Why Xiaomi is slowing down on Android: a full analysis of the causes and solutions

Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or even the flagship Xiaomi 14 suddenly started to “dumb”: apps open with a delay, animation twitches, and sometimes the screen freezes completely for a few seconds? This is not always a sign of “aging” of the device. In 80% of cases, the brakes on MIUI and pure Android are eliminated without replacing iron – you just need to find the root of the problem.

We analyzed user reports, service center data and performance tests to compile a checklist of reasons, including specific MIUI 14/15 bugs that Xiaomi has not yet fixed in mass updates. In this article, only working solutions, without general tips like “clean up the cache” (though we will tell you this correctly), let’s start with the most obvious – and get to the hidden settings that are not mentioned even in the official documentation.

1. RAM overload: why MIUI is "eating" RAM

Xiaomi has traditionally aggressively managed RAM, allowing more applications to run in the background, but also leading to memory leaks, where the system does not free up resources even after closing programs, especially on budget models with 4-6 GB of RAM.

How to check: Open Settings → About Phone → Memory and see the RAM usage schedule. If free less than 15-20% is the critical threshold. On the POCO F5 and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ with 8+ GB of RAM, the problem is less common, but still possible due to bugs in MIUI 14/15.

• 🔄 Reset the device, it will reset all the background processes. Do this once every 2-3 days if you notice the brakes.
• 🚫 Turn off auto-run of unnecessary apps: Settings → Annexes → Autostart control.
• ⚡ Activate Light Animation (hidden feature): enter ##4636##, select Phone Information → Display animation and set the value 0.5x.

⚠️ Note: Do not use "boosters" RAM» from Google Play, for example, RAM Booster or Clean Master: These applications only make the problem worse by violently killing processes and making them restart more often.

2.Clustered storage: when 1GB of free space is critical

MIUI starts to slow down when less than 10% of the total storage space is available, and not only are user files, but the system partition is clogged with logs, update cache and temporary Google Play Services files.

For example, on Xiaomi 13T with 256 GB of memory, users face lags, although “free” 50+ GB. The problem lies in the fact that the system reserves space for updates and can not free it automatically. Check the real memory allocation through Settings → Storage → Memory Analysis.

If the brakes are left after cleaning, check for memory fragmentation (relevant for devices with eMMC, not for the same type of device). UFS). On the Redmi. 9A or POCO M3 The solution is to transfer heavy files (video, games) to the computer. SD-map or format.

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Before clearing the cache, secure important applications in multitasking (swipe up and hold the icons). MIUI will not kill their processes if there is a lack of memory.

3. MIUI bugs: hidden settings that slow down the system

Xiaomi is known for hiding critical settings deep in the menu or not documenting them at all. For example, MIUI 14/15 has Mi-Sharing enabled by default, which constantly scans surrounding devices and loads the processor. And Mi Cloud Sync works in the background, even if you don't use the cloud.

Another “hidden killer” of performance is analytics services (com.miui.analytics), which send data to Xiaomi, which cannot be turned off by standard means, but can be limited to:

Disable Mi-Sharing in Settings → Connections → Mi-Sharing

Disable auto-run Mi Cloud in Settings → Applications → Auto-run management

Limit background activity of Google Play Services through Settings → Apps → Permissions → Background activity

Disable “Smart Help” in Settings → Special. features → Smart help

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On the Xiaomi 12/13 series, additional lags create an adaptive screen refresh rate. The system constantly switches between 60 Hz and 120 Hz, which causes microlatency. Solution: lock the frequency to 60 Hz in Settings → Display → Update frequency.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI Global 14.0.4 And below, there's a bug with zRAM, which is a memory compression technology that can cause friezes when you multitask. /proc/swaps. If the line c zram0 Empty – Turn off zRAM in the kernel (requires root).

4.Firmware problems: when an update is not a solution, but a cause

Paradoxically, sometimes the MIUI update doesn't speed up, but rather slows down the smartphone. For example, after switching from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14, Redmi Note 11 Pro users complained about the lags due to the new process management policy. And MIUI 15 (beta) found a bug with SurfaceFlinger, the service responsible for rendering the interface.

How to understand that the brakes are associated with firmware:

• 📉 Lags appeared immediately after the update.
• 🔄 Reboot helps for a short time (1-2 hours).
• 📊 B Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI hung unstable assembly (for example, 23.12.10 Beta).

