Redmi A1

oledobsessed

Picked up a Redmi A1 as a super cheap backup/minimalist phone and I’m new to Android Go. I want to keep it smooth and reliable for at least a year without rooting. For folks who’ve lived with it, can you share real-world tips and gotchas?

Adoptable storage on Android Go: Is the A1 happy using a microSD as internal storage long-term? Any lag or app update failures after a few months? Which apps tend to misbehave when moved?
microSD card choice: Do A2-rated cards actually help app performance here, or is V30 more important? Any size/speed sweet spot you’ve found for this phone? How do you test/monitor card health on-device?
Keep it snappy without root: Which “Go” or lightweight apps make the biggest difference (browser, maps, launcher, messaging)? Is turning on “restrict background processes” in Developer Options helpful or does it break notifications/alarms?
Notifications and battery: Any settings to prevent aggressive killing of WhatsApp/Telegram/alarms on the A1? Does it need whitelist tweaks or is stock fine? Battery-saving tips that don’t ruin reliability?
Charging habits: Since it’s limited to basic charging, is there a practical way to cap charge at ₈₀-90% without root (scheduling, smart plugs, specific apps that actually work on the A1)?
Updates and stability: Are there firmware versions to avoid because of slowdown or bugs? Did anyone get Android 13 Go on the A1, and did performance improve or worsen?
Camera basics: Is Camera2 API enabled? Any lightweight GCam build/settings that won’t choke on this hardware, or should I stick to the stock app?
Navigation and heat: How does it handle offline maps and GPS on long drives in hot weather? Any thermal throttling or GPS dropouts to watch for?
VoLTE/VoWiFi: Do these work out of the box across carriers, or did you need hidden menu tweaks? Any dialer codes that are safe to use on the A1?
Optional curiosity: Has anyone tried a super-light ROM or GSI on it with an unlocked bootloader that genuinely makes it faster, or is stock the best bet for stability on this hardware?

Would love a simple setup checklist that’s worked for you (first-boot steps, bloat to disable, must-have lite apps, and anything to avoid).

gigageek

Couple of extra notes I haven’t seen mentioned that helped my A1 stay sane:

SD as internal: Works, but only with a good A1-rated card. Don’t move apps with widgets/launchers/banking; keep 20-30% free or Play updates get flaky. If updates fail, reboot and clear Play Store cache.
Card choice: A2 gains are minimal here; controller doesn’t fully use it. A1 U1 64-128 GB (SanDisk Ultra/Samsung Evo) is the sweet spot. V30 is irrelevant for apps. Test with CPDT or AndroBench; do a full H2testw on a PC once in a while to catch errors early.
Speed tips: Niagara or Olauncher; Via/Opera Mini; Organic Maps or Maps Go + “Navigation for Maps Go.” Don’t use Developer “background process limit” - it will break push. Instead: set WhatsApp/Telegram/Clock to Don’t optimize + Unrestricted data, lock them in recents, enable Autostart if present.
Charging: No real 80% cap without root. Use AccuBattery alarm + a cheap smart plug timer (from ₂₀% it’s ₁.5-2h to ₈₅-90% on the stock charger).
Updates: Haven’t seen an official Android 13 Go for A1 yet; stay on latest stable and avoid sideloading newer MIUI app packages - they slow it down. After big updates, clear cache of Google app/Play Services once to calm things down.
Camera: Camera2 is limited. GCam Go mod (e.g., BSG’s) works if you keep HDR off; stock app is most reliable for quick shots.
Navigation/heat: Download offline areas, keep brightness ₅₀-60%, mount near an AC vent. It throttles in sun but GPS stays usable; turn off hotspot/scans to reduce heat.
VoLTE/VoWiFi: Safe toggles: ##86583## (VoLTE), ##869434## (VoWiFi). Then enable in SIM settings; depends on carrier.

Quick setup checklist: update OS, set animations to 0.5x, pick a lite launcher/browser, keep SD as portable unless you really need adoptable, whitelist messengers + Clock, grab offline maps, set smart-plug charging routine.

FoldableFan

One thing I haven’t seen: watch out for the Google Play Services updates-they can bloat up quick on the A1 and tank RAM. I freeze it via ADB (no root needed) if you’re comfy with a PC command line; keeps things lighter without breaking core stuff. Also, for heat on drives, slap on a cheap passive cooler clip if you’re in hot climates-stock case traps warmth. Stock’s solid for a year if you don’t overload it, but yeah, that checklist nails the basics.