Xiaomi Redmi 5A is one of the most popular budget smartphones, but its modest 16 GB of internal memory is quickly clogged with photos, apps and system debris. If your phone starts to slow down, issue a notification “Memory is full” or refuses to install updates, it’s time to do a general cleaning. In this article, we will analyze 7 proven ways to clean up memory on Xiaomi 5A without losing important data, and also tell you what mistakes users most often make.
The Redmi 5A feature is that there is no memory card slot in the base version (16 GB), which means that every megabyte counts. Fortunately, even without root rights, you can free up to 3-5 GB of space by deleting unnecessary files, cache and optimizing the system, starting with the simplest methods and getting to the radical ones: factory reset.
1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly eats memory?
Before you clean, you need to figure out which files take up the most space. MIUI has a built-in tool for this — Settings → Memory. Here you will see a diagram of the memory distribution by category: applications, photos, video, audio, etc.
Pay attention to the System Data section – if it takes more 3–4 GB, this is a sign of cache clogged or residues of deleted applications. Also check the Download folder» (/storage/emulated/0/Download): They often accumulate unnecessary APK-files, archives and documents.
- 📊 Apps: Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), social networks and games are most often to blame, for example, Facebook can weigh up to 500 MB with cache alone.
- 📷 Media: High-resolution photos (especially with Google Photos in original quality) and videos take up the lion’s share of memory.
- 🗑️ Garbage: temporary files, logs (.log), update remnants (/cache) and duplicates.
⚠️ Note: If you see another 1 to 2 GB item in the Memory section, it may be hidden files from system applications. It is not recommended to manually delete them, it is better to use specialized utilities (about them below).
2.Cleaning App Cache: A Quick Way to Free 1-2GB
Cache is a temporary file that applications create to speed up work, accumulate over time and can take up to several gigabytes. Cache can be cleared in two ways: for individual applications or for all at once.
Method 1: Clearing the cache for a specific application
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select an app (like YouTube or Chrome).
- Click "Clear the cache."
Method 2: Mass cleaning of the cache
- Open Settings → Memory → Clear the cache.
- Confirm action. This will delete the cache of all applications, but it will not affect personal data.
Reboot your phone to apply changes
Check the free space in Settings → Memory
Open frequently used applications so they recover the required cache
Do not clean the cache more than 1 time a month – it can slow down the phone-->
Once the cache is cleared, some apps (like Google Maps or Instagram) will load longer on their first run, which is normal. After a few uses, the speed will return to normal.
3. Removal of unnecessary applications and their residues
Xiaomi Redmi 5A has a lot of system and third-party apps, many of which are never used, such as Mi Video, Mi Music, Cleaner or Google backup services, and removing unnecessary programs can free up to 500 MB-1 GB.
How to remove applications:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔍 Sort the list by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).
- 🗑️ Select the unnecessary application and click “Delete».
What can be removed without risk:
- 🎵 Mi Music, Mi Video – if you use YouTube Music or VLC.
- 📰 Mi Browser – if you prefer Chrome or Firefox.
- 📱 Duplicate launchers (e.g, POCO Launcher, if installed).
- 🎮 Pre-installed games (Mi Game Center, etc.).
