Redmi phone is slow and slow: what to do to get Android speed back

Your Xiaomi Redmi suddenly began to freeze, applications open for 10 seconds, and the interface animation twitches like a slide show? This is a common problem even with relatively new smartphones of the Redmi Note, Redmi or POCOseries. The reason for this is a combination of overloaded firmware MIUI, background processes and hardware features of budget models. But don’t rush to run to the service center: in 90% of cases, the brakes are fixed using software methods without disassembling the device.

In this article we will analyze reasons for slowdowns (from banal memory filling to hidden firmware bugs), and also give step-by-step guide for diagnosing and speeding up the phone. We will pay special attention to models Redmi Note 12/13, Redmi 10C/11 i POCO X5 —their owners most often encounter similar problems. All methods were tested on current versions MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14.

1. Diagnostics: why did Redmi begin to slow down?

Before starting the “treatment”, you need to identify the root of the problem. Brakes on Androidsmartphones Xiaomi usually associated with one or more of these reasons:

• 📱 Lack of RAM: MIUI aggressively kills background processes, but some applications (especially social networks and instant messengers) know how to “hide” from the system and consume resources.
• 🗑️ Clogged cache and junk files: temporary application data can take up up to 5–10 GB of memory, and the MIUI cleaning system does not always work correctly.
• 🔄 Outdated firmware: older versions of MIUI have bugs with memory management, especially on models with 4–6 GB of RAM.
• 🦠 Viruses or malware: even if you did not install suspicious APKs, some applications from Google Play may contain hidden miners or advertising modules.
• 🔋 Battery wear: when the battery degrades below 70% capacity, the phone automatically limits performance (function Battery Saver in MIUI).

To accurately determine the culprit, perform a simple check:

1. Open Settings → About phone → System status and watch the download RAM i Storage.
2. Run Settings → Applications → Manage applications and sort the list by the amount of memory occupied.
3. Check the temperature of the phone: if it heats up without load (above 40°C), this may indicate hardware problems.

Critical point: if the phone slows down immediately after turning on (even before entering the PIN code), the problem is almost certainly related to corruption of system files or a faulty flash memory. In this case, only resetting the settings or flashing the firmware will help.

2. Freeing up memory: clearing cache and garbage

Let's start with the simplest and safest method - clearing temporary files. Even if you have 128 or 256 GB of memory installed, the application cache and system log files can take up to 15-20 GB, which significantly slows down your work.

2.1. Clearing the application cache

MIUI has a built-in tool for bulk clearing the cache:

1. Go to Settings → Storage.
2. Click Clear in the section Junk files.
3. Select Application cache and confirm cleaning.

For deep cleaning of individual applications:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Manage applications.
2. Select an application (for example, Facebook or TikTok).
3. Click Storage → Clear cache.

2.2. Removing unnecessary files

MIUI hides some system folders, but they can be found through the file manager:

• 📁 Folder MIUI/DebugLog —contains error logs (you can delete everything).
• 📁 Folder MIUI/Extra —temporary update files.
• 📁 Folder Android/data — game and application data is stored here (delete the folders of uninstalled apps).

For convenience, use third-party file managers, for example, Files by Google or Solid Explorer —they find garbage better than the standard one Mi File Manager.

3. Optimizing RAM

Models Redmi with 4–6 GB of RAM often suffer from low memory due to aggressive multitasking of MIUI. The system tries to keep the maximum number of applications in the background, but at the same time it begins to “choke”. Solutions:

3.1. Limiting background processes

MIUI allows you to manually configure the number of background applications:

1. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Memory optimization.
2. Select mode Standard restriction or Strict restriction (for weak models).
3. In the section Autostart disable autostart for unnecessary applications (especially games and social networks).

For models with 4 GB RAM (Redmi 9A, Redmi 10), it is also recommended to disable interface animation:

1. Activate Developer mode (press 7 times on MIUI version in Settings → About phone).
2. Return to Settings → Advanced → For developers.
3. Set Window animation scale, Animation scale transition i Animator duration to Off.

3.2. Using the “Deep Cleaning” function

MIUI has a hidden function to force clear RAM:

1. Hold the button Home (or swipe up and hold if you have gesture controls).
2. Click on the icon Close all (cross or basket).
3. Select Deep cleaning (appears after holding the icon).

This method kills all background processes, including system ones. Use it only if the phone has become completely unresponsive.

4. Updating the firmware and system kernel

Slowdowns are often associated with bugs in the firmware. Xiaomi regularly releases patches for MIUI, but they are not always installed automatically. Check that your version is up to date:

1. Go to Settings → About phone → System update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. If a new version is available, download and install it (preferably via Wi-Fi).

If the update does not help or is not there, try manual firmware installation through Recovery:

1. Download the latest stable firmware for your model from the official website Xiaomi (section Downloads).
2. Place the file .zip to the root of the internal memory.
3. Hold Volume up + Powerto enter Recovery.
4. Select Install update.zip and confirm the installation.

What to do if the update is frozen?

If the update process is interrupted or frozen at the verification stage (more than 30 minutes), force restart the phone (press and hold Power for 10 seconds). The next time you turn on, the system will offer to repeat the installation or roll back.

For advanced users: if the brakes appeared after the update, try rolling back to the previous version of MIUI via Fastboot. Instructions are available on the forums 4PDA or XDA Developers.

5. Checking for viruses and malware

Even if you did not install APKs from unknown sources, some applications from Google Play may contain hidden modules for mining cryptocurrency or displaying advertising. This heavily loads the processor and leads to slowdowns.

