How to clean up memory on the phone Android Xiaomi and other models

Modern smartphones, especially popular models from Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco, are equipped with a huge number of functions that require significant storage resources. Over time, the user faces an annoying notification of a lack of space, which often leads to a slowdown in the interface, long downloads of applications and the inability to take a new picture. The problem of overcrowded storage is relevant not only for budget devices, but also for flagships, because the volume of multimedia content grows exponentially.

Understanding how to clean up Android memory correctly, without removing important documents and system settings, is a key skill for every smartphone owner. Illiterate actions can lead to loss of correspondence in messengers or reset important parameters of application operation. In this guide, we will analyze proven space freeing algorithms that are suitable for both the MIUI shell and pure Android on devices from other manufacturers.

Diagnostics are the first step: you need to determine exactly what takes up the lion’s share of gigabytes. Often it turns out that the space is not eaten by the apps themselves, but by their cache accumulated over the years of use, or forgotten high-resolution video files. The system partition “Other” in Xiaomi’s storage can inflate to 10-15 GB due to the incorrect display of deleted files in the “Recently Deleted” album. Next, we will look at the tools to combat each type.

Use of the built-in Security application

The first and most secure tool for Xiaomi app owners is the pre-installed system application Security. It is integrated deep into the MIUI shell and has access to hidden system folders, which ordinary file managers often cannot access without root rights.

When scanning, the system analyzes the structure of files and suggests removing only what will not affect the stability of the OS. However, it is worth paying attention: sometimes important documents can be lost in the category "Other" so it is better to manually check the contents of folders before mass cleaning. The cleaner algorithm is constantly updated by developers to more effectively combat new types of garbage.

To start deep cleaning, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Open the Security app (the shield and lightning icon) on your desktop.
• 🧹 Click on the Cleanup button and wait for the initial analysis to be completed.
• 🗑️ Select the category “Junk Files” and click the cleanup button, then go to the section “Deep Cleanup».
• ✅ Carefully review the files proposed for removal (screenshots, large videos, installations) APK) and confirm the operation.

⚠️ Note: Deep Cleansing often displays files from the folder DCIM/.thumbnails. Deleting them will speed up the gallery, but when the album opens the system will re-create the preview, which can temporarily load the processor.

Regular use of the built-in tool helps keep order without installing third-party software. It is important to understand that automatic cleaning does not always remove the cache of heavy applications like Telegram or Instagram completely, since they store data in secure directories.

Storage analysis and removal of duplicates

Often users are unaware of the amount of space that duplicate photos and videos take up. When synchronized with cloud services or accidentally resave files from instant messengers, the disk can store dozens of copies of the same image, a standard file manager MIUI or Google Files allows you to effectively detect such matches.

Modern versions of Android (11, 12, 13 and later) have a “Clean Up” feature that automatically groups similar images and suggests removing blurred images or screenshots that you no longer need, especially for users actively taking photos in serial or Burst mode.

The manual analysis process is as follows:

• 📂 Go to the Explorer app and select the category "Storage Analysis».
• 🖼️ Open the “Similar Images” or “Large Files” section for a visual inspection.
• ❌ Select unnecessary copies and press the delete button, confirming the action.

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Before you delete large video files, check if a copy of them is saved in the Google Photos or Mi Cloud cloud, so you don’t lose important moments forever.

The Download folder deserves special attention. Browsers and instant messengers save all downloaded documents, application installers and temporary files by default. Periodic revision of this directory can free up several gigabytes of space almost instantly. Remember to also check the Bluetooth folder if you often receive files over the wireless network.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

The leaders in the consumption of free space are traditionally messengers Telegram, WhatsApp and the social network VK. These applications cache all the images, videos and voice messages viewed to speed up their reloading. Over time, this cache can reach 5-10 GB or more, which is a significant part of the memory of the smartphone.

Unlike system debris, messenger data cannot be simply deleted through a standard cleaner without losing your correspondence history or settings. You need to use built-in memory management within the applications themselves, which allows you to selectively remove heavy media files from specific chats or channels.

Instructions for cleaning in Telegram (the most voracious application):

• 💬 Open the application settings and go to the Data and Memory section.
• 📉 Click on the item Use of memory.
• ⏱️ Set the “Storage Media” slider to “3 days” or “1 week».
• 🧹 Click the button "Clear Telegram cache" and the message history will be saved.

⚠️ Note: When clearing WhatsApp cache through Android settings (app) → storage → Temporary files may be deleted, but the message database will remain, but a complete cleanup of the data (not the cache!) will result in the deletion of all correspondence if there is no backup copy.

For WhatsApp, the procedure is a little different: go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management, where the app will show you the chats that take up the most space, and suggest you delete forwards or large videos that are being sent, and it's a safe and effective way to get gigabytes of free space back.

Removal of applications and work with APK-file

Many users install a lot of apps just in case or forget to delete games they have stopped playing, each app not only takes up space for the installation file, but also creates additional data, and often leaves.apk installation files that are no longer needed after installing the programs.

MIUI has a handy application management feature that allows you to sort them by size, which helps you quickly find heavyweights, and you should also pay attention to preinstalled applications that can not be removed in the standard way, you can at least turn them off, which will hide them from the interface and prohibit background activity.

Recommended procedure for vacating the place:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
2. Sort the list by size (click on three dots or sort icon).
3. Select unnecessary programs and click Delete.
4. For system applications that cannot be removed, choose Disable or Clear Data (with caution).

Remember to check the folder where browsers download installers. The path to it usually looks like an Internal Drive → Download or MIUI → DebugLog (although the latter is less common), files with the.apk extension become useless ballast after installing the program and are immediately deleted.

Working with cloud storage and gallery

Moving media to the cloud is the most radical and efficient way to free up space on your device. Google Photos, Yandex.Disk and Mi Cloud offer automatic uploading of photos. Once synchronized successfully, you can use the Free Space feature, which will remove from the device those photos and videos that are already safely stored on the Internet.

Using cloud technology turns your phone into a terminal for accessing data, rather than a single storage location, which is especially important for devices with a small amount of internal memory (32 or 64 GB), while keeping an eye on cloud fares, as free limits are often limited to 15 GB.

Comparison of popular cloud solutions for Xiaomi users:

When using the “Free space” feature in Google Photos, make sure that the download quality is set to “High quality”, unless you need the original resolution of each shot. This will allow you to store significantly more photos at a free rate.

System settings and SD memory card

If built-in storage is critically lacking, consider expanding memory with a MicroSD card. Most modern Xiaomi smartphones support cards up to 256 GB and up, and properly configured allows you to transfer photos, videos, music and even some applications to the map.

It is important to format the memory card correctly. Android offers two options: Portable Storage (for transferring files between devices) and Internal Storage (the card is encrypted and works as part of the system, but can not be used on other devices without formatting).

Procedures for working with SD-card:

• 💾 Insert the memory card into the SIM card tray.
• ⚙️ Go to Settings. → The phone. → Warehouse.
• 📝 Select a map and click “Format as internal storage».
• 🔄 Wait for the process to be completed and transfer files through the file manager.

⚠️ Note: Use of cheap and slow memory cards (class below 10, UHS-I) This can cause a noticeable slowdown of the entire smartphone, as the system will call the slow drive for application data. EVO Plus.

Also, remember to use the Memory Cleanup feature in the For Developers section if you use USB debugging, which enforces background processes, freeing up RAM, which can indirectly affect performance, although it will not free up space on the drive.

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A comprehensive approach, including cleaning the cache of messengers, removing duplicate photos and using cloud services, allows you to free up to 20-30 GB of space without losing important data.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)