How to see memory on Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners (including the Redmi and POCO line) often face the problem of lack of space. Even if you bought a device with 128 GB or 256 GB of internal memory, over time it is clogged with photos, videos, apps and system debris. But how exactly do you know how much memory is left, and what exactly takes up the most space?

In this article, we will explore all the possible ways to check memory on Xiaomi phones, from standard MIUI tools to hidden functions and third-party applications. You will learn how to distinguish internal memory from RAM, how to check the occupied space by category (photos, videos, applications), and what to do if the phone shows incorrect data, and also a unique method of checking the real amount of memory through the engineering menu, which is not in the official instructions.

1. Standard method: via the "Settings" MIUI

The easiest and fastest method is to use the built-in MIUI shell tools.It is suitable for all models, from the Xiaomi Mi 5 (2016) to the new Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13. The interface may slightly differ depending on the firmware version, but the overall algorithm is the same.

To see general information about memory:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the About Phone section (sometimes called About the Device).
3. Slip on the item Warehouse or Memory.

Here you'll see:

• 📱 Internal memory – total volume and free space (e.g. 128 GB / 45 GB free).
• 🔄 SD-map (if installed) - its volume and occupied space.
• 📊 Distribution Diagram – which file categories occupy the most space (applications, media, documents, etc.).

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If you have MIUI 14+, swipe down the chart and you will see a detailed analysis that allows you to sort files by size.

To see a detailed report by category:

1. In the Warehouse section, click on Free Place or Cleanup.
2. The system will scan the device and show which files can be deleted (cache, duplicates, large files).
3. Tap any category (such as Images or Videos) to see specific files sorted by size.

2. Check through File Manager (File Manager)

Xiaomi’s File Manager app not only manages documents, but also provides detailed information about the space occupied, a method that is convenient if you need to quickly find and delete large files.

How to see a memory:

1. Open the Files app (folder icon).
2. At the top of the screen you will see tabs: Device, Categories, SD-card (if any).
3. Go to the Category tab – here files are automatically grouped by types: Images, Videos, Audio, Documents, etc.
4. Click on any category to see files sorted by size (from the largest to the smallest).

Advantages of this method:

• 🔍 You can delete unnecessary files without leaving the application.
• 📂 Hidden folders are visible (e.g.,.thumbnails with thumbnails that take up a lot of space).
• 🔄 Storage Analysis – This feature shows which folders take up the most space (including system folders).

3. RAM Memory Check (RAM)

Many users confuse internal memory (for file storage) with RAM (RAM), which is responsible for multitasking, to find out how much RAM is currently occupied:

Method 1: Through "Settings"

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap the MIUI Core (or MIUI Version) several times until you get a message: You are a developer!
3. Return to the main Settings menu → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Scroll down to the Memory section – here will be a real-time graph of RAM usage.

Method 2: Through the notification panel

• 📱 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
• 🔄 Click on the Memory Cleanup icon (if any) - information about busy and free will appear RAM.
• 🚀 In some models (for example, POCO F5) There is a Game Turbo Mode widget that shows the use of RAM play-play.

Close the background apps through the multitasking menu|Turn off the autoload of unnecessary applications|Energize the power saving mode|Reboot the phone.|Update. MIUI last-minute-->

4. Hidden method: engineering menu (for power users)

If standard methods do not show the actual amount of memory (for example, after firmware or reset), you can use an engineering menu, which is suitable for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO based on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.

How to open the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code: ##4636###.
3. Select the phone information (or Usage statistics).
4. Scroll down to the Storage section, where you will have real storage, including backup partitions that MIUI doesn’t show.

What to find in the Engineering Menu:

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The engineering menu shows the actual storage capacity, not the one displayed in MIUI. For example, a 128GB phone may actually have ~112-116GB of available space due to service partitions.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose! Incorrect actions can lead to malfunctions in the phone.

5. Third-party applications for memory analysis

If you don't like the built-in MIUI tools, you can use third-party tools that give you more detail and allow you to clean up your garbage in one click.

Top.-3 apps:

• 📊 Files by Google – shows not only the occupied space, but also offers to remove duplicates, old screenshots and unnecessary ones APK-file.
• 🔍 SD Maid – deep memory analysis with the ability to clean cache, remnants of remote applications and temporary files.
• 🛠️ CCleaner – a classic tool for cleaning garbage, optimizing RAM and autoload management.

How to use Files by Google:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and allow access to the files.
3. Go to the Cleanup tab – the application will automatically scan the device.
4. Click Free XGB to delete unnecessary files.

Advantages of third-party applications:

• 🔎 A deeper analysis (for example, find a Telegram or WhatsApp cache that MIUI doesn't).
• 📈 Visualization in the form of graphs and diagrams.
• 🚀 Possibility of cleaning memory on schedule.

⚠️ Warning: Some apps (like Clean Master) may display false warnings about "critical trash levels" to force you to buy a premium version.

6.How to check memory if the phone is not turned on

If your Xiaomi isn’t running (hangs on the logo or goes to bootloop), but you need to know your memory status urgently, there are a few ways to do this:

Method 1: Through Recovery Mode

1. Turn off the phone (press Power + Volume up for 10 seconds).
2. Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery Mode.
3. Select Advanced → File Manager (if any).
4. Here you can view folders and estimate the occupied space (but there will be no exact figures).

Method 2: Connecting to a PC

• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your computer through USB (Even if it is not turned on, some models are defined as a drive).
• 🔌 Use the Mi utility PC suite ADB file-access.
• 📁 If the phone is defined as a removable drive, check the occupied space through the folder properties.

Method 3: Through Fastboot (for advanced users)

fastboot devices


fastboot getvar all

This command will show the device’s technical data, including memory information (storage-type and partition-size options).

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Sometimes Xiaomi shows incorrect memory information, and let's look at typical situations and how to fix them.

Problem 1: The phone shows that the memory is full, but the files are few.

• 🔄 Cause: System debris, cache, or file system errors.
• 🛠️ Solution: Go to Settings → Warehouse → Clean up and remove the cache. If it doesn't work, reset the cache through Recovery Mode.

Problem 2: After updating MIUI, memory is eaten away by the system.

• 🔄 Reason: Newer firmware versions take up more space (e.g, MIUI 14 weighs ~3-4 GB).
• 🛠️ Solution: Check the size of the system partition in the engineering menu (code ##4636##.) If memory is critically low, consider resetting before factory settings.

Problem 3: SD-The map is not defined or shows an incorrect volume.

• 🔄 Reason: Incompatibility of format (needed) FAT32 or exFAT), card damage or failure MIUI.
• 🛠️ Solution: Format the card via phone (Settings) → Warehouse → SD-map → If it doesn't work, check the card on another device.

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If after all the manipulations, the memory still shows incorrect data, try resetting through Settings → Additional → Reset. This will delete all data, but return the correct display of the storage.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions