Where to find storage in Xiaomi: internal memory, SD-Map and cloud of Mi Cloud

You bought a Xiaomi smartphone, but you can't find where your photos, videos or uploaded files are stored, or suddenly you run out of space on your phone and you don't understand what it takes to have gigabytes of memory? MIUI It hides some of the folders from the user by default, and the Mi Cloud cloud storage works in an unobvious way. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to access storage on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — from the standard file manager to the system utilities and ADB-team.

Feature of firmware MIUI It's that it actively uses virtual partitions and caches application data in non-obvious places, for example, screenshots are saved by default in non-obvious places. DCIM/Screenshots, Pictures/Screenshots, And the downloads from the browser can fall apart in multiple folders, and if you've connected them, SD-The map is like an internal storage unit, and some of the files could automatically move there without you knowing it, and we're going to show you how to find it without you having to dance with the drum.

1. Standard method: MIUI file manager

The easiest method is to use the built-in file manager from Xiaomi, which is called Files (yellow folder icon) and pre-installed on all devices. Open it and notice the tabbed bottom bar:

• 📁 The device displays the phone’s internal memory and SD-The folders are sorted by categories: Images, Audio, Video, Downloads, etc.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud – Cloud storage access (requires authorization in your Xiaomi account) and you can see backups, photos and documents synchronized with servers.
• 🔍 Categories – automatically group files by type (for example, all.apk in one folder, all.pdf in another).
• ⭐ Favorites – here are the files you have marked as important (long press) → «Add to the select few»).

If you can't see SD-map in the Device section, check its connection in the settings: go to Settings → Warehouse → Storage settings → SD-You can format the card as a portable (files are saved manually) or internal storage (the system uses it as part of the main memory).

⚠️ Note: If you are formatting SD-The card is like an internal storage device, and it can't be retrieved without losing data. It encrypts the contents, and other devices can't read the files.

2 Hidden MIUI folders: Where to look for system files

MIUI hides some of the folders from the user to avoid confusing them with unnecessary information, but sometimes access to them is necessary, for example, to clear the cache of applications or find backups.

• 🔄 Cash app: /data/data/ — It stores all the installed software, and it's only available with root rights or through ADB.
• 📱 Backup copies: MIUI/Backup/AllBackup/ — automatic backups of the system (if the redundancy function is enabled).
• 🎮 Game data: Android/obb/ — Additional files for games (e.g. Genshin Impact cache or PUBG Mobile).
• 📸 Screenshots and screen recordings: Pictures/Screenshots/ and Movies/Screenrecords/ — Standard paths for media files created by the system.

To see hidden folders in the built-in file manager:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Activate the option to show hidden files.

If you need to access /data/data/ folder (for example, to manually clear the messenger cache), you will need to use ADB or TWRP.

adb shell


su




cd /data/data/




ls

⚠️ Note: Removing files from /data/data/ If you manually clean the com.whatsapp folder, for example, WhatsApp will require re-authorization and lose chat history.

Remove the app cache in Settings → Apps

Transfer your photos/video to Mi Cloud

Clear the Download folder

Disable automatic media saving from messengers

Remove unused items APK from Android/obb-->

3.Mi Cloud Cloud Storage: How to Use it

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that gives 5GB for free (extra space is available for purchase).

• 📷 Photos and videos (if Autoload option is enabled in the gallery).
• 📱 Contacts, SMS and call log (configured in Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud).
• 📄 System notes, records and backups (if backup is enabled).

To check what is already uploaded to the cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Scroll down to the Warehouse section, and here you can see the amount of data you occupy and the synchronized data list.
3. Click on Storage Management to see details by file types.

If you want to download files from Mi Cloud to your phone:

1. Open the Files application → the Mi Cloud tab.
2. Select the files you want → click Download (down arrow icon).
3. Files will be saved to the Download folder on internal storage.

1. whether the option of Autoload in the gallery is enabled.

2. Is there enough space in the cloud (free only 5 GB).

3. whether the phone is connected to Wi-Fi (synchronization over the mobile network can be disabled).-->

4. PC Connection: How to See Xiaomi Storage on Your Computer

Sometimes it's easier to manage files through a computer.

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (preferably original).
2. On the phone will appear a notification Charge via USB – tap it.
3. Select File Transfer Mode (MTP).

Then you'll have a window on your computer that has the phone's internal memory, and if you're using Windows, it will appear on this computer as a removable drive, and you'll need to install Android File Transfer on your Mac.

If the computer can't see the phone:

• 🔌 Check the cable – some cheap cables only support charging.
• 🔄 Reboot both devices.
• 🛠️ Update Xiaomi drivers on PC (you can download from the official website).
• 🔒 Unlock the phone screen – some versions MIUI Block access when the screen is locked.

⚠️ Attention: If you are connected SD-It's like an internal storage device, the computer won't see it. It becomes part of a partition. /data It's only available through the phone.

5.Analysing Occupied Space: What Eats Memory

If your phone is running out of memory but you don’t understand why, use the built-in storage analyzer:

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Wait until the system scans the files (it can take 1-2 minutes).
3. Click on any section (such as Apps, Images, or System Data) to see the details.

Typical memory eaters on Xiaomi:

• 🎵 Cash of music: Apps like Spotify or Yandex Music download songs to the Internet Android/media/com.spotify.music/files.
• 🎮 Gaming caches: Games like Call of Duty Mobile or Free Fire can take up to 5–10 GB in a folder Android/obb.
• 📹 Video in messengers: Telegram and WhatsApp by default save all media files in the WhatsApp/Media or Telegram/Telegram Images.
• 🗑️ System garbage: Folder MIUI/debug_log It can grow to gigabytes due to error logs.

To clear the cache without deleting the application data:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose the appropriate app (such as Instagram).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

💡

Check the Download folder regularly – unnecessary APKs, PDFs and other files that are often forgotten to delete accumulate here.

6. Alternative file managers: Total Commander, FX, Solid Explorer

If the built-in File Manager seems uncomfortable, install a third-party.The best options for Xiaomi are:

To get root access in these managers:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in your phone settings).
2. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. In the file manager, find the Root access option and grant rights (an unlocked bootloader will be required).

Important: On devices with MIUI 12 and later, some system folders (e.g. /data/app) may be blocked even for root users due to Xiaomi’s security policy.

7. ADB and Terminal: for advanced users

If you need deep file management (such as massive renaming or deleting system files), use ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

1. Install Platform Tools on PC (download developer.android.com).
2. Connect the phone in debugging mode via USB.
3. Open the command line and enter:

adb devices


adb shell




ls /sdcard/

Useful commands for working with storage:

• 📂 View the list of files: ls /path / to / folder/
• 🗑️ Deletion of the file: rm /path / to / file
• 📋 File Copying: cp/source/path/target/path
• 🔍 Search for large files: du -ah /sdcard/ | sort -rh | head -n 20

⚠️ Attention: Command rm -rf / Without specifying a specific folder, it will delete all files on the device, including system files!

find /sdcard/ -type f -size +100M -exec ls -lh {} \;

This will help you quickly find the “heavy” folders.-->

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi storage