Where is the storage on Xiaomi phone: a complete guide to finding and managing files

You bought a Xiaomi smartphone, but you can't find where your photos, uploaded documents or app cache are stored? Or suddenly the space on your phone runs out and you don't understand what takes up gigabytes of memory? MIUI — Xiaomi’s proprietary shell, which sometimes hides standard Android folders behind its interfaces.

In this article, we will not only show you where the storage is on Xiaomi, but also explain how to get there through built-in tools and third-party file managers. You will learn where media files are stored, how to find hidden folders of the system, and what to do if the phone does not see the memory card, and also how to safely clean the memory without deleting important data.

The material is suitable for all modern models: from the budget Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5 Xiaomi 14 and Mix Fold 3, even if you have an older version MIUI (For example, 12 or 13), the instructions will remain current - the difference is only in the location of some menu items.

Xiaomi’s internal storage: where to look and how to open

The internal memory of your smartphone is the main place where all your data is stored: apps, photos, videos, downloads and system files. At Xiaomi, you can access it in several ways, and we will disassemble each one.

The easiest way is through a standard file manager. MIUI. It's called just Files, and it's usually set by default. If you delete it, you can download it from Google Play or use alternatives like Total Commander or Solid Explorer.

• 📁 Through the desktop icon: find the Files shortcut (usually blue with the folder image) and tap it.
• 🔍 Through Search: Swipe down the screen, type in the search bar “Files” and select the app.
• ⚙️ Through Settings: Go to Settings → Annexes → Manage applications, find “Files” and open.

Once you start, you'll see a few tabs: Device, Categories, Cloud, and more. We're interested in the Device tab, which shows the phone's internal memory, and folders are usually divided by file type.

• 📷 DCIM — Photos and video from the camera.
• 🎵 Music - audio files.
• 📄 Download – downloads from the browser.
• 📱 Android – system data and app cache.
• 🔒 MIUI — Files of the shell (it is better not to touch anything here!).

⚠️ Warning: Do not manually delete the Android folder or its contents! This can cause app malfunctions. Use special tools to clean the cache (discussed below).

2. Memory card (SD): How to connect and where it is displayed

If your Xiaomi supports microSD cards (such as Redmi Note 11 or the Redmi Note 11). POCO M5), You can expand your phone's memory, but there's a nuance here: not all smartphones allow you to use it. SD-Map as internal storage (this depends on Android version and policy) MIUI).

To check if the phone sees the memory card:

1. Open the Files app and go to the Device tab.
2. If the card is connected correctly, you will see a section. SD-map or external storage.
3. Slip on it – the contents of the map will open (usually folders). DCIM, Music, etc., as in the internal memory).

If the map is not displayed:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 🛠️ Check if the card is inserted correctly (contacts should be clean!).
• 📱 Go to Settings. → The storage and see if the map is determined there.
• 🔧 Format the map (Warning: All data will be deleted!). → Warehouse → SD-map → Format.

⚠️ Note: If you use a microSD card as internal storage, it can't be retrieved without losing data. SD-The card may be lower than the internal memory.

💡

Before formatting the memory card as an internal storage, back up the data – after the procedure, all files will be erased!

3. Hidden folders and system files: how to find them

In Xiaomi, some folders are hidden by default, and this is done to protect system files from accidental deletion, but sometimes you need to access them, for example, to find backups or log files.

To see hidden folders and files:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Stick to three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Activate the option to show hidden files.

Now you'll see folders and files whose names start with a dot (e.g.,.thumbnails, which stores thumbnails of images).

• 📁.miui - settings and temporary shell files.
• 📁 Android/data — application data (here are stored game saves, messenger cache, etc.).
• 📁.thumbdata - cache of miniatures for gallery.
• 📁 MIUI/backup — backups created through Settings → The phone. → Backup.

Careful: Deleting files from folders Android/data or.miui can cause malfunctions in applications or systems. If you need to free up space, you should use built-in cleaning tools (for these, see the next section).

4. How to Clean Storage on Xiaomi: 5 Working Ways

If your phone’s memory is full and you don’t know what to delete, use the built-in tools. MIUI. They will securely locate and delete unnecessary files without affecting important data.

Method 1: Cleaning through the "Storage"

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Wait for the system to analyze the occupied space.
3. Slip on the section to clear the place.
4. Select file categories to delete: Application cache, Downloads, Duplicates of files, etc.

Method 2: Cleaning the application cache

• 🧹 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 📱 Select an app (such as Facebook or Telegram).
• 🗑️ Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – this will remove all app settings!).

