How to increase RAM on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Modern users demand high performance from their mobile devices, and the lack of free RAM often causes game brakes and slow interface. Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face the need to optimize the work of the gadget to extend its life without buying a new device. Increasing the available amount of RAM is a complex process that can include both software settings of the MIUI system or HyperOS, and radical methods like Root rights.

It's important to understand the difference between physical and virtual memory. Physical memory is chips soldered on the motherboard, the volume of which is fixed by the manufacturer. Virtual memory is a reserved space in internal storage, which the system uses as an extension for temporary data. Expanding memory on Android is essentially a competent resource management to free up as much space as possible for active applications.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current optimization options, from secure menu settings to advanced methods for power users. You’ll learn how to activate built-in extension features, which services to disable, and why standard accelerators from the Play Market often prove useless. A competent approach will significantly improve the system response even on budget models with 4 or 6 GB of RAM.

Virtual Memory and Memory Extension Technology

Starting with MIUI 12.5 and later, and in the HyperOS shell, the company has implemented a native RAM extension feature, often called Memory Extension, which allows you to use a portion of the embedded drive (ROM) as additional RAM (RAM).

Activation of this function does not require superuser rights and is performed through the standard settings menu. However, it is worth considering that the speed of the built-in UFS storage, even the fastest, is significantly inferior to the speed of LPDDR chips. Therefore, the performance gains will be noticeable in multitasking (when many tabs are open), but will not necessarily lead to an increase in FPS in games. Moreover, active use of this feature can theoretically accelerate the wear of the drive due to frequent overwriting of data.

⚠️ Note: Using the memory expansion function increases the load on internal storage. On older or severely worn devices, this can lead to a decrease in the overall speed of the system over a long period of time.

To activate the technology, go to Settings → Expansion of memory. Here you will see a slider that allows you to select the amount of memory you add. There are usually options from 2 to 4 GB, depending on the device model and free space. Once you change the settings, the smartphone will require a reboot so that the system can redistribute resources and mount a new partition.

It is worth noting that on some global firmware versions, this feature may be hidden or missing, even if it is on the Chinese version. In such cases, users often resort to changing the region or flashing, but this is already more complex manipulation. For most users, it is enough to check for the standard option in the About Phone menu or in advanced settings.

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If you have less than 4GB of physical memory, adding 2GB of virtual memory will have a tangible effect, but if you have 8GB or more, the increase will be minimal, since the system already manages resources efficiently.

Set up developer parameters to optimize RAM

A more subtle memory management setting is available in the hidden Developer Menu, which is for engineers, but provides tools for advanced users who want to make the most of their Xiaomi. Here you can forcefully limit the number of background processes, which will free up a significant amount of RAM for the current task. However, you should be careful: aggressive restriction can lead to unstable work of messengers and navigators.

To get to the menu, you need to click on the build number several times in the About Phone section until the notification “You became a developer” appears. Then a new item will appear in the “Additional” or “Extended settings” menu. We are interested in the “Applications” section, where the “Background Process Limit” option is located. By default, there is a “Standard Limit”, but you can choose a restriction, for example, “No More than 2 processes”.

Settings → The phone. → (7 times to tap on the "Version" MIUI») → Advanced settings → For developers → Limit of background processes

Another important setting is to disable or limit caching. In the same developer menu, you can find options related to the size of the Dalvik or ART cache. Changing these parameters requires a reboot and can affect the speed of launching applications. Optimizing Android through these menus is finding a balance between free memory and the speed of switching between tasks.

It is not recommended to touch animation or interface scale settings without having to free up memory, which only affects visual perception of speed, not real RAM resources. The focus should be on process management. If after turning on the limits you notice that the music stops playing in the background or the navigator resets the route, return the settings to the standard values.

Disabling MIUI system services and services

The MIUI and HyperOS shells are known for their abundance of pre-installed services that consume resources even in the background. Many of them, such as Mi Cloud, MSA (MIUI System Ads), and various analytics services, can be safely disabled or limited, not only freeing up RAM, but also reducing the load on the processor and battery.

The first step is to turn off MSA ads and services. Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Access to Personal Data. Find msa on the list and turn off the switch. The system will try to dissuade you by offering to wait 10 seconds — that's okay, you have to wait and confirm the disconnect. A similar procedure should be done for Getting Recommendations and Analytics.

Also worth checking is the AutoStart section. In Xiaomi, it's in the Security app or in the app settings. Turn off autorun for all programs you don't need right after you turn on your phone (social media, stores, games). Leave only messengers and alarms on, which will prevent a dozen unnecessary RAM processes from loading when you start the system.

