Memory on Xiaomi is filled to capacity: what to do and how to free up space

You open a gallery on Xiaomi to take a photo, but you see a notification saying, "Not enough memory." Or you try to install an update and the system says there's no room. Familiar situation? The problem of overcrowded memory is one of the most common on Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones, especially on models with 32-64 GB of internal memory. But even if you have a flagship with 256 GB, the system can show that the memory is occupied by "other" - and it is not always obvious what eats it.

In this article, we will discuss all possible reasons for filling up memory on Xiaomi, from app cache to hidden system files, and give step-by-step instructions on how to free up space without losing data. Particular attention will be paid to the category “Other”, which often takes tens of gigabytes without explaining the reasons. All methods have been tested on MIUI 14 and HyperOS, but will also be suitable for older versions.

Why is Xiaomi’s memory filled with “other”?

In memory analytics (Settings → Memory), you see that the bulk of the volume is in the Other category (or System Data in newer versions of MIUI). This is not a bug, it summarizes files that the system cannot categorize as standard categories (photos, videos, applications).

• 📁 App caches are temporary files that accumulate over the years (especially in instant messengers and social networks).
• 🔄 Residual files after deleting programs (not all data is erased completely).
• 📂 System logs and dumps are error reports that MIUI automatically generates.
• 🔍 Hidden folders (e.g.,.thumbnails for image previews or.data from enterprise applications).
• 🖥️ Update files that are not deleted after installing a new firmware.

For example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro with 128 GB of memory, the Other can take up to 20-30 GB — which is normal for MIUI if the smartphone is in use for a long time. But if this volume exceeds 40-50 GB, it’s time to sound the alarm: most likely, the system has accumulated unnecessary data or malware is working.

Another common cause is memory display error, and sometimes MIUI miscalculates occupied space because of file system failures, in which case the actual amount of free space may be greater than the system shows, and you can check this through Settings → Phone → Memory status or third-party utilities like Files by Google.

Method 1: Cleaning the cache of applications and systems

To start with, the simplest and most secure method is that cache is a temporary file that creates applications to speed things up, and over time, it accumulates and can take up several gigabytes, and you can clean it in two ways:

1. Using MIUI settings: Go to Settings → Apps → App Management. Tap three dots in the top right corner and select “Sort by size.” Open apps with a large cache volume (usually YouTube, Telegram, Facebook, TikTok). Click “Clear Cache” (not to be confused with “Clear Data” – this will delete account settings!).
2. Mass cleaning: Go to Settings → Memory → Clean. Select Deep Clean and wait for the process to be completed.

After cleaning the cache, restart the smartphone – this will help the system correctly recalculate the occupied space. If after rebooting the memory again shows the same values, the problem may be deeper (see the section on system files).

⚠️ Note: Do not manually clear the cache of system applications (e.g. com.miui.home or android.process.media) through Settings → All applications. This could cause malfunctions. MIUI.

Method 2: Delete unnecessary files and “junk”

Even if you clean the gallery regularly, Xiaomi still has hidden files that are not visible in standard Explorer.

1. Cleaning up the Download folder

The Download folder often becomes a dumping ground for files you downloaded once and forgot to clear it:

1. Open the Files app (or any other file manager).
2. Go to the Inner Memory → Download.
3. Sort files by date or size and remove unnecessary ones.

2. Removal of duplicate photos and videos

MIUI has a nasty feature: when editing a photo in a standard gallery, the originals are often saved as copies.

• 🔍 Use the Files by Google app (has a built-in duplicate search tool).
• 📸 At Xiaomi Gallery, go to the album "Recently Deleted" and clean it up.
• 🗑️ Check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder, which stores thumbnails of images that you can safely delete.

3. Cleaning up the Android/obb folder

The Android/obb folder stores game and heavy-duty apps data, and if you haven't played Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile in a while, but you still have game files, you can delete them:

1. Open a file manager with root permissions (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to the internal memory → Android → obb.
3. Delete the folders with the names of the games you have uninstalled.

💡

If you can't find the Android/obb folder, turn on the hidden files in the file manager settings. In standard MIUI Explorer, this is done through a triple dot in the upper right corner → "Show hidden files."

Method 3: Transfer data to a memory card or cloud

If you're running out of internal memory and you don't want to delete files, you can transfer them to a microSD or cloud storage, but there's a nuance here.

1. Transfer to a memory card

Not all apps support microSD portability, but photos, videos, and music can be moved to:

1. Insert a memory card (UHS-I U3 class is recommended for speed).
2. Open Files → select the files you want → click Move and select the memory card.
3. To automatically save new photos / videos to the map: open the Camera → Settings → Saving Place → Memory Map.

