How to clean up memory on Xiaomi as much as possible: from cache to system garbage

Smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO They're known for their performance, but even they eventually start to slow down because of overflowing memory, and if your device gives you a "Memory is full" notification or your applications suddenly shut down, it's time to act. In this article, we will discuss all possible cleanup methods, from basic to advanced, including hidden system functions and secure file manipulation.

It's important to understand that just removing photos or apps isn't enough, and that garbage accumulates in the cache of apps, the remnants of deleted programs, duplicate files, and even system logs, and we'll show you how to find and remove all the extra stuff without having to reset to factory settings (which erases all the data). The methods are suitable for devices on MIUI 12–14 HyperOS, including Xiaomi models 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13 and POCO F5/X5.

1. Analysis of occupied memory: what exactly takes place?

Before you clean, you need to understand which files eat up the memory. MIUI There's a built-in analyzer, but it doesn't always show the whole picture:

Open the Settings. → The phone. → Memory (or Settings) → Storage in new versions. Here you will see a diagram of the memory distribution by category: Applications, Media Files, Cash, System Data and Other. Click on each category to see the details.

📱 Apps: Sort by size – often the culprits are messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) and social networks (TikTok, Instagram), which download media in the background.
📸 Media: It's got duplicates of photos, screenshots, uploaded memes and chat videos, and it's got a lot of space in the file format.HEIC (photo from the iPhone and 4K-video.
🗑️ Other: The most insidious category is system logs, temporary update files, and remnants of deleted applications. Often takes 5-15 GB for no apparent reason.

If the built-in analyzer seems inadequate, install third-party utilities like Files by Google or SD Maid (requires root permissions for deep cleaning) They'll show hidden folders, like:

/data/data/ – Cache and application settings


/Android/obb/ – Game files (may weigh several GB)




/MIUI/ – System Logs and Backups

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from folders /system/ or /vendor/ manually – this will lead to the collapse of the system and require reflashing.

2.Cache cleanup: Quick and safe

Cache speeds up applications, but it grows to giant sizes over time, such as Facebook can accumulate 1-2 GB of cache, and Google Play Services can accumulate up to 500 MB.

Method 1: Through the MIUI settings

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Select an app (like YouTube) and click Storage → Clear cache.
For mass cleaning, use Settings → Storage → Clear cache (remove the cache of all applications at once).

Method 2: Automatic cleaning (for the purpose of MIUI 13+ hyperos)

🤖 Turn on the settings. → Battery and productivity → Cleaning up memory → Auto-cleaning.
📊 Set a schedule (e.g. cleaning every day at 3:00 a.m).
⚡ Select Deep Cleanup to delete not only cache, but also temporary files.

Method 3: Through Recovery (if the phone is slowing down)

If your smartphone barely responds to touch, load into recovery mode:

Turn off the phone.
Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (not to be confused with Wipe Data!).

📊 How often do you clean your Xiaomi cache?

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when memory ends

Never clean.

3. Removal of unnecessary applications and their residues

Many users delete applications but forget about their residual files, such as after uninstallation. PUBG Mobile in a folder /Android/obb/ The files may remain weighty 1–3 GB. Here's how to clean properly:

Step 1: Remove pre-installed applications (bloatware)

Xiaomi likes to install its services (Mi Video, Mi Music, GetApps) that most people don't need. You can't delete them without root rights, but you can disable them:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Find an unnecessary app (such as Mi Pay) and click Disable.
Confirm the action – the application will disappear from the menu and stop updating.

Step 2: Cleaning up Remnants of Remote Programs

Use a file manager (such as the built-in Explore or Solid Explorer) to manually check folders:

/Android/data/ – This is where application data (e.g. downloads from Telegram) is stored.


/Android/obb/ – Game files (delete if game is deleted)




/Download/ – downloads from the browser (often forget to clean)

Step 3: Removing duplicates and junk files

Applications like Files by Google or CCleaner will find:

📁 Duplicate photos and videos (especially important after transferring data from another phone).
🗑️ Empty folders and files with extension.tmp,.log,.bak.
🎵 Unused audio files (such as ringtones or voice messages from chat rooms).

