RAM on Xiaomi: How to Free and Speed Up RAM Without Losing Data

Why Xiaomi is slowing down due to a lack of RAM?

Xiaomi MIUI-based smartphones often face a shortage of RAM (RAM), especially in budget and mid-budget models like the Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3 Pro. Even at 4-6 GB of RAM, the system starts to “hang”, applications reboot, and animation twitches, due to the aggressive policy of memory management in MIUI, which sacrifices background processes to save charge.

But the problem isn't always the hardware. Most often, RAM gets clogged because of:

• 🗑️ Application cache – temporary files that are not automatically cleared;
• 👻 Background processes – messengers, social networks and system services that hang in memory;
• 🔄 Autoboots – programs that start when the phone is turned on;
• 📱 Optimization MIUI — branded "chips" of the type Memory Extension (extension) RAM), Sometimes it works worse than standard Android devices.

In this article, we will discuss 10 proven ways to free and speed up RAM on Xiaomi – from basic to advanced, including hidden MIUI settings and secure tweaks without root rights.

1. Cleaning the application cache and system

The easiest and safest way to free up to 1-2 GB of RAM is to remove the accumulated cache. Unlike these applications, the cache does not contain important information and can be cleared without consequences.

How to clear the cache on Xiaomi:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or Instagram) and click Clear Cache.
3. For mass cleaning, use Settings → Memory → Clear cache (not available on all versions of MIUI).

For deep cleaning of the system cache:

Settings → About phone → Memory → Clean (in the section "System cache")

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If the app is slower after cleaning the cache, don't worry. It's temporary: the data is cached again through 1-2 uses.

⚠️ Please note: Do not clear the cache for Google Play Services and MIUI System – this can lead to failures in the work of Google services and branded features Xiaomi.

2. disable autoloading of unnecessary applications

Many programs (especially Chinese ones) are added to the autoload and run when the phone is turned on, occupying RAM. Mi Video, Mi Music or GetApps, for example, often hang in the background unnecessarily.

How to turn off autoboot:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Auto-start.
• 🔍 Sort the list by last use date and disable autoload for underutilized apps.
• 🚫 Pay special attention to games and social networks – they are often entered into the autoload without your knowledge.

For advanced users: Some system applications (e.g., com.xiaomi.mipicks) can be disabled via ADB, but this requires caution.

3. Optimization of background processes in MIUI

MIUI allows you to manually adjust how many applications can run in the background. By default, the system limits background processes, but sometimes those restrictions are too tight.

How to set up background processes:

1. Open Settings → Special features → RAM (on some firmware, the path may differ).
2. Choose Standard (balance between performance and power consumption) or No Limits (maximum performance but fast battery drain).
3. Turn on the option to Clean RAM when you lock the screen if you want to automatically free up memory when you turn off the display.

MIUI also has a hidden Memory Extension feature that uses a portion of the internal memory as a virtual RAM to enable it:

Settings → Additional → Memory Extension

✅ Check the current mode in "Rapid memory"

✅ Disable background work for unnecessary applications

✅ Insert "Cleaning" RAM when blocked” (optional)

✅ Check the availability of Memory Extension-->

4.Use of the performance mode

Xiaomi offers several performance profiles that affect resource allocation, including RAM.These modes are hidden in the developer menu.

How to turn on the maximum performance mode:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option to limit background processes and select No Limits.
4. Turn it on. GPU-Accelerate (if available) and install Windows animation, transition animation and Animator Duration on 0.5x speed up the interface.

Also in developer mode, you can disable MIUI Optimization, a proprietary optimization that sometimes conflicts with standard Android mechanisms.

Settings → For developers → Disable "Optimization MIUI"

⚠️ Attention: Disconnection MIUI Optimization can cause some features (such as gestures or themes) to work in an unstable way.

5. Remove embedded applications (without root)

Many of Xiaomi’s built-in apps (e.g. Mi Pay, Mi Community, Mi Home) cannot be removed by standard means, but they can be deactivated or removed via ADB.

List of safe to remove system applications:

Instructions for removal through ADB:

1. Install ADB Tools on your PC.
2. Connect the phone to your computer and allow debugging over USB.
3. Enter the command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.videoplayer (replace com.miui.videoplayer with the desired package).

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Removing system applications not only frees up RAM, but also internal memory, and reduces the number of background processes.

6. Use of lightweight alternatives to heavy applications

Some popular apps (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Chrome) consume hundreds of megabytes of RAM even in the background, and can be replaced with lighter ones:

• 🌐 Instead of Chrome, Bromite (without trackers) or Firefox Focus (minimalist browser).
• 📷 Instead of Instagram, Barinsta or Instand (unofficial customers with less memory consumption).
• 💬 Facebook Messenger – Messenger Lite or Dust.
• 🎵 Instead of Spotify, ViMusic is used if you use YouTube Music).

It is also worth abandoning the “heavy” launchers such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher in favor of the standard MIUI Launcher or Lawnchair (light launcher based on AOSP).

Comparison of RAM consumption by popular applications and their alternatives:

7. factory reset (last resort)

If all of the above methods didn’t work, and the phone is still slowing down due to a lack of RAM, it may be a problem with a fragmented system or conflicts between applications, in which case a full reset will help.

How to reset Xiaomi to factory settings:

1. Back up your data through Settings → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.

After discharge:

• 🔧 Don’t restore all apps at once – install them one at a time and monitor your consumption. RAM.
• 📵 Turn off automatic app updates on Google Play.
• 🛡️ Don't install optimizers. RAM Play Market – They often make things worse.

⚠️ Warning: Reset will delete all data, including photos, messages and accounts. If the phone is encrypted, you will need to enter the password from your Mi Account after the reset.

8. Advanced methods (for experienced users)

If you’re ready to go further, here are some advanced ways to optimize RAM:

• 🔧 Change the Lmkd (Low Memory Killer Daemon) settings ADB It's a way of controlling which processes are killed when memory is scarce.
• 📊 Using Greenify with root rights to hibernate unnecessary apps.
• 🔄 Install a custom core (e.g. FrancoKernel or Perseus) optimized for your Xiaomi model.

Example of commands to change the parameters of lmkd (requires root):

echo "ro.config.low_ram=false" >> /system/build.prop

To apply the changes, you need to restart the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about RAM on Xiaomi