Xiaomi’s System Memory: Hidden Files That Eat Place

Have you ever gone into Xiaomi’s settings and seen that out of 128 GB of internal memory, only 10-15 GB is free, even though you have hardly installed anything? or noticed that after updating MIUI, free space mysteriously decreases by 1-3 GB?

System memory (or system storage) is the hidden part of the internal drive, which is occupied by operating system files, application cache, update data and service information. Unlike user memory (where your photos, videos and applications are stored), system files are usually not displayed in a standard file manager and are not easy to clean, but they often cause space shortages, lags and slow operation of the smartphone.

In this article, we will understand:

• 🔍 What is stored in the system memory (and why it can’t be deleted)
• 📉 Why it grows over time, even if you don’t install anything
• ⚡ How to safely free up space without root rights and reset to factory settings
• ⚠️ What actions can damage the system (and how to avoid it)

You will also learn which Xiaomi models (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or POCO F5) are particularly affected by this problem and what to do about it.

What is System Memory and How is it Different from User Memory?

In each Xiaomi smartphone, internal memory is divided into two parts:

• 📁 User memory - here your files are stored: photo in DCIM, Music, Download documents, and apps from Google Play or Mi App Store.
• 🔧 System memory – the hidden partition where the kernel and operating system files are written MIUI (or HyperOS in new models) Cache of system applications (for example, com.miui.home for launcher or com.android.systemui) Update data (including firmware backups) Error logs and debugging information (for example, files /data/anr or /data/tombstones) Files. ART/Dalvik-cache that speeds up the launch of applications

The main difference is that you can manually clean user memory (delete photos, delete apps) and system memory you can’t. Even if you format your smartphone through Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset, some of the system files will remain intact. This is done to keep MIUI running smoothly, but often results in the free space “evaporates” over time.

Example: On Xiaomi 13 Ultra with factory firmware, system memory takes up about 12-15 GB. After a year of use (including updates and cache), this volume can grow to 18-22 GB - and this despite the fact that you did not install any heavy applications!

Why System Memory Increases Over Time (and How to Stop It)

Even if you don't install new applications, system memory keeps increasing.

The most insidious feature of Xiaomi: after the update MIUI The system doesn't always delete old firmware files, for example, when you update your firmware MIUI 13 before MIUI 14 on the Redmi Note 11 Pro may remain a backup of the old version in volume ~1.5 GB. These files are in the folder. /data/ota_package and not visible to the user without root rights.

Another common problem is the cache of system applications, such as the launcher com.miui.home can accumulate up to 500 MB of cache (icons, thumbnails, widget data), and the service com.miui.analytics – up to 200 MB of logs, these files are not cleaned automatically and require manual cleaning.

⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to delete files from system memory through a root-right file manager unless you know their purpose. /data/dalvik-cache This will cause the smartphone to stop booting until the next reboot (and even then, there may be errors in the application operation).

How to check how much system memory is used on your Xiaomi

Unlike Samsung or Google Pixel, where system memory is displayed separately, MIUI has to calculate it indirectly.

Method 1: Through storage settings

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. See the value of "Occupied by the system" (usually in gray at the bottom of the chart).
3. Compare that to total storage, for example, if you have 128GB and 10GB is free, and apps and media are 50GB, the other ~68GB is system files + cache.

Method 2: ADB (for advanced users)

If you want to see the exact numbers, connect your smartphone to your PC and follow the command:

adb shell df -h /data

In conclusion, pay attention to the Used column - this is the amount of occupied system memory (including cache).

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If the “Occupied” value exceeds 20 GB on a smartphone with 128 GB of memory, this is a reason to clean up. On new models (for example, Xiaomi 14), this figure may be higher due to the features of HyperOS.

How to Safely Clean System Memory Without Root Rights

If you’re not ready to get a root or use ADB, here are proven ways to make room:

Remove the cache of system applications through settings|Clear data from unnecessary system services (e.g. Mi Video)|Remove old update files manually|Disable the collection of analytics and logs|Reset the launcher settings (clears the icon cache)-->

1. Cleaning the cache of system applications

Many MIUI system applications accumulate gigabytes of cache to remove it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Show all processes".
3. Find apps with the prefix com.miui.* (e.g. com.miui.home, com.miui.gallery) and click Clear Cache.

Important: Do not clear data (“Clean all data”) from critical services, such as:

• ❌ com.android.phone (telephony)
• ❌ com.android.settings (settings)
• ❌ com.miui.securitycenter (security)

This can cause malfunctions in the smartphone.

2. Delete old update files

After updating MIUI Old firmware files often remain in the folder /data/ota_package. To remove them:

1. Install a file manager with access to hidden folders (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files and go along the way /data/ota_package.
3. Delete all files with the.zip extension (these are firmware archives).

Example: On POCO X5 Pro after upgrading to HyperOS 1.0 There may be a file in this folder. fw_x5_pro_global_*.zip-size ~2.3 GB.

3. Disabling the collection of analytics and logs

Xiaomi is actively collecting data about smartphone usage, which takes up extra space to turn this off:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to turn on the developer mode.
3. Go back to the Settings → Additional → Developer settings.
4. Turn off the options: 📊 "Sending error reports" 🔍 "Collection of data on use" 📈 "Automatic reporting"

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Cleaning system memory without root rights allows you to free up up to 3-5 GB of space, but will not delete critical files. Deep cleaning will require ADB or root access.

Dangerous cleaning methods: what not to do

You can find tips on how to "deeply clean" system memory using root rights or ADB commands on the Internet, but many of them can lead to irreversible failures.

• ⚠️ Delete the folder /data/dalvik-cache — It will crash all the applications after the reboot, and the system will restore it, but there may be errors.
• ⚠️ Format a section /data manually, even through TWRP it can erase IMEI module NFC.
• ⚠️ Delete files from /system or /vendor — This will lead to a "brick" (the smartphone will not turn on).
• ⚠️ Use scripts "optimize.sh" Internet – many of them contain commands that are incompatible with the Internet MIUI.

If you want to try advanced methods, first do a full backup through TWRP or Mi Flash Tool. And remember: on models with HyperOS (for example, Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), the system file structure has changed, and the old instructions may not work.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note) 10 Pro) after cleaning the system cache through ADB It's about deleting configuration files. audio_effects.conf. To restore the sound, you will have to reflash the smartphone.

System memory on new models: what has changed in HyperOS

With the release of HyperOS (replacing MIUI on 2026 models such as the Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), the structure of system memory has changed.

• 🔄 Dynamic section super - combines system, vendor and product into one image, which complicates the modification.
• 🗃️ New apex cache – used for modular updates (takes up) ~500MB).
• 🔒 ce and de secure data – encrypted partitions for DRM (For example, for Widevine L1).

HyperOS also has a system file compression mechanism that should reduce space, but in practice, many users of the Xiaomi 13T and POCO F6 complain that after upgrading to HyperOS, system memory grew by 1-2 GB due to duplicate libraries.

FAQ: Frequent questions about system memory in Xiaomi