How to find out what is spent RAM on Xiaomi: a complete guide with instructions

RAM is one of the key resources in a smartphone that drives system speed, multitasking and overall performance. On Xiaomi devices (including the Redmi, POCO and Mi lines), the lack of RAM is often manifested by slowing down, spontaneous rebooting of applications, or even a complete “hang” of the interface. But how do you figure out what processes are absorbing memory, and what to do about it?

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways RAM is monitored, from built-in MIUI tools to third-party utilities, and how to distinguish normal from abnormal consumption. You’ll learn why even on new models like the Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+, memory can disappear for no apparent reason, and what hidden MIUI mechanisms affect its distribution.

1. Built-in RAM monitoring in MIUI: where to watch and what the numbers mean

The easiest way to check RAM consumption is to use standard MIUI tools.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7-10 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if it is not already enabled).
3. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional → For developers.
4. Find the Memory section - here you can see a real-time graph of RAM usage.

On this menu you will see:

• 📊 Total RAM (e.g. 8 GB or 12 GB).
• 🔄 Free/busy memory (in megabytes).
• 📉 Consumption schedule for the last 3-5 minutes.
• 🔍 List of active processes (stick on it to see details).

Note that MIUI defaults to reserve some RAM for system needs (for example, for background optimization or virtual memory on models with Memory Extension). This is normal, but sometimes the system can forget to free up memory after closing applications. If less than 20% of the total volume is free, this is a reason for optimization.

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On Xiaomi smartphones with Memory Extension (such as the Xiaomi 13T or Redmi K60), some of the internal memory is used as virtual RAM. This can distort the monitoring readings – the real “physical” volume will be less than indicated.

2.Analysing memory consumption by application: what "eats" the most

To see which applications consume RAM, follow the following steps:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Sort by Memory.
3. The system will display a list of programs sorted by the amount of occupied RAM.

Typical “eaters” of RAM on Xiaomi:

• 🎮 Games (Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty – can take 1-3 GB each).
• 📷 Social networks (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook – up to 500-800 MB in the background).
• 🔄 System processes (com.miui.home – launcher, android.system – kernel).
• 🤖 Background services (Google Play Services, Mi Cloud, Security App).

If you see that some application takes up a disproportionate amount of memory (for example, Telegram messenger “eats” 1 GB), this may indicate:

• 🐛 Memory leak (in the app bug).
• 🔄 The process is suspended (the app did not close correctly).
• 📥 Hidden activity (such as mining or advertising modules).

3. Hidden processes and background activity: how to detect them

Many of the apps on Xiaomi continue to work in the background even after the shutdown.

1. Activate the developer mode (as in the first section).
2. Go to For Developers → Processes.
3. All active processes, including hidden services, will be displayed here.

Dangerous signs:

• 🚨 Unknown processes with names like com.sec.android or system.update).
• 🔄 Multiple duplication of a single process (e.g., 5 instances of com.google.process).
• 📈 Continuous growth in consumption (for example, the process takes 100 MB, and after an hour – already 500 MB).

For in-depth analysis, use the command in ADB:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo

It will give you a detailed report of how much memory is used by all processes, and look for lines with TOTAL and PSS (real amount of memory used).

4.Virtual memory and Memory Extension: how it affects performance

Starting with MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi has implemented Memory Extension technology, which uses a portion of internal memory as virtual RAM.

• 📱 On the Redmi Note 11 with 6 GB of RAM, the system can show 8 GB (of which 2 GB are virtual).
• ⚡ Virtual memory is slower than physical memory, but helps avoid closing background apps.
• 🔍 In RAM monitoring, virtual and physical memory are displayed together.

To check if the extension is included:

1. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Memory.
2. Look at the Memory Extension bar (if not, the function is not supported).

Important: Virtual memory does not increase real performance, but only delays the closure of applications. If a smartphone starts to slow down when filling virtual RAM, this is a signal that physical memory is objectively lacking.

5. Third-party utilities for deep analysis of RAM

If built-in MIUI tools aren’t enough, use specialized applications:

• 📊 Simple System Monitor – shows RAM consumption, CPU Real-time networking (there is a widget for the main screen).
• 🔍 DevCheck – Details the use of memory by process, including hidden system.
• 🛡️ Greenify – helps to identify and “freeze” background processes that devour RAM.
• 📈 CPU Monitor - tracks the bundle CPU+RAM, which is useful for diagnosing "suspending».

Example of a report from DevCheck:

Total RAM: 7.8 GB




Used RAM: 5.2 GB (66%)




Free RAM: 2.6 GB (34%)





Top Processes:




1. com.miui.home (Launcher) — 850 MB




2. com.android.systemui — 600 MB




3. com.tencent.ig (PUBG) — 1.3 GB




4. com.google.android.gms — 450 MB

Warning: Some apps (like Clean Master or DU Speed Booster) promise to “clean up RAM,” but in practice only impair performance by killing background processes that MIUI itself optimizes.

Check the rating and reviews in Google Play| Make sure the app has been updated in the last 3 months | Read permissions (no SMS/calls should be available) | Download only from the official store-->

6. RAM optimization: What really works

If your analysis shows that your memory is not being used properly, try these methods:

• 🔄 Rebooting the smartphone is the basic way to free RAM occupied by “hang” processes.
• ⚙️ Disabling Autostart: Settings → Annexes → Autostart control.
• 🚫 Limitation of background activity: Settings → Battery → Choice of applications → Limit background activity.
• 🗑️ Cache cleanup: Settings → Warehouse → Clean the cache (not to be confused with cleaning the RAM!).
• 🔧 Disabling animations (for developers): Reduces memory load when switching between applications.

A critical mistake many users make: manually clearing RAM through Task Manager, a forcing method that forces the system to reboot applications from scratch, spending more resources than it saves.

• Trust the MIUI memory management – it closes unused processes.
• Exclude only critical applications (e.g. instant messengers) from optimization.

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Hand-cleaning RAM is a myth. Modern versions of Android and MIUI manage memory more efficiently than the user, and frequent cleaning only harms performance.

7. When the lack of RAM is not the fault of the software, but the problem of “iron”

If all the optimization methods did not help, perhaps the problem lies in:

• 🔋 Faulty RAM module (on older models like Redmi) 4X or Mi A1).
• 🔥 Processor overheating (leads to trottling and incorrect memory operation).
• 🛠️ Damaged firmware (for example, after a failed update) MIUI).

Signs of hardware problems:

• 📉 Free memory drops to 0% even after rebooting.
• 🔄 Spontaneous reboots when downloading heavy applications.
• 🚨 The appearance of artifacts on the screen (strips, flickering) with a lack of RAM.

In such cases:

1. Check your smartphone for viruses (for example, through Malwarebytes).
2. Perform reset to factory settings (Settings → Reset).
3. If the problem remains - contact the service center (it is possible to replace the RAM module or flash through EDL).

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On Xiaomi models with soldered memory (most after 2019), it is impossible to replace RAM - the motherboard will need to be replaced.

FAQ: Frequent questions about RAM consumption on Xiaomi