How to Clean Memory on Xiaomi Redmi: The Complete 2026 Guide

Your Xiaomi Redmi is slowing down, apps are constantly crashing, and the system says "Not enough memory"? These are classic symptoms of clogged storage. Even on new models like the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or POCO X6, memory can fill up with garbage in a few months of active use. In this article, we will discuss 7 proven cleaning methods, from basic to advanced, that work on all versions of MIUI 12-14.

The main problem of Xiaomi users is hidden system debris that is not visible in the standard file manager. app cache, residual files after updates, duplicate photos and unnecessary APK-files can be taken up to 15-20 GB 128-We're going to show you how to find and remove this ballast without risking the system.

Important: Before cleaning, check the actual memory status. Go to Settings → Phone → Storage. If it shows that 90%+ is occupied, take action immediately. If you are free, 30-50%, easy optimization is enough.

1. Built-in cleaning MIUI: What to remove and how to use correctly

The easiest way is to use the built-in Cleanup tool, which is available on all Redmis since Redmi. 9 (2020 But many users use it incorrectly, which causes efficiency to fall in the 2-3 once.

How to start:

• 📱 Open the Security app (shield icon)
• 🧹 Select the "Cleaning" tab in the lower menu
• 🔍 Click Scan and wait until it is completed (usually). 10-30 seconds)
• ✅ Mark all points and click "Clear"

What removes this tool:

⚠️ Please do not delete download files and multimedia manually through this tool - there may be important documents.

2. Manual cleaning of the cache of applications: which can be removed without risk

Cache is the main memory eater, for example, TikTok can accumulate up to 2 GB of cache, and Google Play Market - up to 500 MB. But not all cached data can be erased.

How to clear the cache of individual applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select an app (such as Instagram or YouTube)
3. Click "Storage" → "Clear the cache"
4. For complete cleaning, click "Clear Data" (⚠️ This will reset the application settings!)

What applications can be cleaned safely:

• 📺 YouTube, TikTok, Kwai – up to 3 GB of cache
• 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact – up to 5GB
• 🛒 Wildberries, Ozon, AliExpress – up to 1 GB
• 📱 Social networks (Vkontakte, Telegram) – up to 800 MB

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache of system applications called com.android., com.miui. or com.xiaomi.* – this can cause malfunctions MIUI.

3. Delete unnecessary APKs and residual files after updates

After the updates MIUI There are older versions on the phone. APK-files that can be used up to 3-4 GB: Many users also forget to delete installation packages (.apk) after manually installing applications.

How to find and delete:

1. Open the "Conductor" (standard Xiaomi app)
2. Go to the Download folder (Downloads)
3. Sort files by type and find all.apk
4. Remove everything except the ones you plan to use.

To remove update residues:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system
• 🗑️ Click on three dots in the upper right corner → "Remove the downloaded service pack"
• 🧹 For deep cleaning, use the command in ADB: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.market (this will remove the Mi App Store cache, but not the app itself)

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files in folders /system or /vendor — This can lead to a device blink (complete inoperability).

4.Photo and Video Optimization: How to Free 5-10GB in 10 Minutes

Media files take up the lion's share of memory, for example, 1 minute of 4K video weighs about 300 MB, and photos with Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (108 MP) weigh 10-15 MB each.

Method 1: Compression via Google Photos

• 📸 Install Google Photos from the Play Store
• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Make room
• ☁️ Select “High Quality” (unoriginal) to reduce the weight of the photo by 70% without any visible loss of quality.
• 🗑️ Confirm the removal of originals from the device

Method 2: Manual optimization

• 🎥 For video use the Video Compress app (compresses up to 50% without loss of quality)
• 📷 Photo & Picture Resizer (reduces resolution to Full) HD)
• 🗃️ Transfer the originals to the PC or cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Drive, Yandex Drive)

⚠️ Before mass compression, check a few files on another device – sometimes the artifacts are only visible on large screens.

💡

Use HEIF (or HEIC) format for photos instead of JPEG. It takes up 2 times less space at the same quality. It is included in the camera settings on new Redmi models (starting with the Redmi Note 11).

5. Cleaning system folders: hidden places where garbage accumulates

MIUI creates many hidden folders that are not visible in standard conductor.

How to access:

1. Install Root Explorer or FX File Explorer (root or ADB access required)
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings
3. Delete unnecessary files (see table above)

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files in folders /efs or /persist — This can disrupt the modem and Wi-Fi.

💡

Regularly cleaning the /data/log folder can increase battery life by 10-15%, as the system does not waste resources writing logs.

6. Use of third-party utilities: top-3 deep-cleaning

If the built-in tools don't work, try the specialized utilities. We tested dozens of apps and selected the three most effective for Xiaomi Redmi:

1. SD Maid (paid version)

• 🔍 Finds orphan files (remnants of deleted applications)
• 🗑️ Clears system cache deeper than standard tools
• 📊 Shows statistics on memory use by category

2. Files by Google

• 📂 Convenient file manager with built-in cleaning
• 🔄 Automatic removal of duplicates and blurred photos
• 📤 “Emptying space” function with recommendations

3. CCleaner (only for cache cleanup!)

• 🧹 Quickly clear the cache of all applications
• 📱 Optimizing autoload (reduces battery consumption)
• ⚠️ Do not use the “Register Clearing” function – it is useless on Android

⚠️ Avoid cleaners like Clean Master or Clean Master. DU Speed Boosters – They often show false threats and consume a lot of resources themselves.

7.Extreme measures: reset to factory settings without data loss

If it didn't work, and there's a critically low amount of space, you'll have to do a hard reset, but there's a way to save important data.

Step-by-step:

1. 📱 Make a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backups
2. ☁️ Sync contacts, photos and notes with Mi Cloud or Google Account
3. 🔄 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Resetting settings
4. ✅ Select Reset Settings (does not delete files) or Delete All Data (complete cleanup)
5. 🔐 After reset, recover data from the backup

⚠️ Note: On Redmi models with dynamic memory (e.g. Redmi Note) 11T Pro) a reset can return the “real” storage volume if a portion of the memory was previously given to the storage unit. RAM.

After discharge:

• 📲 Don’t restore all applications at once – install only the necessary ones.
• 🚫 Turn off auto-update apps in the Play Store
• 📁 Regularly (once a month) check the Download folder for unnecessary files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleanup on Xiaomi Redmi