How to completely clean the memory on Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro: from cache to factory settings

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro

Redmi 4 Pro

In this article, you will find 7 working ways to clean up memory, from simple (cache removal) to radical (factory reset).We will discuss which files can be safely deleted and which should not be touched so as not to disrupt the system. MIUI, which take up gigabytes of memory but do not appear in a standard file manager.

Before you start cleaning, check how much memory is actually occupied. Go to Settings → About Phone → Memory. The system will show the categorization of "Apps", "Images", "Video", "Audio" and the most interesting one - "Other", which is a category that often hides tens of gigabytes of garbage that can be removed without risk to data.

1.Cleaning App Cache Is A Quick Way To Free 1–3 GB

Cache is a temporary file that creates applications to speed up their work, accumulates over time and can take up to several gigabytes of memory, deleting the cache is absolutely safe: in the worst case, applications will have to re-upload data the next time they run (for example, miniature videos on YouTube or maps in Google Maps).

To clear the cache of individual applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications.
2. Select an app (such as Facebook or Telegram).
3. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data button – this will delete all settings and accounts!).

To clean the cache of all applications at the same time:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🧹 Click "Clean" in the "Cash Applications" section".
• ⚡ Confirm the action (it may be necessary to enter a password).

Warning: After clearing the cache, some apps (like Instagram or TikTok) will load longer when they first run.

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If the app is slower after cleaning the cache, try restarting the phone, which will help the system reassemble temporary files from scratch.

2. Delete unnecessary files through the built-in file manager

The standard File Manager app in MIUI can find and remove garbage automatically.

Step 1. Open the Files app (the icon with the folder on the home screen).

Step 2. Go to the Cleanup tab (in the bottom menu).

Step 3: Wait for the memory analysis (may take 1-2 minutes).

Step 4: In the "Recommendations" section, you will see the categories of files that can be deleted:

• 🗑️ Unnecessary APK — obsolete application installation files.
• 📁 Empty folders – remain after deleting applications.
• 📄 Duplicate files – copies of photos or documents.
• 🎵 Unnecessary audio files – ringtones, voice messages from messengers.

Check out unnecessary files and click "Clean." Be careful: "Big Files" may show up important documents or videos. Check the contents before you delete them.

Unnecessary APK-files (installation packages)

Empty folders

Duplicate photos (check the dates!)

Cash downloads (Download folder)

Old screenshots (Screenshots folder)-->

3. Cleaning up the MIUI folder - hidden memory reserve

System system MIUI folder MIUI It's in the root memory directory, where you store backups, logs, and temporary update files, and it can weigh between 500MB and 2-3GB, but it doesn't show up in the standard file manager, and you'll need a third-party application like Total Commander or something to see it. FX File Explorer.

Cleaning instructions:

1. Install Total Commander from Google Play.
2. Open the app and allow access to memory.
3. Enable the display of hidden files: Settings → Display hidden files.
4. Go to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/).
5. Find the MIUI folder and open it.
6. Remove the following subfolders (if any): backups – old backups. debug_log — Error logs (you can delete everything). extra – temporary update files.

Warning: Do not delete the entire MIUI folder and do not touch files with the.db extension - this can lead to system failures.

4. Transfer data to a memory card or cloud

If internal memory is catastrophically lacking, consider transferring some of the data to a microSD (up to 256 GB) or cloud storage. Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro supports memory cards, but with reservations: not all applications can be migrated to SD due to the limitations of Android 6.0.

How to transfer files to a memory card:

• 📁 Open the Files" → "Categories" → "Images/Video/Audio".
• 🔍 Select the files you want to transfer.
• 📤 Press "More" → "Move it" → Select a memory card (SD card).

For the transfer of applications (if supported):

1. Go to Settings → Applications.
2. Select an app (like Spotify or Netflix).
3. Click "Storage" → "Change" → "Memory Map".

Limitations:

Not all applications support SD portability (especially system applications).

After the transfer, the application can work slower.

When you remove the memory card, the transferred applications will become unavailable.

The alternative is cloud services:

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Transferring data to a memory card or cloud doesn’t automatically free up internal memory – files need to be manually deleted after copying!

5. Removal of system updates and old firmware

MIUI Stores update files in the folder Downloaded_Rom, Even after they're installed, these files can take up to a few minutes. 1–2 GB, and completely useless after the update, and it stores backups of firmware in a folder. MIUI/backup.

How to remove unnecessary updates:

1. Open the Files" → "Internal memory".
2. Find the file. Downloaded_Rom and delete all files inside.
3. Go to MIUI/backup and delete old backups (file names contain dates).

Note: If you are planning to roll back to the previous version MIUI, don't delete the folder Downloaded_Rom Completely – leave the last update file.

To disable automatic update saving:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → “Update settings”.
3. Turn off the option "Automatic boot over Wi-Fi".

6. Resetting to factory settings is a last resort

If all previous methods failed and the phone still brakes, it will completely reset, which will delete all data, including apps, photos, contacts and settings, but return the device to factory performance.

How to reset:

1. Create a backup of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
3. Select "Reset" → "Delete all data".
4. Confirm the action (a password or pattern lock may be required).

Once reset, the Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro will automatically restart and start setting up as a new phone.The first launch can take 5-10 minutes - that's fine.

What to do after the discharge:

• 🔄 Restore data from backup (if it was created).
• 📥 Install only the necessary applications (avoid junk programs).
• 🔧 Turn off automatic update downloads to save memory.

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After the reset, take your time to restore all the data at once. Install only messengers and mail first, then check the performance. If the phone is fast, gradually add the rest of the applications.

7.Memory optimization without deleting files

Sometimes the problem is not the amount of space available, but the fragmentation of space, and here are some ways to optimize memory without deleting data.

🔹 Disabling animations and visual effects:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on MIUI Version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Set "Window Animation Scale", "Scale of Transition Animation" and "Duration of Animator" to 0.5x or turn off completely.

🔹 Limitation of background processes:

• In the same "For Developers" menu, find the "Traffic Limit" option and set "Maximum 2 Processes in the Background."
• Turn off the Startup Animation to speed up the opening of applications.

🔹 Use of lightweight versions of applications: Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro with 2-3 GB of RAM does not cope well with "heavy" applications. Replace them with lightweight versions:

• 📘 Facebook Lite instead of Facebook.
• 💬 Messenger Lite instead of Messenger.
• 📷 Instagram Lite (not available in all regions).

Important: After optimizing, restart your phone so that the changes take effect.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleaning on Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro