How to Clean Up a Lot of Memory on Xiaomi: A Step-by-Step Guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners are faced with an unpleasant notification that memory is full, which is not just an annoyance, but also the reason for a serious slowdown of the MIUI or HyperOS operating system. When free space on the system disk runs out, the device starts to work with jerks, applications fly out, and new programs stop installing.

Freeing up space requires a holistic approach, as a standard clear everything button is often not enough, and in this article we will explore deep cleaning techniques that will help return performance to your gadget and free up gigabytes of valuable space for personal data.

There are many reasons why memory is clogged, from the accumulated messenger cache to forgotten screenshots and duplicate photos. Understanding the storage structure in the Xiaomi shell is the first step to competent optimization.

Analysis of storage occupancy through standard means

The first thing you need to do is figure out what exactly is taking up space on your device, and the built-in analyzer allows you to see the file distribution by category, which gives you a clear idea of where to go next.

To start the analysis, go to Settings → Memory. The system will automatically scan the internal storage and provide detailed statistics, and you will see how much space the applications, photos, videos, audio files and system data take up.

It often turns out that the lion’s share of the volume is not installed programs, but media files from social networks, and the MIUI shell is able to group similar files, suggesting that duplicates or blurry images, which often weigh a lot, are deleted.

Note the Other section, which may be hiding update files, remnants of deleted apps, or cache of streaming services, and can be as large as tens of gigabytes if you don't clean them for a long time.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from system folders manually through the file manager unless you are sure of their purpose.This can lead to malfunctioning of the operating system or loss of application data.

Use the built-in Cleanup feature, which is available right in the memory menu, and is secure and only deletes temporary files without affecting your personal information.

Working with the “Security” application and cleaning the cache

Every Xiaomi smartphone has a Security system app preinstalled, not just an antivirus, but a powerful memory management tool that users often underestimate.

Launch the app and select Clean up. The scanner will find temporary files, uninstall packet residues and advertising junk. Pressing the cleanup button frees up space instantly.

But there's not much surface cleaning. Go to Deep Clean, where the algorithms will suggest that you delete:

• 🗑️ Large files that you haven’t opened in a long time
• 📸 Duplicate photos and similar pictures
• 📦 Rarely used applications
• 📱 Installation packages APK

The app cache is a temporary data cache that speeds up programs but grows to giant sizes over time, and in the Security app, you can select a specific application and clear the cache without deleting logins and passwords.

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Clear the messenger cache (Telegram, WhatsApp) regularly, as they save all the photos and videos you viewed to the device memory, even if you have already seen them.

It is important to distinguish between cache cleaning and data cleaning. If you choose Clear Data, the application will return to the state immediately after installation, and you will lose all settings and correspondence.

Cleaning up garbage in messengers Telegram and WhatsApp

Messengers are the main “eaters” of memory on modern smartphones. Telegram and WhatsApp by default save all media files in internal memory, creating huge archives.

Telegram is doing the best job of solving this problem with cloud architecture. Go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory usage. Here you will see the amount of cache you are using.

Click the button "Clear Telegram cache." Don't worry, your correspondence and files will not be lost, they are stored on the server. You just delete their local copy from the phone, freeing up space.

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In Telegram, you can install autodelete the cache: set up automatic cleaning of files that have not been opened for 3 days, and the memory will cease to clog.

WhatsApp takes a different approach, because the story is stored locally. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The system will show the chats that take up the most space.

You can select a particular dialog and delete all the media inside it, leaving text messages, which often frees up several gigabytes in a single procedure.

⚠️ Note: Before clearing WhatsApp data, make sure you have a fresh backup in Google Drive, otherwise it will be impossible to restore your correspondence history.

It is also recommended to disable auto-save media in the gallery.In the settings of each messenger, find the item "Save in the gallery" and turn it off. Photos will remain in the chat, but will not be duplicated in the Camera system folder.

Removal of duplicates and large files

Over the years of using a smartphone, hundreds of identical photos taken in serial shooting mode, or screenshots that are no longer relevant, accumulate in memory.

Use the Xiaomi Gallery app. Go to the Albums tab and scroll down to the Guidelines or Tools section. There's often a similar photo item.

The AI algorithm groups similar images together, so you can quickly flip through them, pick the best ones, and delete the rest. It's safe and efficient.

To find large files you may have forgotten about (such as downloaded movies or navigation files), use the built-in Explorer.

• 🎬 Video files in the Download folder
• 📂 Archives ZIP and RAR
• 🎵 High quality audio files

Often, users forget about the DCIM/.thumbnails folder. It's a hidden folder where you store thumbnails of photos. If you have thousands of photos, this file can weigh several gigabytes. It can be safely deleted, the system will create a new one when you need it.

Remember to check the Recycle Bin folder in the Gallery and Files app. Deleted files are stored there for another 30 days, continuing to take up space. Clear the Recycle Bin for final deletion.

Using Mi Cloud Cloud and Google Photos

The most radical but effective way to make room is to move media files to the cloud. Xiaomi's ecosystem offers Mi Cloud, which is deeply integrated into the system.

When you turn on gallery sync, the original photos can be automatically deleted from the device, leaving only a preview, and when you click on the photo, it will be downloaded from the Internet.

The alternative is Google Photos, which offers a “Free Space” feature that removes images from your device that are already securely stored in your Google cloud account.

To work with documents and rare files, it is convenient to use Google Drive or Yandex.Disk. Upload the archives there, then delete them from the internal memory of the phone.

Using the cloud requires a stable Internet connection. If you are often in places without a network, leave only the most important files on your device for offline access.

Transfer applications and files to a memory card

If your Xiaomi smartphone has a microSD card slot, it’s a great way to expand storage. Although modern versions of Android limit the installation of apps on your smartphone. SD-The map, media files can and should be transferred there.

Use the file manager to transfer files, select photo, video and music folders, select Move or Copy, and specify the path to the memory card.

Some applications allow you to change the way you save data in your settings, for example, in the camera settings you can specify saving a photo immediately on the camera. SD-map.

Remember that memory cards are slower than the internal memory of the phone, and you should not transfer active databases of messengers or heavy games to them, this can cause lags.

⚠️ Note: When formatting a memory card as internal storage (if the feature is available), it is encrypted and won’t be read on other devices without being reset.

Regular memory maintenance is key to a long life on your smartphone, and by doing these simple routines once a month, you'll forget about the space problems.