RAM is a critical resource for smartphone performance. On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, even 6-8 GB of RAM can get clogged with background processes, causing the phone to “brake,” overheat or suddenly close applications. But how do you know which programs eat up memory? In this article, we will examine all available methods, from built-in MIUI tools to hidden functions for power users.
It’s important to consider that Xiaomi is actively optimizing RAM in the latest firmware versions (e.g. MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS), but even with these improvements, some apps — instant messengers, games or social media — can take up to 30-40% of memory in the background without really bringing any benefit, and we’ll show you how to identify such “gluttonous” culprits and what to do with them.
1. Built-in memory monitor in MIUI: quick analysis
The easiest way to check RAM boot is to use the standard MIUI tool. It is available on all models, from the Redmi Note 10 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and does not require additional software installation.
To open the memory monitor:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Memory (or Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Memory in new versions).
- 📊 At the top of the screen you will see a graph of RAM usage (usually divided into "Used" and "Freely»).
- 🔍 Click on Detail or Memory Management to see a list of apps sorted by consumption.
Not only are active programs displayed here, but system processes are also displayed (e.g. com.miui.home, MIUI launcher) and note that apps marked “Background” are often left unnecessarily in memory, such as Facebook or TikTok, which can take up to 500-700 MB even when you’re not using them.
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If you see a process like mediaserver or android.process.media that takes up a lot of memory, it could indicate a bug in the multimedia files. Try restarting your phone or clearing the gallery cache.
2. Hidden developer menu: Advanced diagnostics
For more detailed analysis, you can use the developer menu, which is hidden by default, which is suitable for users who need accurate data about each process, including system data.
How to turn on the developer menu and check the RAM:
- Open the Settings. → The phone.
- Find the MIUI version and click on it 5-7 times until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
- Return to the main settings menu and select a new section for developers (or additionally). → Developer parameters).
- Scroll down to the Debugging block and find Memory Information or Process Statistics.
In this section you will see:
- 📈 Total RAM and Free Memory.
- 📋 List of all processes with indication of memory consumption (in MB) and status (Background, Visible, Service»).
- ⚠️ System processes that are not normally displayed on a standard monitor (e.g. Android.system or kernel).
Note that some processes (such as surfaceflinger or zygote) are critical to the system, and forced shutdowns can cause the interface to crash or reboot. Don't delete them unless absolutely necessary!
3. RAM monitoring applications: third-party utilities
If the built-in MIUI tools aren’t enough, you can install specialized programs from Google Play, which offer more flexible settings and data visualization.
Top.-3 applications for analyzing RAM on Xiaomi:
| Annex | Features | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Developer Quick Settings | It provides detailed statistics on each process, including peak memory consumption. | A complex interface for beginners. |
| Simple System Monitor | Widget for notification panel with data about RAM, CPU and network in real time. | Not all functions work without root rights. |
| Greenify | Automatically “freezes” background applications, saving RAM and battery power. | Requires customization for each application manually. |
Warning: Some utilities (like Clean Master or DU Speed Booster) promise to “free up memory with one tap,” but actually only kill all background processes, which can increase battery consumption when you re-start applications.
Why not use memory boosters?
4. ADB commands: for advanced users
If you're willing to go into the technical details, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to analyze memory, which requires you to connect your phone to your computer, but it gives you the most accurate data.
Instructions for checking RAM through ADB:
- Install. ADB-PC drivers.
- Enable USB Debugging in the Developer menu (see Section 2).
- Connect the phone to your computer and type in the command line: adb shell dumpsys meminfo This command will display a full report on memory usage by all processes.
- To analyze a particular app (e.g. Instagram) use: adb shell dumpsys meminfo com.instagram.android
In the report, pay attention to the following parameters:
- 🔹 Java Heap – memory allocated for Java-objects of the application.
- 🔹 Native Heap – memory used by native code (e.g. Unity games).
- 🔹 Private Dirty – memory that the app has contaminated and cannot release without restarting.
⚠️ Attention: Some teams ADB (For example, adb shell kill can force processes to close, which will result in the loss of unsaved data in applications.
5.Recovery Mode Analysis: When the system does not start
In rare cases, the phone can freeze so much because of a lack of memory that it doesn't even boot normally, in which case Recovery Mode, an emergency recovery mode, will help.
How to check your memory in Recovery:
- 🔄 Turn off the phone, then press the power button. + Loudness up before the appearance of the Mi logo.
- 📜 In the Recovery menu, select Advanced → Show log (or View recovery logs).
- 🔍 In the logs, look for lines with lowmemorykiller, which is a system process that kills applications when there is a lack of RAM. If there are such records, then the memory is regularly overloaded.
In Recovery Mode, you can’t see your current memory consumption, but you can:
- 🗑️ Clean the cache (Wipe cache partition), which sometimes solves problems with the "hang».
- 📦 Remove newly installed apps if you suspect they are to blame for overload.
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If the phone is constantly rebooting with the Android.process.acore error, this may indicate a critical memory deficit, in which case only a factory reset or flashing will help.
6. RAM optimization: what to do with "gluttonous" applications
By identifying applications that eat up memory, you can take steps to optimize. Here are some proven ways to do this:
- 🚫 Limit background activity: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management, select a problem app (like Facebook) and turn off permission to Work in the background.
- 🗑️ Clean the cache regularly: In the same app management menu, click Clear Cache. This won't delete your account details, but will free up to 100-300MB of storage.
- ⚡ Use the Lite version of the apps: Replace Facebook with Facebook Lite and Messenger with Messenger Lite. They consume 2-3 times less RAM.
- 🔄 Set up auto-cleaning memory: In Settings → Battery and productivity → Memory management enable the option of Memory Cleanup when locking the screen.
For games (such as Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) you can additionally:
- 🎮 Lower the graphical settings in the game itself (resolution, texture quality).
- 🔋 Enable the Game Turbo mode in MIUI (Settings → Special facilities → Gaming Turbos that optimize resource allocation.
⚠️ Note: Some “optimizers” from Google Play (e.g., Google Play, RAM Boosters require accessibility service rights, which can be dangerous for security, they can intercept keyboard input and passwords. Use only proven utilities!
Remove unused applications |Limit background work of messengers | Clear cache of system applications |Deactivate animation in developer settings |Enable autoclean memory when blocking-->
7. Frequent mistakes and myths about RAM on Xiaomi
There are many myths surrounding RAM management, and we'll look at some of the most common ones.
Myth 1: “The more free memory, the faster the phone works.”
In fact, Android (and MIUI in particular) specifically keeps frequently used apps in memory so that they open faster. Empty RAM is an inefficient resource. Optimally, when 20 to 30 percent of the total is free.
Myth 2: “Closing all applications manually saves memory”
MIUI has a built-in Low Memory Killer (LMK) mechanism that automatically shuts down unnecessary processes. Manually closing through the cross in the multitasking menu often only slows down the work, since the application will have to start from scratch.
Myth 3: 8GB of RAM is enough for any task
Even with 8GB of storage, some applications (e.g., Chrome with a dozen tabs + Genshin Impact) can lead to “suffocation” of the system. On Xiaomi with HyperOS, the problem is partially solved by dynamic memory allocation, but optimization is still required.
Myth 4: “RAM Cleaning Prolongs Battery Life”
On the contrary, the constant release and reloading of applications into memory increases the power consumption, and the battery goes down faster when the system has to run programs from scratch every time.