Xiaomi Redmi 4X is a legendary device due to its metal body and excellent autonomy, but its internal memory capacity of 16 or 32 gigabytes in modern realities is critically small. Owners often face a situation when the system blocks the installation of updates or refuses to launch new applications due to lack of space. Cleaning up memory on Android in the shell of MIUI requires not just deleting files, but a comprehensive approach to data management.
Data storage overflows lead to a noticeable decrease in performance, as the system does not have enough space to create temporary files and swaps. If you notice that the interface is running with delays and the camera does not have enough buffer to process photos, then it is time to clean up. In this article, we will look at proven methods of freeing up space that will help return your gadget to its previous speed.
It should be understood that standard cleaning methods are not always effective against sprawling messenger caches and system debris. On Redmi 4X, the system partition often takes up to 40% of available space, making manual cleaning the only way to install heavy applications. We will discuss both safe ways for beginners and advanced methods for power users.
Analysis of data warehouse occupancy
Before you start deleting files, you need to determine exactly what takes up precious gigabytes. owners of Redmi 4X are often surprised to find that after buying a clean phone, only 10-12 GB of the declared 16 GB is available.
For detailed analysis, use embedded tools or third-party snails. Go to Settings β Memory to see the visualization of occupied space. The system automatically categorizes the data, showing the volume occupied by applications, images, videos and system files.
- π System files β occupy a fixed volume and cannot be deleted without the risk of breakdown.
- π± Applications and their data are often the most βheavyβ category, including the cache of games and instant messengers.
- πΈ Multimedia β photos and videos that can be transferred to a microSD card.
- π Others β hidden folders, downloads and remnants of remote programs.
Special attention should be paid to the category βOtherβ, which can grow to several gigabytes, often hiding error logs, temporary update files and cache of streaming services, and without deep cleaning, this section will constantly increase, eating up space.
Use of the built-in βCleanupβ application
The MIUI shell is equipped with a powerful built-in maintenance tool that is located in the Tools folder, and it's called Cleanup, and it allows you to quickly remove temporary files, uninstall packet residues and advertising debris. It takes only a few seconds to start scanning.
After analysis, the system will suggest removing files it considers safe to delete, usually browser cache, image sketches and temporary installation files, but do not blindly trust automation, as sometimes important data falls into this category.
βοΈ Checklist for quick cleaning
It is important to do a deep cleaning through this menu regularly, selecting the Deep Clean tab, where you can find large files, duplicate photos and rarely used apps, and the Free Space feature helps you quickly upload heavy videos to the cloud or computer.
β οΈ Warning: Before mass cleaning through the built-in application, be sure to check the file list manually so as not to accidentally delete saved passwords or work documents.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
The most voracious memory consumers on the Xiaomi Redmi 4X are unquestionably WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber messengers, which store every photo and video they receive into internal memory, creating giant archives that are often duplicated in the gallery. Over time, a folder with media files can weigh more than the operating system itself.
To clean up Telegram, you can use the built-in function: go to Settings β Data and memory β Memory Use and click βClear Cache.β Telegram is unique in that it stores the history of correspondence on the server, so deleting the cache will not lead to loss of messages, they will be rebooted if necessary.
WhatsApp is more complicated, because there is no cloud cache in the same way. Go to Settings β Data and Storage β Storage Management. You can delete all files older than a week or a month, and select the specific chat rooms that occupy the most space and clear their content selectively.
- π Remove Automatically Uploaded Videos from Group Chats, They Constitute Up to 70% of the Garbage.
- π Move important documents from chat rooms to cloud storage, freeing up local memory.
- βοΈ Turn off autoload media in mobile data settings to avoid clogging your phone.
Remember that once the messenger cache is cleared, the chat media history will be empty until you open the dialogue again, which is normal behavior that allows you to speed up the application significantly and free up space.
How to clean up YouTube and Instagram cache?
Removal of system debris and residual files
Even after the application is deleted, folders with their settings, logs and temporary data remain in the system. 4X With its limited memory, these tails can take hundreds of megabytes to find. SD Maid or Files by Google.
Searching for residual files requires care. When scanning the file system, programs find folders with names of games or services that have been deleted long ago. Before deleting, make sure that the folder does not belong to the system process, although modern analyzers usually mark safe to delete objects.
And you should also look at the Android/obb and Android/data folder, which stores game caches and app data, and if you delete the game but you still have the folder, you can erase it, but manual access to these folders in new versions of Android is limited, so using file managers with root rights or special permissions will be more effective.
| Type of file | Location. | Security of removal | Volume (example) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary files (.tmp) | /cache, /temp | Tall. | 100-500 MB |
| Error logs (.log) | /data/log, /system | Tall. | 50-200 MB |
| Remains of annexes | /Android/data | Medium (check) | 1-5 GB |
| Miniature sketches | /DCIM/.thumbnails | Tall. | 200-800 MB |
Regularly checking these directories keeps the system clean, especially for users who often install and test new applications.
π‘
The.thumbnails folder in the DCIM directory can grow to gigabytes, storing thumbnails of every photo ever viewed, and safely removing it speeds up the gallery.
Working with a microSD memory card
Model Redmi 4X It is equipped with a hybrid slot, which allows the use of the second SIM-For owners of the version with 16 GB of internal memory, installing a card with 32 or 64 GB is the only way to comfortably use a smartphone.
You can choose the mode of operation of the card in the storage settings, you can use it as a portable storage for photos and music or as an extension of internal memory, and the second option (Adoptable Storage) allows you to transfer applications to the map, but requires formatting, after which the card will not be read on other devices without re-formatting.
It is recommended to transfer all heavy media files to the map. In the Camera app, change the default save path: Settings β Additionally. β Save it on. SD-This will prevent the internal drive from filling up quickly when you're shooting video.
β οΈ Note: Not all apps support memory card porting, and Googleβs system services and some banks may not work properly if moved to a slow microSD card.
Also, it is worth checking the status of the memory card periodically, the file systems on flash cards are prone to fragmentation and errors, and every few months it is advisable to back up the card data to your computer and format it in the exFAT or FAT32 file system.
π‘
Using a high-quality memory card class UHS-I allows you to completely offload the internal memory of Redmi 4X, transferring all media files and some applications there.
Radical methods: Resetting and flashing
If the software cleaning methods fail and the memory fills up on its own, there may be some critical errors or malware in the system, in which case the most effective solution would be a full reset to the factory settings (Wipe Data), which would put the phone back out of the box.
Before the procedure, be sure to back up all important data via Mi Cloud or on your computer. Reset will delete absolutely everything: contacts, SMS, photos and installed applications. The process is started through the Settings menu β Advanced Settings β Recovery and Reset β Reset.
For advanced users, a method of clean flashing through Recovery mode is available. By downloading the official firmware from the MIUI site, you can perform Clean Install, which not only updates the system, but also completely formats memory partitions, removing any hidden debris sections left over from previous versions of the OS.
- π Full reset deletes all user data, so backup is a must.
- π Charge your phone to at least 60% before resetting to avoid turning it off during the process.
- πΆ Make sure you have a stable internet connection to activate your Mi Account after resetting.
Once you get back to factory settings, the phone will run as fast as possible. Don't rush to install all the apps at once - just put the ones you need to control the memory filling from the start.