How to completely remove the memory extension on Xiaomi: 3 proven ways

Virtual memory extension (RAM Expansion) is a technology that Xiaomi has been actively implementing in its smartphones since MIUI 12.5, which allows you to use part of the internal drive as RAM, allegedly speeding up the device. However, in practice, many users experience system slowdown, overheating and accelerated wear of flash memory, if you notice that the phone began to “brake” after activating this feature, it can and should be turned off.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can remove memory extensions on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, including hidden settings, ADB commands and radical methods like factory resets. Also, we’ll find out why the feature can automatically turn on after MIUI updates and how to avoid it. Instructions are relevant for MIUI 13/14/15 firmware and models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

What is Xiaomi’s memory extension and why it should be turned off

RAM Expansion (called “Memory Extension” or “Dynamic RAM” in MIUI) uses a portion of the internal drive (UFS or eMMC) as virtual RAM, which Xiaomi says will increase multitasking by 20 to 30 percent, but users are faced with:

• 🐢 Slowing down the interface – the system begins to “hang” when switching between applications, since reading / writing in flash memory is 10–100 times slower than in the present. RAM.
• 🔥 Overheating – constant work with the drive increases the load on the processor and memory controller, which leads to an increase in temperature.
• 💥 Accelerated memory wear – flash drives have a limited write cycle life (e.g, UFS 2.2 is maintained ~3000 cycles. Virtual RAM increases the load 5-10 times.
• 📉 Reduced Autonomy Time – Additional memory operations consume battery power 5-15% faster.

Tests by independent labs like AnandTech or XDA Developers show that the real benefits of RAM Expansion are minimal – only 3-7% performance gains in synthetic tests, and in everyday use, the opposite is often observed, especially critical for low-end models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), where the already weak processor (Helio G25/G80) can not cope with the additional load.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) function is activated automatically after updating MIUI. Check the settings even if you didn’t manually enable them!

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to deactivate the memory extension in the system menu, which works on most devices with MIUI 12.5 and later, but can be hidden on some firmware for the European region.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5-7 times on the MIUI version until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
3. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional settings → For developers.
4. Find Memory Extension (or Memory Extension) and move the slider to the off position.
5. Reset the device.

If the item is not in the developer menu, try an alternative way:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Slap the icon. ⚙️ (gear) in upper right corner.
3. Select the RAM extension and turn off the function.

Item "Memory Extension" is not in the menu "For developers"|There's no badge in the memory settings. ⚙️|After restarting, the function is active again.|Free RAM increased by 1-3 GB-->

On some models (POCO F4, Xiaomi 11T) after disconnecting, you may need to clean the cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select System Applications → Settings.
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

⚠️ Attention: On firmware MIUI Global for Europe can be blocked, in which case only the ADB or-reset.

Method 2: Disconnect via ADB (for hidden settings)

If the standard method didn’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a low-level system management tool that is suitable for devices where Xiaomi has hidden the memory expansion settings.

Before we start:

• 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on PC (Windows/macOS/Linux).
• 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB In Settings → For developers.
• 🔌 Connect your phone to your computer with the original cable.

Instructions:

1. Open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
3. Execute the command to disable the memory extension: adb shell settings put global swapextension_enabled 0
4. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

To check the status of the function, use the command:

adb shell settings get global swapextension_enabled

If result is 0, extension is disabled. If 1, repeat the procedure or try an alternative command:

adb shell su -c "echo 0 > /sys/module/ramoops/parameters/enabled"

Yeah, often.|Yeah, but only 1-2 times.|No, but I want to learn.|No, and no planning.|I don't know what it is.-->

Method 3: Reset to factory settings (radical method)

If previous methods failed and the memory extension continues to work, the device is completely reset, and this method is guaranteed to remove all user settings, including hidden MIUI settings, but has serious consequences:

• 📂 All data (photos, videos, messages, applications) will be deleted).
• 🔄 The sleeve will return (if the sleeve is installed).
• 🔒 Reset accounts (Google, Mi Account, etc.).

Resetting instructions:

1. Back up important data through Settings → About Phone → Backup or Mi Cloud.
2. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Restore and reset.
3. Select Reset and confirm the action.
4. After restarting, configure your phone as new without restoring a backup (it may contain memory expansion settings).

If the function is activated again after reset, it means that it is built into the firmware for your model, in which case only:

• 📥 Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS).
• 🔧 Manual editing of the build.prop file (requires root).

💡

Before reset, write down your device's IMEI! After reset, check it with code #06# - if the IMEI resets, restore it via the engineering menu (#4636##*) or the Maui META program.

How to check if the memory extension is disabled

To make sure that virtual RAM is actually deactivated, use the following methods:

Method 1: Through Developer Settings

Go to Settings → Additional settings → For developers and find the items:

• Memory expansion must be off.
• Visualize RAM – Turn it on to see real memory usage.

Method 2: Using the CPU-Z application

Download CPU-Z from Google Play and check:

1. Open the Memory tab.
2. Compare the Total RAM value to the official specifications of your model. If it's larger, the expansion is still active.

Method 3: Through ADB

Follow the command:

adb shell cat /proc/meminfo | grep Swap

If the answer has non-zero strings (e.g. SwapTotal: 2097152 kB), the virtual memory works.

What to do if the memory expansion is turned on by itself

Many users complain that the feature is automatically activated after the MIUI update, due to Xiaomi’s policy, which enforces “optimization” on devices with low RAM (4-6 GB).

• 🔄 Reverse to the previous version MIUI via Fastboot (instructions are available on the XDA Developers).
• 📵 Block updates for specific system applications: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.virtualsim
• 🛡️ Install Magisk and Disable Flag Secure module that blocks forced settings.

For the Redmi Note 11 and later, there is another trick:

1. Install Activity Launcher from Google Play.
2. Find com.miui.securitycenter → MemoryExtensionActivity.
3. Open it and manually disable the function.

💡

If the memory extension is turned on after each update, it's a sign of a "sewn-up" feature in the firmware. The only radical solutions are custom firmware or not to upgrade MIUI.

Alternatives to memory expansion: how to really speed up Xiaomi

Instead of virtual RAM, which is often harmful, it is better to use proven optimization methods:

• ⚡ Disable animation: adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0 adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0 adb shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0
• 🧹 Clear the cache of system applications through Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🔧 Install a light firmware: For weak devices: MIUI Lite or MIUI EU (For advanced: ArrowOS or HavocOS (requires unlocking the bootloader).
• 📱 Use the lighter versions of the apps: Facebook Lite instead of the main Facebook; Twitter Lite or Fenix instead of the official client; YouTube Vanced (if still working) or NewPipe.

For devices with 4-6 GB of RAM, it will also help:

• 🎯 Background Limitation: Adb shell settings put global bg_process_limit 2 (where 2 — maximum number of background applications).
• 🔋 Shutdown MIUI Optimization (improves performance but loses some features): adb shell settings put global miui_optimization_disabled 1

⚠️ Note: On devices with MediaTek (Helio) G95, Dimensity 700) shutdown miui_optimization This can cause problems with the camera or sensors. make a backup before using!

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory expansion on Xiaomi