficult for beginners.

Below is a table that will help you choose the best way to handle your situation: Pay attention to the access rights requirements and the impact on the speed of the device.

If you have a modern Xiaomi smartphone with fast memory UFS 2.1 or 3.1, the use of swap files or built-in extension will be almost imperceptible for speed. On older devices with eMMC memory, any active use of the disk as RAM can cause slowdowns of the interface.

The effect of RAM expansion on productivity and wear

The big question that users are concerned about is, is it worth the candle? Expanding RAM to internal memory is a trade-off: You get more space for applications, but you sacrifice the speed of access to data, because the drive is much slower than real RAM.

When you're actively working with a swap file or extended memory, the system has to read and write data to the disk all the time, which puts additional strain on the memory controller. Although modern technology can withstand millions of write cycles, the theoretical life of the device is consumed faster.

⚠️ Attention: Constant active recording of large amounts of data (swapping) can lead to overheating of the smartphone and accelerated wear of the battery due to the operation of the processor and memory controller in enhanced mode.

However, for most use cases (social media, browser, light games), the user will not notice the difference in speed, but will feel the advantage of fewer app reboots. If your phone choked with 4 GB of memory, expanding to 6 or 8 GB will virtually become a breath of fresh air.

It is recommended to periodically check the state of internal memory. If after a month of using the extension you notice a sharp drop in the speed of writing or reading files, it is better to turn off and clear the cache of the system.

Frequent questions and challenges in expanding

As you set up, you often get the same questions: Why did the phone slow down after the memory expansion? Why did the SWAP app not start? The answers lie in the individual characteristics of each model and version of Android.

For example, on Android 12 and 13, memory management mechanisms have been significantly rewritten, and older methods of creating swap files can conflict with system processes. MIUI.

⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to create a swap file larger than 50% of the disk space available, which will result in a critical shortage of space for the system and applications to run, causing crashes.

It's also worth remembering that extended memory will never work as fast as physical memory. 3D-shooters, it is better to close all background applications manually than to hope for automatic expansion of RAM.