Method 3: Delete duplicates and large files

In the same section, settings → Storage is optional Duplicate files and Large files. the system automatically finds repeated photos or videos weighing more than 100 MB, which can be safely deleted.

Method 4: Transfer files to a memory card or to the cloud

If you have SD-map, transfer media files to it:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Select the photos or videos you need (press your finger on the file) → mark the rest).
3. Press More. → Move and select SD-map.

Method 5: Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If you don't know what's clogged up, and cleaning doesn't work, do a full reset. But remember, it will delete ALL your phone data, including photos, contacts and apps! → The phone. → Backup.

Backup of important files

Check which apps take up the most space

Remove the cache of messengers and social networks

Transfer photos and videos to a memory card or PC

View the "Downloads" folder for unnecessary files-->

5 Where specific types of files are stored: photos, videos, music, documents

Often, users can't find uploaded files or media because they don't know which folders they're saved to by default, so let's figure out where to look for different types of data.

📷 Photographs and videos

• 📸 Made on camera: DCIM → Camera (or) DCIM → Screenshots for screenshots).
• 🖼️ Downloaded from the Internet: Download or Pictures.
• 📥 Received through messengers: WhatsApp: WhatsApp → Media. Telegram: Telegram → Telegram Images. Viber: Viber → Media.

🎵 Music and audio files

• 🎧 Downloaded music: Music or Download.
• 🎤 Voice recordings: via dictaphone: Recordings or MIUI → sound_recorder. Voice messages from instant messengers: see above (folders WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.).

📄 Documents and files

• 📑 PDF, Word, Excel: Download or Documents.
• 📊 Files from mail: usually in Download, but may be in the application folder (e.g., in the application folder, Android/data/com.google.android.gm/files).
• 📦 Archives (ZIP, RAR): Download.

🎮 Game saving and application data

Most games and programs store their files in:

• Android/data/[name of the annex package] (e.g, Android/data/com.supercell.clashroyale Clash Royale).
• Android/obb/[Package name: Additional game files are located here (usually weighing several gigabytes).

⚠️ Warning: If you delete the save folder of the game (e.g. com.mojang.minecraftpe for Minecraft), progress will be lost! To make room, first transfer important worlds/saves to PC.

6.Why Xiaomi Storage Fills Up Quickly and How to Fix It

Many users complain that the memory on Xiaomi “melt” literally before our eyes – yesterday it was 10 GB free, and today there are 2 GB.

The main "eaters" of memory:

1. App caches are temporary files that accumulate over time, especially a lot of cache collected by Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and instant messengers.
2. Log files and dumps are system files that are created when they crash. /sdcard/MIUI/debug_log.
3. Duplicate photos and videos — MIUI Sometimes creates copies of media files (for example, when editing in a gallery).
4. Offline maps – if you downloaded maps in Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator, they can take several gigabytes.
5. System updates – firmware files are stored in /cache and can weigh 1-3 GB.

How to prevent fast memory filling:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Warehouse → Make room.
• 📱 Disable auto-save media in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).
• 🎥 Set the camera to record video in lower resolution (e.g, 1080p instead 4K).
• 📲 Remove unused apps and games (especially heavy ones like Call of Duty Mobile or Genshin Impact).
• ☁️ Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to automatically upload photos and videos.

💡

The most common reason for memory shortages on Xiaomi is the cache of social networks and instant messengers. 1-2 Weeks and the problem will go away!

7.Alternative ways to access Xiaomi storage

If the standard file manager MIUI You are not satisfied, you can use other methods of accessing the memory of the phone.

Method 1: Connecting to a PC

The most reliable way is to connect Xiaomi to a computer through the USB-That's what cable is for:

1. Connect your phone and PC with a cable.
2. On the phone, select file transfer mode (File Transfer or MTP).
3. Open this computer – your Xiaomi will appear as a removable disk.

Method 2: Google File Manager

Files by Google (available in the Play Market) offers a user-friendly interface and additional features, such as:

• 🔍 Search for duplicate files.
• 🗑️ Delete unnecessary files (including cache and temporary data).
• 📤 Sharing files without the Internet (via Wi-Fi Direct).

Method 3: ADB-Teams (for advanced users)

If you want to access system folders that are not visible through standard managers, you can use the system folders. ADB (Android Debug Bridge, for example, to view the contents of a folder /data (rooting):

adb shell


su




ls /data

⚠️ Be careful: the wrong commands can damage the system!

Method 4: Cloud services

If you need to free up space, but do not want to delete files, upload them to the cloud:

• ☁️ Google Drive – 15 GB free.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud – 5 GB for Xiaomi users.
• ☁️ Yandex Disk or Mail.ru Cloud - by 10-32 GB.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi storage