Owners of branded smartphones Redmi often face a situation when a once-smart device suddenly begins to “think”, freeze when opening a menu, or desperately slow down in games. This is a common problem that can occur both on budget models like Redmi Note, and on more productive flagships of the series Redmi K. Users often confuse these symptoms with a hardware failure, although in 90% of cases the cause lies in the software or improper operation of the device. The system, especially in the shell, requires constant maintenance. Cache buildup, background processes, and memory fragmentation slow down your processor over time. Before taking the device to a service center, it is worth conducting in-depth diagnostics yourself. Understanding the nature of lags will help you return your phone to its former speed without extra costs.
System Android, especially in the shell MIUI or HyperOS, requires constant maintenance. Cache buildup, background processes, and memory fragmentation slow down your processor over time. Before taking the device to a service center, it is worth conducting in-depth diagnostics yourself. Understanding the nature of lags will help restore your phone to its former speed without extra costs.
In this article we will analyze in detail all the possible causes of decreased performance and offer step-by-step guide for eliminating them. We will consider both software optimization methods and physical factors that affect the operation of the gadget. You will find out which settings really help, and which only create the appearance of acceleration.
Lack of RAM and internal memory
The most commonplace, but most common reason for this Redmi phone slows down —this is a critical lack of free space. The operating system Android and the shell MIUI require a significant amount of memory reservation for the correct operation of virtual memory and application caching. When the built-in storage is more than 90% full, the speed of writing and reading data drops significantly.
RAM (RAM) also plays a key role. If you have a model with 3 or 4 GB of RAM, and you simultaneously keep messengers open, a browser with a dozen tabs and a heavy game, the system begins to actively use the page file on the slow internal drive. This causes noticeable delays when switching between tasks and interface twitching.
To solve the problem, you need to free up space. Remove unnecessary videos, old downloads, and unused apps. The system itself will offer to clean up junk files, but manual control is more effective. Pay attention to the folder DCIM and cache of messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, which can take up gigabytes of space.
⚠️ Attention: Do not delete system files or folders with unclear names in the root of the internal memory manually. This may cause the shell to malfunction MIUI and require a complete reset.
Regular cleaning helps maintain stability. Use the built-in Security app to analyze your used space, but check the results before deleting. Often the system marks important documents or APK installation files that you plan to use later as garbage.
CPU overheating and throttling
Modern processors in smartphones Xiaomi equipped with an overheating protection mechanism called throttling. When the crystal temperature reaches critical values (usually above 45-50 degrees under load), the system forcibly reduces the clock frequency. This is done to prevent physical damage to the chip, but for the user it looks like a sharp drop in performance and severe lags.
Overheating can occur not only during games. Long conversations, using the navigator with the screen on in the sun, or charging the device with a case that does not dissipate heat well also lead to increased temperatures. Under such conditions, even simple actions, such as scrolling through a feed on a social network, may be performed with delays.
To avoid throttling, monitor the temperature of the device. Please remove thick cases during heavy use or charging. Do not leave your phone in direct sunlight, especially on the dashboard of a car. If the device is hot to the touch, let it cool down while it is turned off.
Use special cooling pads (coolers) for smartphones during long gaming sessions. This will allow the processor to operate at maximum frequencies without reducing performance.
It is also worth checking the condition of the thermal paste inside the device if the phone is several years old. Over time, the heat-conducting material dries out and loses its properties, which leads to faster heating even under moderate loads. Replacing the thermal interface at a service center can significantly improve the situation.
Background processes and auto-starting applications
The shell MIUI is famous for its aggressive policy regarding background processes, but users often make the situation worse by allowing dozens of applications to run in the background. Each such application consumes CPU and RAM resources, even if you do not see it. This creates a constant load on the system, causing it to become “stupid.”
Particularly resource-intensive are social networks and instant messengers, which constantly synchronize data, check notifications and update the feed. If you have more than 50 applications installed, and half of them have permission to autostart, the phone will work slowly immediately after turning it on.
- 📱 Go to
Settings → Applications → Autostartand turn off everything except instant messengers and the alarm clock. - 🛑 In the section
Settings → Applications → Permissions → Other permissionslimit background activity for heavy apps. - 🗑️ Use the “Memory Cleaner” function in the notification shade, but don’t do it too much often, since the system itself optimizes processes.
Controlling background activity can significantly relieve the processor. You will notice that the phone is more responsive and the battery life is longer. Don't be afraid to disable autorun for games or stores - they will launch normally when you click on the icon.
Outdated software and update conflicts
Developers Xiaomi regularly release firmware updates that contain bug fixes and optimizations. However, sometimes new versions MIUI or HyperOS can be heavier for older models, causing the opposite effect - slowing down. In addition, an outdated version of the system may conflict with new versions of applications from Google Play.
If your Redmi phone started to slow down after a recent update, the system may be indexing files in the background. This process can take from several hours to a couple of days. During this time, the device may become unstable. If the problem does not disappear after 3-4 days, you should consider rolling back or resetting your settings.
