How to increase RAM on the phone Xiaomi Redmi 9

Modern mobile applications are becoming more demanding on system resources, and even the once-powerful Xiaomi Redmi 9 may eventually begin to experience a shortage of RAM. When multiple applications are launched simultaneously, the system begins to force the background processes to close, which leads to constant reboots of programs and noticeable delays when switching between them. Users often look for ways to physically increase the amount of RAM, but hardware this parameter cannot be changed, since the memory chips are soldered directly on the motherboard.

Fortunately, Android and MIUI provide powerful software tools to optimize available resources. Using virtual memory technology and fine-tuning system processes, you can significantly improve device multitasking. In this guide, we will discuss all legal and safe methods to expand effective memory capacity that will help your smartphone work faster.

Before we get to the complex settings, we need to understand exactly how memory management works in Xiaomi.The system dynamically allocates resources between active applications and system services, but by default this process may not be optimized for heavy user scenarios. We will look at methods to disable unnecessary animations, control background processes and use built-in acceleration functions.

Analysis of the current memory status and the limits of Redmi 9

The first step to optimizing is to understand what your RAM is doing right now. Redmi 9 owners often encounter modifications that have 3 or 4 GB of RAM, which is a basic minimum for modern standards. To diagnose, you need to go to Settings → About phone and click on the MIUI version several times or use the built-in engineering menu to see the real resource allocation.

It's important to distinguish between physical memory and user-accessible memory. Part of the volume is reserved for GPU and Android system services. If you see less than 500 MB free in plain, that's a signal to action. High occupancy leads to active use of the paging file, which slows down the drive.

There is a common misconception that clearing memory through third-party accelerators helps in the long run. In fact, after the forced closure of all processes, MIUI immediately starts them again, consuming even more power and CPU resources at the start.

⚠️ Note: Do not install dubious apps from the Play Market with titles like «RAM Booster Pro, which promises miraculous memory enhancement, only puts extra strain on the processor and puts intrusive advertising on the processor without actually giving performance gains.

Use of the memory extension function in MIUI

Xiaomi has implemented a similar technology to Virtual RAM from other manufacturers, which allows you to reserve a portion of the storage memory (ROM) and use it as additional RAM. On Redmi 9, this option can be called “Memory Extension” or can be accessed through hidden settings depending on the firmware version (Global or China).

To activate, you need to follow the Settings → Additional settings → Expansion of memory. If such a item is not explicitly available, it can be hidden in the developer menu or require a region switch. The mechanism of work is to create a special container file that the system perceives as an extension of physical RAM, allowing you to store data from folded applications there.

However, the speed of the drive should be considered. Redmi 9 uses eMMC 5.1 memory, which is much slower than modern UFS. Excessive reliance on virtual memory can lead to accelerated wear and micro-latency when opening heavy applications. Balance is a key factor here.

💡

Turn on memory extension only if you are actively using many applications at the same time. For simple tasks (calls, instant messengers), this feature can be redundant and even slightly reduce autonomy.

Below is a table showing the impact of different expansion modes on the system:

Set-up developer parameters to optimize RAM

The hidden Developer Menu provides access to subtle memory management settings that are not available in the standard interface. To activate this section, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI Version seven times. Once the notification “You became a developer” appears, a new section will appear in the settings menu.

Inside the developer menu, we're interested in the "Limit of Background Processes" item, which is the default option for the system to decide how many applications to keep in memory, but the user can severely limit this number. Setting a "No More than 2 Processes" value will free up a significant amount of RAM for the active application, although it will often restart background tasks.

You should also pay attention to the “Do Not Activity” setting, which, if you turn on this option, will destroy the application as soon as the user leaves the screen, a radical method that completely frees up RAM, but makes multitasking impossible – only use it in critical situations of resource shortage.

Another important parameter is Strict Mode, which usually needs to be turned off as it loads the system with diagnostics. Make sure that all experimental non-memory features are disabled so as not to create conflicts in the Dalvik/ART runtime.

Cleaning the system from bloated software (Bloatware)

One of the main reasons for the memory shortage on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is the pre-installed software that runs in the background. Apps like Mi Video, Mi Music, GetApps and various advertising services consume precious megabytes even if you do not use them, and removing or disabling them is the first step to freeing up resources.

Removing system applications that cannot be removed in the standard way will require the use of ADB (Android Debug Bridge) on your computer, a secure, root-free method that allows you to “cut” unnecessary components from the system.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.videoplayer


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.player




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.daemon

Executing such commands through a computer allows you to disable processes that usually hang in memory constantly. However, caution should be exercised: removing critical system components (for example, Security Center or system framework) can lead to unstable operation or cyclical restart of the device.

⚠️ Note: Before removing any system package through ADB Deletion of com.miui.securitycenter may disrupt permissions and memory management in general.

Optimization of animations and visual effects

While animations don’t take up RAM directly in large volumes, they load the GPU and require buffers to be allocated to RAM to render transitions. On devices with limited memory, such as Redmi 9, turning off or speeding up animations can create a sense of faster system performance.

In the Developer Menu, find three items related to animation scale: “Window animation,” “Transition animation,” and “Duration of animation.” Changing the value from 1x to 0.5x or completely shutting down (Without animation) reduces frame retention time in the buffer, freeing up resources for useful tasks.

In addition, using static, dark wallpapers instead of live (Live Wallpapers) saves resources significantly. Live wallpaper constantly uses the processor and occupies its segment in RAM to calculate graphics, which on budget devices significantly affects the overall responsiveness of the interface.

Use of aggregator applications and lightweight versions

Modern versions of popular social networks and instant messengers have become extremely heavy. Facebook, Instagram and even Viber can take up hundreds of megabytes in RAM just while in a folded state. The solution is to switch to the “Lite” versions of these applications or use web versions through a browser.

Lite apps (like Facebook Lite or Skype Lite) are designed specifically for devices with limited RAM and weak internet, which consume significantly less resources and take up less storage space, which indirectly affects the speed of the system as a whole.

Also worth considering is the use of memory-saving browsers like Opera Mini or Chrome with Traffic Savings enabled, which compress pages on servers before being sent to the phone, which reduces the amount of data that needs to be temporarily stored in RAM when rendering.

💡

Replacing heavy applications with their lightweight counterparts (Lite versions) is the most effective software way to reduce the consumption of RAM without losing the basic functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)