Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 often face a natural slowdown of the device over time, especially when the amount of installed RAM is only 4 GB. In todayβs environment, when applications are becoming increasingly demanding to resources, and background processes consume a significant part of RAM, there is an urgent need for optimization. However, physically replace the memory chips on the smartphone is impossible, since they are soldered on the motherboard, so you have to resort to software methods to expand the available space.
There are several proven ways to allow the system to manage resources more efficiently or emulate additional gigabytes through the use of an internal drive. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate hidden MIUI functions, create a paging file, and what settings need to be changed to make your gadget fly again. It is important to understand that every intervention in system files requires careful and accurate follow the instructions to avoid data loss.
Before we go to radical measures, it is worth assessing the current state of the system and whether the problem is really a lack of RAM. Often users confuse the lack of RAM with crowded internal storage or background activity of heavy applications. Proper diagnosis is the first step to speed up your Redmi Note 8 without unnecessary costs.
Diagnostics of current RAM load and process analysis
The first step in optimization is to analyze how memory is being used at the moment. Standard Android tools do not always show the full picture, so it is recommended to use the built-in engineering menu or third-party utilities for real-time monitoring, which will allow you to identify resource eaters that may not appear in the standard list of running applications.
For detailed statistics, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings β About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version. After you see a message about a successful activation, go back to the main settings menu and select the Additional β For Developers section. Here we are interested in "Run Services" or "Memory Statistics", which displays real-time RAM usage.
Notice processes that are labeled system-based but consume significant amounts of memory, often Google Play services or the MIUI System shell, which may have memory leaks. If less than 500MB of free memory is left, the system begins to actively use caching to disk, resulting in noticeable micro-latency when switching between tasks.
β οΈ Warning: Do not attempt to force system processes to terminate through the developer menu without understanding their purpose.Stop critical Android services may result in interface instability, loss of communication, or a cyclical device reboot.
The analysis also helps to understand how effectively the built-in memory cleanup works, so if the memory is refilled in a couple of minutes after manually cleaning through Security, then the autoboot has heavy applications that need to be restricted or removed.
Activation of memory expansion via virtual RAM in MIUI
Newer versions of the MIUI shell, based on Android 10 and higher, have introduced a native memory extension feature known as "Memory Extension" or "Virtual RAM." This technology allows you to reserve a portion of the internal drive (ROM) and use it as an addition to the physical RAM. On the Redmi Note 8, this feature can be hidden or require activation through special menus.
To check for this option, go to Settings β Additional β Expansion of memory. If the item is missing, you can try to activate it through the hidden Features menu in the Security application or using ADB commands to change system flags. The principle of operation is to create a special partition that the system perceives as an extension of RAM.
- π The system transfers rarely used data from fast RAM Slower but larger internal drive, making room for active tasks.
- βοΈ Size setting: Three options are usually available: off, +2 GB or +3GB. For the Redmi Note 8 with 64GB of memory, it is recommended to choose the minimum extension so that the recording speed does not suffer.
- π Reboot: Once the function is enabled, the device will necessarily require a reboot to redistribute file system partitions.
The speed of reading and writing an internal flash drive (eMMC 5.1 on this model) is much lower than that of modern LPDDR4X RAM. Therefore, when using this feature actively, there can be a slight increase in wear and tear of the drive and a slight decrease in overall performance in scenarios requiring high data exchange rates.
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Use the memory extension function only if you are actively using many applications at the same time. for games, free disk space is more important than virtual RAM.
Creation SWAP-File: Advanced method without Root rights
If the native function MIUI Inaccessible or incorrect, you can use the method of creating SWAP-This is a classic way to increase the available memory in Linux-like systems like Android, and the idea is to create a file of a certain size that the operating system starts using as a paging file when there is a shortage of physical memory. RAM.
To implement this method on the Redmi Note 8 without superuser rights (Root), you will need special applications, such as SWAP No Root or similar utilities from Google Play. These applications create a paging file in the user partition, bypassing system restrictions, but the effectiveness of the method depends on the speed of your drive.
The adjustment process is as follows:
- Download and install an application to create SWAP-file.
- Launch the application and provide the necessary permissions to access the file system.
- Select the size of the paging file (no more than 1-2 GB is recommended for this model).
- Press the button "Create Swap" or "Activate" and wait for the process to be completed.
It is important to understand that this method puts additional strain on the memory controller, and that constant recording and reading of data can lead to faster wear and tear of internal storage, especially if it is more than 80% full. SWAP-The file is strongly recommended to free up space and defragment (if the application supports such a function).
β οΈ Attention: Creation SWAP-A file on a crowded drive can cause a critical slowdown and even data loss. 5-7 GB space before the start of the procedure.
βοΈ Pre-establishment verification SWAP
Using ADB to optimize memory
For users who are not afraid of the command line, the most powerful tool is Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method allows you to disable unnecessary system services that reserve part of the RAM, and change the parameters of memory management (LMK β Low Memory Killer: You'll need a computer to work, USB-cable and installed Xiaomi drivers.
First, you need to enable USB debugging in the Developer menu. Connect your smartphone to your PC and type in the adb device command to confirm the connection. Then you can execute commands to remove or freeze system applications that are not in use but consume resources.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytics
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.tachyonIn addition, through ADB You can change the parameter. ro.config.low_ram, Although this is limited on modern versions of Android, it's more effective to disable animations and background processes. window_animation_scale 0.5, to speed up the interface response, which visually makes the work with memory more smooth.
| ADB Team Team | Action. | Impact on RAM |
|---|---|---|
| pm disable-user | Disabling the application | Releases 50-200MB |
| settings put global | Change of settings | Improves responsiveness |
| am kill-all | Completion of processes | Temporary clean-up |
| dumpsys meminfo | Memory analysis | Diagnostics |
Using ADB gives you maximum control, but requires caution.Incorrectly disabling system components can lead to unstable operation of the Redmi Note 8. Always check the purpose of the packet before removing or freezing it.
List of safe to disable MIUI applications
Limiting background activity and autoloading
One of the main reasons for the lack of RAM on Xiaomi is the aggressive policy of background activity of applications, many programs continue to work in the background, consuming resources and sending notifications.
Go to Settings β Applications β Application Management. Select a heavy app (such as social media or games), click Battery and select No Limits option only for instant messaging apps. For the rest, set Battery Savings or Background Limitation, which will prevent them from running in the background and save RAM for active tasks.
Also worth checking for autoboot. In MIUI, this section is hidden: Settings β Applications β Permissions β Autorun. Leave only essential apps (messengers, alarms) on and turn everything else off. This will significantly speed up the system boot and free up memory immediately after the phone is turned on.
- π Energy saving: Limiting background activity not only preserves memory, but also prolongs battery life.
- π Lower load: Fewer background processes reduce the load on the Snapdragon 665 processor.
- β‘ Speed: The system becomes more responsive, as it does not need to constantly upload and download data from memory.
Regularly reviewing installed applications helps keep the system clean. If you rarely use an application, it is better to uninstall it and reinstall it if necessary than to keep it constantly installed and updated.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Memory Increase
Is it safe to use applications to create SWAP-file?
Will this increase memory in games like PUBG or Genshin Impact?
Will the phoneβs settings reset activation of memory expansion?
Why is it that the memory is filled again after cleaning?
Can I physically replace the memory with the Redmi Note 8?
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The safest and most effective way to speed up the Redmi Note 8 is by combining limiting autoloads, removing unnecessary apps, and using native MIUI memory extensions if available in your firmware version.