Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have powerful cameras that allow you to take pictures in high resolution, but over time, the accumulation of photos and videos leads to overflow of internal memory of the device, which causes slowdowns, errors in shooting and the inability to install new applications.
Cleaning a gallery is not just about removing unnecessary frames, but also managing system files, hidden folders and cache. In this article, we will explore effective ways to free up space that will help return performance to your gadget without the risk of losing important data.
Owners of MIUI devices often find that standard deletion methods do not produce the desired result, since some of the data is hidden in the system directories. Understanding the structure of the Android file system will allow you to act point-by-point and securely.
Analysis of occupied space in the storage
Before you start deleting, you need to determine exactly what is taking up space. Android provides the basic tools for this, but Xiaomi's built-in tools are often more informative. Go to Settings → Memory to see a detailed breakdown by file category.
The Imaging and Video section is a big focus, and users often don't realize that a lot of it is from the messaging screenshots or duplicates of the serial shots, and third-party disk analyzers can also provide more in-depth visualization.
It is important to distinguish between user files and the system cache of applications. Deleting the former will free up space forever, whereas the cache tends to recover quickly during the use of the smartphone.
- 📸 Media Content: Photos and videos taken with the main camera.
- 💾 App cache: Temporary thumbnail files created by the gallery for quick scrolling.
- 🗑️ Recycle Bin: Deleted files that take up space in the cloud or memory for another 30 days.
⚠️ Warning: Before a mass cleanup, be sure to back up important data in Google Photos or on your computer. Accidental removal of system thumbnails can lead to temporary disappearance of preview images.
Cleaning the cache and data of the Gallery application
The safest and fastest way to speed up a gallery is to clear its cache. This won't delete your photos, but it will reset temporary files that may have been damaged or inflated to huge sizes. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Gallery.
In the menu that opens, select Memory. Here you will see two buttons: Clear Cache and Clear Everything (or Delete Data), the first option is safe and recommended for regular maintenance, the second option will reset the application settings, but in some versions MIUI can delete albums created inside the gallery itself.
Once the cache is cleaned, the system will re-scan the memory and create new thumbnails, and in the first minutes after the procedure, scrolling the tape can be slightly inhibitory, which is normal for the system to index.
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If the gallery is unstable after cleaning the cache, try also clearing the data from the Media Storage system application, which will force the phone to re-scan the entire file system.
- 🚀 Acceleration: Eliminates lags when opening heavy albums.
- 🛠️ Error Correction: Helps if previews are missing or videos are not opened.
- 📉 Savings: Frees up 100MB to severalGB of junk data.
⚠️ Note: Do not confuse cache cleaning with data deletion if you are using hidden albums. In some firmware versions, resetting app data can result in loss of access to hidden photos without the ability to quickly recover them.
Removal of duplicates and similar photos
Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often take multiple shots in batch mode or simply forget to delete similar shots. The built-in security cleaning tool can find such files. Launch the Security → Cleanup app and wait for the analysis to be completed.
The system will suggest removing "Similar Photos" or "Screenshots." Be careful when you look at it: the algorithm may find photos of the same object with a slight difference in exposure similar. Always check the sample before you delete it.
For deeper analysis, you can use third-party applications like Files by Google, which integrate into the system and offer more flexible duplicate search settings, scanning not only standard folders, but also messenger directories.
☑️ Checking before removing duplicates
- 🔍 Automatically Identifying Identical Files with Different Names.
- 📂 Grouping: Combining similar photos into groups for easy selection.
- ✅ Security: Possibility (preview) before removal.
Working with hidden folders and system debris
Many apps, like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Viber, create their own folders in a gallery where all the media they receive is stored, often hidden from the user's eyes in a standard interface, but take up gigabytes, and can be found through the File Manager Explorer.
Notice the folders called.thumbnails (often hidden by a dot at the beginning of the name) in the DCIM directory, which is a thumbnail cache that can grow to enormous sizes. Deleting the contents of this folder is safe, the system will recreate it if necessary.
It's also worth checking the MIUI folder at the root of the internal memory, which can store logs and temporary system files, which sometimes contain graphic elements, and cleaning here requires caution, only delete files that you understand.
Where to find hidden messenger folders?
| Type of folder | Location. | What's inside | Can be removed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera. | DCIM/Camera | Original photos and videos | Only unnecessary. |
| Screenshots | Pictures/Screenshots | Screenshots | Yes. |
| Android/media/.. | Photo from chat rooms | Yeah (old) | |
| Cash preview. | DCIM/.thumbnails | Miniatures. | Yeah (safe) |
Using cloud services for unloading
The most effective way to permanently solve memory problems is to use cloud storage. Google Photos offers a "Free Space" feature that removes from the device those images that are already securely stored in the cloud, which allows you to keep the gallery clean with access to all archives.
Xiaomi ecosystem users can access Mi Cloud, which is a gallery-cloud synchronization that allows you to delete local copies, leaving them in the cloud, and uploads photos from the Internet when you view them, which is especially useful for old archives, which are rarely needed.
Set up automatic Wi-Fi unloading so you don’t waste mobile traffic.
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Cloud storage is not a backup in the classic sense. If you delete a photo on your phone when sync is enabled, it will also be removed from the cloud. First, make sure that the file is copied.
- ☁️ Available: Photos are available from any device under your account.
- 🔒 Data will not be lost in case of breakage or loss of the smartphone.
- 📉 Optimization: The ability to store originals in the cloud and compressed copies on your phone.
⚠️ Note: When using the “Free Space” feature in Google Photos, make sure that the “Sync Complete” status is displayed for all albums. Otherwise, you risk removing originals that have not yet been uploaded to the network.