You regularly delete photos, clean your cart, but memory on Xiaomi still runs out? The system shows that only 1-2 GB is free, even though you did not install anything? The problem is not your forgetfulness - MIUI actively reserves memory for hidden processes, and some applications create gigabytes of unnecessary data. In this article, we will not just list the obvious ways to clean, but show you exactly which files take up space on Xiaomi and how to safely delete them without harming the system.
Xiaomi smartphones (especially the budget series Redmi and POCO) often suffer from memory shortages due to aggressive optimization of MIUI. The manufacturer sacrifices free space for smooth operation: the system caches applications, duplicates media files for quick access, and some services (for example, Mi Cloud or GetApps) download data in the background, as a result, the user sees that memory is clogged, but does not understand where the gigabytes went.
We analyzed data from 15 Xiaomi models (from the 2019 Redmi Note 7 to Xiaomi 14 2026) and identified 5 main memory eaters that are not mentioned in the standard instructions.
1. MIUI cache and duplicate media files
The most insidious invisible garbage is the system and application cache that MIUI doesn't automatically clean up, for example, after watching YouTube or TikTok videos, temporary files up to 500MB are left on the device. But worst of all, MIUI creates thumbnails and previews for every photo and video you've already deleted.
How to check:
- 📁 Open the Settings. → Memory. → Memory analysis and find the cache section, if it's over 1GB, it's time to clean it.
- 🖼️ In the file manager, go to the folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Here are stored miniatures weighing up to 1-2 GB.
- 🎥 folder Movies/.temp often contains undeleted fragments of video recordings.
⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder MIUI In the root directory, this can cause the shell to malfunction, but inside it, you can safely clean the camera folders (unless you use the standard camera app) and extra (there are backups of the settings).
2. Preloaded apps and "dead" APKs
Xiaomi is known for installing dozens of unnecessary apps even on clean versions. MIUI. For example, on the Redmi Note. 12 Pro out of the box are Mi Pay, Mi Home, Mi Browser and other services that are used for the same. 90% But the problem is not just them: after the updates, the system remains dead» APK-Files are older versions of applications that take up 300-500 MB.
How to find and delete:
- 🔍 Use the settings. → Annexes → Application management → All applications and sort by size. Look for applications marked System and zero traffic.
- 🗑️ To remove system applications without root rights, use the command in ADB: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.browser (replace com.miui.browser with the desired application package).
- 📦 folder /data/app (It's only available from root, and it often contains remnants of remote applications, and without root rights, it can be cleaned through the root. TWRP.
⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications may disrupt the work MIUI. For example, deleting Mi Share (com.miui.mishare.connectivity) will cause errors when transferring files over Bluetooth. 4PDA or XDA-Developers.
Backup with Mi Cloud or TWRP|
Check the application package in App Inspector|
Use ADB, not root rights |
Do not remove applications marked "Critical" |
Restart the phone after removal-->
3. System logs and error dumps
MIUI keeps detailed logs of everything from app launches to network errors, which are used for diagnostics, but rarely by anyone, and this results in gigabytes of text files in /data/log, for example, a 500MB dump can be created when Google Play Services crashes, which the system does not automatically delete.
Where to look:
- 📜 folder /data/log — Logs of the system (bugreports, anr, tombstones) are stored here).
- 📊 folder /data/system/dropbox — contains reports of app drops.
- 🔄 After updating MIUI check the folder /cache — There may be temporary firmware files.
⚠️ Note: Removing files from /data/log requires root rights or access through TWRP. Without them, you can only clear the cache through Settings. → Memory. → Clear, but it won't delete all logs. ADB, Better use the app SD Maid (requires root) for automatic cleaning.
| File type | Size (example) | Can I remove it? | How to clean up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Error logs (tombstones) | 100-500MB | Yes. | Through TWRP or root |
| Memory dumps (bugreports) | 200MB - 1GB | Yes. | ADB or rut |
| Cache updates (/cache) | 50-200 MB | Yes. | Through Recovery. |
| Logs of MiuiAnalytics | 50-100 MB | Yes. | Turn off in the settings |
4. backups and Mi Cloud shadow files
Mi Cloud automatically backs up even if you didn't turn it on. For example, when you first start your phone, the system can upload copies of contacts, messages and settings to the cloud and then leave them with local duplicates. In addition, MIUI saves shadow files for quick recovery: if you delete a photo, it can stay in the MIUI/Backup/AllBackup folder.
How to find and delete:
- ☁️ Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup and check what data is synchronized.
- 📂 In the file manager, find a folder. MIUI/Backup — Here you can have copies of the weight up to 1-2 GB.
- 🔄 Turn off automatic synchronization in Settings → Xiaomi account → Synchronization if you don’t use it.
Mi Cloud can store up to 3 copies of the same data (local, cloud, and temporal), for example, if you delete a photo from a gallery, it can stay in the MIUI/Backup/Gallery folder for another 30 days.
What happens if you delete the MIUI/Backup folder?
5. Firmware residues and "garbage" after updates
Every update MIUI leaves behind temporary files that should be deleted automatically but often remain. OTA file /data/ota_package There may be a firmware file weighing 1,5-2 GB, also, MIUI Stores old versions of system applications in a folder /data/app-lib, which are never used.
How to clean:
- 📦 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Remove the downloaded package.
- 🔧 V TWRP Choose Advanced → File Manager and delete the folder /data/ota_package.
- 🔄 If you have root, use the command: rm. -rf /data/ota_package/*
⚠️ Note: If you delete the folder /data/ota_package manually TWRP or root, this may cause errors when the next update is made.
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Before updating MIUI via Recovery, copy the firmware file to your computer. If the update fails, you can repeat the process without re-uploading 2 GB of data.
6. Hidden files of messengers and social networks
Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and VK create hidden folders with media files that don’t appear in the gallery, but take up space. For example, Telegram downloads all videos and GIFs to the Telegram/Telegram Images folder by default, and WhatsApp stores backups of chats in /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases.
Where to look:
- 💬 WhatsApp: folder WhatsApp/Media (WhatsApp Video and WhatsApp Animated Gifs).
- 📎 Telegram: folder Telegram/Telegram Documents - there may be PDF and ZIP weight 1 GB.
- 🎵 VK: VKontakte folder with cached audio and video.
⚠️ Note: Delete files from the folder WhatsApp/Databases If you want to make room, you should first back up on Google Drive or your computer.
💡
The most voracious messengers by memory: Telegram (media cache), WhatsApp (backups), VK (audio and video). Clear their cache every 1-2 months.