How to check the memory of a Android smartphone

Modern mobile devices have become so complex that the user is often unaware of what processes are happening inside it gadget in the background. When the phone starts to slow down, applications crash, or the system writes about lack of space, the first question that arises is about the state of resources. A competent check of the memory of an Android smartphone allows you to identify bottlenecks and understand whether the device needs to be replaced or simple optimization is sufficient.

Many owners confuse two fundamentally different types of memory: operational (RAM) and permanent (ROM). Erroneous actions aimed at cleaning one type, when the problem lies in another, not only do not solve the problem, but can also aggravate the situation. In this article, we will analyze in detail the diagnostic tools built into the system and third-party methods for assessing the performance of drives.

Understanding the architecture of your device is the key to the long life of the gadget. You will learn how to interpret sensor readings, why free space is critical to write speed, and what hidden reserves can be activated through the engineering menu or ADB commands.

Differences between RAM and built-in memory

Before running any tests, it is necessary to clearly understand what exactly we are measuring. RAM (RAM) is responsible for the performance of the system here and now: it stores data from running applications and the processor cache. If RAM is full, the phone starts using the swap file on the slow drive, which causes lags.

Internal memory (ROM or Flash Storage) is your “warehouse”. Photos, system, games and documents are stored here. The read and write speed of this drive directly affects the time it takes to load applications and install updates. Health check drive is often ignored, although wear and tear on memory cells can lead to sudden data loss.

Visually in the settings, these sections are often displayed side by side, but their physical nature is different. RAM is volatile and is cleared upon reboot, while internal storage retains information for years. For correct diagnosis, it is important not to confuse these concepts.

⚠️ Attention: Do not try to format memory partitions through third-party file managers with root access without creating a full backup. An error in choosing a partition can turn your smartphone into a “brick.”

Built-in Android diagnostic tools

Smartphone manufacturers often implement their own monitoring utilities that are hidden from the public eye user. The easiest way to get basic information is to use the standard settings menu. Go to section Settings → About device → Memory (the path may differ depending on the shell MIUI, OneUI or ColorOS).

Here you will see the usage graph RAM and the occupied space on the internal storage. However, this data shows only the current filling, and not the technical condition of the chips. For a deeper analysis in some models, for example Xiaomi or Samsung, there is a hidden engineering menu.

To enter it, open the "Phone" application and enter the secret code. Universal for many devices is ##4636##. If the code works, the testing menu will open, where you can select the "Usage Statistics" item or similar. The operating time without failures and detailed statistics on running processes are displayed here.

• 📱 The code #0# often opens a full menu for testing equipment on devices. Samsung.
• 🔧 Code ##6484## launches the engineering menu on smartphones Xiaomi i Redmi.
• 📊 Code ##34971539## provides information about the camera and sometimes about the memory status on older models.

Worth Please note that on new versions Android 12-14 access to some codes may be blocked by the manufacturer for security reasons. In this case, the system will simply reset the call or nothing will happen.

Using applications for testing RAM

When built-in tools are not enough, specialized utilities from Google Playare considered the leader in this area. CPU-ZIt provides comprehensive information about the system, including memory type, channel frequency and current load.

After installation, run CPU-Z and go to the Device or Systemtab. Here you will see the total volume RAM, available volume and type of technology (for example, LPDDR4X or LPDDR5). This is important, since the actual memory frequency may differ from that stated in the specifications due to throttling or power saving settings.

Another powerful tool is AIDA64. This application conducts stress tests, loading the processor and memory at 100%. If the device freezes or reboots during the test, this is a sure sign of instability. modules RAM or power problems.

adb shell dumpsys meminfo

For advanced users who have connected a smartphone to a PC, there is a command adbthat shows a detailed map of memory distribution by process. The output of the command will show which application is “eating” resources, even if it is hidden from the regular manager. tasks.

⚠️ Attention: Test results in popular benchmarks like AnTuTu may be overestimated due to optimization for a specific test. Use them only for comparison with other devices, and not for diagnosing faults.

Diagnostics wear of the internal drive

Flash memory has a limited resource of write cycles. Over time, the cells degrade, the write speed drops, and the risk of data loss increases. Checking the health of Pmem (Persistent Memory) is more difficult than RAM, but it is often possible. Built-in diagnostics are often absent, so we rely on indirect signs and third-party ones. software.

