Cleaning Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro: 7 ways to free up memory and speed up the smartphone

Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro is a popular smartphone with a balance of price and performance, but over time even it begins to slow down, because of the clogged memory, accumulated cache of applications and system debris, if your device has become slower to work, often overheats or gives notifications about memory shortages, it’s time to clean up.

In this article, we’ll look at 7 proven cleanup methods, from basic (delete unnecessary files) to advanced (reset to factory settings), how to safely free up space without deleting important data, and what tools Xiaomi itself has provided for this, and unique life hacks for the Redmi 8 Pro that are not in the standard instructions.

1. Diagnosis: how much memory is occupied and what

Before you start cleaning, you need to understand what exactly takes up space on your Redmi 8 Pro.

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Wait for the analysis (it can take up to 30 seconds).
3. Study the diagram: applications, multimedia, cache and system files are displayed here.

Notice the Other section, which often hides up to 5 to 10 GB of garbage: temporary files, remnants of deleted applications, log files of the system, and if this partition takes up more than 3 GB, it's time to act.

For a detailed analysis, use the built-in Security app (shield icon). Go to Cleanup and press Deep Cleanup.

• 📁 Unnecessary APK-Files (remains after application updates).
• 🗑️ Residual files (data from remote programs).
• 🔄 Photo Duplicates (automatically created copies).

2.Cache cleaning applications: safe and efficient

Cache is a temporary file that applications create to speed up work, and over time, it accumulates and takes up gigabytes of memory. On Redmi 8 Pro, the cache can be cleared in two ways:

Method 1: Manual cleaning for individual applications

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as YouTube or Facebook).
3. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – it will delete all settings!).

Method 2: Mass cleaning through "Safety"

• 🛡️ Open the Security app.
• 🧹 Select Cleanup. → Kesh.
• ✅ Check the unneeded apps (or click Select All).
• 🗑️ Press Clean (released from 500 MB to 2 GB!).

Close all active applications

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

Backup important data (in case of failure)

Do not interrupt the cleaning process.-->

Important! After cleaning the cache, applications can load longer on the first run, which is normal. After 1-2 use, the speed will return.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear cache for system applications (e.g. com.android.systemui) This may cause shell malfunctions. MIUI.

3. Delete unnecessary files and duplicates

Photos, videos and downloads are the main memory eaters. On the Redmi 8 Pro, with its modest 64/128 GB, this is especially critical. Here's how to clean up:

Cleaning up the Downloads folder

Download is a storehouse of junk files: old APKs, memes, documents.

1. Open Files (application from Xiaomi).

Search and remove duplicate photos

MIUI has a built-in tool for finding duplicates:

• 📸 Open the gallery. → Albums. → Duplicate.
• 🔍 The system will automatically find repeated images.
• 🗑️ Select unnecessary and click Remove.

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Before removing duplicates, sort the photo by size - sometimes the "duplicate" turns out to be a better version of the picture.

Cleaning up garbage in messengers

WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber store gigabytes of media files to clear them:

4. Optimization of system processes

The Redmi 8 Pro on MIUI has hidden features to optimize performance, often ignored, but they can speed up the phone by 20 to 30 percent:

Disabling Auto-Run Applications

Many applications run automatically and hang in the background, consuming memory.

1. Open Security. → Auto-start.
2. Turn off auto-run for unnecessary applications (such as games or social networks).
3. Reboot the phone.

Activation of the performance mode

MIUI has a hidden mode to speed up the work:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Performance mode.
• 🚀 Choose High Performance (instead of Balanced").
• ⚠️ Cons: the battery will go down faster by 10-15%.

Hand-cleaning RAM

If the phone starts to "lag", try to free up the RAM:

• 🔄 Press and hold the menu button (three bars at the bottom of the screen).
• 🗑️ Select Clean Everything (Closes All Background Processes).
• 🔋 Alternative: Enable Settings → Battery → Energy saving mode (automatically closes unnecessary processes).

5. Factory reset: a last resort

If all previous methods failed, it would be a hard reset, which would remove all the data from the phone, including apps, photos and settings, but would return the speed to the factory.

Preparation for discharge

Before discharge, it is mandatory:

• 📱 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 🔐 Make sure you know the username/password from Mi Account (required to unlock after resetting).
• 🔋 Charge your phone at least 50%.

Resetting instructions

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Delete all data (reset to factory data).
3. Enter a pattern lock or PIN-code.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Warning: Redmi 8 Pro may have a "This device is locked" error after a reset. This is Mi Account protection. To unlock your phone, connect to Wi-Fi and enter data from your Xiaomi account.

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Resetting to factory settings is the only way to completely remove viruses and system debris if other methods have not worked.

6.Alternative methods: ADB and third-party utilities

For advanced users, there are cleaning methods that are not available through the standard interface.

Cleaning through ADB (for experienced)

With the help of ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can remove system debris that is not available through MIUI:

1. Install ADB Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
3. Connect Redmi 8 Pro to your PC and execute the commands:

adb shell


pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster # Cleaning the built-in cleaner




rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files

Warning: Incorrect ADB commands can damage the system, and use this method only if you understand what you're doing.

Third-party cleaning utilities

If the built-in MIUI tools aren’t enough, try:

• 🧹 SD Maid – Deletes residual files and cleans databases.
• 🔍 Files by Google – Finds duplicates and large, unnecessary files.
• 🛡️ CCleaner – cleans the cache and optimizes autoload.

When choosing a utility, pay attention to reviews and rankings in Google Play. Avoid programs with suspicious permissions (for example, accessing SMS or calls).

7. Prevention: How to avoid memory clogging

To ensure that the Redmi 8 Pro does not slow down in the future, follow the following simple rules:

• 📱 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks).
• 🚫 Do not install applications from unknown sources (risk of viruses and debris).
• ☁️ Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) for photos and videos.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI — In new versions optimized work with memory.

It is also useful to disable the automatic download of media files in messengers:

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Redmi 8 Pro has a hidden function to limit background memory consumption. Activate it through Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → High-performance applications and add only the most important programs (for example, a navigator or messenger).

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the Redmi 8 Pro