How to make room for Xiaomi Redmi 8A: Complete guidance with proven methods

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 8A Despite a modest 32 GB of built-in storage by today’s standards, a smartphone can be optimized effectively without resorting to radical measures. In this article, we will discuss 8 proven ways to free up space on your device - from basic to advanced, taking into account the features of the device. MIUI and hardware limitations of the model.

The Redmi's main challenge 8A — No microSD slot in the C version 2/32 GB (modified) 3/32 There is a GB slot, but it's hybrid. That means users have to keep a closer eye on the space they're taking, and we're not going to offer obvious tips like "remove unnecessary photos" -- instead, we're going to focus on system tricks, hidden features. MIUI Little-known techniques that really work.

It's important to understand: Redmi 8A It works on Android 9/10 (depending on the version MIUI), And some cleaning techniques that are relevant to new models may not work here. MIUI 12+ It's missing, and the app cache is not behaving like that.

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

Before you delete something, you need to understand which files take up the most space. - Redmi 8A There are tools built in, but they don't always show the whole picture:

Open the Settings. → The phone. → Memory. Here you'll see a graph of how the memory is categorized into applications, media, files and systems, but these are often aggregated:

• 📊 Use the third-party Files by Google app (free in Play Market) that shows hidden cache folders, duplicate files, and large media that the system usually ignores.
• 🔍 Check the folder. /storage/emulated/0/Android/data — It stores data from applications that can weigh gigabytes (such as game cache or offline maps).
• 📁 Come to the gallery. → Albums. → Screenshots. Many users have 500 piles up here.+ MB unnecessary screenshots.

Pay special attention to the System section, if it takes more than 8-10 GB, this may indicate:

• 🗑️ Accumulated dalvik-cache (remainders from system updates).
• 📦 Residual files after resetting settings.
• 🔄 Duplicate firmware (if you have updated) MIUI recover).

2. Clear cache and temporary files without loss of data

The app cache is the main memory eater that can be safely deleted. 8A There are two types of cache: ordinary (removed without consequences) and Dalvik/ART (It requires caution. Let's start with a simple one:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Here:

1. Sort the apps by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).
2. Choose the “heaviest” app (such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube).
3. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – it will delete accounts!).

For mass cleaning, use the built-in tool:

1. Go to Security. → Cleanup.
2. Select "Junk Files" and "App Cache".
3. Click Clear (this will remove up to 1-3 GB of unnecessary data).

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache of system applications (e.g. com.android.systemui or com.miui.home) – this may cause the interface to freeze until the next reboot.

Clear the cache of individual applications in the "Settings"

Start the built-in cleaning in the "Safety" section

Remove the Google Play Services cache (if it weighs) >500MB)

Restart the phone after cleaning-->

For advanced users, if you notice that the cache accumulates quickly after cleaning, this may indicate a memory leak in a particular application.

• 🛑 Limit background activity of the problem application in Settings → Battery → Choice of applications.
• 🔄 Try to reinstall it (but save the data first!).

3. Removing duplicates and optimizing media files

Photo and video are the second largest category that eats memory. 8A This is especially critical, as the camera saves pictures in 12 MP resolution, and the video in Full. HD. Here's how to cut their weight:

Step 1: Search for duplicates

Use the Duplicate Files Fixer app (or analogues) to find identical photos, especially if you:

• 📸 Take a series of pictures in mode HDR panorama.
• 🔄 Sync photos with Google Photos and Mi Cloud at the same time.
• 📱 Transferring files via ShareIt or Xender (they often create copies).

Step 2: Compressing photos without loss of quality

Photo Compress 2.0 allows you to reduce the weight of the photo by 50-70% without any visible loss of quality. 8A:

• 📏 Permission: 1600×1200 (enough for social media).
• 🎯 Quality: 80% (below - there will be artifacts).
• 📁 Format: JPEG (Don’t use WebP – it’s not always supported).

Step 3: Convert video

Video in Full HD (1080p) from the Redmi camera 8A borrower ~150 MB/min to reduce weight:

1. Use Video Compress (Android app).
2. Select permission. 720p and bitrate 2-3 Mbit/s.
3. Turn off the sound if you don’t need it (this reduces the size by 20 to 30 percent).

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder DCIM/.thumbnails — It contains thumbnails to quickly load the gallery, and cleaning it will slow down the scroll.