Symptoms of storage wear include prolonged opening of heavy applications, system freezes when saving files and errors when installing updates. If the phone suddenly starts working slowly after the memory is 90% full, this may indicate critical wear of the controller.

The application DevCheck allows you to view information about the storage, including the type file system (ext4, f2fs) and total volume. However, to evaluate real health (S.M.A.R.T. attributes) root access is usually required. Without them, we can judge the status only by the speed of operation.

Parameter	Normal value	Symptom of the problem
Free space	More than 15% of the volume	Less than 5% (risk of file system damage)
Write speed (Seq)	> 200 MB/s (for UFS 2.1+)	< 50 MB/s (degradation)
Response time	< 10 ms	> 100 ms (interface lag)
Input/output errors	0	Any amount in the logs

If you notice a significant drop in recording speed, it is recommended to immediately copy important data to a cloud server or PC. Continuing to use such a drive can lead to complete loss of information without the possibility of recovery.

Why does a full memory slow down my phone?

Flash memory works slower when the cells are full, since it is more difficult for the controller to find a free block for writing. In addition, for Wear Leveling algorithms to work, a reserve of free space of at least 10-15% is required.

Analysis through a computer and. ADB

The most accurate data on the memory status can be obtained by connecting the smartphone to the computer and using the toolkit Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method requires enabling USB debugging in the menu For developers.

To check memory usage in real time, enter the command:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo

This command will display a detailed report of how much memory is occupied by native code, graphics, application private data and cache. The line Total PSS will show the actual amount of physical memory used.

To check the I/O error statistics on the drive (requires root), you can use the command dmesg or view the logs:

adb logcat | grep -i "mmc"

Search by keyword mmc (MultiMediaCard) or ufs will allow you to filter system messages related to the operation of the memory controller. The presence of lines with errors I/O error or timeout is a critical signal about a hardware malfunction.

For Windows users there is a utility Android Memory Testthat can be installed directly on the device, but PC versions of ADB provide more flexible options for logging and analysis long tests without draining the battery.

⚠️ Attention: Menu interfaces and item names may change depending on the firmware version and smartphone model. Always check the official manufacturer's documentation for your specific model.

Optimizing and cleaning memory

After diagnostics, there is often a need to free up resources. Simply deleting applications is not always effective, as they leave behind cache and temporary files. Deep cleaning requires a systematic approach.

Use the built-in Cleanup tool in the storage settings. It will safely remove application cache, uninstalled app remnants, and duplicate files. For more aggressive cleaning, you can use the function Free up space, which will offer to delete old screenshots and downloaded files.

• 🗑️ Regularly clear the cache of instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), as they can take up gigabytes of space.
• 📸 Transfer photos and videos to cloud storage (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk) and delete them from the device.
• 🚫 Disable or remove pre-installed applications (bloatware) that you do not use.

If the problem is lack of RAM, try limiting background activity. In the menu For developers there is an item "Background process limit". Setting the value to "No more than 2-3 processes" can significantly speed up the operation of an old smartphone, at the cost of restarting applications more frequently when switching.

In extreme cases, when software methods do not help, a full reset to factory settings may be required (Hard Reset). This will delete all data and return the memory structure to its original state, eliminating file system fragmentation.

Why does the phone show less memory than stated in the box?

Part of the built-in memory is occupied by the operating system itself Android and the manufacturer’s preinstalled software. In addition, there is a difference in volume calculation: manufacturers use the decimal system (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes), and the system uses the binary system (1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes). Therefore, out of 64 GB, about 58-59 GB are available to the user.

Is it possible to increase RAM on Android?

It is impossible to physically increase the chip RAM as it is soldered on the board. However, many modern smartphones support virtual memory technology (RAM Plus, Memory Extension), using part of the internal storage for the page file. This can be enabled in the settings, but the speed will be lower than that of real RAM.

How to check bad sectors on a smartphone's memory?

Direct checking of sectors as on a HDD is not possible using standard means. An indirect sign of broken blocks is the appearance of artifacts in photos, damage to files during copying, or sudden reboots. For accurate diagnostics, specialized equipment is required in a service center.

Does an SD memory card affect the speed of the phone?

Yes, if applications are installed on the memory card or system data is transferred. A slow class card Class 4 or Class 6 can greatly slow down the system. For modern tasks, it is recommended to use standard cards UHS-I U3 or V30.