What is the space on the phone Xiaomi: full analysis + 7 ways to free up memory

You open your Xiaomi smartphone settings to install a new app or take a photo, but suddenly you see a notification saying, "Memory is full," and you're sure you haven't downloaded gigabytes of movies or stored thousands of photos. So what's the space on your Xiaomi phone really taken up? Spoiler: 80 percent of the time it's not your files that are to blame, but system debris, cache and hidden app data.

In this article, we will not just list the standard tips like “clean the cache”, but we will understand the details: what files occupy memory on Redmi, POCO and Mi running MIUI 14/15, how to find them without root rights, and what can be safely deleted without breaking the system. You will learn why even after removing applications, space is not vacated, how “other files” in memory analytics work, and what hidden MIUI functions eat up to 10 GB of memory without your knowledge.

1. System partition: why "Occupied with the system" eats 10-20 GB

The first thing that catches your eye when checking your memory is the line "Occupied" (or System in the English version of MIUI), which can take anywhere from 8 to 25 GB on new Xiaomi smartphones, depending on the model and the firmware version. But what exactly is hidden under this category?

Here are the main components that are included in the system section:

• 📱 Firmware MIUI — Android core + Xiaomi shell (weighs 3-6 GB, MIUI 15 based on Android 14 takes 1-2 GB more than MIUI 12.
• 🔄 Update files – even after installing the firmware, its installation packages can remain in the folder /cache (before 1–2 GB).
• 🛡️ Embedded apps – Mi Video, Mi Music, GetApps and other pre-installed services that can’t be removed without root.
• 📂 Localizations and fonts – support for dozens of languages and fonts for different regions (up to 500 MB-1 GB).

⚠️ Note: If your phone is occupied by the system, the section is more 20 GB in the model 64/128 GB of memory is an excuse to check your phone for viruses or firmware failures.Redmi Note Norm 12 (128 GB) — 12–15 GB, for flagships like Xiaomi 14 — before 18 GB.

2. App cache: why it's growing like a snowball

Cache is a temporary file that creates applications to speed things up, like Instagram caches stories, YouTube caches video previews, and Google Maps offline maps, and in theory, the cache should be cleared automatically, but in practice:

• 📈 Social networks (TikTok, Facebook) can accumulate up to 500 MB-1 GB of cache per month.
• 🎮 Games (e.g. Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile) – Up to 2-3 GB for updates and textures.
• 🌍 Maps and navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps) – up to 1-2 GB on offline maps.
• 🎵 Music Services (Spotify, VK Music – cache tracks for offline listening (up to 500 MB).

🔍 How to check: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management, select any app and see the "cache" line. If it's over 200 MB, it's time to clean it.

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Do not manually clean the cache of Google Play Services and Miui System, which can cause disruptions to Google and MIUI services.

⚠️ Attention: Cache cleaning doesn't always free up space for long. Many applications (like TikTok) recover cache in a matter of days. The solution is to limit background activity in battery settings.

3. "Other Files": What's Hiding Under This Mysterious Category

In the memory analytics MIUI has a string "Other files" (or Other), which can take from 1 to 10+ GB.

🛠️ How to clean:

1. Use the built-in Memory Optimizer (Settings → Memory → Cleanup).
2. Install Files by Google or SD Maid (the latter requires root for deep cleaning).
3. Manually check folders: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/ There are often files from remote games and applications.

4.Duplicates and unnecessary media files: how to find and delete

Photos and videos are the main memory eaters, but the problem is not just the number of them, but the duplicates, screenshots and debris that accumulates unnoticed:

• 📸 Duplicate photos — MIUI automatically creates copies when editing in the Gallery (folder.thumbnails).
• 🎥 Videos from messengers – WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber save all received videos in Download.
• 📱 Screenshots and Screen Recordings – Screenshots and ScreenRecordings folders can weigh gigabytes.
• 🔍 Editorial Garbage – Snapseed, Lightroom, and even Standard Editor MIUI leave out temporary files.

🔎 How to find and remove:

1. Open the gallery. → Albums. → The device → Folders and check: DCIM/.thumbnails — Miniatures (can be removed). Pictures/Screenshots — Download - downloads from the browser and messengers.

Duplicate Files Fixer

Files by Google

cleaning

Settings → Memory → Autocleaning

Remove duplicates in the.thumbnails folder

Check Download folder for unnecessary videos

Clean screenshots older than a month

Transfer important photos to the cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Photos)

Disable auto-save media in messengers-->

5.Apps and their data: why they occupy 2-3 times their weight

Have you ever noticed that an app weighs, say, 50MB in the Play Market, and it takes 300MB in the phone settings?

• 📥 Uploaded files – for example, offline maps in Google Maps or Netflix cache.
• 🎮 Additional resources of games – textures, sounds, levels (can weigh gigabytes).
• 📊 Databases – for example, chat history in Telegram or bookmarks in Chrome.
• 🔄 Updates – some apps (like Facebook) download updates in the background.

📌 How to reduce the weight of applications:

1. For games: in the game settings, find the option “Clear Cache” or “Delete additional data”.
2. For instant messengers: limit auto-save media in Settings → Data and memory.
3. For maps: Remove unnecessary offline maps in Google Maps (Offline maps → Settings).
4. For browsers: clear history and uploaded files in Settings → Privacy.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as Mi Fit or Xiaomi Home) store data about your activity and smart devices!

6. Hidden MIUI features that eat up memory

Xiaomi adds a lot of features to the firmware that users don't even know about, some of which are actively consuming memory:

• 📹 Screen recording in the background – if Settings option is enabled → Additionally. → Screen recording → Recording in the background, videos are saved in ScreenRecordings.
• 🔍 Device Search – Find Device creates logs and temporary files for tracking.
• 📡 Mi Cloud Sync – synchronizing notes, contacts and photos can duplicate files locally.
• 🎵 Mi Sound Recorder – Records sound even when you haven’t started the app (if Automotive is enabled).
• 📊 Analytics MIUI — collects data about phone usage (you can turn off the Settings) → The phone. → User feedback).

🔧 How to Disable Unnecessary Functions:

1. Screen recording: Settings → Additional → Screen recording → Recording in the background (off).
2. Sync with Mi Cloud: Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Sync (disable unnecessary options).
3. Analytics: Settings → About phone → User reviews → Send reviews (turn off).

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Disabling unnecessary MIUI features can free up to 1-2 GB of memory and increase battery life.

7 External drives and cloud services: how they affect memory

Many users think that if they use a microSD or a cloud, their internal memory is not affected.

• 📱 The application cache is always stored in internal memory, even if the application itself is installed on the computer. SD-map.
• ☁️ Cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Photos) often create local copies of files for quick access.
• 🔄 Transfer of applications to SD into MIUI It is not working correctly, and some of the data is stored in internal memory.
• 📁 The default messenger files are saved to internal memory, even if SD-map inserted.

📌 How to optimize:

1. For SD-Maps: Format it as internal memory (but this will tie the card to the phone) and transfer only media files, not apps.
2. For clouds: In Google Photos, turn on Settings → Free up space (delete local copies after download). In Mi Cloud, turn off autosynchronization of photos: Settings → Mi Cloud → Gallery → Synchronization (off).

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory on Xiaomi