You clicked on an app icon and it opens in 5-10 seconds — or does it hang on a black screen? This is a problem that many Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO smartphone owners are familiar with. Slowly launching apps can turn even a flagship device into a brick, especially if it used to work quickly. 90% of the time, it's not the crooked hands that are to blame, but system settings, background processes, or hardware limitations.
In this article, we’ll look at all the possible causes, from the banal lack of memory to the hidden MIUI features that slow down work, how to diagnose a problem, what settings to optimize, and when to bring the phone to the service, and we’ve also collected exclusive life hacks for Xiaomi owners that you won’t find in the standard instructions.
If your smartphone is older than 3-4 years (like the Redmi Note 5 or Mi 8), some of the tips may not work due to hardware limitations, but even then there are ways to get the most out of the device.
1. Overloaded RAM (RAM)
The most common reason for brakes is a lack of RAM. Xiaomi smartphones on MIUI aggressively cache applications in the background, and over time this leads to “memory leaks.” For example, if you have 4 GB of RAM and the system takes 3 GB to run under the background, new applications simply do not have the resources to launch quickly.
How to check:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → The phone. → Memory and look how much RAM busy.
- 🔄 If less than 20% is free, this is a critical level.
- 🛑 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management and sort by amount of memory occupied.
Decisions:
- 🧹 Cleanup RAM manually: press and hold the Home button (or swipe up and hold your finger on the home button) MIUI 12+), Then tap on the basket icon to close all background apps.
- ⚙️ Turn off auto-run of unnecessary apps: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Auto-start.
- 🔧 Activate Light Mode (for weak devices): Settings → Special opportunities → Light mode.
⚠️ Note: Do not use "boosters" RAM» Google Play – They only make the problem worse by creating an extra burden. MIUI It already has a built-in optimizer that works more efficiently.
2. Completed storage (internal memory)
If the internal memory is full (especially if it is less than 10% free), the system starts to slow down all processes, including the launch of applications, the fact is that MIUI uses part of the internal memory as a virtual RAM (RAM Expansion function), and if there is a lack of space, this function is disabled.
Critical thresholds:
| Free seat | Impact on productivity | Recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| < 5% | Strong brakes, apps fly out | Urgently clear the cache and delete files |
| 5–10% | Slow-motion launch of applications | Transfer files to SD-map |
| 10–20% | Minor inhibitions | Optimize storage (remove duplicates) |
| > 20% | Normal work. | Maintaining this level |
How to make room:
- Remove the app cache: Settings → Storage → Clear the cache.
- Move photos and videos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud.
- Use built-in Storage Analysis (Settings → Storage → Analysis) to find large, unnecessary files.
- Turn off automatic media download in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).
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If you have Xiaomi with microSD support, transfer applications to your memory card via Settings → Apps → [Select App] → Storage → Change. But note: not all apps support this feature.
3. background optimization and battery saving in MIUI
MIUI is known for its aggressive optimization of background processes, which often interferes with the normal operation of applications. For example, if you turn on battery saving mode, the system can force applications to close a few minutes after curtailing, resulting in the next run they open longer, as they have to boot from scratch.
Where to look for settings:
- 🔋 Settings → Battery and productivity → Battery Savings – Disable or Configure Exceptions.
- ⚡ Settings → Battery and productivity → Application Power Management – Choose No Limitations for Frequently Used Apps.
- 🛠️ Settings → Special opportunities → Optimization MIUI — Turn off if you notice the brakes.
A critical feature of MIUI 13/14: Deep Optimization can block background processes even for system applications, which leads to startup delays. To turn it off, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (tap 7 times to open the developer menu), then to Settings → Additional → Developer and deactivate Background Process Limitation.
Turn off battery savings for key applications |
Add frequently used applications to exceptions |
Disable "Deep Optimization" in the developer settings |
Reboot your phone after the changes-->
4.Outdated version of MIUI or firmware
If you haven’t updated MIUI in a while, the brakes may be caused by a software bug that has already been fixed in newer versions, such as MIUI 12.5, which had a problem with slow application loading due to a bug in the caching mechanism, and MIUI 13.0.4 fixed it.
How to check and update:
- Open Settings → About the phone → System update.
