How to increase RAM on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9

Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 model often face a shortage of system resources when running heavy applications or multitasking. RAM is a critical component that directly affects the speed of switching between programs and the overall responsiveness of the MIUI. When the free RAM volume ends, the smartphone begins to force the background processes to close, which leads to the reload of tabs and games.

There are several proven ways to optimize the device by creating the illusion of expanding physical memory or actually freeing up resources reserved by the system. Some methods require a connection to a computer and using special tools, while others are available directly in the shell settings. It is important to understand the difference between physical memory and software tricks, so as not to expect miracles from outdated hardware.

We’ll take a look at all the options available, from the standard Android operating system features to advanced methods for power users, and the right setup will allow your Redmi Note 9 to run much faster even a few years after its release.

Analysis of the current situation and capabilities of the device

Before you start any changes, you need to clearly understand how much RAM you are dealing with. The Redmi Note 9 range was released in several versions, where the amount of RAM ranged from 3 to 6 gigabytes. For modern standards, even 4 GB is considered the minimum comfortable threshold, and 3 GB already cause serious limitations when working with heavy applications.

The MIUI system installed on a smartphone consumes a significant portion of the available resources to ensure the operation of its visual effects and background services, resulting in only about 60-70% of the volume declared by the manufacturer, and you can check the current state through the developer menu or special monitoring tools.

⚠️ Warning: Don't trust apps from Play Market that promise "magic" memory double-digits, which only clears the cache, which gives a temporary effect, but does not change the physical limitations of the chip.

Understanding the architecture of Android helps you realize that you can’t completely circumvent hardware limitations by software, but managing virtual memory and cache can dramatically improve the user experience.

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Real productivity gains are only achieved through resource release and the proper use of virtual swaps, not through the installation of accelerators.

Use of the memory extension function in MIUI

Recent versions of MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 13 have introduced a feature that allows you to use part of the internal storage as additional RAM. This technology, known as Memory Extension, creates a paging file where the system resets data from rarely used applications.

The process of turning on is simple: go to Settings, find About Phone, and click multiple times on the MIUI version to activate Developer Mode if the menu is hidden. Then, in the advanced settings, the option "Memory Extension" often appears, where you can select the amount of space you add, usually from 1 to 2 GB.

Consider that activating this feature increases the load on an embedded eMMC or UFS drive, which could theoretically shorten its lifespan when very intense work is done, but for most users, this risk is minimal compared to the benefits of smoother interfaces.

• 📱 Go to the settings and find the section about the device.
• ⚙️ Activate the developer mode tapami according to the software version.
• 🚀 Select the virtual extension size in the memory menu.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone to apply changes.

Set up developer parameters to optimize RAM

Deeply configuring the system through the developer menu allows you to manually manage the limits of background processes. This is one of the most effective ways to make the Redmi Note 9 run faster without installing third-party software. By default, the system can hold too many applications in memory that you don't actually need right now.

To access these settings, you need to quickly click seven times on the build number in the About Phone menu. Once you notice that you have become a developer, a new section will appear in the main settings menu Additional -> Developers. Here we are interested in the "Background Process Limit" item.

Changing the standard value to "No more than 3-4 processes" will free up a significant amount of RAM for an active task, and it is also recommended to disable animations of windows, transitions and animator duration by setting a value of 0.5x or Off. This will visually speed up the interface, although it will not add physically bytes of memory.

⚠️ Note: Do not set a background limit to "0" or "1" if you are actively using instant messengers, this will lead to the fact that notifications will arrive with a delay, as the system will constantly kill communication processes.

Another important parameter is "Do Not Save Activities." If you turn on this option, the system will destroy the application as soon as you leave it, which will free up memory as much as possible, but make multitasking impossible - each application will run again, as if you just installed it.

Application SWAP-Files via Root Rights

For users willing to take more risky steps, there is a method to create a full-fledged SWAP-Unlike standard memory extension, this method requires the Root (superuser) and unlocked bootloader rights. The essence of the method is to create a special file on a memory card or in an internal storage, which the system perceives as additional RAM.

This can be done with specialized applications such as SWAP No Root (which doesn’t work on all models) or more powerful tools like Kernel Adiutor, which involves formatting a partition and creating a paging file of a certain size, usually from 512 MB to 2 GB.

su


mkswap /data/swapfile




swapon /data/swapfile

Entering such commands through the terminal requires extreme caution. A syntax error or creating an inappropriate file size can lead to a cyclical reboot of the device or loss of data. Before starting the procedure, be sure to make a full backup of important information.

The effectiveness of this method depends on the speed of your drive. On older microSD cards class 4 or 6, creating a swap can, on the contrary, slow down the smartphone because of the slow speed of writing small files.

Comparison of methods for increasing productivity

To choose the best way to upgrade your Redmi Note 9, it is important to compare the available methods by risk and effectiveness. Each method has its pros and cons, which depend on your technical skills and the purpose of using the device.

MIUI is the safest, but the least incremental, and the use of developer rights is the middle ground for fine-tuning the behavior of a system without interfering with its integrity. Root methods offer maximum control, but carry high risks.

Note that no software method can convert 3 GB of physical memory into 8 GB. All of the above methods only help to more rationally manage the available resource or slow permanent memory.

Cleaning up autoload and background services

Xiaomi has a lot of RAM pre-installed apps and services that run automatically when you turn on your phone, and freeing up that space is the safest and most often ignored way to speed things up. MIUI has a built-in Security tool that lets you control boot.

Go to Security, select Permissions -> Auto Run. Here you will see a list of all the apps that start with the system. Leave only messengers (for notifications to come) and system services on. All games, stores and social networks can be safely turned off - they will start themselves when you open them.

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Use Flight mode for 5-10 seconds if your phone is slowing down, which will force you to restart all network modules and often clear the freeze-free processes without restarting completely.

It's also worth checking the list of services in the developer menu, and if you click on the Run Services, you can see which program is using the most resources right now, and if you see an application there that you're not using, you'd better delete it or limit it in the battery settings.

Regularly cleaning the cache of apps you rarely use also helps keep RAM clean. Heavy apps like Facebook or Instagram can accumulate gigabytes of temporary files for years, which take up space and slow down access to memory.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)