How to Clean Memory on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T: The Complete 2026 Guide

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T is one of the most popular smartphones in the budget segment, but even its owners sooner or later face the problem of memory shortage. "Memory is full", "No space to update", "Application is not installed" - these notifications are familiar to many. In this article, we will analyze all working ways to clean memory on the Redmi Note 8T, from basic to advanced, taking into account the features of the MIUI firmware and the hardware limitations of the model.

It's important to understand that the Redmi Note 8T came with two built-in memory options, 32GB and 64GB, and is actually available to the user 5-10GB less because of the system's utility files. If you've never cleaned a smartphone, up to 70% of the memory can be taken up by garbage: app cache, duplicate photos, remnants of deleted programs and temporary files. We'll show you how to find and remove this ballast without resorting to radical measures like factory resets.

1. Memory Occupation Analysis: What exactly takes place?

Before you clear the memory, you need to know which files are clogging it. MIUI has an in-built analyzer, but it doesn't always show the whole picture. Here's how to get the exact data.

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Memory (or Settings → Memory in newer versions of MIUI) Here you will see a diagram of the allocation of memory by categories: System, Applications, Media, Files and Cache.
2. Click on the category (like Apps) to see a list of the most voracious programs. Note apps that are over 500MB long, and should be cleaned or removed.
3. For detailed analysis, use third-party utilities such as Files by Google or SD Maid, which will show hidden files, duplicates and debris that are not visible in the standard manager.

A typical picture on the Redmi Note 8T after a year of use:

• 📱 System and MIUI: 8–12 GB (including updates and preinstalled apps)
• 🎵 Media files: 5-15 GB (photos, videos, music – often duplicated in the cloud and on a memory card)
• 🗑️ Application cache: 2-5 GB (social networks and instant messengers accumulate a lot especially)
• 📦 Residual files: 1-3 GB (residues after deleting applications, temporary files)

⚠️ Note: If the System section is more than 15 GB occupied, this may indicate file system damage or error after the update. MIUI. In this case, only the reset to the factory settings will help.

2.Cleaning App Cache: A Quick Way to Free 1–3 GB

Cache is a temporary file that apps create to speed up work, and over time, it accumulates and can take up gigabytes of memory. On the Redmi Note 8T, the cache is particularly strong in:

• 📸 Social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)
• 💬 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber)
• 🎮 Games (especially with 3D-graphic)
• 🌐 Browser (Chrome, MIUI Browser)

How to clear the cache:

1. For one application: go to Settings → Applications → Application Management, select the right one and click Clear Cache.
2. For all applications at once: open Settings → Memory → Clear cache (or Settings → Storage → Clean up in new versions of MIUI).
3. For deep cleaning, use Deep Cleaning mode in the Security App (present in MIUI 11-14 firmware).

Make sure your important data is synced to the cloud

Close all applications (cache clears more efficiently)

Connect your phone to charge (the process can take 5-10 minutes)

Do not interrupt cleaning, even if the phone is “suspended”

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On Redmi Note 8T, after cleaning the cache in Telegram, you can free up to 1-2 GB, if you have not previously cleaned the folder Telegram Images and Telegram Video manually.

3. Removal of unnecessary applications and their residues

Many users delete apps, but their files remain in memory, especially for games and social networks. Redmi Note 8T also has pre-installed Xiaomi applications that can not be removed by standard means, but you can disable.

How to remove applications correctly:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the list by size (click on the three dots in the top right corner → Sort by size).
3. Remove apps that take up more than 100MB and are not in use: 🎮 Games (e.g., games, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty – can weigh up to 2-4 GB) 📺 Streaming services (Netflix, YouTube – caching video) 🛒 Store apps (AliExpress, Wildberries) store browsing history)

To remove residues, use SD Maid or Files by Google (Clean up section).

How to disable pre-installed Xiaomi apps:

1. In the same app management menu, select the unnecessary (e.g. Mi Music, Mi Video, Mi Browser).
2. Click Disable (if the Remove button is inactive) This will remove the updates and hide the app from the menu.
3. Root rights will be required to completely remove system applications, but this is risky and unwarranted.

Example of savings:

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Before you delete a photo from your phone, check if autoload is enabled in the cloud. In Google Photos, this is done in the application settings: Backup and Sync → On.

5. Memory Card Use: The Right Setup

The Redmi Note 8T supports microSD cards up to 256 GB. However, many users face problems: apps don't transfer to the card, files are duplicated, or the phone can't see the drive.

Steps to set up a microSD:

1. Insert a memory card (UHS-I U1 or higher is recommended for stable operation).
2. When you first connect, the phone will suggest formatting the card. Select Internal Memory if you want to use it as a main memory extension (but then the card can't be retrieved without losing data).
3. To transfer applications to the map: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Select App → Storage → Change → Specify a memory card. Not all applications support portability (especially system and games).

To automatically save a photo/video to the map, open the Camera → Settings → Save Place and select the Memory Map.

⚠️ Note: If you have selected the Internal Memory format for the card, do not remove it without first “disabling” in the settings (Settings) → Memory. → Map. SD → Disable it or you risk losing data or damaging the file system.

6.Reset to factory settings: a last resort

If all the previous methods failed, and the memory is still full of unknowns, there is a hard reset, which will delete all data from the phone, including apps, photos and settings, but return it to a "clean" state. On the Redmi Note 8T, you can reset in two ways:

Method 1: Through the settings menu

1. Make a backup copy of important data (contacts, photos, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Erase all data.
3. Enter the password (if set) and confirm the reset.
4. The phone will restart and start the process (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Method 2: Recovery Mode (if the phone is not turned on)

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up and hold for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (use volume buttons for navigation and power button for confirmation).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.

It is also useful to disable automatic updates of applications via the mobile Internet:

1. Open Google Play Store → Settings → Auto-Update applications.
2. Choose Only via Wi-Fi or Do Not Update Automatically.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleanup on Redmi Note 8T