How to Clean Up Internal Memory on Xiaomi Android Smartphones: A Complete Guide

Xiaomi’s internal memory is one of the most common causes of brakes and errors in the device. Even on the new Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 Pro, users are faced with the message “Not enough memory”, although it would seem that there should be enough space. The problem lies not only in the accumulation of unnecessary files, but also in the features of the MIUI firmware, which actively caches data and creates duplicates.

In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to clean internal memory, from basic (hand-held garbage removal) to advanced (system folders through ADB). Particular attention will be paid to hidden MIUI functions, which are not written in the official instructions, but allow you to free up to 15-20 GB on a clogged device. All methods are tested on current MIUI 14/15 firmware and adapted for the models of 2022-2026.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly eats memory?

Before you clean it, you need to know which files are taking up space. MIUI has a built-in memory analyzer, but it doesn't show everything.

• 📁 Application system caches (can weigh up to) 5-8 GB on devices with active use of social networks)
• 🔄 Residual files after deleting applications (folders) /data/data and /data/app-lib)
• 📱 Duplicate media files created by Xiaomi Gallery and Google Photos
• 🔧 Logs and dumps of the system (especially relevant after crashes or updates)

To get a full picture:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Slip on the schedule of occupied space - the detailing by category will open.
3. Scroll down and select Other Files – Gigabytes of unnecessary data are often hidden here.

If you don't have enough built-in analyzer, use third-party tools like Files by Google or SD Maid.

• 🗑️ Large files (video, APK, backup)
• 🧹 Empty folders and broken labels
• 🔍 Duplicate photos and documents

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MIUI 14+ has a hidden deep memory scanning feature, so to activate it, type the Calculator code = = = = 3 (double equals, space, three), and then the Deep Clean tab will appear in the memory settings.

2 Manual removal of unnecessary files: what can be safely erased?

Many users are afraid to manually delete files for fear of breaking the system.In fact, MIUI has 5 secure folders that will not harm the device if cleaned:

Use any file manager to access these folders (such as Built-in Explorer or Solid Explorer). Importantly, don't delete files from /system, /vendor or /data/app folders - this can cause crashes!

Remove old downloads from Download| folder

Clear the Google Play Services cache in the app settings|

Remove thumbnails from DCIM/.thumbnails|

Check the MIUI/Backup folder for old backups|

Clear logs in /Logs

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Pay special attention to the Android/obb folder, which stores additional game files (such as Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile), and if you haven’t played in a long time, you can delete these files and they will be rebooted the next time you start the game.

3.Cache and Application Data Clearance: Hidden Gigabytes

Application caches are temporary files that should help programs run faster, but in practice, in MIUI, the cache often grows to inadequate sizes.

• 📱 Facebook and Instagram can be used to 1-2 GB cache each
• 🎮 Games like Free Fire or Honor of Kings 3-5 GB
• 🌐 Browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser) – up to 500 MB-1 GB

To clear the cache without deleting important data (such as game saves or login passwords):

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like YouTube) and tap Storage.
3. Click Clear Cache. If you need to reset your app settings, select Clear Data (but note that this will delete all saves!).

Professional advice: For mass cleaning of cache of all applications use ADB-team:

adb shell pm trim-caches 256m

This command will force the cache of all applications, leaving no more than 256 MB for temporary files. Connect the phone to your PC, turn on USB Debugging and execute the command in the terminal.

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Cleaning the cache through ADB is more effective than built-in MIUI tools, as it removes the system cache that is not available through the usual interface.

Pay special attention to Google Play Services and Services Framework – their cache can weigh up to 1-2 GB, but cleared only through Settings → Annexes → Show all applications (⋮) → Systemic.

4.Duplicate removal and media file optimization

One of the most annoying things about MIUI is that it automatically duplicates photos and videos, and it's because of:

• 📸 Processing in the Gallery (when pruning or using filters, a copy is created)
• ☁️ Sync with Google Photos (files duplicated in the Google Photos folder)
• 📱 Backup MIUI (prints out copies of MIUI/Backup/Media)

To find and remove duplicates:

1. Use the Files by Google app (Cleanup → Duplicate File tab).
2. Manually check folders: /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Screenshots Here are often the same screenshots in different resolutions.
3. For video, use Video Compress or Xiaomi Video Toolbox – they compress videos without loss of quality (you can reduce the weight of the file by 40-60%).

When you delete duplicates, do not touch the files in the folders:

• /DCIM/.thumbnails – they will recover automatically
• /Android/data/com.miui.gallery – this is where the metadata of the gallery is stored

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If you have Xiaomi with MicroSD support, transfer media files to your memory card via Settings → Warehouse → But remember, after the transfer, some applications (such as WhatsApp) may not see files on the data. SD-map.

5. Hidden MIUI features for memory cleanup

MIUI has several hidden tools that are not advertised in the official guides, but allow you to free up additional space:

1. Deep Cleanup mode

Activated through the Engineering Menu:

#4636## → Storage → Clear the data

This mode removes temporary system files that are not affected by standard cleaning.

2. disabling unnecessary system applications

Many pre-installed apps (Mi Music, Mi Video, GetApps) can’t be removed, but you can disable them by freeing up to 300-500 MB of:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an unneeded app (such as Mi Pay).
3. Click Disable (if the button is inactive, first remove the app updates).

3. Cleaning up Dalvik-cache

Dalvik cache is a temporary file created by the Android virtual machine, and its cleaning speeds up the system and frees up to 1-2 GB.

• Reboot your phone in Recovery Mode (clip Power + Volume up).
• Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Dalvik Cache.
• Reset the device.

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Cleaning Dalvik cache is especially useful after major MIUI updates when the system starts to slow down due to fragmented temporary files.

6. Transfer of applications to SD-map and storage optimization

If your Xiaomi supports MicroSD (like the Redmi Note 11 or POCO M5), you can transfer some of the applications to the memory card.

• ✅ You can transfer: games, messengers, multimedia players
• ❌ Cannot be ported: system applications, widgets, apps with persistent notifications (for example, WhatsApp)

Instructions for transfer:

1. Put it in. SD-map (class recommended) UHS-I U3 speed).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Select an app (like Spotify) and tap Storage → Change. → SD-map.

Attention, after the transfer to SD-The application card may be slower and some functions (such as notifications) may be lost. If a game or program starts to slow down, transfer it back to the internal memory.

An alternative way to optimize is to use cloud storage:

• 📁 Google Photos – Automatic upload of photos in original quality (15 GB free).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud – 5GB for backups (integrated into the MIUI).
• 📎 Dropbox or Mega – for backup documents.

7.Reset to factory settings: a last resort

If all previous methods failed and the memory is still full, there is a hard reset that will delete all data, including:

• 📱 Applications and their settings
• 📁 Media files (photos, videos, music)
• 📋 Accounts and passwords (except those synced to Google)
• 🔧 System settings (wallpaper, sounds, gestures)

How to do the reset correctly:

1. Backup: Settings → About Phone → Backup → Create a Backup Save a copy to Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
2. Perform reset: Settings → Additional → Restore and Reset → Reset Settings Choose Delete All Data.
3. After reset: Don't restore the backup immediately -- first check how much free memory is available. Install only the necessary applications. Turn off auto-update apps on Google Play.

Attention! On some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi 9A or POCO M3), you may need to re-activate the device via Mi Account after resetting.

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Resetting to factory settings is the only way to remove system debris that accumulates after multiple MIUI updates. Once reset, the device works faster and memory is released 20-30% more than when manually cleaned.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleanup on Xiaomi