- If you have an update, download it and install it, preferably via Wi-Fi, as the packages weigh 1-3 GB.
- After the update, reset the cache (not data!): Settings → Storage → Clear the cache.
What to do if the update does not help:
- 🔄 Try to roll back to a stable version (if you have a beta).
- 🛠️ Install custom restoration (for example, TWRP) And run the clean version. MIUI.
- 📲 Reset the settings to factory (pre-make a backup!).
⚠️ If after the update the phone began to brake even more, perhaps a new version MIUI It is not optimized for your model, and only rollback or alternative firmware installation (e.g. Pixel Experience) will help).
5. Viruses, malware or “junk” applications
Many users install applications from unverified sources (APK-files that may contain hidden miners, ad modules or spyware, which consume resources in the background, causing legitimate applications to open with a delay.
Signs of infection:
- 📈 Unexplained traffic or battery consumption.
- 🔥 The phone is warming up without loading.
- 📦 Unknown apps appear on the menu.
- 🚫 Advertising pops up on top of other apps.
How to check and clean:
- Install an antivirus (such as Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light) and scan the system.
- Check the list of installed applications: Settings → Apps → App management. Remove suspicious ones.
- Disable installation from unknown sources: Settings → Privacy → Special permissions → Install unknown applications.
- If the problem remains, reset to factory settings.
List of famous “junk” applications for Xiaomi
6. Hardware problems: wear of the drive or battery
If all software methods have been tried and applications are still slow to open, the cause may be physical wear and tear of the components:
- 💾 Depreciation of flash memory (eMMC/UFS): Over time, memory cells degrade and read/write speeds drop, especially for budget models (Redmi). 7A, Redmi 8), cheap-based eMMC 5.1 instead UFS 2.1/3.0.
- 🔋 Bloated or worn-out battery: If the battery is swollen, it can press on the motherboard, causing overheating and trottling (automatic performance decline).
- 🔌 Power controller problems: A faulty controller may limit the power supply to the processor, resulting in brakes.
How to diagnose:
- Check the battery status via ##4636## (test menu) or the AccuBattery app.
- Run a performance test (such as AnTuTu Benchmark) and compare the results to the benchmarks for your model.
- If the phone warms up even in plain – it is a sign of problems with the battery or thermopasta.
Decisions:
- 🔧 Replace the battery (cost: 1,500–3,000) ₽ model-wise).
- 💾 If memory is worn out, consider replacing the motherboard or buying a new phone (repair will cost more than the device).
- 🧊 Use a cooling stand or avoid loads at high temperatures.
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If your Xiaomi is older than 3 years and slows down even after resetting, there is an 80% probability that the hardware wear problem will be a problem, in which case the software methods will not help – you need to repair or replace the device.
7 Conflict with MIUI shell or launcher
Sometimes the brakes are not connected to the iron, but to the software shell, for example, a standard MIUI launcher can hang because of:
- 🎨 Too many widgets on the main screen.
- 📂 Damaged themes of design.
- 🔄 Conflict with a third-party launcher installed (for example, Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher).
How to fix it:
- Reset Launcher Settings: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Storage → Clear Data.
- Remove unnecessary widgets and animations.
- Try another launcher (like Niagara Launcher, which is optimized for weak devices).
- Turn off transition animation: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times for developer mode), then Settings → Additional → For developers → The scale of window/transition animation (set off).
If the problem has occurred after the MIUI update, try rolling back to the previous version or installing custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience).This is a radical method, but it often saves older devices from the brakes.
8.Problems with Google Play Services and Xiaomi Services
Many apps depend on Google and Xiaomi background services, which can slow down the system.
- Google Play Services is constantly syncing data and consuming RAM.
- Mi Push Service is responsible for notifications, but sometimes it loads the processor.
- MiuiDaemon and SecurityCenter scan the system in the background.
How to optimize:
- 🔧 Turn off the auto-update of Google Play Services: Settings → Annexes → Google Play Services → Notifications → Auto Update (select Do Not Update).
- 🛡️ Limit background activity for Mi Push Service and SecurityCenter.
- 📵 Disable unnecessary system applications (for advanced users only!):
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.analytics
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.cloudservice⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications can cause your phone to run unstable, and do so only if you understand the risks!