How to find out where the RAM goes on Xiaomi: 7 proven ways

Why is Xiaomi’s RAM running out too fast?

Have you noticed that your Xiaomi smartphone is slowing down, apps are spontaneously shutting down, and the task manager is constantly labeled “Not enough memory?” The reason is often inefficient memory management (RAM). Even on flagship models like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro+, users are faced with the fact that the system “eats” the lion’s share of RAM, leaving a minimum for user tasks.

Unlike internal memory (ROM), which stores files and applications, RAM is responsible for multitasking: the more RAM available, the faster the phone works. But manufacturers (including Xiaomi) often optimize MIUI firmware for aggressive caching — the system preloads data from frequently used applications to speed up their opening. In theory, this is good, but in practice leads to a chronic shortage of RAM on devices with 6-8 GB of memory, especially if you actively use instant messengers, social networks and games.

In this article, we’ll learn how to determine exactly what processes are absorbing RAM on your Xiaomi, what tools to use to do this (including hidden MIUI features), and what to do if memory is leaked due to system bugs or malware.

Method 1: Integrated memory monitor in MIUI

The easiest way to check RAM consumption is through standard MIUI settings. This method works on all current firmware versions (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15) and does not require installing third-party applications.

Open the Settings. → The phone.
Tap 5-7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (the notification will appear "You became a developer").
Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional → For developers.
Find the Memory section and open it.

Here you will see a graph of real-time RAM usage, as well as a list of apps that consume the most memory. Note the "Average Use" column - if an app (like Facebook or Telegram) is constantly taking 500+MB, this is a clear sign of a leak.

💡

If you see unknown names (e.g. com.android.XXXX) in the process list, don't rush to stop them. Some system services are critical to MIUI. You'd better check them first through a Google search.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 14+ The "Developers" section can be hidden behind additional authorization. If the system requests a password, enter PIN-the code or pattern lock of your device.

Method 2: Task Manager and Hidden MIUI Settings

MIUI has a hidden task manager that shows detailed RAM consumption for each process, including background services, to open it:

Hold the Home button (or swipe up and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds).
At the top of the screen will appear a panel with a schedule of memory usage.
Slip on schedule - an extended menu will open with sorting of processes for consumption of RAM.

In this menu, pay attention to:

🔴 Apps marked "Do not kill" - their MIUI Protects against automatic cleaning, even if they consume a lot of memory.
🟡 High “work time” processes – if the application hangs in the background for days, it can be a source of leakage.
🟢 System services like miui.daemon or com.xiaomi.market – their excessive activity is often associated with firmware bugs.

If you see that some application (for example, TikTok or AliExpress) takes up 1+ GB of RAM even in a folded state, this is an excuse to reinstall it or limit background activity in the settings.

📊 How often do you clean up your Xiaomi RAM?

Every day.

Once a week.

Only when it's slowing down.

Never.

Method 3: Using ADB for deep diagnostics

For advanced users willing to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), there is a way to get a full RAM dump, including hidden system processes.This is especially useful if you suspect that memory is leaking due to a virus or firmware bug.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

Install ADB Tools on your computer.
Connect Xiaomi to USB, activate debugging over USB in the developer settings.
Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo --oom

This command will list all processes sorted by memory consumption, indicating:

📊 PID — processor.
🖥️ VSS/RSS/PSS — Virtual, real and proportional memory size.
🚨 OOM_ADJ — priority of killing processes by the system (the higher the value, the sooner the process will be closed if there is a lack of RAM).

If you see the process in the end, PSS > 300 MB low OOM_ADJ (for example, 0 or -1), It means that the system can't shut it down, and it's constantly taking up memory, and most of the time, that's what modified firmware or pirated versions of applications do.

How to decipher the output of the meminfo command?

VSS (Virtual Set Size) is virtual memory, including libraries. RSS (Resident Set Size) is physical memory occupied by a process. PSS (Proportional Set Size) is the actual RAM consumption of the resources being accounted for. Focus on PSS to assess real consumption.

Method 4: Third-party applications for RAM analysis

If the built-in MIUI tools don't seem informative enough, we've tried out 5 popular apps and picked the best ones:

Annex	Advantages	Deficiencies	Reference
Simple System Monitor	It shows the detailed RAM consumption of each process, including the hidden ones, and there's a widget for the home screen.	No Russian. It requires root for full access.	Google Play
DevCheck	A user-friendly interface that shows the history of RAM usage per day/week. Supports MIUI.	The commercial is free.	Google Play
CPU Monitor	Tracks the CPU + RAM bundle, helps to identify processes that load both memory and processor.	Hard for beginners.	Google Play

We recommend DevCheck for most users, which is easy to use and provides comprehensive information. For example, you can see that MIUI Launcher takes up 400 MB of RAM even when you are not using your phone — that's fine for the shell, but if the figure is more than 600 MB, it's worth clearing the launcher cache.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Clean Master or DU Speed Booster) promises to "optimize" RAM, but in fact just kill all the background processes, which can increase battery consumption due to constant restarts of services.

