Have you noticed that your Xiaomi has become slow when multitasking, or modern games lag'yat even in medium settings? The first thing that comes to mind is to increase RAM. But unlike a PC where RAM bars can be physically replaced, smartphones are more difficult.
What Xiaomi models officially support the RAM extension (spoiler: units of them, and these are not the devices you expect).
Software ways to add memory via virtual RAM and why it is not a panacea
Physical replacement of RAM chips: when possible, how much it costs and what risks it carries for the warranty.
Alternative solutions that will really speed up your smartphone without upgrading hardware.
If you're waiting for a universal guide to "get another RAM bar in the slot," there's no such guide, but we'll tell you what you can do right now to optimize your phone, and in some rare cases, physical expansion of memory is still possible.
Can I physically add RAM to Xiaomi?
The short answer is no, not with 99% of Xiaomi models, with LPDDR4X/LPDDR5 soldered on the motherboard and no expansion slots like laptops, but there are two exceptions that few people know about:
- 📱 Xiaomi Black Shark 4/4 Pro/5/5 Pro – gaming smartphones with a modular architecture, where RAM and the drive are combined into a removable chip UFS 3.1 + LPDDR5. Theoretically, it can be replaced in the service center, but only by the same characteristics.
- 🔧 Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 2 (and some other foldable models) – have soldered chips, but in authorized services Xiaomi offer a service of “memory upgrade” by completely replacing the motherboard with a version with a large amount of RAM.
For all other models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.), the physical addition of RAM is impossible without a complete replacement of the motherboard. Even in service centers, you will be denied such a procedure - this violates the design of the device and cancels the warranty.
⚠️ Attention: AliExpress and other sites often sell “radiation extension modules for Xiaomi” at a price of 20-3050$. This is 100% fraud – smartphones do not have connectors for such modules, and the “devices” themselves are useless plastic plugs.
Virtual RAM: how to "add" RAM software
Since 2021, Xiaomi has introduced RAM Expansion (or Memory Extension) technology into its smartphones, which allows a portion of the embedded memory (UFS) to be used as an additional RAM. This is not a physical increase in RAM, but helps in some scenarios.
How it works:
- The system reserves 2-8 GB of internal storage for cache.
- If there is a lack of RAM, data from the background is transferred to this section.
- Due to compression algorithms, MIUI emulates the operation of additional memory.
To enable virtual RAM:
- Go to Settings → About the phone → All the characteristics.
- Tap 5-7 times on RAM until the Memory Extension menu appears.
- Select the amount of virtual RAM (recommended 2-3 GB for the balance between performance and free space).
- Reset the device.
| Xiaomi model | Max. Virtual RAM | Recommended volume | Effects of inclusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 11/12 | 3GB | 2GB | +10-15% stability in the background |
| POCO X4/X5 | 5GB | 3GB | +20% in games (less than download) |
| Xiaomi 12/13 | 8GB | 3-4 GB | Minimum increase (optimized out of the box) |
| Black Shark 5 | 12GB | 4-6 GB | A notable boost in heavy games |
It's important to understand that virtual RAM is not a substitute for physical RAM, but only works when:
- 📱 You often switch between apps (e.g. messengers) + browser + social media).
- 🎮 Playing with high memory requirements (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile).
- 🔄 Use multitasking with a split screen.
⚠️ Note: On budget models (Redmi) 10A, POCO M4) virtualization RAM can reduce the speed of work due to the slow internal memory eMMC 5.1!
Clear the cache in Settings → Memory
Close all background applications
Check the space available (needs at least 10 GB)
Make a backup copy of the data-->
Optimizing RAM without upgrading: 7 working ways
Before you think about memory augmentation, try these methods. They often give you a bigger performance boost than virtual RAM:
- Turn off system animation: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times to activate Developer Mode). Then in Additional → For developers, install: Windows animation = Off. Transition animation = Off. Animator duration = 0.5x This will speed up switching between applications by 15-30%.
