Smartphone owners Honor often encounter a situation where applications begin to crash, games slow down, and the system displays a “Not enough memory” notification. The reason usually lies in the lack of random access memory (RAM) a resource that is responsible for multitasking and the speed of the device. But what to do if it is physically impossible to add RAM to your phone? In fact, there are several proven ways increase available RAM without disassembling the device or buying a new gadget.

In this article we will look at unique methods for Honor smartphonesincluding models Honor 50/60/70/80/90, Magic4/5/6 and others with firmware MagicOS. It is important to understand that “increasing” RAM here is conditional: we are talking about optimizing existing resources, using virtual memory and correctly configuring the system. No “magic” applications from Google Play can physically add gigabytes of RAM - but smart actions will help free up to 30-40% of RAM for your tasks.

1. Clearing background processes and cache

The first and easiest step is freeing RAM from unnecessary processes. Even when you're not actively using an app, it may continue to run in the background, consuming memory. Smartphones Honor have built-in tools to manage this.

Open Settings → Battery → Launch applications. Here you will see a list of apps that automatically launch when you turn on your phone or run in the background. Disable autorun for little-used applications (for example, games or social networks that you open manually). It is also useful to go to Settings → Applications → Manage applications and manually stop those that are not needed right now.

  • 🧹 Clearing the cache: Go to Settings → Memory → Cleaning and select “Clear cache”. This will not delete your data, but will free up up to 1-2 GB of RAM.
  • 🔄 Reboot: Reboot your phone regularly (every 2-3 days) - this resets temporary processes that take up RAM.
  • 📱 Mode “Performance”: Some models Honor (for example, Magic5 Pro) have an option Settings → Battery → Performance modethat optimizes memory allocation.
📊 How often do you clear the cache on your Honor?
Once a week
Only when the phone is slow
Never
I use automatic cleaning
⚠️ Attention: Do not clear the cache of system applications (for example, Google Play Services or Huawei Mobile Services) - this can lead to malfunctions of the phone. Focus on applications that you installed yourself.

2. Using the Expand RAM (Virtual Memory) feature

Smartphones Honor based on MagicOS 7.0 and newer support the technology virtual increase in RAM due to the internal memory of the device. Essentially, the system reserves part of the drive (usually 2-8 GB) and uses it as additional RAM. This will not replace physical RAM, but will help in situations where memory is critically low.

To activate the function:

  1. Go to Settings → Memory → RAM expansion.
  2. Select the amount of virtual memory (4 GB is recommended to balance performance and free disk space).
  3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.
Honor model Max. supported RAM expansion Minimum version of MagicOS
Honor 50/60 3 GB MagicOS 5.0
Honor 70/80 5 GB MagicOS 6.1
Honor Magic4/5 8 GB MagicOS 7.0
Honor 90/100 8 GB MagicOS 7.1

After activating the virtual memory, you will notice that in the phone's characteristics (for example, in Settings → About phone) the total amount of RAM is displayed (for example, “12 GB + 4 GB”). However, remember: virtual memory is slower than physical memory, so don’t expect miracles in performance.

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If, after activating the RAM expansion, the phone begins to heat up or discharge faster, reduce the amount of virtual memory to 2-3 GB. The optimal balance is when at least 10% of the total storage capacity is free.

3. Optimizing applications and games

Many apps (especially games and social networks) use the highest possible graphics settings by default, which eats up RAM. On smartphones Honor you can manually limit memory consumption for individual applications.

For games:

  • 🎮 Open Game Center (icon on the desktop) → select the game → Performance settings → set “Balance” or “Memory saving”.
  • 🖼️ In the game settings, reduce the texture resolution and turn off unnecessary effects (for example, shadows or reflections).
  • 🔋 Activate the "Game Turbo" mode in Game Center —it optimizes the distribution resources.

For regular applications:

  • 📱 In Settings → Applications select the app → Memory → limit background activity.
  • 🔄 Disable automatic application updates in Google Play (or AppGallery for models without Google services).
  • 🗑️ Uninstall or freeze (via Settings → Applications → Uninstall/Disable) unnecessary apps.

☑️ Optimizing games on Honor

Done: 0 / 4
⚠️ Attention: Some applications (for example, Facebook or TikTok) may ignore background activity restrictions. In this case, only complete removal or use of their “light” versions will help (for example, Facebook Lite).

4. Updating the firmware and system kernel

RAM performance directly depends on firmware optimization. Company Honor regularly releases updates that improve memory management. For example, MagicOS 7.1 has added technology RAM Turbothat dynamically distributes resources between applications.

To update firmware:

  1. Go to Settings → System and updates → Software update.
  2. Click “Check for updates” and install the latest version, if available.
  3. After updating, reset the cache (in the same update menu there is an option “Clear cache”).

If your model Honor does not receive official updates (for example, old devices like Honor 8X), you can consider the option of custom firmware. However, this requires unlocking the bootloader and rootrights, which voids the warranty and can lead to unstable operation.

What to do if the update is stuck?

