Cleaning up images and videos on Xiaomi: A complete guide to freeing up memory

Xiaomi smartphones are known for their value for money, but even the most advanced Redmi, POCO or Mi models are facing memory shortages sooner or later. The main culprit is the accumulated photos and videos that occupy the lion’s share of internal storage. According to statistics, the average user takes 20-30 pictures per day, and 4K videos can weigh 500 MB per minute. As a result, after a year of active use, even 128 GB of memory turn into a “red zone” with constant notifications of space shortage.

Compounding the problem, Xiaomi’s MIUI automatically creates thumbnails, gallery cache and duplicate files that are not always visible to the user. Many people try to solve the problem radically by transferring everything to a memory card or deleting files manually, but this can lead to the loss of important memories. In this article, we will discuss 5 safe ways to clean up, including hidden MIUI functions, third-party utilities and cloud services, which will help free up to 30-40% of memory without the risk of losing data.

1. Built-in tools MIUI: gallery-cleaning

To start with the basic features that the system itself offers, MIUI 12/13/14 has built-in tools for analyzing and cleaning garbage files, including gallery cache and duplicates, to use:

1. Open the Security app** → go to the Cleanup tab.

Pay special attention to the item "Residual files" - these are fragments of previously deleted photos that the system did not finish. They can be safely deleted. DCIM/.thumbnails manually via file manager: its contents will be restored automatically, but if deleted incorrectly, the preview in the gallery may break.

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If after cleaning the gallery is slow, restart the smartphone – it will reset the cache of the media scanner and speed up the download of thumbnails.

Xiaomi Android 11+ models have Smart Cleanup in their storage settings (Settings → Memory → Memory Cleanup) which automatically deletes unused files older than 30 days, but does not affect user photos. This tool is useful for removing screenshots, downloads from instant messengers and temporary application files.

2. Search and remove duplicate photos

One of the most common problems is duplicate photos, which are when you have:

• 📲 Import from other devices (for example, when transferring from iPhone to Xiaomi)
• 🔄 Backup in Google Photos or Mi Cloud
• 📸 Shooting in mode HDR (Some models retain both the original and the processed version)
• 🤖 Automatic creation of collages in the Gallery app

You can use the following to search for duplicates:

If you choose a third-party application, choose Files by Google, which is free and integrated with Android system tools. After scanning, the program will show groups of duplicates where you can manually choose which file to leave (for example, with the best quality or shooting date).

⚠️ Before mass removal of duplicates, check if they are part of the Live photo (on Xiaomi, these are files with the.mpo extension.

3. Video optimization: compression and resolution change

Video files are the main memory eater. For example, a minute clip in 4K@60fps on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra weighs about 700 MB, and in 1080p@30fps it weighs only 120 MB. If you are not a professional videographer, most records can be compressed without critical quality loss.

This can be done in two ways:

Method 1: Built-in MIUI editor

1. Open the video in the Gallery app → click Edit.
2. Select Cut or Change resolution (not available on all models).
3. For compression without trimming, use the option Export with a choice of quality (Mediocre or Low).

Method 2: Third-party applications

• 🎬 Video Compress – supports batch compression, saves EXIF-data.
• 📽️ CapCut – allows you to crop the video and change the bitrate (optimally: 10-15 Mbps for Full HD).
• 🔧 FFmpeg (for advanced) – console utility with maximum control over parameters.

For Xiaomi models with support AV1-codec (e.g. Xiaomi) 12 Pro).mkv format with codec can be used AV1 — He's compressing the video onto 30-50% more effectively H.264, But remember, not all players support this format.

4.Move files to the cloud: Mi Cloud vs Google Photo

If cleaning doesn't work, consider moving photos and videos to cloud storage. Xiaomi offers two main services:

1. Mi Cloud: 🔒 5 GB free (expands to GB) 200 GB for a fee). 🔄 Automatic photo synchronization when connecting to Wi-Fi. ⚠️ Files are stored in compressed format (high quality, not original).
2. Google Photo: 📁 15GB free (shared with other Google services). 🔍 Smart search for content (such as “beach” or “cat»). 📉 When selecting the option “High quality” photos are compressed to 16 MP, video to 1080p.

To enable autoboot in Mi Cloud:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud.
2. Activate the gallery synchronization switch.
3. Select which folders to sync (only Camera and Screenshots are defaults).

For Google Photos:

1. Install an app from the Play Market.
2. In the settings, select Backup and Synchronization → specify quality (Original or High).
3. Turn on the option to delete after copying to free up space on the device.

⚠️ Note: If you use Google Photos in High Quality mode, the video is in resolution above 1080p It will automatically be reduced to full. HD. To preserve 4K, Choose “Original Quality” but remember that it takes up space in your cloud storage.

5 Hidden folders and system files: what can be deleted

MIUI has folders that don’t appear in the standard gallery, but take up space:

• 📂 /DCIM/.thumbnails — cache miniatures (can be cleaned, but it will recover).
• 📂 /Pictures/Screenshots — Screenshots (often duplicated in Download).
• 📂 /MIUI/Wallpaper — wallpaper systems (weigh to) 500 MB).
• 📂 /Android/data/com.miui.gallery — cache of the application Gallery.

To access hidden files:

1. Use the File Manager from Google or Solid Explorer.

To clean the cache of the gallery without manual removal:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the gallery → Storage → Clean the cache.

Make sure that the files are not system-based

Backup of important data

Check the date of change (old files can be deleted more boldly)

Use only verified file managers-->

6. Cleaning automation: settings and third-party utilities

To avoid manually clearing memory, set up automatic file management:

Built-in MIUI settings

• 🗃️ Autocleaning: Settings → Memory. → Automatic cleanup (deletes unused files once a week).
• 📤 Limiting downloads: in Settings → Annexes → Downloads can be set a limit on the size of downloaded files.

Third-party annexes

• 🔄 Dropsync automatically syncs photos to the cloud and deletes local copies.

For Xiaomi models with Android 12+, the Smart Storage feature is available, which:

• Automatically removes screenshots older than 30 days.
• Optimizes video when space is scarce (reduces resolution).
• Transfers rarely used files to a memory card (if installed).

To turn it on:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Smart Storage.
2. Activate the switch and set up rules (e.g., Remove duplicates automatically).

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Automated tools save time, but require regular checks: sometimes they delete files you might need (like screenshots of important information).

7. Memory card: how to transfer photos and videos correctly

If your Xiaomi supports memory cards (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro), migrating media to a microSD can free up 10-50 GB of internal memory.

• 🔄 Not all apps work with a map: WhatsApp does not allow you to save media on the map. SD.
• ⚡ Read/write speed: for video 4K Need a class map UHS-I (U3) higher.
• 🔒 Encryption: MIUI can encrypt files on the card, and they will become unavailable on other devices.

Instructions for transfer:

1. Insert a memory card (recommended volume is 128 GB+).
2. Format it as internal memory (all data will be deleted!): Settings → Storage → SD card → Configure as internal storage
3. Use a file manager to move folders: /DCIM /Pictures /Download (partly)
4. In the camera settings (Camera Settings → Storage), select the SD Card as the place to save new files.

⚠️ Note: If you format a card as internal memory, it cannot be retrieved and used on another device without losing data. For flexibility, choose the portable storage format, but then some applications will not be able to save data to the map.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up media on Xiaomi