Important: Some applications (such as WhatsApp) are not able to work with files on a microSD, in which case, transferring media files from chat rooms can lead to their disappearance.

2. Cloud upload

Xiaomi offers its own Mi Cloud (5GB for free), but for larger volumes it is better to use:

• 🌥️ Google Photos (unlimited storage for compressed photos/video)
• 📦 Yandex Drive (10GB free, there is autoload photo).
• ☁️ Mega (20GB free, but slow download).

To enable autoloading in Google Photos:

1. Install an app from the Play Market.
2. Open the settings → “Backup and Sync” → turn on the function.
3. Select the quality “High” (unlimited space) or “Original” (considered in the Google Drive quota).

⚠️ Warning: After uploading photos to the cloud, don't delete them from your phone until you make sure they're successfully synced. Check this out via the web version of the service (photos.google.com).

Method 4: Delete system files and logs (for advanced ones)

If the memory is still occupied by the other after all the manipulations, the problem may lie in the system files, which require caution to delete, but sometimes this is the only way to free up tens of gigabytes.

1. Cleaning up the folder /data/log

This folder stores system logs that can take up to 1-5 GB. To delete them:

1. Install a file manager with root access (such as Root Explorer).
2. Go to /data/log.
3. Delete all files with extensions.log,.txt,.dump.

If you don’t have root rights, try clearing your logs through ADB:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/log/*




exit

2. Delete update files

MIUI saves firmware files in the /cache or /data/ota_package folder.

1. Open the file manager.
2. Go to the internal memory of → cache or data/ota_package.
3. Delete files with names like update.zip or miui_*.zip.

3. reset partition cache (wipe cache)

If the system is unstable and the memory is still busy, reset the cache through the Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery Mode.
3. Select "Wipe & Reset" → Wipe Cache».
4. Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.

💡

Delete system files only if you are sure of their purpose. The error can lead to bootloop ( looped reboot) or loss of functionality.

Method 5: Checking for viruses and malware

Sometimes memory is filled due to cryptocurrency mining, hidden ad modules or viruses that download files in the background.

• 🔋 Quick battery discharge even in standby mode.
• 📶 Increased mobile internet traffic.
• 📦 Unknown files in the Download or Android/data folders.
• 🚨 Appearance of unfamiliar apps on the menu.

To check the smartphone:

1. Install antivirus (Malwarebytes, Dr.Web Light, Bitdefender).
2. Run a deep scan.
3. Check the list of installed apps in Settings → Apps. Uninstall suspicious ones (especially with names like System Update, Flash Player, or Cyrillic characters).
4. Open Settings → Accounts and delete unknown accounts.

If the antivirus has found threats but cannot remove them, reset to factory settings (see next section).

Method 6: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If neither method worked, and the memory is still occupied by the other, the last resort is hard reset, which will delete all the data, so first:

• 📱 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backup.
• 🔐 Save passwords (use Google Smart Lock or Bitwarden).
• 📧 Export your contacts to your Google Account.

Resetting instructions:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select “Erase all data”.
3. Enter. PIN-code and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, set up your smartphone as new.

⚠️ Warning: Some Xiaomi models (e.g., Redmi Note 8 Pro) may require re-assignment of the Mi Account after reset. If you forget your password, the phone will become a brick!

Method 7: Optimize MIUI to prevent memory overflow

To prevent the problem from recurring, set up MIUI to automatically clean:

1. Enable automatic cleaning

Go to Settings → Memory → Autoclean and activate the option. The system will delete unnecessary files once a week.

2. Limit the background activity of applications

Many programs, especially Chinese ones, continue to run in the background and accumulate cache to stop this:

1. Open Settings → Battery and performance → Battery management.
2. Select “Background Limitation” for unnecessary applications.

3. disable automatic downloading of media in messengers

In Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber, turn off autoloading photos / videos:

• 📥 In Telegram: Settings → Data and Memory → Autoboot Media → Select “Never”.
• 💬 On WhatsApp: Settings → Storage & Data → Autoup Media → Disable for Mobile Data and Wi-Fi.

4. Use lightweight versions of applications

Replace heavy applications with their lightweight counterparts:

• 📷 Facebook Lite instead of Facebook.
• 🎵 Spotify Lite instead of the main Spotify.
• 📺 YouTube Go instead of YouTube (if you only need to watch videos).

💡

If you install/delete games frequently, use Google Play Games with cloud-based saves to avoid storing heavy game files on your device.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory on Xiaomi