Xiaomi’s mobile devices are famous for their performance and rich functionality of the MIUI shell, but even the most powerful smartphones eventually begin to experience a lack of free space. This is a natural process associated with the accumulation of temporary files, the growth of the app cache and the increase in the amount of user data. When the free space comes to an end, the Android operating system begins to work slower, there may be failures when installing updates or shooting videos.
Freeing up internal storage is not just a way to get a couple of gigabytes for new photos, but also a necessary procedure to keep the gadget running smoothly. Redmi and Poco device owners often face aggressive system optimization, which, when critically space-short, can force the background processes to close, so regular cleaning becomes an important element of the device's maintenance.
In this article, we will take a look at all the cleaning methods available, from built-in tools to manual file system management. You will learn which folders can be deleted without fear, how to work effectively with messengers and what to do if memory is filled in an incomprehensible way. A competent approach to file management will allow your smartphone to work as fast as on the day of purchase.
Use of the built-in Security application
The easiest and safest way to free up space is to use the standard tool, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi devices.The Security app (or Security) has deep access to system partitions and can find files hidden from the average user. Launch the program and click on the large Cleanup button.The system will automatically analyze the storage and suggest that temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and advertising debris be deleted.
But automatic cleaning is often superficial, and for a deeper analysis, you need to go to the Cleanup section inside the app and look carefully at the categories you've proposed, and you can find large files, duplicate photos, and unused apps, and you need to look carefully at what you're deleting so you don't accidentally erase important documents or personal pictures.
⚠️ Attention: The "Accelerate" function in the Security app often just closes the background processes, but does not free up disk space. Use the "Clean Up" tab to clean up memory, not the "Accelerate" tab".
Inside the cleaning tool, there's a useful duplicate search feature, which scans the gallery and finds the same images that might have been saved by a camera error or multiple downloads, and removing those copies is a great way to quickly recover a few hundred megabytes without losing any important points.
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Use the Deep Clean feature in the Security app once a week to prevent the buildup of system debris that slows down the MIUI interface.
Storage analysis and removal of large files
Often, the main memory eater is files that the user does not even know exist. Xiaomi's smartphone settings have a built-in analyzer that visually displays what is occupied by space. Go to Settings → Memory (or Settings → Phone → Memory) to see a detailed storage map. The system will show how much the applications, images, videos and system files occupy.
The Downloads folder is worth a special attention. Browsers and instant messengers often store the received documents, APK installation files and images viewed there. These data can lie dead for years, occupying gigabytes of space. Manually checking this directory through the File Manager Explorer often brings unexpected results.
High-resolution video files captured on a Xiaomi camera can also be huge. One minute of 4K recording can weigh more than 300MB. If you don't plan on mounting those videos on your phone, it makes sense to transfer them to your computer or cloud storage and remove them from your device.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber are the leaders in memory consumption on modern smartphones, saving every image, video and voice message viewed to cache to load them faster when reopened. Over time, this cache can grow to 10-20 GB or more, which is critical for models with a small amount of internal memory.
Telegram cleanses most conveniently through its built-in settings. Go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use and click Clear Cache. What is unique about Telegram is that media files deleted from the cache don’t disappear completely from chats — they are simply marked as downloaded from the server and downloaded again only when you re-view, which allows you to free up space without losing correspondence.
WhatsApp is more complicated because it doesn't have that kind of flexible cache settings. You have to go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. You can select specific chats and delete files that you upload to them. It's also helpful to turn off auto-save media to the gallery so that photos from groups don't duplicate into your phone's memory.
| Annex | The path to cleanup | Is it safe to remove? | Impact on data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Settings → Data and memory | Yeah, totally. | The media will be rebooted when viewed |
| Settings → Data and Storage | Careful. | You can lose media history without a backup. | |
| Phone settings → Applications | Yeah (cash) | You will need to log in to the account again. | |
| YouTube | Settings → General → History | Yes. | The remaining offline videos will be removed. |
Why is the messenger cache growing so fast?
Management of applications and their data
Applications that you rarely use often continue to run in the background and accumulate data. The MIUI shell has a handy tool to identify such programs. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications and sort the list by size. You will be surprised to find that games or navigators can take up several gigabytes.
Every application has Clear Data. Be careful: unlike cache clearing, this command will reset the app to a state immediately after installation. All your logins, settings, game saves and downloaded cards will be deleted. Use this feature only if you want to reinstall the program completely or if it doesn't work properly.
Also worth checking is the boot list. Many applications are written into the start-up system, consuming RAM and CPU time. Disabling unnecessary services in Settings → Applications → Autorun will not free up disk space, but will improve overall system responsiveness, which indirectly affects the speed of work with files.
☑️ Checking applications
Work with Gallery and Cloud Services
Photos and videos are the most voluminous content on a smartphone. Xiaomi's modern cameras take detailed shots that weigh a lot. Browse the gallery regularly and delete failed shots, screenshots and long videos. Pay special attention to the Recycle Bin folder - deleted photos often stay there for another 30 days, continuing to occupy space.
The best way to store a photo archive is to use cloud services like Google Photos or Mi Cloud. Google Photos offers a "Free Space" feature that finds images already stored in the cloud on the device and deletes a local copy of them, which allows you to access all photos over the Internet without clogging internal memory.
If you use Mi Cloud, turn on gallery sync. This will not only back up, but also allow you to use the storage optimization feature, where only reduced previews remain on the phone and the originals are stored on the Xiaomi server.
⚠️ Before mass cleaning of the gallery, be sure to ensure that the sync with the cloud is successful and all important photos are available from another device or through the web version.
System Partitions and Android folder
You can find an Android folder in the file manager that contains data and obb subfolders. It stores app data and game cache files. It's not recommended to manually delete files from here unless you know exactly what they're responsible for. Deleting the obb folder of a particular game will cause it to have to re-download gigabytes of resources when it launches.
However, if you delete a game but its tails are left, this is where you should look for them, and folders from long-deleted applications (such as folders with social media or store names) are often located at the root of the memory, and can be safely removed manually through Explorer.
Another hidden user of space is the MIUI → gallery → cloud folder, which can store temporary sync files, and the newer versions of MIUI and HyperOS have made it more rigorous to monitor these files, but manual verification will not hurt.
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Manually deleting files from the Android/data folder is possible, but it requires caution. Only delete folders whose names correspond to already deleted applications.
Radical measures: reset to factory settings
If none of the methods worked and the memory fills up on its own, there may have been an accumulation of errors or malware in the file system, in which case a full reset is an effective but radical method, which will return the phone to the "out of the box" state, completely clearing all user data.
Before you reset, make sure to make a full backup of all important data to your computer or the cloud. The process is irreversible. You can reset through the settings menu: Settings → About Phone → Reset → Erase all data.
Once reset, the phone will run as fast as possible. Don't rush to restore all applications from the backup, because you can return the memory problem. Install the programs selectively, monitoring their impact on the system.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting to factory settings will delete ALL data, including contacts, SMS, photos and accounts. Make sure you remember the password from your Mi Account and Google account, otherwise the phone may be locked after the reset.