Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 8 smartphone often face a situation when the device starts to work slower, and notifications about the lack of space appear at the most inopportune moment. This is due to the accumulation of system debris, app cache and duplicate files during operation. Memory cleaning is a critical procedure to maintain the stability of the operating system. MIUI.
Modern applications and multimedia content are taking up more space, and the standard 32 or 64 gigabytes may not be enough even for an active user. In this article, we will discuss proven methods of vacating space that do not require root rights or complex software.
Ignoring storage overflows can cause Redmi 8 to stop accepting calls or updating apps. Android requires a free buffer for temporary files to function properly. So regular maintenance is not just a way to get extra megabytes, but a necessity for a long life of the gadget.
Memory Occupancy Analysis and Large File Search
Before you start deleting data, you need to know exactly what's taking up space. The MIUI has a powerful storage visualization tool built in that shows the distribution of data by category. Memory analysis allows you to quickly find the "eaters" of space, which are often forgotten videos or messenger cache.
To get started, open the Security app and select Cleanup. The system will scan and give you a preliminary report. However, for a deeper analysis, go to Settings, then About Phone and click Storage. Here you will see a detailed usage diagram.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from system folders that you do not know the purpose of.This may cause malfunction of the Xiaomi operating system.
Pay special attention to the Other category, which often hides remnants of deleted programs or temporary update files, and files larger than 100 MB in this category are often error logs or boot packets that can be safely deleted.
- 📱 Check the amount of data in the Apps section – often games take up more space than you think.
- 📸 Analyze the Images folder – screenshots and photos from WhatsApp can take up gigabytes.
- 📥 Check the downloads folder – there are often installations. APK-files that are no longer needed.
After the initial inspection, you'll know where to go, and if you're looking at media, cleaning up the gallery will help, and if you eat the apps, you'll need to reinstall them or clean them up.
Using a built-in cleaner and removing the cache
The standard Security app on Redmi 8 has the functionality that most users need, it can find residual files and clear cache without risk to the system, and the application cache is temporary data that speeds up the launch of programs, but over time it inflates to huge sizes.
Run the scan through the cleaning widget on your desktop or through the app. Once completed, click the "Clean" button. The system will prompt you to remove the garbage, but be careful: sometimes important files are there if they are marked as "unknown".
☑️ Check before cleaning the cache
To clean a particular application, like YouTube or Chrome, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Select the program you want, click Memory and then Clear Cache. Don't confuse it with the Clear All button, which will reset the app's settings.
| Type of data | Description | Security of removal | Impact on work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash. | Temporary files for acceleration | Safe. | First launch slower |
| Application data | Logins, settings, progress | Requires entry again | Reset to the factory settings of the application |
| Residual files | Fragments of remote programs | Safe. | It doesn't. |
| APK packages | Installation files | Safe after installation | It doesn't. |
Regular use of the built-in tool allows you to keep the system in good shape, but to release really large amounts of memory will require a manual approach to media content.
Cleaning messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber
Messengers are the main sources of garbage on Xiaomi Redmi 8. They automatically save every photo and video received to the gallery, dubbing them in their internal folders. Cleaning WhatsApp and other popular applications can free up 2 to 10 gigabytes of space.
On WhatsApp itself, go to Settings → Data & Storage → Storage Management. Here you will see a list of chats sorted by location, you can select a specific group or contact and delete only media files, leaving text messages.
⚠️ Note: Deleting media files in the messenger settings will remove them from correspondence. You will not be able to view old photos if you have not saved them separately.
For Telegram, the situation is easier thanks to cloud storage. In the application settings, find Data and memory → Memory Use. There you can set a cache size limit (for example, 500 MB) and enable autodelete files that have not been opened for more than a week.
- 🗑️ In Viber, cleaning is done through Memory in the application settings, where you can delete the cache and media.
- ⚙️ Turn off auto-save media in the phone gallery in the settings of each messenger.
- 📂 Manually check the folders. Android/media and MIUI for heavy video files from chat rooms.
Where to find hidden videos from WhatsApp?
Remember that once the messenger cache is cleared, they can run a little slower on the first run until they reload the image preview.
Gallery Work: Duplicates and Cloud Services
Redmi 8's photo albums often grow to incredible sizes due to serial shooting and screenshots. The standard MIUI gallery has a built-in tool for finding similar shots, but for serious cleaning, it's better to use a file manager. Removing duplicates is the fastest way to get gigabytes of free space back.
Use the Explorer app and go to sort by size. Files larger than 10MB are most likely video. Check the Screenshots folder - screenshots of interfaces and correspondence are often not needed after viewing.
You can use Google Photos to automate the process. If you have sync enabled, you can use the Free Space feature after checking the download quality, which will remove photos from the device that are already stored in the cloud.
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Use the “Compression” feature in the Xiaomi Gallery to reduce the size of your photo without any visible loss of quality if the cloud storage is crowded.
Also worth checking is the.thumbnails folder (it's hidden), which is a gallery sketch cache that can weigh several gigabytes. It can be deleted, but it will be recreated the next time you open the gallery.
- 🖼️ Remove the Burst Mode, leaving only the best shots.
- 📹 Check the Recycle Bin folder in the gallery - deleted photos are stored there for 30 days.
- ☁️ Set up sync with Mi Cloud or Google Photos for automatic backup.
Regularly reviewing the library once a month will help to avoid critical overflow of memory in the future.
Expanding memory by means of SD-map
Xiaomi Redmi 8 supports microSD card installation up to 256 GB. This is the ideal solution for storing photos, videos and music, allowing you to unload internal storage. SD-The card is a lifesaver for users who do not want to delete their favorite files.
Once you have the card installed, the system will suggest using it as a portable storage device, select this option to keep the card portable to other devices, and then transfer the media files manually.
In the Explorer app, select folders DCIM (camera), MIUI/Gallery and Download. Click Move and select the root directory or create a new folder on the SD-The process can take time depending on the amount of data.
⚠️ Note: Do not transfer system folders and application data folders to a memory card if you are not sure of your actions.
Also, in the Redmi 8 camera settings, you can set saving new photos and videos immediately to the map. Go to the camera settings and activate the "Save to the map" switch. SD-map".
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Transfer of media files to SD-The most effective way to free up internal memory without losing data.
Using external memory significantly prolongs the life of the internal drive, reducing the number of overwriting cycles, which is especially important for budget models of smartphones.
Removing Unused Applications and Games
The apps you don't use are not just taking up space, they can also consume resources in the background. On Redmi 8, with its modest specs, every free megabyte of RAM and RAM is important. Uninstalling the extra software is the first step to speeding things up.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Sort the list by size. You'll be surprised to find that games or social media that you haven't used in months are gigabytes.
Some Xiaomi system apps (Mi Pay, Mi Video, Mi Music) can be disabled if you're not using them. Click on the app and select "Disable" and this will hide it and stop the processes, although the space will not be completely freed up.
- 🎮 Games often weigh more than 1GB – remove them immediately after passing.
- 🛍️ Store and delivery apps can be removed and re-downloaded as needed.
- 📲 Replace heavy apps (Facebook, Messenger) with their lightweight versions (Lite) if they exist.
It’s also worth checking the list of devices connected to your Mi Account.If there are old phones there, remove them so you don’t sync the trash from all the gadgets at once.