How to clean up Xiaomi’s phone memory as much as possible

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones offer impressive specs, but even 256GB of built-in storage can run out faster than you expect. MIUI or HyperOS has been accumulating a slew of temporary files, app cache and error logs that cover gigabytes of space unnoticed by the user. When the device starts to slow down and space shortage notifications appear daily, there is an urgent need for a general cleanup.

In this article, we will explore not only standard cleaning methods, but also hidden system features that are not known to all owners: you will learn how to safely remove excess, free up space in system folders and prevent re-filling memory. Deep cleaning is not just removal of photos, it is a comprehensive approach to optimize the file system of your gadget.

Before we start taking drastic measures, it is important to understand the structure of the storage. Android file system is divided into system partition and user partition. We will work with the user partition where your data, applications and their cache are stored. Incorrect deletion of system files can lead to unstable work, so follow the instructions carefully.

Analysis of occupied space and search for large files

The first step should always be diagnostics. You can't effectively fight an enemy you can't see. Xiaomi's built-in tools provide basic information, but for deep analysis, you'd better use specialized tools or built-in storage analyzer. Go to Settings → Memory to see the overall picture of the data distribution.

Often, it turns out that the lion’s share of space is occupied not by photos, but by the cache of messengers or downloaded files from social networks. Telegram and WhatsApp by default store all received media files, turning the phone into an archive of unnecessary pictures and videos. Deleting this data through application settings is often safer and more effective than manually cleaning folders.

⚠️ Warning: Before mass deletion of files manually, be sure to back up important data. Accidental deletion of system folders with Android prefix or data can lead to loss of progress in games or app settings.

You can use third-party tools like Files by Google or DiskUsage to visualize your space, and they show you a memory card where the size of the rectangles is the size of the files, and they can instantly find forgotten movies, old archives, or heavy logs that are hidden deep in the directories.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

Every Xiaomi smartphone has a Security app preinstalled, which is not just an antivirus, but a powerful memory management tool, and Cleans up scans the device for temporary files, residual debris, and large files that can be safely deleted.

When you start scanning, the system analyzes browser cache, temporary update files, and APK installer packages. However, be careful: the algorithm sometimes marks as “junk” files that you may need, such as saved pages or map cache for offline navigation. Always check the list before confirming the cleanup.

You can also look at the Deep Clean section, where you can find duplicate photos, similar images, and rarely used apps, and removing unused software is one of the most effective ways to make room, because today's applications take up hundreds of megabytes even when they're dormant.

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Use the "Accelerate" feature in the Security app regularly, but don't rely on it completely.It clears up RAM, which can temporarily speed up work, but doesn't free up space in permanent storage.

It is important to note that the built-in cleaner does not always find all the hidden caches, for example, it can skip the logs of some system services or the cache of third-party launchers, so manual control combined with automatic scanning gives the best result.

Manual cleaning of MIUI folders and system debris

The MIUI fileshell creates many service folders that grow over time, so to get to them, open the Explorer app and go to the root of internal memory, and there are directories that you can safely clean or shrink.

• 🗑️ MIUI/debug_log — A folder with debugging logs that are created by the system when you're not a developer, and if you're not a developer, you don't need those files, and they can take up gigabytes.
• 🗑️ MIUI/gallery/cloud — It stores thumbnails and deleted photos from the cloud if the sync is not working properly.
• 🗑️ Android/data — This folder stores cache and application data, and you can't clean it completely, but you can find folders of deleted games or programs and delete the remnants of them.
• 🗑️ DCIM/.thumbnails — It's a hidden folder with thumbnails of a gallery, and sometimes it's a few gigabytes in size, which is a big drag on your phone.

To clean a.thumbnails folder, it's often advised to simply delete the contents, but the system will create it again. A more advanced method is to create a file in the same directory called.thumbnails (without extension), which will block the creation of a new folder. But beware: this can slow down the display of photos in the gallery on the first opening.

⚠️ Warning: Never delete folders with the names of Google system services (e.g. com.google.android.gms) or Xiaomi services (com.miui) unless you are 100% sure of their purpose.

It's also worth checking the Download folder. Browsers and instant messengers often save documents, app installers and pictures there, and many users forget about this directory for years, storing hundreds of unnecessary files there.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

The most voracious apps on any Android smartphone are instant messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and Instagram cache every photo and video they see to download them faster when they are reopened. Over time, this cache can reach 10-20 GB or more.

Telegram cleans the most intelligently. Go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use. Here you can set up automatic cache cleansing (for example, store media for 3 days or 1 week) and manually clear the current cache. This action will not delete your correspondence, only temporary files.

WhatsApp is more complicated. The app stores backups locally. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. You can see files larger than 5 MB and delete them. You also need to go to chat settings and disable gallery save so that media files don't duplicate in the DCIM system folder.

Social networks like VK or TikTok also use video cache, and these apps often have a "Clear Cache" option in their settings, and if they don't, you'll have to delete and reinstall the app to dump all the garbage.

Removal of duplicates and unnecessary formats

When you use your smartphone, you accumulate duplicate files in your memory, which can be the same photos taken in serial mode, or files saved from different sources, and finding and deleting those copies is a safe way to get back several gigabytes.

Modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS have built-in duplicate search in the Explorer or Gallery app, and the system will suggest removing duplicate images, and if the built-in tools fail, you can use specialized applications, but with caution, giving them only the necessary permissions.

Pay attention to file formats. 4K video takes up 4 times more space than 1080p. If you're shooting videos for social media, there's no point in storing them to the maximum quality. Converting old videos or setting up the camera to shoot in a more efficient HEVC format (H.265) will help save space in the future.

It's also worth checking the Voice Recorder folder or the voice recorder, and often there are long recordings of meetings or lectures that are no longer relevant, but occupy a significant space in high-quality format.

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Regularly checking the folder "Recently deleted" in the Gallery and the Recycle Bin in Files is mandatory. The files are stored there for 30 days and continue to take up space on the disk until you finally clear these folders.

Working with cloud storage and expanding memory

If the internal memory is full, and you can not delete anything else, cloud technologies come to the rescue. Xiaomi Cloud, Google Photos, Yandex.Disk allow you to transfer photos and videos to the Internet, freeing up space on the device.

Google Photos offers a "Free Space" feature, and once synced, it removes photos and videos from your phone that have already been successfully uploaded to the cloud, which is the safest and most automated way to clean up media files.

For users of the Xiaomi ecosystem, it is useful to set up sync only for important albums, and store the rest locally or in another cloud. You can also use microSD cards if the smartphone model supports their installation.

In camera settings, you can enable the option to save photos to the cloud immediately after shooting, although this requires a stable connection to Wi-Fi. The combination of cloud storage and local cache cleaning gives the best long-term result.