Xiaomi smartphone slows and glitches - what to do? Step-by-step guide

Your Xiaomi is suddenly slower, apps are late, and interface animations are twitching? This is a common problem that owners of MIUI devices face after 1-2 years of use. The reasons can range from overloaded memory to firmware errors. But the good news is that 90% of the time, things can be fixed without going to a service center.

In this article, we will take a step-by-step guide to speeding up a smartphone, from simple methods (clearing the cache, turning off background processes) to radical measures (resetting to factory settings or flashing). All methods are tested on Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5 and Xiaomi 12/13/14, but will also be suitable for other devices on MIUI 13/14 or HyperOS.

Before you start, check whether braking is due to overheating (if the body is hot) or a discharged battery (charge below 15%), which temporarily reduces performance and eliminating them can solve the problem without additional actions.

1. Diagnostics problem: why Xiaomi started to get dumb?

The first step is to identify the source of the brakes, and that will help you choose the most effective way to solve this problem.

• 📱 Full memory: Less than 10% of the free space on the internal drive leads to a slowdown.
• 🔄 Outdated firmware: errors in the old version MIUI or HyperOS can cause lags.
• 🧹 Clogged cache: temporary application files and systems accumulate and slow down work.
• 👻 Background processes: autobooting unnecessary apps eats up RAM.
• 🦠 Viruses or malware: less common, but common, especially if installed APK unverified.

To check the memory and processor load:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → System status.
2. See the graphs of RAM and CPU usage.
3. If the RAM is loaded more than 80% at rest, the problem is in the background processes.

It is also useful to run the built-in diagnostics: go to Settings → Special features → Diagnostics of the system and follow the instructions. The system will tell you which parameters are out of the norm.

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If the smartphone is slowing only in a particular application (for example, in the PUBG Mobile or TikToke, the problem isn't the system, it's the graphics settings or the cache of this app. Try clearing its data in Settings. → Annexes

2. Cleaning up cache and unnecessary files

Let's start with the simplest and safest method, which is to clean the cache, and temporary files accumulate over time and can take up several gigabytes of memory, which leads to brakes.

How to clear the cache:

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Click Clean in the Garbage Files section.
3. Select the app cache and confirm the deletion.
4. For deep cleaning, press Deep Cleaning and wait for the analysis to be completed.

It is also recommended to manually clear the cache of individual apps you use frequently (e.g. YouTube, Instagram, Telegram):

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app and click Storage → Clear the cache.

After cleaning, restart your smartphone. If the problem was clogged cache, you will immediately notice an improvement in performance.

3. Optimization of background processes and autoboot

Many apps continue to run in the background even after closing, consuming RAM and battery power.This is one of the main reasons for the brakes on Xiaomi.

How to turn off unnecessary background processes:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 📱 Select an app (such as Facebook or AliExpress).
• 🚫 Press Permissions. → Autostart and turn it off.
• 🔋 In the same menu, turn off the background work (if there is such a item).

For mass shutdown of autoboot:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management
2. Select App Selection and disable AutoRun for unnecessary programs.

It is also helpful to limit the activity of Miui system applications, which often hang in the background:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytic


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.bugreport




adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop

These commands disable analytics, error reports, and unnecessary Mi Drop service, and require you to enable USB debugging and connect your smartphone to your PC.

Disable Auto-Run for 5+ Unnecessary Applications |

Limit work in the background for social networks and instant messengers |

Reboot the phone after the changes |

Check free RAM in Settings → The phone.-->

4. Update firmware and reset settings

If cleaning the cache and optimizing the background processes didn't help, the next thing to try is to update the firmware.The manufacturer regularly releases patches that fix bugs that can cause the brakes.

How to update Xiaomi:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. If a new version is available, download it and install it.

If the update didn’t work or it didn’t, try resetting to factory settings. This is a radical but effective method that will return the original speed to the smartphone.Be sure to back up your data via Settings before resetting → Additional → Backup and Reset or Mi Cloud, otherwise you’ll lose all files, photos and settings!

Resetting instructions:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Settings Reset.
3. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Once reset, the smartphone will reboot and be like new. Don't restore the backup right away -- check first if the brakes are gone. If so, the problem was settings or application conflict.

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Factory reset removes ALL data, including photos, contacts and messages, and if you don’t have a backup, you can’t recover it!

5. Virus and malware check

Less commonly, the brakes are caused by viruses or suspicious applications, especially if you've been installing them. APK-files from unknown sources or visited dubious sites.

How to check your smartphone for viruses:

• 🛡️ Use the built-in Security scanner (Settings) → Security → Virus scanner).
• 🔍 Install a third-party antivirus (such as Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light) and run a deep check.
• 📦 View the list of installed applications in Settings → Apps and remove suspicious ones (especially ones you didn't install).

Signs of infection with the virus:

• The smartphone spontaneously opens advertising.
• The battery is quickly discharged even in standby mode.
• Unknown apps or labels appear.
• Mobile Internet traffic is being used without your knowledge.

If you find a virus, delete the infected app and scan the device again, and in extreme cases, you may need to reset to factory settings.

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Do not install antiviruses with aggressive advertising (for example, Clean Master or DU Speed Booster) - they can cause brakes themselves. Use only proven solutions.

6. Optimizing productivity through the developer

For advanced users, there are ways to speed up Xiaomi through developer mode, which allows you to fine-tune the system, but you need to be careful.

How to turn on the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on the MIUI version 7 times in a row (you will be notified "You became a developer").
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Useful settings for acceleration:

Also, in Developer Mode, you can turn off MIUI Optimization, a feature that sometimes conflicts with applications and causes lags.

1. Turn on USB debugging.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global miui_optimization_disabled 1
3. Reset the device.

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Shutdown MIUI Optimization can cause some features (such as gestures or themes) to work unstable. If there are glitches, return the setting with the command adb shell settings put global. miui_optimization_disabled 0

7 Radical measures: flashing and replacement of iron

If none of the above methods worked, the problem could be hardware or firmware errors, leaving two options:

• 🔧 Fastboot flashing: Completely reinstalling the system via PC, which will help if the brakes are caused by damage to system files.
• 🔨 Replacement of components: if the smartphone is old (3)+ year), the storage device (eMMC) or battery may have worn out, leading to slowdowns.

Instructions for flashing through the Mi Flash Tool:

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the MIUI Download website.
2. Install the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
3. Turn off your smartphone and press Volume Down + Power to log into the Fastboot.
4. Connect the device to your PC and follow the instructions in the Mi Flash Tool.

If you're not sure about yourself, you should go to the service center, because the wrong firmware can turn your smartphone into a brick.

Signs of hardware problems:

• The brakes appear even after resetting to factory settings.
• The smartphone spontaneously restarts or turns off.
• In Settings → Storage displays an incorrect amount of memory.
• When recording a video or taking a photo, artifacts appear.

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Before flashing, check if you have a Bootloader blocked. On new Xiaomi models, it is locked by default, and you need to get permission from the manufacturer through the official website to unlock it.

FAQ: Frequent questions about brakes on Xiaomi

If none of these methods solve the problem, it may be time to consider replacing the smartphone. Xiaomi’s current models (like the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or Xiaomi 14) are equipped with more powerful processors and optimized software, which ensures smooth operation for years to come.