Method 5: Checking for viruses and malware

One of the most insidious causes of the leak is malware that masquerade as system processes. For example, the Android.Triada Trojan, which spread through some Xiaomi firmware in 2017-2019, could take up to 1 GB of memory without being noticed.

How to check your phone for viruses:

Install Malwarebytes or Kaspersky Mobile| Run deep scanning (not fast!)| Check the list of installed applications for unknown | Disable installation from unknown sources in security settings | View application rights in Settings → Apps → Permissions

-->

Pay special attention to applications with rights:

🔓 Access to special features (can intercept pressing).
📱 Overlay over other windows (often used to display ads).
🔄 Auto-run (malware can be triggered when the phone is turned on).

If you find a suspicious app, delete it and restart the phone, then check the RAM consumption again — if it normalized, the virus was the problem.

Method 6: Optimizing MIUI to save RAM

Even if you find the "culprit" of the memory leak, it's helpful to set up MIUI so that it doesn't waste RAM on its own.

Turn off animation: Go to Settings → For developers and set all three animation options (Window Animation Score, Transition Animation Score, Animator Duration Scale) on Off.. This will reduce the CPU and memory load.
Limit background activity: In Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management, select Restricted Mode for unnecessary applications.
Disable unnecessary services: In Settings → Applications → Application Management, find MIUI Daemon, Mi Video, Mi Music, and other pre-installed services you don’t use. Turn them off.

It is also necessary to regularly clean the cache of system applications:

Go to Settings → Storage → Cleaning.
Choose Deep Cleanup and wait for the process to be completed.
Reboot the phone.

These measures will help free up 200-500 MB of RAM without removing applications. For example, on the POCO F5 Pro, after such optimization, free memory increased from 1.2 GB to 1.8 GB.

💡

On devices with 6-8 GB of RAM, MIUI defaults to reserve up to 30% of memory for system needs. If less than 1 GB is free, it’s time to clean the background processes.

Method 7: Radical measures - reset and firmware

If none of the methods worked, and RAM still leaks, radical methods remain:

Reset to factory settings: This will delete all data, but also reset MIUI settings that may have caused the leak.Before reset, back up via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
Fastboot Flashing: If the problem has occurred after the MIUI update, try reflashing your phone to a stable firmware version. Instructions and firmware files can be found at xiaomifirmwareupdater.com.
Custom firmware installation: For example, the Pixel Experience or LineageOS lacks the heavy MIUI shell and often runs faster. But it requires unlocking the bootloader and experience.

For example, Redmi Note 10 Pro users after switching from MIUI 13 to Pixel Experience 13 noted a 30-40 percent increase in free memory for the same tasks.

⚠️ Warning: Fastboot flashing or custom software installation resets warranty and can lead to device blinking.Do this only if you are confident in your actions or under the guidance of an experienced user.

FAQ: Frequent questions about RAM consumption on Xiaomi

❓ Why does it fill up quickly after cleaning the RAM again?

This is normal behavior for Android and MIUI, where it tries to fill up free memory with cached data to make it faster for apps to open, and the key is not to keep track of the free memory, but to see if it's enough for your tasks, and if the phone doesn't slow down, it's okay.

❓ Can I increase the RAM on Xiaomi programmatically?

No, you can't physically enlarge RAM -- it's sealed on the motherboard. The only way is to use RAM Expansion (available on some MIUI 13+ models), which reserves some of the internal memory for virtual RAM, but it's a temporary solution that doesn't replace real RAM.

❓ What apps most often "eat" RAM?

Top 5 "gluttonous" applications according to Xiaomi users: Facebook (up to 1 GB in the background); TikTok (700-900 MB when scrolling the tape); Telegram (especially with a lot of chats); Genshin Impact / PUBG Mobile (up to 2 GB during the game); MIUI Launcher (300-500 MB if you do not clear the cache).

❓ Why After Updating MIUI There is less free memory?

Newer versions of MIUI (especially MIUI 14+) add background services to improve multitasking, but this increases RAM consumption. For example, after upgrading from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14, Xiaomi 11T Pro users complained about the reduction of free memory from 2.5 GB to 1.5 GB. The solution is to roll back to the old version or optimize settings, as described in Method 6.

❓ How to check if the memory leak is the fault of the processor?

Sometimes high RAM consumption is associated with overheating of the processor or its malfunction. Check: Temperature through the AIDA64 application (normal: up to 40-45 ° C in idle). CPU load in Settings → Developers → CPU Monitor. If the processor is constantly loaded by 30%+, even when the phone is not in use, this can indicate a hardware problem (for example, a defect in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the first batches of Xiaomi 12 Pro).