How to completely clean the memory on the Xiaomi phone: from cache to system garbage

Xiaomi MIUI-based smartphones are known for their functionality, but even they eventually start to slow down due to overcrowded memory. If your Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Mi 11 gives a notification “Memory is full” and applications suddenly close, it’s time to act. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to clean up memory, including hidden MIUI features that are not obvious to most users.

Not only is there a lack of space, but a memory clog is 90% or more faster than a flash drive, which is 2-3 times faster than a memory cache (JEDEC 2023 study) so regular cleaning extends the life of the device, and we’ll look at the methods from simple (cache removal) to advanced (system log cleaning), and we’ll also tell you which files can be deleted without risk and which ones should not be touched.

1. Built-in MIUI tools: 3-click cleanup

The manufacturer has put in MIUI a few memory optimization tools, and the main advantage is security: they don't affect critical system files, and let's start with the most obvious, but often ignored, way.

Open the Security app (the shield icon) and go to Cleanup, where the system automatically scans the device for:

• 🗑️ Application cache (temporary files that can be deleted without consequences)
• 📁 Unnecessary APK (residues of established programmes)
• 📄 Duplicate files (photos, videos, documents)
• 🧹 Garbage files (logs, dumps, temporary data)

Note the Deep Cleanup option, which removes more aggressively, including the cache of system applications. Use it only if the phone is noticeably slowing down, as after this procedure, some programs (for example, Google Play Store) can take longer to load on the first run.

⚠️ Note: Do not manually delete files from the folder /data/app It can break the application. To uninstall the software, use only Settings. → Annexes.

2.Manual cache cleaning: which apps "eat" memory

Cache speeds up programs, but some of them accumulate gigabytes of unnecessary data, such as Facebook or TikTok can take up to 5-7 GB of cache in a few months of use, to clean it selectively:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the list by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).
3. Select the app and click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – this will remove all program settings!).

Pay particular attention to:

• 🎵 Music services (Spotify, Yandex Music – cache songs for offline listening)
• 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact – can take up to 10 GB of updates)
• 📷 Photo apps (Google Photos, Snapseed – store thumbnails and temporary copies)

Make a backup copy of important application data

Check if the program uses cache for offline mode

Close the application before cleaning

Reboot your phone after a mass cleaning-->

If the app is slower after cleaning the cache, it's normal. It takes time to recover temporary files. Usually, performance returns to normal after 1-2 days of active use.

3. Delete Unnecessary Files: Where to Look for "Junk" Gigabytes

Even if you clean your cache regularly, you can still have invisible files in your memory, and here's where to look for them:

To access these folders, use Xiaomi Files (built-in manager) or Solid Explorer. Do not delete files with.odex,.vdex or.oat extensions, which are components of system applications.

4. Data transfer to SD-Map: How to properly expand memory

If your Xiaomi has a microSD slot, you can transfer some of the data to an external drive.

What can be transferred:

• 📷 Photo and video (via Gallery) → Albums. → Select → Move over)
• 🎵 Music and podcasts
• 📄 Documents (PDF, DOCX)
• 🎮 Game files from the folder Android/obb (requires root rights or ADB)

What I CAN'T TREAT:

• 🚫 Applications (without root rights they will not work with SD)
• 🚫 System files (/data, /system)
• 🚫 Telegram and WhatsApp cache will stop working)

To transfer the Android/obb folder (where additional game files up to 2-4 GB are stored) do:

adb shell pm set-install-location 2

This command allows you to install applications on SD, but it does not work on all Xiaomi models (checked on Redmi Note 11 Pro+ and POCO F4).

💡

Before the purchase SD-Check her speed class for video recordings. 4K class UHS-I U3 or V30. Class cards C10 Suitable only for photos and music.

5. Hidden MIUI functions: cleaning up system debris

MIUI hides a few tools for power users, one of which is a developer mode that allows you to clear system logs and limit background processes, so you can activate it:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on the MIUI version 7 times (you will be notified that you are a developer).
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Options are now available:

• 🔄 Limit background processes (set a maximum of 2-3 processes)
• 🗑️ Do not save logs (disables the debugging information record)
• 📱 Shut down. MIUI Optimization (removes unnecessary animations, but can impair stability)

Another hidden feature is cleaning the Dalvik cache, which is a temporary file on the Android virtual machine that can be reset without harming the system.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to Enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Dalvik Cache.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Dalvik Cache with Wipe Data! Second action will reset your phone to factory settings, deleting all your data.

6.PK cleaning: when the phone is no longer "breathing"

If your smartphone is so overloaded that it doesn’t respond to commands, plug it into your computer and use Mi PC Suite (the official utility from Xiaomi).

• 🔍 Viewing your phone files like a flash drive
• 🗑️ Massively delete unnecessary data
• 📲 Install/remove apps bypassing Google Play

Download the program from the official website and follow the instructions:

1. Connect your phone via USB (enable debugging over USB in the developer settings).
2. In Mi PC Suite, select File Management.
3. Sort files by size and remove the largest ones (such as old videos or backups).

If the phone is not identified, try:

• 🔌 Change. USB-Cable (use the original from Xiaomi)
• 🔄 Reboot both devices
• 🔧 Install Mi drivers USB Driver manually

💡

Mi PC Suite is more stable on Windows 10/11. MacOS may have connection problems due to the lack of official drivers.

7.Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If all previous methods failed, it would leave a hard reset, which would delete all the data, including photos, contacts and apps, so first:

1. Make a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Save photos in Google Photos or on PC.
3. Export contacts to VCF-file.

For discharge:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Confirm the action (you will need to enter a pattern lock or PIN).

Once reset, the phone will restart and be like new. Don't restore the data from the backup right away -- check first if the system is failing. If the problem was an infected file or a failed application, recovering the copy can bring it back.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) post-discharge IMEI. To avoid this, write down before resetting. IMEI (Type *#06# and save it in a safe place.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi memory cleanup