Decisions:

1. Reverse to stable version via Fastboot (instruction below).
2. Cleaning system applications data (without resetting to factory): Settings → Applications → Show everything → (three dots) → Reset application settings.
3. Disabling the animation system through ADB: adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0 adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0 adb shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0

5.Overheating and trottling: When iron "strangles" itself

If Xiaomi starts to slow down after 10-15 minutes of playing or charging, the fault is trottling – forced performance decline due to overheating. on Snapdragon models (POCO F4, Xiaomi 12T), this is manifested by a sharp drop in FPS, and on MediaTek (Redmi Note 12) – interface freezes.

Check the temperature with AIDA64 or enter the code ##4636## → Battery information.

• 🔥 Processor (CPU): > 65°C - trottling begins.
• 🔥 Battery: > 45°C - the system forcibly reduces the frequency.
• 🔥 Screen: > 50°C – artifacts and lags are possible.

Causes of overheating:

• 🛠️ Thermopaste dried (relevant for devices older than 2 years).
• 🔋 Higher-power charge 30W blockless.
• 🎮 Overclocking games GPU (For example, Genshin Impact on maximum settings).
• 📶 Weak network signal (modem overheats when constantly searching for a cell).

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On devices with MediaTek Helio G96/G99 (for example, Redmi Note 11S), trottling begins at 60°C. The solution is to limit the maximum CPU frequency through the CPU Throttling Test application (requires root).

6. Viruses and Malware: Why Antivirus Doesn't Help

Xiaomi is one of the most “infected” brands on Android not because of vulnerabilities, but because of apps with suspicious permissions that are preinstalled. android.permission.REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES, So that allows them to install software in the background.

Signs of infection:

• 📥 Unknown apps in the installed list (check Settings) → Annexes → All applications).
• 📊 Increased traffic in the background (see Settings) → SIM cards and mobile networks → Traffic).
• 🔋 Quick battery discharge even in standby mode.
• 📵 Advertising in notifications (even if you have not installed suspicious programs).

How to clean the system:

1. Remove all applications with permissions REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES and BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE (Checked through App Inspector).
2. Disable the installation from unknown sources: Settings → Applications → Special Access → Install unknown applications.
3. Scan your device through Malwarebytes (not Dr.Web or Avast – they can slow down the system themselves).
4. Reset your Google Play Services settings: Settings → Apps → Google Play Services → Storage → Clear your data.

⚠️ Warning: Some viruses disguise themselves as system processes (e.g. com.android.system).If you have left after cleaning the brake, log through the system. ADB: adb logcat -d | grep -E "PackageManager|ActivityManager: Search for lines with install or unknown source.

7. Hardware problems: when it's time to go to the service center

If all the software methods have been tried and Xiaomi is still slowing down, it's the hardware.-5 hardware-cause:

• 🔋 Worn-out battery (capacity) < 70% of nominal value – leads to voltage drawdowns and sudden reboots.
• 💾 Bad flash memory – data is read with errors, which slows down the system.
• 🛠️ A departed memory/processor chip is a common problem after falls.
• 📶 Faulty modem – a constant search network loads the processor.
• 🔌 Oxidized charging contacts - cause voltage surges.

How to diagnose:

• Check the battery health via ##4636## → Battery information (health setting should be Good).
• Test memory for bad blocks with AIDA64 (Storeroom → Read/Write Test).
• Look at the kernel logs for errors: adb shell dmesg | grep -i error.

If you find a hardware problem, do not try to fix it yourself (especially on models with LPDDR5 and UFS 3.1 – for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra).

8.Optimizing for Games: Why FPS Falls Even on Flagships

Gamers on POCO F5 or Black Shark 5 often experience FPS drawdowns not because of iron, but because of the wrong MIUI settings. For example, the default is Game Turbo, which should optimize performance, but in practice conflicts with Google Play Games and Adreno drivers (on Snapdragon).

Checklist for gamers:

Disable Game Turbo in Settings → Special features → Game Turbo

Enable Performance Mode in Settings → Battery → Performance Mode

Disable Image Improvement in the game settings (this is post-processing MIUI, not GPU)

Lock the CPU frequency at maximum through Performance Control (requires root)

Install GFX Tool to force the Vulkan API (for supported games)

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On MediaTek devices (Redmi Note 12 Pro), additional lags are created by the ARM Mali GPU, the solution is to disable the Mali GPU Debug:

adb shell setprop debug.mali.enable 0

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On Xiaomi AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 13) turn on the mode DC Dimming in Settings → Display. → Reading mode. It'll reduce the load on the GPU When drawing dark scenes in games.

FAQ: Frequent questions about brakes on Xiaomi