Modern Xiaomi smartphones, running on the basis of the shells MIUI or the new HyperOS, have a powerful filling, but over time users often face a slowdown. The first sign of a lack of resources is a decrease in the speed of interface response and a long launch of applications. In this situation, the owner of the device needs to know exactly where to check memory on Xiaomi to determine what exactly became the “narrow neck”: RAM or internal storage.
Diagnosing the state of the drive is not just a way to find out the free space, but also the ability to identify hidden system errors. Standard android tools often hide the real volumes of occupied space, showing only approximate figures. Deep analysis of the file system and monitoring processes in RAM requires the use of specialized tools built into the firmware, or the installation of proven third-party software.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available verification methods, from simple visual assessments in settings to engineering tests available through secret codes, learn how to distinguish software junk files from real filling, and understand when it is time to think about optimizing or replacing your device.
Standard methods of verification through system settings
The most obvious and secure way to get primary memory status information is through the operating system’s standard settings menu, where the user can see total internal storage (ROM) and approximate free gigabytes. To access this data, go to Settings → About Phone, where a line using memory is usually displayed at the top of the screen, such as “64 GB of 128 GB used.”
However, the standard viewer often doesn’t give a detailed picture. To see which applications take up the most space, go deeper into the Settings menu → Applications → Application Management or use the built-in cleaning tool. In new versions of HyperOS, this functionality is brought to a separate Security application that aggregates data about cache, large files and duplicates.
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Use the built-in storage analyzer in the Security app to quickly sort files by size – it’s faster than looking for them manually in the Explorer.
It is important to understand the difference between user data and system files. The operating system occupies a fixed volume that cannot be released without losing the guarantee or stability of the work. The application cache, on the contrary, can grow to giant sizes, especially for instant messengers and social networks, and cleaning it often solves the problem of space shortage.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to manually delete files from Android system folders through Explorer unless you know their purpose.This can lead to incorrect interface or bootloop (cyclic reboot).
Use of engineering menus and secret codes
For more advanced users who don’t have enough standard reports, Xiaomi has left access to a hidden engineering menu, a powerful diagnostic tool that allows you to check not only the volume, but also the health of the drive, as well as test RAM for broken sectors or write errors, access to this menu is through a standard phone dial.
To get into the test menu, open the Phone app and enter the code ##6484##. The screen will show a list of dozens of tests. You are interested in a item related to memory, which can be called "Memory", "Storage" or "RAM." Running this test initiates the writing and reading of test files, which allows you to identify hardware problems that are invisible in normal use.
What if the code doesn't work?
Another useful code for quick specs check is ##4636##. It opens the Testing menu, where the total RAM and available space can be seen in the Device Information section, which often works even when the main engineering menu is unavailable or modified by the manufacturer for a specific region.
- 🔍 Code ##6484## opens the full menu CIT-test-test.
- 📱 Code ##4636## shows summary technical information and usage statistics.
- ⚙️ Code ##64663## is an alternative to logging into the engineering menu on older models.
Analysis of RAM in real time
RAM verification (RAM) requires a different approach, as its contents are constantly changing. Unlike permanent storage, RAM is cleared when rebooted, but background processes can eat up resources, causing lags. There is a built-in floating ball (Ball) in the MIUI shell that allows you to clear RAM in one click, but it does not show detailed boot statistics by each process.
For detailed information about which processes are consuming the most resources at the moment, you can use the hidden capabilities of Android. In the section “Developers” (which you need to activate by clicking on the build number in “About Phone”), there is a paragraph “Process Statistics” here, which displays a list of all the services running with an indication of the amount of memory they occupy.
An alternative method is to use the Advanced Data widget on your desktop, and by adding the Memory widget, you get a real-time RAM load graph right on the screen, which is useful for identifying parasitic apps that quietly load the system as soon as you turn on the phone.
| Type of memory | Where. | Normal condition | Signs of a problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAM (RAM) | Developer menu/widgets | Free 20-30% | Phone warms up, apps fly out |
| ROM (ROM) | Settings → Storage | Free >15% | Impossible to take a photo or update the software |
| Cash. | Security annex | Minimum volume | Busy a few gigabytes of trash. |
| Swap (Virtual) | Expansion of memory | Disabled or minimally | Slowing down when actively used |
Third-party applications for deep diagnostics
If built-in tools are not enough, specialized tools from Google Play come to the rescue. The leader in this area is the CPU-Z application, which provides comprehensive information about the hardware. The Device tab will show the exact amount of available RAM, and the System tab – the total volume of internal drive.
To analyze the space occupied, which is to answer the question “where my gigabytes went,” DiskUsage is the perfect tool: it visualizes the file system in the form of a diagram, where the size of each block corresponds to the size of a file or folder, which allows you to instantly find forgotten videos, logs of system errors or remnants of remote games that occupy disk space.
Another powerful tool is AIDA64, which is a professional diagnostic package that will show not only the volume, but also the type of memory (such as LPDDR4X or LPDDR5), the frequency and current load of channels. For ordinary users, this may be redundant, but for repair and flashing experts, this information is critical.
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Third-party applications provide more accurate technical information, but built-in MIUI/HyperOS tools are safer for everyday use and garbage cleaning.
Memory Extension: Memory Extension
In modern Xiaomi models, Memory Extension has been introduced, which allows you to reserve a portion of internal storage (ROM) and use it as additional RAM, which formally increases the amount of RAM available to the system, but technically it is a slow virtual memory.
You can find this setting by Settings → Additional settings → Expansion of memory. Here the user can choose the amount of memory added (usually from 2 to 5 GB) or completely disable the function. After changing the settings, you need to restart the device.
⚠️ Attention: Using memory extension speeds up the wear of the internal drive, as it increases the number of rewriting cycles. RAM And more, this function is better to disable to extend the life of the phone.
The efficiency of this technology depends on the speed of your drive. On cheap models with slow eMMC memory, turning on this feature can, on the contrary, slow down the interface. Owners of flagships with fast memory UFS 3.1 or UFS 4.0 should experiment with the setting to assess the performance gains in heavy games.
- 🚀 The feature is useful for budget models with 4 GB RAM.
- 📉 On flagships with 12GB RAM effect may be invisible.
- 🔋 The memory extension enabled may slightly increase battery consumption.
Cleaning and optimizing storage
Once you have figured out where to check the memory on Xiaomi and found a lack of space, you need to clean up. The standard Security app offers automatic cleaning, but for deep cleaning it is better to use a manual method. First of all, clear the cache of messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber), as they store all the media files you have viewed.
The second step is to check the Download folder, and often the installation folder accumulates. APK-files, old documents and advertising images from browsers, deleting this data is safe and frees up a significant amount. Android/data, where some applications store cache cards or offline content.
☑️ Checklist for quick cleaning
Don't forget the Recycle Bin in the gallery and the explorer. Deleted files often stay there for 30 days, continuing to take up space. Recycle Bin cleaning is the final step of optimization, which returns megabytes of free space back to the system.