Check for updates in the menu Settings → About phone → MIUI version. If a new version is available, try installing it. Often, security and optimization patches resolve performance issues identified in previous builds. However, before updating, be sure to back up your data.
| Problem type | Symptoms | Probable solution |
|---|---|---|
| Filling memory | Lags when opening applications, recording errors | Clearing cache and deleting files |
| Overheating | Sudden drop in FPS, screen dimming | Cooling the device, removing case |
| Software conflict | Application crashes, reboots | Resetting settings or flashing |
| Wear of the drive | Long system loading, slow installation apps | Replacing a smartphone (hardware problem) |
Sometimes the problem lies not in the system, but in a specific application that was recently updated. Try uninstalling the most recently installed apps or rolling back their versions to previous versions. This will help identify the culprit of unstable operation.
Visual effects and animations
Beautiful transition animations, background blur and live wallpapers - all this creates a load on the graphics accelerator (GPU). On powerful flagships this is unnoticeable, but on budget models Redmi with entry-level processors such “embellishments” can significantly reduce the smoothness of the interface. Disabling unnecessary graphics is a quick way to speed up your phone.
In the developer settings, you can change the scale of animations. This doesn't eliminate them completely, but it does reduce rendering times, making the system feel faster. To access these settings, you need to activate developer mode by clicking 7 times on the build number in the menu About phone.
adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0.5adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0.5
adb shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0.5
These commands can be entered through a computer with a phone connected via USB, if you have the skills to work with ADB. Or do it manually in the menu Settings → Advanced settings → For developers, finding the items “Window Animation”, “Transition Animation” and “Animation Duration”. Setting the value to 0.5x or “Disabled” will immediately give results.
How to enable developer mode?
Go to Settings → About phone. Quickly click on the “MIUI Version” (or “OS Version”) item 7 times in a row. A notification “You have become a developer” will appear. After this, a new section will appear in the “Advanced Settings” menu.
Also, give up live wallpapers and widgets that constantly update content on your desktop. Static images are much faster and don't waste CPU power in the background. A simple desktop is the key to fast operation of a budget smartphone.
Radical measures: Reset and flashing
If none of the above methods helped, and the Redmi phone continues to slow down shamelessly, the last resort remains - a full reset to factory settings. This will remove all data, applications and system errors accumulated over years of use. Often, after such a reset, the device works like new.
Before performing a reset, be sure to save all important contacts, photos and documents to the cloud or to your computer. The process is irreversible. Go to menu Settings → About phone → Reset settings → Delete all data. The device will reboot and begin the cleaning process, which may take 10-20 minutes.
☑️ Preparing to reset settings
In some cases, completely flashing the device via a computer helps utilities Mi Flash Tool. This allows you to install a clean version of the system without pre-installed bloatware. However, this procedure requires certain skills and carries the risk of turning the phone into a “brick” if done incorrectly.
⚠️ Attention: Flashing via Fastboot can void the warranty and lead to data loss beyond recovery. Perform this procedure only if you are confident in your actions and have downloaded the firmware from an official source.
After the reset, do not rush to install all applications at once. Observe the phone's operation in a “clean” state. If the lags return immediately after installing a specific app, then the problem lies with that app. A gradual return of the software will help identify the culprit.
Hardware wear and physical damage
Physical wear of components cannot be ruled out. Internal memory type eMMC or UFS has a limited resource of rewrite cycles. After 3-4 years of active use, the read/write speed may degrade, which manifests itself in long downloads and freezes. This is a natural process of aging of electronics.
It is also worth checking the condition of the battery. A degraded battery may not produce the required current at peak load times, which forces the processor to drop frequencies even without overheating. If the phone turns off at 20-30% charge or gets very hot when idle, it may be time to replace the battery.
Mechanical damage, such as microcracks on the board after falls, can cause periodic failures in the operation of memory controllers. In this case, software methods are powerless, and diagnostics are required at a service center. If the phone is more than 5 years old, it is sometimes cheaper to buy a new model than to repair the old one.
If, after a complete reset and installing a minimum set of applications, the phone continues to slow down, most likely the problem is hardware in nature (memory or battery wear).
Use diagnostic applications such as AIDA64 or CPU-Zto check the current processor frequencies and temperatures. If the frequencies do not rise to the declared values even in simple tasks, this is a sure sign of a hardware limitation or malfunction.
Why does a Xiaomi phone heat up and slow down at the same time?
This is a protective reaction of the processor to high temperatures. The system reduces performance (throttling) to cool the chip. It is necessary to let the device cool down and check background processes.
Will installing a third-party launcher help?
Yes, lightweight launchers (for example, Nova Launcher) can replace the heavy MIUI shell, reducing the load on RAM and speeding up desktop rendering.
Is it necessary close applications in the multitasking menu?
In modern versions of Android this is not necessary. The system manages the memory itself. Forced closing often leads to repeated launch of applications and more battery consumption.
How to find out which application is using the processor?
Enable the "Display CPU load" option in the developer settings or use applications like Greenify to analyze background activity.
Is it worth buying a memory card for acceleration?
No, installing applications on a memory card (microSD) usually slows them down, since the speed of memory cards is lower than the speed of the phone's internal storage.