Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus Memory Cleanup: A Complete User Guide

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus (codenamed Vince) is one of the most popular budget smartphones of 2018, but its 32 or 64 GB of internal memory is quickly clogged with garbage. If your phone is slowing down, issuing notifications about the lack of space or not updating applications, it’s time to clean up the memory. In this article, we will analyze all the effective ways, from simple to radical, taking into account the features of MIUI and the hardware limitations of the model.

The main problem with the Redmi 5 Plus is that it has a small amount of memory and a weak Snapdragon 625 processor that doesn't handle an overloaded system, and even if you don't install games, it creates gigabytes of cache, temporary files and duplicates, and we'll show you how to free up 2 to 10 GB without root rights and loss of important data, and we'll also show you what actions can damage your phone.

Important: The instructions are suitable for all versions of MIUI (including MIUI 12/13/14), but some menu items may differ.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly is the memory?

Before you clean, you need to understand which files and apps are eating up space.The Redmi 5 Plus has a built-in memory analyzer, but it doesn't always show the full picture.

How to check the occupied space:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Click on the graph - the details will open by categories: Applications, Images, Video, Audio, Cash, Other.
3. Slip on any category to see the largest files.

Typical memory eaters on Redmi 5 Plus:

• 📱 Social media (Facebook, VK, TikTok – caching video and images (up to 5 GB).
• 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Free Fire – 1–3 GB each + cash.
• 📸 Gallery - duplicate photos, screenshots, uploaded memes.
• 🗑️ System garbage – logs, temporary update files, remnants of remote applications.
• 📥 Downloads — APK-file, PDF, Archives that you haven’t opened in a long time.

If the "Other" section is more than 3-5 GB, it is a sign of system debris that is not cleaned by standard methods, in which case only manual cleaning or dumping will help.

2. Cleaning up the cache of applications and system debris

The safest way to free 1-3 GB is to remove the cache. The cache speeds up applications, but it grows to giant sizes over time.

How to clean the cache of all applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Sort by size.
3. Select the app (start with the "heavy ones") → Clear the cache.
4. For complete cleaning, click Clear Data (⚠️ This will reset the application settings!).

For system cache (remainders of updates, log files):

• 🔧 Use the built-in utility: Settings → Memory. → Cleanup → Choose "Junk" and "Cash".
• 🧹 Files by Google (download to Play Market): it finds up to 1-2 GB of unnecessary files.

⚠️ Warning: Do not clear the cache of system applications (MIUI System, Android System, this can cause malfunctions in the phone. Also, do not delete files from the folder. /Android/obb/ Games and programs may stop working manually.

Check the size of the cache in Settings → Memory

Clean up the cache of social networks and instant messengers

Remove the game cache (if you don’t play regularly)

Use Files by Google to search for garbage

Restart the phone after cleaning-->

3. Delete unnecessary files and duplicates

Photos, videos and downloads often take up the lion’s share of memory. The Redmi 5 Plus is particularly problematic with duplicates: the phone makes copies when editing, sending to messengers or backing up.

How to find and delete unnecessary files:

• 📂 Gallery: Open the Gallery → Albums. → Duplicates (or use Google Files to find repetitive photos).
• 🎥 Video: Video in 4K full HD Weigh hundreds of megabytes. Remove unnecessary videos or compress them through Video Compress.
• 📄 Downloads: Folder /Storage/Download/ often-cluttered APK, PDF Check it out through the Explorer.
• 🔍 Search for large files: In Files by Google, select Memory Analysis" → "Large files".

Tip: If you take screenshots often, set a limit on saving them.

1. Open the settings → Additional → Screenshots.
2. Turn off the option "Save screenshots in the gallery".

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Before mass deleting photos and videos, back up to Google Photos or your computer. Redmi 5 Plus is easy to use. OTG-plug-in.

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

Redmi 5 Plus has a hybrid slot for the SIM-Cards: either two nano-SIMs or one SIM + microSD up to 256 GB. If you have a memory card installed, you can transfer some of the data to it.

What can be transferred to SD-map:

• 📸 Photo and video (via Gallery or Guide).
• 🎵 Music and podcasts (on Google Play Music or VLC There's a transfer option).
• 📱 Some applications (only if the developer has provided this function).

How to move applications (if supported):

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application → Storage → Change (if the option is active).
3. Choose. SD-map and confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI Many system applications cannot be transferred to SD-Also, after transferring some programs may run slower. Do not remove the memory card while using the ported applications, this will cause errors.

5. Disabling and removing unnecessary applications

MIUI is known for its abundance of pre-installed applications, many of which cannot be removed by standard methods, but can be disabled or removed with ADB (advanced users).

How to disable system applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an unneeded app (e.g. Mi Music, Mi Video, Browser).
3. Click Disable (if the button is active).

List of safe apps to disable on Redmi 5 Plus:

• 🎵 Mi Music – if you don’t use the built-in player.
• 📺 Mi Video can be replaced by VLC or MX Player.
• 🌐 Browser – if you use Chrome or Firefox.
• 📰 Mi Community is a Xiaomi forum that is rarely opened.
• 📡 FM Radio - if you don't listen to the radio.

If you're not sure, you'd better just turn off unnecessary programs, which will free up some memory and reduce background activity.

6. Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If nothing works, and the phone is jammed to the limit, it's a complete reset, which will delete all the data, including accounts, photos and apps, but will return the phone to a "clean" state.

How to reset to Redmi 5 Plus:

1. Create a backup copy of important data (contacts, photos, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select "Reset all settings."
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Warning: After resetting, the phone will require you to enter a Mi Account if it was tied. If you forgot the password, unlocking can take up to 72 hours! SD-cards (if they are installed).

What the dumping does:

• ✅ Frees up to 5-10 GB of memory (by removing garbage, cache, application residues).
• ✅ Eliminates lags and hangs caused by an overloaded system.
• ✅ Returns the “native” speed of the phone.

What to expect after the reset:

• 🔄 You will have to reconfigure the phone (Wi-Fi, accounts, wallpaper).
• 📥 Apps won’t automatically recover (but they can be downloaded from the Play Market) → "My apps and games" → "Library").
• 📞 Contacts will be restored if they were synced with Google or Mi Account.

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Factory reset is the most radical, but also the most effective, way to clean it up. Use it only if other methods have failed and you're willing to spend time setting up your phone again.

7. Prevention: how to prevent memory filling?

To avoid cleaning your memory every week, follow these simple rules:

• 📲 Clean the cache regularly: Check your settings once a month → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🚫 Limit background activity: In Settings → Battery → Select mode turn on "charge savings" - this will reduce caching.
• 🔄 Auto Clean: In Files by Google, enable the option “Automatic Cleanup” (remove garbage at low memory level).
• 📥 Control downloads: Remove APK-files after installing applications.
• 📸 Optimize your photos: In Google Photos, enable "Saving Place" (photos will be saved in the cloud in compressed form).

It is also necessary to disable automatic update of applications via mobile Internet:

1. Open Play Market → Settings → Auto-Update applications.
2. Select “Wi-Fi Only” or “Do not update automatically”.

If you install and delete games frequently, use them. APK-files instead of Play Market. After the game is deleted through Play Market, unnecessary files remain, and when installed through Play Market, APK They can be removed completely.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning Redmi memory 5 Plus