Modern apps and games require more resources from mobile devices, and Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a shortage of RAM. When RAM overflows, the system starts to run slower, applications are unloaded from the background, and games can freeze. This is especially true for the budget models of the Redmi and Poco series, where physical memory is often limited to 3 or 4 gigabytes.
In this article, we will discuss in detail whether it is possible to increase the physical memory of a device and what effective ways to expand virtual space are available. SWAP-Files and the intricacies of shell setting MIUI It is important to understand that the software extension has its limitations and affects the speed of the drive, but in critical situations this can be a salvation for the old gadget.
Before you start complex manipulations, you need to be clear about the difference between a physical chip and a virtual buffer. It is not software-enhanced to increase the physical volume of RAM, since the chip is soldered on the motherboard. All of the methods discussed below are aimed at optimizing the use of existing resources or creating a paging file that takes place from the internal memory of the device.
The principle of virtual memory and SWAP on Android
The Android operating system, like desktop OSes, can use a portion of internal flash memory (NAND) as an additional buffer for temporarily unused data, a process called swaping. When RAM is filled, the system moves the least active processes to a special paging file, making room for current tasks, which allows more applications to be kept open, although the speed of access to data in internal memory is much lower than RAM.
Xiaomi's smartphones have different implementations of this mechanism depending on the shell version. MIUI 14/15 It has a native extension function that works automatically, so you don't have to tamper with system files, you just have to activate the option in the settings, but you may need to manually create it on older devices or custom firmware. SWAP-Root-rights section.
⚠️ Warning: Constantly writing large amounts of data into internal memory when swapping actively accelerates the wear of the drive. On older devices with worn flash memory, this can lead to broken sectors and a decrease in the overall speed of the phone.
It is also worth considering that the speed of virtual memory depends on the class of the drive. If your smartphone uses slow memory such as eMMC, then active use of the device is not possible. SWAP It can, on the contrary, cause micro-freezes of the interface when switching between tasks. UFS 2.1 and above, this effect is almost invisible.
Native memory expansion in MIUI and HyperOS
Starting with MIUI 12.5 and in newer versions, Xiaomi has introduced Memory Extension, which allows you to reserve some of the internal memory (usually from 2 to 7 GB depending on the model) for the needs of the system, which is the most secure method, since optimization algorithms are already built into the core of the system and do not require third-party intervention.
To activate this feature, you need to go to the settings menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but most often it looks like this: Settings → Advanced Settings → Expansion of memory. In some regions or on global firmware, the item may be called Additional → Expansion of memory. Here you will see a slider that adjusts the amount of memory added.
After changing the settings, the system will require a reboot of the device. Reboot is mandatory, since partitioning only occurs when the operating system starts. After turning on in the status bar or in the About Phone menu, you will see a changed value of the available RAM, for example, "4+3 GB".
☑️ Verification before inclusion of an extension
Importantly, this option is not available on all models, and is usually present in devices with physical memory capacity of 4 GB or higher, and budget models with 3 GB of RAM may not have this feature due to the low performance of the built-in drive, which will not cope with the additional load.
Creation SWAP-file via Root rights
If your smartphone model doesn't support native extensions or you want more flexible control over the process, you can use third-party utilities. This requires Root rights (superuser rights), and obtaining administrator rights removes system constraints, allowing applications to create and mount paging files of any size.
One popular tool is the SWAP No Root app (which also works with root rights for greater efficiency) or specialized scripts in the terminal. Before installing any modifications, make sure that you have a bootloader unlocked. Without an unlocked bootloader, you cannot obtain Root rights on Xiaomi.
| Method | Necessary rights | Difficulty | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native (MIUI) | No. | Low. | Medium |
| Annexes (Root) | Root | Medium | Tall. |
| ZRAM (Kernel) | Root/Terminal | Tall. | Very high. |
| No Root (ADB) | USB debugging | Tall. | Low. |
Once you have superuser rights through Magisk, you can use Kernel Adiutor or similar kernel managers. You can activate the creation of a paging file in the Memory or SWAP section. You should set a size not exceeding 50% of the physical RAM volume to avoid undue load on the system.
Optimizing the use of RAM without Root rights
It doesn't always require a major system intervention. Often memory problems are solved by fine-tuning existing Android settings. The MIUI shell is known for its aggressive energy-saving policies, which often unload applications from memory faster than necessary. Changing settings can improve multitasking.
First of all, you should turn off or configure "Memory Extension" in the opposite direction if you notice a lag. Paradoxically, on very old devices, turning off virtual memory can speed up work, as the system will stop wasting resources on constant defragmentation and writing to flash memory. It is also useful to limit background activity.
Hidden Developer Settings
Another effective method is the use of ADB-commands to disable heavy system services that are not in use, such as disabling Mi Cloud services or analytics if you don't need them, freeing up tens of megabytes of RAM that will be available for user applications.
To execute commands, you need to turn on the USB debugging mode in the developer menu and connect the phone to the computer. The process viewing command looks like an adb shell dumpsys meminfo. Output analysis will help you understand which application consumes the most resources.
Using ZRAM to compress data
ZRAM is a more advanced analogue of the classic SWAP. Instead of dropping data onto slow internal memory, the system compresses it and stores it in a specially reserved partition of RAM, which allows you to effectively increase the available amount of RAM without losing the access speed characteristic of flash memory.
Xiaomi ZRAM is often already on by default, but its size can be limited. It can only be resized with superuser rights. It uses scripts that are prescribed for autoload. A typical ZRAM size is 50% or 100% of physical memory.
⚠️ Attention: Use ZRAM This increases the workload on the processor, as data needs to be continually compressed and unpacked. On budget Snapdragon 4 Series processors, this can lead to lower gaming performance despite the increase in available memory.
You can use the Franco Kernel Manager app to set up ZRAM (if supported by the kernel) or manually write values through the terminal. The sizing command looks something like this: echo 2147483648 > /sys/block/zram0/disksize. However, the values may vary depending on the version of the Android kernel.
The effect of memory expansion on autonomy and wear
Any RAM expansion, whether through SWAP or ZRAM, comes at a cost. The main problem is increased battery consumption. Compression, decompression and constant write to disk require energy. In active use, the difference can be 10-15% per day.
Also, as mentioned, the storage life suffers: the internal memory of smartphones has a limited overwrite cycle. When working with heavy applications and constantly swaping, memory cells wear out faster. On modern UFS 3.1 drives, this resource is large, but on budget models with eMMC 5.1, wear can become noticeable after 1.5-2 years of active use.
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If you are actively using the memory expansion function, try not to fill the phone’s internal storage to the fullest. Leave at least 15-20% free space for the system algorithms and paging file to work correctly.
However, for many users, the trade-off of a slight reduction in autonomy is acceptable for the comfort of using the navigator and messengers at the same time, the main thing is to monitor the temperature of the device: overheating when working with memory can lead to trotting of the processor.