How to Clean Memory on Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro: The Complete Guide

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro, launched in 2018, is still a popular device due to its transparent design and performance. However, like any Android gadget, it faces a lack of space over time, a natural process of accumulating temporary files, app cache and media content that inevitably slows down the system.

Overcrowded storage is not just an inconvenience, it is a direct way to reduce performance and lag in the MIUI interface. When the system partition is critically filled, the operating system cannot effectively manage RAM, which leads to forced closure of background processes. In this article, we will discuss effective and safe methods for freeing up space.

You'll learn how to find hidden gigabyte eaters that aren't visible when you're viewing a gallery. We'll look at the regular cleaning tools, garbage folders, and advanced file system analysis techniques. Proper optimization will allow your device to run as fast as the first day after purchase.

Analysis of storage occupancy with MIUI funds

Before you delete files at random, you need to figure out what exactly takes up space. The MIUI shell on the Mi 8 Pro has a built-in tool for detailed analysis, which allows you to visually assess the distribution of space between applications, photos, videos and system files.

To start the analysis, go to the Settings → Storage menu, where the system will show a color diagram where each sector is responsible for a certain type of data, and often it turns out that the lion's share is not your personal photos at all, but the cache of messengers or forgotten downloads.

Note the Other section, which often hides the remnants of deleted applications, logs of errors, and temporary update files, which can be as large as tens of gigabytes if the cleaning has not been done for months, and the standard MIUI analyzer can safely remove some of this debris at a single click.

Important: Don't ignore the Apps tab in the same menu. Sort the list by size (busy). You may find that a rarely used video editing game or app takes up more space than your entire music library.

Use of the full-time "Security" application

The easiest and fastest way to do surface cleaning is to use the Security app preinstalled. This is a system harvester that includes an antivirus, a memory optimizer, and a garbage cleaner. Run it and select Clean it.

The system will automatically scan the device for temporary files, uninstall process residues, and ad libraries cache, and after scanning, you'll see a list of files that can be deleted without harming your phone, usually files ranging in size from a few kilobytes to a couple of gigabytes.

⚠️ Warning: Before you click on the "Clean Everything" button, look carefully at the list. Sometimes, the "Junk" section gets important attachments from instant messengers or thumbnails that you may want to keep.

The app also has Deep Clean, which allows you to find large files, duplicate photos and rarely used apps, and is more powerful than the standard quick cleanup, as it affects media content.

Use the "Accelerate" function to free up RAM. Although this does not directly affect storage space, RAM offloading helps the system run smoother when there is a lack of disk space, as data swapping decreases.

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Run a deep cleanup no more than once a week. Deleting the cache too often can slow down the launch of applications, as they will have to re-upload data from the network.

Manual garbage cleaning in the file manager

Automatic cleaners don't always deal with the specific garbage that some applications leave behind, so you have to go to the standard File Manager and go to the Android folder, and it stores all the installed software.

Pay special attention to the data and obb folders. The first one stores settings and cache, the second one stores additional files of games and heavy applications. If you deleted the game but the space didn't vacate, the tails are likely left here.

Also check the root folders of popular messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber. they often contain automatically uploaded videos and voice messages that you no longer need. Telegram, for example, has its own cache clearing mechanism in the app's settings, which is often more effective than manual cleaning.

Be sure to check the Download folder. Browsers and social networks often save APK installation files, documents and pictures there. These files are often forgotten and can take up a significant amount of space.

Cleaning cache and data of specific applications

Some apps, especially social networks and browsers, are growing to incredible sizes, such as Instagram or TikTok can take up several gigabytes just by cacheing the videos they've watched, and you need to clean them up through your system settings.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find a heavy app and click on it. Select Memory (or Storage) and you will see two buttons here: Clear cache and Clear everything (or Reset).

The Clear Cache button is secure, it will only delete temporary files, the app will run a little longer on the first start, but your logins and data will be saved, and the Clear Everything or Reset button will return the app to the post-installation state by deleting your accounts and settings.

For browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser), cache cleaning is a mandatory procedure. They store copies of all pages and images visited. If you do not use incognito mode constantly, the browser can store gigabytes of web garbage.

Working with multimedia and cloud services

Photos and video are the main source of memory filling on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro. The camera of the smartphone shoots in high resolution, and one minute of video in 4K can take hundreds of megabytes. Store everything on the device does not make sense.

Use the Free Space feature in Google Photos or Mi Cloud, which allows you to delete photos from your phone that have already been successfully uploaded to the cloud, and it's the safest way to save memories without losing them when your phone breaks.

Check the DCIM folder. It often accumulates bad footage, screenshots and videos that you shot "just in case." Move the archives to your computer or external hard drive. Regular segregation of media files helps keep the system on track.

If you use streaming services (Spotify, Netflix, YouTube Premium) and download music or movies for offline viewing, check the settings of these apps. Often there is autoloading content that you don't even listen to.

Specific system files and dumps

In the Mi file system 8 Pros may have specific system folders that are rarely mentioned in the normal instructions. MIUI/debug_log Or similar log directories, which are created when debugging mode is on or if there have been system failures.

Another source of garbage is the backup folder, and if you've ever done a local backup through the Recovery menu, these files may have been stored in memory, and they take up a lot of space and are only needed when you restore them.

Check for folders with the names of old apps you've already removed. Some developers don't prescribe the correct deletion script, and the tails remain dead weight for years.

⚠️ Warning: Never delete files from system, vendor, or boot folders unless you have superuser rights (Root) and do not understand what a particular file is responsible for.

For advanced users, analysis is available through ADB (Android Debug Bridge. Connecting your phone to your PC can list the largest files by the adb shell du command. -h /storage/emulated/0 | sort -rh | head -n 20. It'll show the top.-20 most extensive.

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Regular manual check of download folders and instant messengers is more effective than any automatic accelerators, since you control the process and do not delete the excess.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)