If the update process is stuck at the installation stage (more than 30 minutes), force restart the phone by holding down the power button for 10-15 seconds After rebooting, the system should prompt you to continue the installation. If the problem persists, download the full firmware package from the official Honor website and install it manually via Settings → System → Local update.

5. Transferring data to a memory card

Lack of RAM is often associated with full drive. When the phone's internal memory is full, the system cannot use it for caching and virtual RAM. The solution is to transfer some of the data to microSDcard (if your model supports it).

How to transfer data:

  1. Insert a memory card (class recommended UHS-I or A2 for speed).
  2. Go to Settings → Memory → Default memory and select SD card.
  3. In the menu Settings → Applications select the app → Storage → "Change" → transfer to the card.

Please note that not all applications support transfer to SD. Also, the memory card must be formatted as Internal storage (the option appears the first time you connect). This will allow you to install apps on it, but after that the card cannot be removed without losing data.

Action Effect for RAM
Transfer photos/videos to SD Frees up 1-3 GB of internal memory, indirectly improving the performance of virtual RAM
Moving applications to SD Reduces the load on the system partition, but can slow down apps
Formatting SD as internal memory Allows installation of applications on the card, but reduces its compatibility with other devices

6. Resetting to factory settings (last resort)

If all the previous methods did not help, and the phone still slows down due to lack of RAM, it is worth considering Full reset. This procedure will delete all data from the device, but will return it to factory performance. This is especially true for smartphones that have been used for 1-2 years without a reset.

How to reset:

  1. Back up important data (photos, contacts, messages) via Settings → System → Backup.
  2. Go to Settings → System → Reset → Reset all settings.
  3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (takes 5-10 minutes).

After the reset:

  • 📥 Restore only the necessary data (do not fill the memory with old files).
  • 🔧 Configure autostart applications (as in the first section).
  • 🔄 Activate virtual RAM (section 2).
⚠️ Attention: On models Honor s MagicOS 6.0 and newer, resetting the settings does not delete data from SD cards, if it is connected as a removable drive. However, if the card is formatted as internal memory, all data on it will also be erased.
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Resetting to factory settings is the most radical, but also the most effective way to restore the phone's performance. Use it if other methods have failed, or before selling the device.

7. Alternative methods (for advanced users)

If you are ready to go for more complex manipulations, there are two more ways to optimize RAM:

  • 🤖 root access and kernel: With an unlocked bootloader and root you can install a custom kernel (for example, Kirin Gaming Kernel for processors Kirin), which manages memory better. However, this is risky: you will lose the warranty, and incorrect actions can “brick” the phone.
  • 🔧 ADB commands: Through Android Debug Bridge you can manually limit RAM consumption for individual applications. For example, the command: 
    adb shell am set-dexopt-mode bg-speed-profile

    speeds up background processes, but requires a connection to a PC and USB debugging enabled.

For most users, these methods are redundant, but they can be useful if you know exactly what you are doing. Before any manipulations with the system make a full backup through Settings → System → Backup or third-party utilities like Titanium Backup (requires root).

What is “bricked” phone?

This is a condition when the device stops turning on or boots only to the brand logo (hence the term “bricked”). Most often it occurs due to incorrect firmware, errors in obtaining root access or an interrupted update. After this, the phone can only be restored through special service providers. utilities (for example eRecovery for Honor) or contacting a service center.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about increasing RAM on Honor

Is it possible to physically add RAM to an Honor phone?

No, all modern smartphones (including Honor) have sealed RAM. The only way to “increase” RAM is to use virtual memory (section 2) or optimize the existing one (sections 1, 3).

Why did the phone become slower after activating virtual RAM?

Virtual memory is slower than physical memory, since it uses the internal storage (even if it is fast, for example UFS 3.1). If you select too large a volume (for example, 8 GB on a model with 128 GB of memory), the system may slow down due to constant data exchange. Try reducing the volume to 2-3 GB.

Which applications consume the most RAM on Honor?

Top 5 memory "eaters":

  1. Games (Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty - up to 2-4 GB of RAM).
  2. Social networks (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook —up to 500-800 MB each).
  3. Browsers (Chrome with many tabs—up to 1 GB).
  4. Video editors (CapCut, KineMaster —up to 1.5 GB).
  5. Maps (Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator in the background - up to 600 MB).

To reduce consumption, close these applications after use or use their “light” versions (for example, Facebook Lite).

Do memory cleaners from Google Play (for example, CCleaner) help?

No, most of these applications are not only useless, but also harmful. They:

  • Close background processes that the system itself optimizes better.
  • They can delete important cache files, which will lead to slowdown.
  • They consume RAM and battery while working in the background.

Use only built-in tools Honor (section 1) or manual cleaning.

How to check how much RAM is used on my Honor?

There are two ways:

  1. Through settings: Settings → Memory → RAM. Here you can see a usage graph and a list of applications consuming memory.
  2. Through the engineering menu: Enter the code in the phone dialer ##2846##, then select ProjectMenu → Background Settings → RAM (does not work on all models).

Normal state: 20-30% of the total RAM is free. If less than 10% is free, it’s time to optimize.