How to quickly clear memory on Xiaomi phone: from cache to hidden files

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the problem of lack of free space, even if the device has only a few applications installed. The fact is that the MIUI operating system actively uses cache, temporary files and background processes that over time take up gigabytes of memory. In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to clean memory, from basic to advanced, including hidden settings and little-known functions.

Xiaomi's peculiarity is that even after deleting apps, their data can remain on the system, for example, messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp store media files in separate folders, and games like Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile leave behind gigabytes of cache, we will show you how to find and remove this garbage without damaging important data, and you will learn which system files can be safely deleted and which ones should not be touched.

1. Built-in memory cleanup in MIUI: what deletes and how it works

The easiest way to free up space is to use the built-in Cleanup tool (formerly called Security), which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones starting with MIUI 10 and up.

• 🗑️ Application cache – temporary files that are created to speed up the operation of programs (for example, thumbnails in the gallery or map data in Google Maps).
• 📁 Unnecessary APK-Files – Remains from installed applications that have not been deleted correctly.
• 📥 Downloaded files – anything downloaded through a browser or messengers (often duplicated in the Download folder).
• 🎵 Media files without source – photos, videos and audio that are not tied to any application.

To take advantage of the cleaning:

1. Open the Cleanup app (icon with broomstick).
2. Press Deep Clean (in some versions of MIUI – Complete Clean).
3. Wait until the scan is completed (it can take 1-3 minutes).
4. Select file categories to delete and confirm the action.

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If files marked "System cache" appear on the cleanup list, delete them only if you are sure they are not necessary for MIUI to work. Some of them may slow down the interface after removal.

It is important to understand that built-in cleaning does not remove:

• 📸 Photos and videos from the gallery (even if they are duplicated).
• 🎮 Game data (saves, texture cache).
• 📂 App folders like WhatsApp or VK (They need to be hand-cleaned).

2. Manual cleaning of the cache of applications: which can be removed without risk

App caches are temporary files that help programs run faster, like Instagram caches stories and photos of tapes, and YouTube saves video thumbnails, and over time, the cache can take up several gigabytes, especially if you actively use social networks or streaming services.

To clear the cache of individual applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or TikTok).
3. Click Warehouse (or Memory in older versions of MIUI).
4. Tap Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – it will delete all settings and accounts!).

What applications most often "clog" memory:

Clear the cache of messengers (Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp)

Delete the browser cache (Chrome, Mi Browser)

Clear the cache of social networks (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook)

Delete temporary files from the Download folder (if you don’t need them)

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Warning: Never clear the cache of system applications like Settings, Phone, or Google Play Services, which can cause MIUI malfunctions, including notification and network connection issues.

3. Removal of duplicates and unnecessary media files

One of the main memory eaters on Xiaomi is photos and videos. The system automatically creates duplicates when editing, backing up or syncing to the cloud, for example, if you edited a photo in Google Photos, the original and the modified version can be stored separately.

How to find and remove duplicates:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Control (or Albums in newer versions).
3. Choose Duplicates or Similar Photos.
4. Review the suggested pairs and remove unnecessary copies.

It is also worth checking the folders that create messengers:

• 📸 WhatsApp/Media — Here are stored all photos and videos from chats.
• 🎵 Telegram/Telegram Audio – audio messages and voice.
• 📹 DCIM/Screenshots — Screenshots (you can transfer them to your PC or cloud).

You can use third-party applications like Files by Google or CCleaner to deep-clean your media files.

• 🖼️ Blurred or unsuccessful photos.
• 🎬 Videos less than 3 seconds long.
• 📄 Duplicate documents (e.g., multiple copies of one document) PDF).

4. Cleaning system files: what can be deleted and what can not

MIUI creates a lot of utility files that are not visible to the user through standard Explorer, some of which can be safely deleted, others only as a last resort.

To delete system files without root rights:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Install ADB Tools on PC (you can download from the official Google website).
3. Run the command to clean up the update cache: adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.downloads

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the place ends.

Never clean.

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Warning: If you delete files from the /system or /vendor folder, this could result in a device blink (total inoperability) These sections contain critical data for downloading MIUI.

5. Transfer applications to a memory card (if supported)

Many Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro) support installing applications on microSD. This saves internal memory, but there are nuances:

• ⚠️ Not all apps can be ported (especially system and high-demand games).
• ⚡ The speed of applications from a memory card is lower than from an internal drive.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI Some apps can “fly off the map.

How to transfer applications to microSD:

1. Insert a memory card (UHS-I U3 or higher is recommended).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Select an app (such as Spotify or VK).
4. Click Warehouse → Change → Select a memory card.

If the option to change is inactive, it means:

• 📱 The application does not support portability (for example, Google Play Store).
• 💾 The memory card is formatted as a portable storage (you need to select internal storage when you first connect).
• 🔧 In the developer settings, the option is disabled Forced to allow the transfer to SD (It is operated via adb shell pm set-install-location 2).

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Transferring applications to a memory card is only effective for “light” programs (messaging apps, social networks), games and heavy applications (for example, Photoshop or AutoCAD) are better left in internal memory.

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

If all previous methods failed and the phone still shows "Memory is full" despite deleting files, there may be a problem with a fragmented file system or corrupted data, in which case Hard Reset will help.

What does the dumping do:

• 🧹 Deletes all user data (photos, videos, contacts, messages).
• 🔄 Restores the original settings MIUI (including languages, topics, permissions).
• 🛠️ Fixes file system errors that can block memory.

How to perform the reset:

1. Back up your important data (via Mi Cloud or Google Drive).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select to erase all data (password may be required).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Important: after discharge:

• 📱 Do not restore data from the backup right away – first check if the memory problem has been resolved.
• 🔧 Don’t install all apps again – add only the most essential ones.
• 📊 Use the settings. → Memory. → Analysis of storage to track "clogging".

7.Memory optimization to prevent future problems

To prevent Xiaomi memory from filling up too quickly, follow these tips:

• 📥 Turn off automatic media download in messengers (see spoiler in section 3).
• 🗑️ Clean the cache every 1-2 weeks (especially after app updates).
• 📁 Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to automatically sync photos and videos.
• 🎮 Remove unused games – they take up the most space (like Call of Duty Mobile weighs in). ~2GB and Genshin Impact up to 15GB).
• 🔄 Update. MIUI — In new versions, the work with memory is optimized (for example, in the MIUI 14 added the function of compression of unused files).

You can also use the Light Mode function (available on some models):

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Light Mode.
2. Turn on the option – this will turn off animations and background processes, reducing the load on memory.

For advanced users, there is another way to change the file system from F2FS to ext4 (or vice versa), which can increase read/write speed and reduce fragmentation, but requires:

• 🔧 Root rights (risk of losing the guarantee).
• 📱 Unlocked bootloader (bootloader).
• 💻 Knowledge of working with TWRP and ADB.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleanup on Xiaomi