- Limit background processes: In the same Developer Menu, find the Process Limit and select a Maximum 3 process in the background. This will free up to 1 GB of RAM, but some applications will reboot when you return to them.
- Use the "Lite" version of the apps: Replace Facebook with Facebook Lite, Messenger with Messenger Lite, and Instagram with the web version via browser. Memory savings: up to 50%.
Additional advice:
- 🔄 Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Memory. → Cleaning (but not more than 1 time per week!).
- 🛑 Turn off auto-run of unnecessary apps in Settings → Annexes → Auto-start.
- 📵 In games, turn off the background download of updates (Google Play settings) → Auto-update → Only through Wi-Fi).
💡
If your Xiaomi supports MIUI Turbo (e.g. Xiaomi 13 or POCO F5), activate this mode in Settings → Special features → MIUI Turbo. It optimizes memory allocation for games.
Modding: risky ways to “accelerate” RAM
For advanced users, there are informal methods to increase productivity, but they are unwarranted and can lead to a device’s bricking.
- Custom core firmware: Some cores (e.g. FrancoKernel or Kirisakura) optimize memory management. Requires bootloader unlock and TWRP installation. Custom core firmware risks - Loss of warranty (even if you return the stock core, the service will find it by logs). - Accidental reboots due to unstable memory work. - On some models (Redmi Note 10 Pro), the cores can conflict with MIUI, causing lags.
- Changing vm.swappiness: With ADB or terminal, you can increase the aggressiveness of using a swap file: su echo 100 > /proc/sys/vm/swappiness Default value is 60, maximum value is 100.
We don't recommend these methods to novice users, but if you do decide to do so, you should:
- 🔋 Charge your phone to 100%.
- 📱 Make a full backup through Mi Cloud or TWRP.
- 🔍 Check the compatibility of the mod with your model in the forum XDA Developers.
💡
Custom firmware and cores can increase 20-40% of your performance, but only if you know exactly what you're doing. For 90% of users, optimizing stock MIUI is the best option.
When does it make sense to buy a new phone?
If your Xiaomi is slowing down even after all the optimizations, it may be time to consider replacing.
- 🐢 Applications open longer than 3-5 seconds (at 4 seconds)+ GB RAM).
- 🎮 Games with minimum settings are less than 30 FPS.
- 🔄 The phone is rebooted spontaneously 1+ once-day.
- 📉 B Settings → The battery can be seen that 50% of the charge goes to background processes.
Modern Standards (2026):
- 📱 4 GB of RAM – minimum for social networks and light games (Redmi) A2, POCO M6).
- 📱 6-8 GB of RAM – optimal for most tasks (Redmi Note 13, Xiaomi 14).
- 📱 12+ GB of RAM – for gamers and professionals (Black Shark 6, Xiaomi Mix Fold 3).
If your phone is older than 3-4 years (for example, Redmi Note 8 or Xiaomi Mi 9), even 6 GB of RAM may not save you from lag due to an outdated processor (Snapdragon 730 or weaker), in which case upgrading to a new model will be cheaper and more reliable than trying to upgrade an old device.
Frequent mistakes when trying to increase RAM
Users often make these mistakes in an attempt to speed up their Xiaomi:
- Installing RAM Optimizers from Google Play: Apps like RAM Booster or Clean Master don’t increase memory, but only close the background processes, which often worsens multitasking. MIUI itself knows how to manage RAM more efficiently.
- Disabling system services: Some “advisers” recommend disabling Android System WebView or Google Play Services via ADB. This leads to app crashes and update issues.
- Use of the SD-Cards as RAM: There are instructions on the Internet to create a swap file on a microSD. This is absolutely useless - the read/write speed of the memory card is 10 to 100 times lower than that of the internal memory. UFS.
If you’ve found a “magic way” to boost RAM that isn’t described in this article, chances are:
- 🕵️♂️ Mystification (e.g. “hidden settings” MIUI", which are not).
- 💣 Malware (applications that require root to overclock").
- 🔨 Physical intervention that voids the warranty.