How to Clean Memory on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A: A Complete Guide to Hidden MIUI Chips

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is still one of the most popular budget smartphones due to its reliability and maintainability, but even 16 or 32 GB of internal memory is eventually clogged with garbage: app cache, duplicate photos, remnants of deleted programs and hidden MIUI files. If your phone starts to slow down, issue a notification “Not enough memory” or refuse to install updates, it’s time to act.

In this article you will find 7 Proven methods of memory cleaning, including little-known functions MIUI, We'll figure out how to release the ones that are not described in the official documentation. 2 before 5 GB space without resetting to factory settings, which files can be deleted without risk, and which should not be touched. MIUI in the root catalogue, its contents often occupy 1-1.5 GB, but removed only through the engineering menu.

1. The analysis of occupied memory: what exactly eats the place?

Before you clean it, you need to figure out which files are taking up memory. The Redmi Note 5A has a built-in tool for this, but it hides some of the data. Here's how to get the whole picture:

Go to Settings → Storage. Here you will see a diagram of the distribution of memory by category: "Apps", "Images", "Video", etc. However, the system files MIUI (update cache, log files) are not displayed here.

• 📱 Install the file manager Mi File Explorer (built-in) MIUI) Or a third-party, such as Solid Explorer.
• 🔍 Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings (usually in the Three Dots menu» → «Settings» → «Show hidden files»).
• 📁 Go to the root catalogue (/storage/emulated/0/) and find the folders: MIUI — Temporary update and themes files are stored here (up to the end) 1.5 GB); Android/data — Cache of games and applications (can weigh) 3-5 GB); DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo and video miniatures (up to) 500 MB).

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder MIUI/backup — backup SMS And the phone calls. MIUI/Download (Theme loadings) can be cleaned completely.

2. Cleaning up the cache of applications and system debris

Cache is the main memory eater, and on the Redmi Note 5A, it accumulates faster because of the MIUI features, which is that the system creates duplicate cache files to speed up work, and you can clean it in two ways:

Method 1: Through the MIUI settings

The safest method, but not everything is cleansed:

1. Open the Settings → Storage → Cleaning.
2. Click "Clean" in the "Junk Files" section.
3. Go to the App Cache tab and select Clear Everything.

Method 2: Manual cleaning through Recovery

This method removes deep cache, including system temporary files that are not affected by standard cleaning, suitable if the phone is slowing down:

1. Turn off the Redmi Note 5A.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the MI logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (use volume buttons for navigation, power for selection).
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

Close all applications |Plug your phone to charge (process can take 5-10 minutes)|Put backup of important data |Put the free space before and after cleaning-->

Important: Clearing the cache through Recovery does not delete user data, but resets some application settings (such as login to games).

3. Removal of duplicate photos and videos

Photos and videos take up the lion's share of memory on the Redmi Note 5A, especially if you're a camera user, and the problem is that MIUI automatically creates:

• 📸 Duplicates when editing a photo (original) + edited);
• 🎥 Mini versions of video for previews (folder) DCIM/.thumbnails);
• 🔄 Backups from cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).

To find and remove duplicates:

1. Open Gallery → Albums → Duplicates (if this section is missing, use third-party apps like Files by Google or CCleaner).
2. Select unnecessary copies and click “Delete”.
3. To clean up video thumbnails: Go to file manager → /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails → delete all files

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Before mass deleting a photo, turn on date sorting (Gallery → Three dots → Sort) so it's easier to find old or unnecessary pictures.

4. Clean Download folder and downloads from browsers

The Download folder on Redmi Note 5A is a real dump of files.

• 📄 APK-Files of installed (and deleted!) applications;
• 🎵 Music and ringtones from VK/Telegram;
• 📑 Documents from mail or messengers;
• 🖼️ Images from social media.

How to clean:

1. Open Mi File Explorer → Internal Memory → Download
2. Sort files by size (click on three dots → “Sort” → “By size”).
3. Remove anything older than 3 months (except for important documents).

Pay special attention to files with the.apk extension, which are the app installers, and even after the program is uninstalled, its APK remains in memory, to find all the APKs:

1. In the file manager, click on the magnifying glass (search).
2. Enter *.apk and delete all the files found.

⚠️ Attention: If you delete APK current applications (such as WhatsApp or WhatsApp) VK), The software will continue to work, but it will not be reinstallable without the Internet.

5. Application Optimization: What Can Be Delete Without Harm?

The Redmi Note 5A has many MIUI system applications that cannot be removed by standard methods, but some can be disabled or removed via ADB, freeing up to 1 GB of storage.

Here is a list of safe apps to remove/disable:

To remove system applications:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools, and execute the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer (replace com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer with the desired application package).

6. Transfer data to a memory card (if supported)

Redmi Note 5A hybrid-slot SIM-The card means you can use either two. SIM-card SIM + If you have a memory card-enabled model (check the case for “microSD”), transferring data will help free up internal memory.

How to transfer applications to the map:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as WhatsApp or VK).
3. Press "Storage» → «Change» → choose SD-map.

Important: Not all apps support portability. Also note that:

• 📱 The speed of applications from the memory card is lower;
• 🔄 When you remove the map, the applications will stop working;
• 📁 Only a portion of the data can be transferred (the cache will remain in the internal memory).

For photo and video transfer:

1. Open the Gallery → select files → “More” → “Move”.
2. Choose. SD-map.

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A1/A2 memory cards (such as SanDisk Ultra) are faster than standard ones. The Redmi Note 5A is designed to be 64-128GB.

7. Factory reset: when is it necessary?

If all previous methods failed and the Redmi Note 5A has less than 1GB of free space, a hard reset is a last resort, but it is guaranteed to free up 3-5GB by removing:

• 🧹 All user data (photos, videos, documents);
• 📱 Settings of applications and accounts;
• 🔄 System updates (return to factory firmware).

How to do the reset correctly:

1. Save important data: Copy photos/video to PC or cloud; Export contacts to the cloud VCF-file (Contacts) → Three points. → Import/Exports; Save SMS using applications like SMS Backup & Restore.

Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset → Resetting settings

Select “Erase Everything” and confirm the action.

After restarting, set your phone as new.

⚠️ Attention: On the Redmi Note 5A Resetting through Settings and Recovery gives different results. + Nutrition → Wipe Data: Cleans deeper, but also removes files from folder MIUI/backup (backup SMS call).

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up memory