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If you shoot video frequently, turn on the “Compress Video” option (if available) in your camera settings, which will reduce file size by 30-40% without additional actions.

4. Application optimization: what can be removed without harm?

Standard firmware MIUI for Redmi 8A It contains dozens of pre-installed applications, many of which are never used, and some of which can be safely removed or disabled, freeing up to 1-1.5 GB.

List of safe applications to remove:

To remove system applications:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Turn on USB debugging and connect the phone to the PC.
3. Use it. ADB (Android Debug Bridge with command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.package.name (replace com.package.name with the application package name).

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete:

• 🚫 com.android.vending (Google Play Market) – this will disrupt the updates.
• 🚫 com.miui.securitycenter – responsible for security and cleaning.
• 🚫 com.android.phone – without it, the network will disappear.

5. Transfer data to a memory card (if there is a slot)

In the Redmi version 8A 3/32 GB has a hybrid slot for microSD (up to) 512 If you have one, data transfer will help to free up the data. 5–10 GB of internal memory. But there are nuances:

What can be transferred:

• 📸 Photo and video (via Gallery) → Settings → Preservation site).
• 🎵 Music and podcasts (in the player settings, select the SD-map).
• 📄 Documents and downloads (in Files by Google, select Move to SD").

What I CAN'T TREAT:

• 🚫 Applications (even if the system offers – it will slow down the work).
• 🚫 Game data (e.g. cache) PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty).
• 🚫 System files (Android folders, MIUI etc.).

For transfer:

1. Insert a memory card (format it as a portable storage, not as an internal memory!).
2. Open Files by Google → select files → "Move it".
3. For the photo: in the Camera → Settings → Select a conservation location SD-map.

⚠️ Note: If you use a Class 4 or Class 6 card, moving applications to it will lead to lags and freezes (UHS-I).

6. Factory reset: when is it justified?

If you have less than 1-2 GB of memory left after all the manipulations, and the system slows down, you should consider a hard reset, which is a radical method, but it returns the device to its original freshness.

When the dumping will help:

• 🔄 After multiple updates MIUI (residual files are accumulated).
• 🗑️ If you’ve tried a lot of memory cleaners that have left garbage.
• 🐢 The phone is very slow even after cleaning the cache.

How to do the reset correctly:

1. Save important data (photos, contacts, SMS) on your PC or in the cloud.
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
3. Select "Resetting" and confirm.
4. After restarting, do not restore data from the backup – it will return some of the garbage!

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 8A Reset via Recovery (Power buttons) + Vol Up) doesn't always work correctly - there may be debris from the previous firmware. Use only reset via the settings menu.

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Factory reset is a last resort, so try all the other ways before you do that, because you'll have to reset your phone after you reset.

7. Alternative methods: for advanced users

If the standard methods did not help, you can try advanced tricks, but they require caution.

Method 1. Dalvik-Cache cleaning

This is an Android virtual machine cache that grows over time to clean it up.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Vol Up to enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe. → Advanced Wipe → Dalvik/ART Cache.
4. Confirm and reboot.

Method 2: Removal of unnecessary locales

System system MIUI Language packages for all regions that occupy ~500 MB can be removed (leaving only Russian/English):

1. Install Root Browser (root rights required!)
2. Move to the /system/app and /system/priv-app.
3. Delete folders with names like LatinIME, ChineseIME, etc.

⚠️ Warning: These methods require an unlocked bootloader and can result in a loss of warranty. on Redmi 8A With a blocked loader, they won't work.

8.Prevention: How to avoid memory filling in the future

To avoid going back to cleaning every week, follow these rules:

• 📵 Turn off auto-update apps in the Play Market (or limit it to Wi-Fi only).
• 📥 Set up a cache autocleaner to Security → Cleanup → Settings (select "Weekly").
• 📸 In the camera settings, set the photo resolution to 8 MP instead of 12 MP (the difference is almost not visible, and memory is saved).
• 🎮 For games, use cloud-based saves (such as Google Play Games) to avoid storing large files locally.

Also useful:

• 🔄 Check the Download folder once a month – unnecessary ones accumulate here. APK documents.
• 📊 Use light versions of apps (e.g. Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite).
• 🚫 Avoid Play Market memory cleaners – they often leave more trash than they remove.

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Regular prevention (once every 1-2 weeks) will save you from the need for radical cleaning.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory release on Redmi 8A