⚠️ Note: Do not remove system applications marked “Disabled” or those that are responsible for the operation of the phone (for example, the Services Framework or the Service Framework). MIUI System. This can cause crashes! If the application cannot be removed (Delete button is inactive), it can be disabled. To do this: Open the application information. Click Disable (if the option is available). 💡Before you delete the app, check if it is connected to important features. For example, Mi Cloud is responsible for backup, and Security is responsible for protecting the phone. 4 Media optimization: photos, videos and music Photographs and video are the main “eaters” of memory. One photo in 12 MP resolution (like Redmi) 5A) It takes 3-5 MB and a minute of video in Full HD — If you haven’t cleaned the gallery for years, 5-10 GB of unnecessary files can easily accumulate there. How to free up space: 📸 Move your photos to the cloud: use Google Photos (free to use) 15 GB) or Mi Cloud. In Google Photos settings, enable “Free space” – this will delete local copies of files already uploaded to the cloud. 🗑️ Remove duplicates: Use apps like Files by Google or CCleaner that find repetitive photos. 🎥 Compress a video, and you can do it with Video Compress or InShot, like video clips. 1080p compressible 720p without significant loss of quality. 🎵 Remove Unused Music: Check the folder /Music — There are often songs that have been downloaded years ago. File type Average size How to reduce Photo (12 MP) 3-5 MB Compress to 80% quality or upload to the cloud Video (Full) HD, 30 fps) 100 MB/min Reduce to 720p or remove unnecessary audio clips (MP3, 320 kbps) 2-3 MB/song Remove or convert to 192 kbps Documents (PDF, DOCX) 1–10 MB Move to PC or cloud If you shoot videos often, pay attention to the camera settings: Redmi default 5A record video in Full HD. Switch to the switch. HD (720p) In camera settings, this will reduce file size by 2-3 times without critical quality loss. 5. Cleaning up downloads and temporary files Download Folder (or Downloads) is a real dump of unnecessary files: 📄 APK-files of installed (and remote) applications; 📦 Archives (.zip,.rar) that you unpacked and forgot; 📑 Documents from messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp); 🖼️ Images and memes downloaded "for later». How to Clean Downloads folder: Open the Files app (or any file manager). /storage/emulated/0/Download. Sort files by date or size. Delete all unnecessary files. Pay special attention to files with extensions.apk,.zip,.tmp. Also check the folders of messengers: Telegram: /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Documents; WhatsApp: /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Media. These folders often store gigabytes of unnecessary media files that can be safely deleted. What to do if you can't find the folder?If the file manager doesn't show hidden folders, turn them on in the application settings (usually "Show hidden files»). 6. Use of third-party utilities for deep cleaning Built-in tools MIUI They don't always do deep cleaning. You can use third-party apps to clean things up more thoroughly. Best Options for Xiaomi Redmi 5A: 🧹 Files by Google: Google’s free app that finds duplicates, large files and unnecessary data, and offers “free space” with a single tap. 🛠️ CCleaner: Clears cache, call history, SMS And it analyzes memory usage. Attention: don't use Optimize, because it shuts down background processes, which can damage performance. 🔍 SD Maid (requires root for full functionality): finds remnants of deleted applications, empty folders and unnecessary databases. How to use Files by Google: Download the application from Google Play. Open the Cleanup section. Click Free XMB and the application will prompt you to delete unnecessary files. Check the list before confirming it – sometimes important documents get there. ⚠️ Note: Some cleaners (such as Clean Master) aggressively delete files and display false virus warnings. Use only proven utilities from the official store. 7 Reset to factory settings: If all previous methods failed and the phone still gives you an error of "Not enough memory," the last option is a factory reset, which will delete all data from the phone, including apps, photos and settings, so make a backup first. How to Reset Xiaomi Redmi 5A: Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Reset and reset. Select "Resetting." Confirm the action and wait for the reset (it takes 5-10 minutes: 🔄 Restore data from a backup (if it was created through Mi Cloud or Google Account). 📱 Install only the necessary applications – avoid downloading unnecessary programs. 🔧 Set up automatic cache cleanup in Settings → Memory. 💡Factory resets are not a panacea. If the memory runs out again quickly after the reset, the problem may be a malfunction of the drive or file system errors. If the phone is still slow after the reset, the problem may be the wear and tear of the internal memory. In this case, only the replacement of the memory module (which is not advisable for Redmi) will help. 5A because of budget, or buying a new phone. FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleaning on Xiaomi 5A Can I transfer apps to a memory card? 5A (16GB) no memory card slot. If you have a 32GB microSD version, yes, you can move some apps through Settings. → Annexes → Move it to SD. But not all programs support this function. Why does the cache disappear quickly? Cache is a temporary file, and applications recreate it when you use it. If the memory ends quickly, the problem may be in the cache: 📱 Background processes (check in Settings) → Battery → Battery utilization); 🗑️ Automatic downloads (for example, application updates or media files in messengers); 🔍 Viruses or malware (scan Malwarebytes phone). How to turn off automatic app updates? So Google Play doesn't clog up memory with updates: Open Play Store. Go to Settings → Auto-update apps. Select "Never" or "Only via Wi-Fi." Can you increase memory on Xiaomi 5A? Physically, no, because memory is soldered into the motherboard. The only options: 🔄 Regularly clean your memory (as described in the article); ☁️ Use cloud storage (Google Drive, Mi Cloud); 📱 Buy a phone with a large amount of memory (for example, Redmi) 9A s 32/64 GB) Why is system data taking up so much space? The System data section includes: 📁 System and core cache; 📄 Error Logs (.log files); 🔄 Remains of updates MIUI; 🛠️ Recovery files can be cleaned through Settings → Memory. → Clean or use SD Maid (requires root).