⚠️ Warning: Do not disable system processes called System Framework, Google Play Services, or Download Manager, which can cause your phone to run unstable or you can’t install apps.

Additionally, you can limit background activity for specific heavy applications. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, select the right one (such as a game or social network), go to Battery and select No restrictions only if you need notifications, or Limit background activity if the application can be run manually, which will help control which programs take up space in memory.

Use of third-party applications and launchers

There are thousands of apps in the Google Play Market that promise to “speed up the phone” and “free up memory.” But most of them, like Clean Master or Boosters, are process-busting, and they force the apps that Android immediately tries to run again, creating a cycle that only consumes battery and CPU time.

A more efficient solution is to replace the heavy standard launcher with a lightweight one. The standard MIUI shell can be overloaded with widgets and animations. Installing a launcher like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Microsoft Launcher can significantly reduce standby RAM consumption. These launchers consume 2-3 times less memory than the standard Xiaomi interface.

There are also specialized applications for creating a swap file without Root rights, which use the kernel capabilities if they are opened by the manufacturer. An example is the SWAP No Root application. It creates a file image that the system perceives as additional memory. The effectiveness of this method depends on the speed of your drive and the version of the Android kernel. On modern devices with fast memory UFS 2.1 and above, the result can be positive.

If you choose to use third-party software, choose open source tools or time-tested utilities that don’t require permanent permissions. The best optimization is no extra software. Remove all unused applications, especially those that can’t be removed in the standard way (via ADB or special utilities).

Radical methods: Root rights and Swap files

For users willing to risk the security and stability of the system, there are methods using Root rights. Obtaining superuser rights (via Magisk) allows you to modify system files and create full swap partitions (Swap), which is the most effective way to increase RAM software by turning part of internal memory into a full-fledged analog of RAM.

The process of creating a Swap partition requires installing specialized modules or applications such as “Swap No Root” (works better with rights) or manually creating a partition through recovery. The essence of the method is that the system starts using reserved 2-4 GB of internal memory as an extension of RAM. This allows you to keep more applications in memory, but, as with the native extension, reduces the speed and resource of the drive.

adb shell


su




mkswap /dev/block/mmcblkXpY




swapon /dev/block/mmcblkXpY

It is important to understand the risks: improper creation of a Swap file or module can lead to a bootloop (cyclical reboot) of the phone. Recovery will take a long time and require the presence of a computer and firmware tools. In addition, on modern smartphones with data encryption and a split file system, these methods can work incorrectly or be completely blocked.

⚠️ Note: Getting Root rights voids the warranty on the device. Banking applications and services like Google Pay (Mir Pay) can stop working without using special hidden modules (Magisk Hide / Zygisk).

If you do, make sure to do a full TWRP backup before making changes. Use only proven Magisk modules, such as KTweak or dedicated memory optimization scripts, that automatically configure kernel settings (vm.swappiness) to work better with the Swap partition.

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Root-methods give maximum increase in task, but require deep knowledge of Android and carry the risk of turning the phone into a “brick”. MIUI.

Cleaning cache and optimizing storage

A filled internal storage directly affects the speed of RAM. When the free space on the disk runs out (less than 10-15%), the system cannot effectively use the caching and swap mechanisms, which leads to common brakes. Regular garbage cleaning is the basic procedure for servicing any Android smartphone.

Xiaomi’s built-in Security app does a good job of cleaning up cache, but you can use file managers or file managers for a deeper cleaning. ADB-Special attention should be paid to the folders of messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), which can grow to tens of gigabytes, clogging memory with media files, transferring these files to a memory card (if there is a slot) or to the cloud will free up critical space.

It is also recommended to periodically clear the cache of Google Play Services and the Play Market store itself. This is done through the application management menu: Settings → Apps → Google Play Market → Memory → Clear cache. Not to be confused with Clear All Data - this will reset the store settings, which is sometimes also useful, but requires re-authorization.

The result of comprehensive optimization will not only increase the available RAM, but also the overall acceleration of the interface. The combination of disconnecting unnecessary services, competent configuration of the developer and maintaining order in the internal storage allows even budget models Xiaomi to work smoothly in 2026-2026.

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Once a month, it is useful to reboot the phone in safe mode (click the off button, then keep the “off” item on the screen for a long time) to reset all temporary files and processes that have accumulated during operation.