Remove unused games and programs

Disable pre-installed services Xiaomi

Clear the file. /Android/obb/

Check it out. /Download/ file-to-file

Remove duplicate photos with Files by Google-->

4. Optimization of media files: photos, videos and music

Media files are the main memory eater. 4K It can weigh 500 MB-1 GB, and photos in format RAW — They're 20 to 30 MB each, and here's how to reduce their weight:

Method 1: Compression of photo and video

📷 Use Google Photos to Automatically Compress: Settings → Free up space (photos will be stored in the cloud in compressed form).
🎥 Video Compress or CapCut will be suitable for video – they will reduce the resolution to 1080p without critical loss of quality.

Method 2: Transfer to a memory card or cloud

If your phone has a microSD slot, transfer the media to:

Open the Gallery or the Files.
Select files → More → Move → Memory Map.
Make sure that the camera settings select saving new photos on SD-map.

For cloud storage, you will be able to:

🌥️ Google Photos (15 GB free, compression without loss of quality).
🌥️ Mi Cloud (5GB free, integrated with MIUI).
🌥️ Yandex Disk or Mega (up to 50 GB free of charge when registering).

Method 3: Delete hidden media files

Many applications create hidden folders with media, such as:

/WhatsApp/Media/ – All photos and videos sent/received are stored here


/Telegram/Telegram Images/ – cached images from chat rooms




/.thumbnails/ – photo and video miniatures (can be removed without consequences)

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder /DCIM/.thumbnails manually - better to use SD Maid or Files by Google to avoid errors.

💡

If you shoot videos frequently, turn on the “Limit video length” option (e.g., 3 minutes) in your camera settings to prevent the recording of giant files.

5. Cleaning system files and logs

System system MIUI (And the new HyperOS creates lots of logs and temporary files that are rarely deleted automatically, and they can be cleaned safely, but you need to be careful.

Method 1: Engineering menu (for advanced)

Open the engineering menu with code ##4636## (not available on all models) Go to Usage Statistics → Storage, where you can see hidden system data, manually deleting it is not recommended, instead:

🛠️ Use it. SD Maid (CorseFinder section) to search for remnants of remote applications.
🗑️ In Files by Google, select Cleanup → Systemic debris.

Method 2: Remove update logs

After each update MIUI leaves files in a folder /cache/. They can be removed:

Connect your phone to your PC and turn on Debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times click on the version, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
Use it. ADB-Command: Adb shell pm trim-caches 1G (Clear the cache of all applications where «1G» — limit).

Method 3: Resetting settings without data loss

If the phone is slowing down a lot but you don’t want to lose files, do a soft reset:

Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
Select Reset All Settings (not to be confused with Remove All Data!).
Confirm – this will only remove the settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, brightness), but save photos, videos and applications.

Type of file	Where to find	Can I remove it?	Tool.
Logs of the system	/data/log/, /MIUI/debug_log/	Yes (except for current logs)	SD Maid (root)
Remains of updates	/cache/, /data/ota_package/	Yes (after installing the update)	Files by Google
Dalvik cache data	/data/dalvik-cache/	Only through Recovery.	Wipe Cache in the air TWRP
Backup copies of MIUI	/MIUI/backup/	Yes (if you don't need to)	Any file manager

6.Optimizing MIUI: disabling unnecessary functions

MIUI HyperOS and HyperOS are overloaded with features that run in the background and eat up memory. Shutting down some of them will free up 1-3 GB and speed up the phone.

What can be turned off without consequences:

🔍 Search by device: Settings → Search by device → Disable (saves up to 500 MB of cache).
📡 Auto-update MIUI: Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙) → Downloading → Turn it off.
🎵 Mi Music and Mi Video: Turn off via Settings → Applications (if not used).
📊 Analytics and Error Reporting: Settings → Confidentiality → Special permits → Send error reports → Shut down.

Optimization of background activity

Many apps continue to run in the background even when they are not needed.

Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management.
Select Background Limitation for unnecessary apps (such as games or social media).
Turn on the Adaptive Battery – the system will automatically limit background activity.

Disabling animations (for acceleration)

It won’t free up memory, but it will make your phone faster.

Turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
Set the window animation scale, the transition animation scale, and the animator duration scale on the off. or 0.5x.

💡

Disabling unnecessary services MIUI Not only does it free up memory, but it also increases battery life by 10-15%.

7. Advanced methods: root access and custom firmware

If you're willing to take risks, root access and custom firmware will open up additional cleanup options, but remember, this will void the warranty and could lead to a phone blink.

Method 1: Getting root rights

To unlock the bootloader and get root:

Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Mi Account binding and a wait of 7-15 days).
Install Magisk or SuperSU to manage root rights.
Use it. SD Maid or Root Explorer for deep cleaning of system folders.

Method 2: Installation of custom firmware

Firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience are devoid of preinstalled garbage MIUI And they take up less space:

⚠️ An unlocked loader is required.
⚠️ There may be problems with the camera or sensors (especially on newer models).
⚠️ Updates will have to be installed manually.

Method 3: Transfer applications to SD-map

With root rights, you can even transfer system applications to a memory card:

Install. App2SD or Link2SD.
Select applications for portability (such as games).
Follow the instructions of the program – it will create symbolic links.

What happens if you get the root wrong?

Incorrect root rights can lead to: - Data loss (if no backup is made). - Cyclical phone reboot (bootloop). - Loss of data (if no backup is made). IMEI (The block of the account Mi (if you violate the rules of unlocking the bootloader). To recover the phone after such errors can only be through the firmware in mode EDL (requires special equipment).

8.Prevention: How to avoid memory filling in the future

To avoid clearing your memory every week, follow these simple rules:

📲 Automatic Cleaning: Set up Settings → Warehouse → Autocleaning for weekly inspection.
📥 Download restriction: In Telegram and WhatsApp, turn off auto-download media (Settings) → Data and storage).
🔄 Regular backup: Once a month, transfer photos and videos to the cloud or PC.
🚫 App Installation Control: Remove games and programs you haven’t used for more than a month.

Set up memory notifications

Not to miss the moment when the memory ends:

Go to Settings → Notifications → System Notifications.
Turn on the Warehouse alerts.
Set a threshold of 10% free memory.

Use of lightweight alternative applications

Replace the “heavy” applications with lighter versions:

📷 Facebook Lite instead of Facebook (savings) ~300MB).
💬 Messenger Lite instead of the main Messenger.
🎵 Spotify Lite or YouTube Music instead of Spotify.

💡

Regular memory cleaning not only frees up space, but also prolongs the life of the battery, as it reduces the load on the processor.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleanup on Xiaomi

Can I clean my memory without losing data?

Yes, all the methods in this article (except factory reset) save your files, and the key is not to manually delete folders unless you are sure of their purpose.

Why does the memory fill up quickly after cleaning?

Probable causes: 📱 Applications (especially messengers) cache data again. 📸 Auto download media from chats and social networks. 🔄 The system creates new logs and temporary files. Solution: set up autocleaning and limit the background activity of applications.

How to clear your memory if your phone is not switched on?

If the phone is stuck on the logo or not responding: Load up to Recovery. + Select Wipe Cache Partition (don't touch Wipe Data!) If it doesn't work, connect your phone to your PC and use the Mi Flash Tool to flash it (this will delete all data).

Should you use cleaning applications like Clean Master?

No, these apps often degrade performance because: They run in the background, consume the battery; remove the useful cache, which makes the applications load longer; they can contain advertising or collect data; better use built-in tools. MIUI or Files by Google.

How to transfer applications to a memory card without root?

On most Xiaomi models, this is not possible without root rights: 📁 Transfer media files and documents to SD-hand-write. 🎮 For games, use cloud services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce NOW. In some models (for example, POCO X3) There is an option Settings → Annexes → Transfer to SD, But it doesn't work with all the programs.