5.1. Scanning using standard means

MIUI has a built-in antivirus:

1. Open Security → Antivirus.
2. Click Scan and wait results.
3. Remove or quarantine all detected threats.

For deep scanning, use third-party antiviruses:

• 🛡️ Malwarebytes - finds adware and spyware.
• 🛡️ Bitdefender Mobile Security — scans in real time.
• 🛡️ Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus - checks installed APKs for vulnerabilities.

5.2. Manual removal of suspicious applications

Some viruses disguise themselves as system utilities. Check the list of installed applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Manage applications.
2. Sort the list by installation date.
3. Uninstall unknown applications with suspicious names (for example, System Update, Flash Player, Clean Master).

Pay attention to applications with rights administrator or accessibility:

1. Go to Settings → Passwords and security → Administrator privileges.
2. Disable rights for unknown apps.

6. Optimizing MIUI settings for speed

MIUI is overloaded with unnecessary features that consume resources. Disabling some of them can significantly speed up the work.

Function	Where to disable	Effect
Interface animation	Settings → Special. features → Remove animation	Speeds up application opening by 10-15%
Secondary clipboard	Settings → Advanced → Clipboard	Reduces the load on RAM
Auto-update applications	Google Play → Settings → Auto-update	Prevents background downloading of updates
Mi-account and synchronization	Settings → Accounts → Mi Account	Reduces network traffic and CPU usage
Voice assistant XiaoAI	Settings → Applications → Management → XiaoAI	Frees up to 200 MB of RAM

It is also recommended to disable automatic battery optimization for frequently used applications:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and performance → Battery optimization.
2. Select All applications and disable optimization for instant messengers, navigators and games.

How to remove advertising in MIUI?

Advertising in system applications (for example, in Mi Browser or Mi Music) is disabled in Settings → Passwords and security → Authorization → Advertising services. Disable the slider Personalized advertising i Advertising recommendations.

7. Extreme measures: resetting the settings and flashing

If none of the methods helped, there are radical methods - resetting to factory settings or reflashing.

7.1. Hard Reset

This method deletes all data from the phone, so make a backup copy first:

1. Go to Settings → About phone → Backup and reset.
2. Select Local backup and save the data to a memory card or to the cloud.
3. Return to Backup and reset and click Reset settings.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

After the reset, the phone will be like new. Install applications gradually, monitoring performance.

7.2. Installing custom firmware

If the reset did not help, the problem may be in MIUI itself. An alternative is installation custom firmware on a base Android, for example:

• 📱 LineageOS - pure Android without unnecessary functions.
• 📱 Pixel Experience - firmware with an interface from Google Pixel.
• 📱 ArrowOS —optimized for weak devices.

The installation process requires unlocking the bootloader and having TWRP Recovery. Find detailed instructions at 4PDA for your model. Attention: this will void the warranty!

8. Hardware problems: when you need to take it to the service

If software methods do not help, the reason for the brakes may be in hardware:

• 🔋 Worn out battery: bad sectors lead to freezes when reading/writing data. data-i="299">Overheating of the processor: when degradation is below 60% of the capacity, the phone begins to artificially limit performance.
• 💾 Damaged flash memory: Bad sectors lead to freezes when reading/writing data.
• 🔥 CPU overheating: If the phone heats up above 50°C without load, it may indicate a problem with the thermal paste or motherboard.
• 📶 Faulty communication module: constant searches for the network (if the antenna is damaged) load the processor.

Diagnostics of hardware problems:

Symptom	Possible cause	Solution
The phone turns off at 20-30% charge	Battery wear	Battery replacement
Freezes at starting the camera or recording video	Problems with flash memory or camera	Diagnostics in the service
Constant overheating without load	Thermal paste has dried out or the board is damaged	Cleaning/replacing thermal paste
Slow writing/reading files	Bad sectors in flash memory	Replacing the memory chip

If you suspect a hardware malfunction, do not try to repair the phone yourself (especially if it is under warranty). Contact an official service center Xiaomi or a trusted repair center.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about brakes on Redmi

Mine Redmi Note 11 began to slow down after updating MIUI. What to do?

First try to roll back to the previous firmware version via Recovery. If this doesn't help, perform a factory reset. In some cases, installing Global versions MIUI instead of the regional one helps (for example, instead of MIUI Russia installing MIUI Global).

The phone only slows down in games. What's the problem?

Most likely, triggered thermal throttling (performance limitation due to overheating). Check the temperature in AIDA64 or CPU Monitor. If the temperature is above 60°C, clean the phone from dust or replace the thermal paste. Also make sure that the thermal mode is not enabled in the game settings. throttling Battery saving.

After clearing the cache, the phone began to work even slower. Why?

This is a temporary effect - the system needs time to restore frequently used data. After 1-2 days, operation will return to normal. If the brakes remain, check the phone for viruses or reset the settings.

Is it possible to speed up Redmi 8A with 2 GB of RAM?

On such models, only installation light firmware (for example, LineageOS without GApps) or using the phone in mode Lite (disable all background processes and animations). It is also recommended to use lightweight versions of applications (Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite).

How to check if the phone is slowing down due to the memory card?

Remove the memory card and check the performance. If the phone starts working faster, the problem is in the slow card (lower class UHS-I U3) or its damaged. Format the card in exFAT or replace it with a faster one.

If none of the methods help, contact the service center Xiaomi with a description of the problem. In some cases, the brakes may be caused by motherboard defect or the memory controller - this requires professional help. diagnostics.