How to completely clean up the space on the Xiaomi phone: from garbage to system files

The memory clog on Xiaomi is a problem that every second user faces. Even models with 128 GB and 256 GB of storage start to issue notifications about space shortages after a year or two of active use, the reasons lie not only in your photos and videos, but also in the hidden system files MIUI, app cache and duplicate media files that the operating system creates automatically.

In this article, 10 proven ways to clean up memory, from basic (delete unnecessary files) to advanced (clean cache) MIUI We'll look at how to make room without losing important data, which applications can be safely removed, and why the standard cleaner in the system is not available. MIUI It doesn't always do that. We'll focus on Redmi and POCO — Their sleeves have nuances that few people know about.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly eats memory?

Before we start cleaning, we need to figure out which files are taking up space. MIUI has a built-in analysis tool, but it doesn't show the full picture. Here's how to get a detailed report:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Slip on the graph of occupied space – the system will show the distribution by category (applications, media, systems, etc.).
3. For detailed analysis, use third-party utilities like Files by Google or SD Maid – they will find duplicates, large files and debris that is hidden from view.

Typical memory eaters on Xiaomi:

• 📸 Photo and video in resolution 4K/108 MP (especially if Pro mode is on in the camera).
• 🎮 Cache games (such as Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile can take up to 10 GB).
• 📱 System updates — MIUI Stores old versions of firmware in a folder /cache.
• 🔄 Duplicates of media files created by messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) and cloud services.

If the System section is more than 15-20 GB, that's a cause for concern, and there may be dumps of errors on the phone (.dmp or.log files) that are created when applications crash and can be safely deleted.

2. Cleaning the application cache and system

Cache speeds up programs, but eventually turns into useless garbage. On Xiaomi, cache is divided into three types:

1. App cache – temporary files that create programs (such as Instagram or TikTok).
2. Dalvik cache – files of the Android virtual machine that are recreated when you reboot.
3. MIUI cache – System shell files, including widget and animation data.

How to clean:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (e.g. YouTube) → Storage → Clear the cache.
3. For mass cleaning, use Settings → Memory → Clean (but this will only remove some of the debris).

Deep cleaning (including Dalvik cache) requires root rights or engineering menus, and without them, only factory resetting will help, but this is a last resort.

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If the app is slower after cleaning the cache, it's normal. The cache will reset after 1-2 days of use.

3. Remove unnecessary applications and bloatware

Xiaomi preinstalles dozens of system applications, many of which are never used, called bloatware (they are not malware, but take up space and resources), some can be removed without root rights, some can only be disabled.

List of safe applications to remove (checked on MIUI 14/15):

• 🎵 com.miui.player is a standard music player (can be replaced by Spotify or Spotify) VLC).
• 📰 com.miui.notes – Notepad (if you use Google Keep).
• 📊 com.miui.analytics – analytics service (sends data to Xiaomi, but is not critical to work).
• 🎮 com.xiaomi.glgm – turbo mode (only useful for gamers).

How to delete:

1. Download ADB Platform Tools on PC.
2. Connect your phone in debugging mode (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap to turn on Developer Mode, then Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging over USB).
3. Enter the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.player Replace com.miui.player with the package of the desired application.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove applications with com.android. or com.qualcomm packages – this may result in loss of functionality (e.g., the mobile network or Bluetooth will disappear).

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

Photos and video are the main memory eaters. On Xiaomi with 108MP and 200MP cameras, one RAW image can weigh up to 50MB. Here's how to reduce their volume:

For automatic optimization:

1. Use Google Photos with the “Free Space” function – it deletes local copies of the photo, leaving them in the cloud.
2. Enable in-camera compression: Camera settings → Resolution → Select 12MP instead of 108MP.
3. Remove duplicates with Duplicate Files Fixer or CCleaner.

⚠️ Note: If you are shooting a video in 4K@60fps, one minute of roller takes ~400 MB. Switch to the 1080p@30fps for saving (the difference in quality on the smartphone screen is almost invisible).

5. Clean up system files and MIUI updates

MIUI stores old versions of firmware, log files and dumps in hidden folders, which can be manually deleted, but it requires access to the file system.

• 📦 folder /cache — Temporary update files (may weigh up to) 1-2 GB).
• 📄 folder /data/log — Error logs and failure reports.
• 🔄 folder /MIUI/backup — Backups of settings (created automatically before updating).

How to clean:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and use Total Commander or FX File Explorer with root permissions.
2. Go to /data/log and delete files with the.log or.dmp extension.
3. In /cache, delete all content (it will be restored automatically).

For users without root:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Remove the downloaded service pack.

6. Transfer data to a memory card or cloud

If you have a microSD slot on your phone, you can transfer media files and some apps to it, but note that MIUI has limitations on porting apps, and not everyone will work.

How to move:

1. Insert a memory card (A2 or UHS-I class is recommended for speed).
2. Open Settings → Storage → SD Card → Format as internal memory (this will remove all data from the card!).
3. After formatting, select Transfer Data and tag photos, videos, or music.

For cloud storage:

• ☁️ Google Photos – free 15 GB (compressed photos do not take up space).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud – 5GB free (integrated into the MIUI).
• ☁️ Yandex Disk or Mega – up to 50 GB free of charge when registering.

⚠️ Note: If you format microSD as internal memory, it can't be retrieved without data loss. For flexibility, portable storage is better (but then you can't move applications).

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Formatting the card as internal memory speeds up applications, but makes it tethered to the phone, and portable mode is better for sharing files between devices.

7.Reset to factory settings: when it's the only way out

If none of these things worked, and the phone still shows "Memory is full," you'll have to do a hard reset, which will delete all the data, including apps, photos and settings, but return the phone to its original state.

How to reset:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm.

After discharge:

• 🔄 Do not restore the backup right away – first check if there is a memory shortage message.
• 📱 Install only the necessary applications (avoid pre-loading all programs from backup).
• 🛡️ Turn off the automatic download of media files in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).

If the problem persists after the reset, it may indicate a hardware malfunction (for example, a damaged flash memory), in which case only the service center will help.

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

To avoid cleaning your phone every month, follow these rules:

• 📷 Set the camera to shoot at 12 MP instead of the maximum resolution (the difference on the screen of the smartphone is not visible).
• 🎮 Limit the cache of games through Settings → Annexes → Game. → Warehouse → Limit the cache.
• 🔄 Clean up downloads regularly (Files) → Categories → Downloads).
• ☁️ Enable automatic upload of photos to the cloud (e.g. Google Photos in High Quality mode").
• 🚫 Turn off automatic app updates in the Play Market (renew manually once a week).

It is also useful to track the “hidden devourers” of memory:

• 📡 Offline maps in Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator (can weigh several GB).
• 🎵 Local playlists in music applications (Spotify, Yandex Music).
• 📥 Files uploaded via Telegram (folder) Telegram/Telegram Documents).

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Regular cleaning (once every 1-2 weeks) takes 5-10 minutes, but eliminates the need for radical measures such as resetting to factory settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleanup on Xiaomi