How to Clean Storage on Xiaomi Effectively

Xiaomi smartphones are famous for their functionality, but even powerful models eventually begin to experience a lack of free space. Overcrowded storage is not only the lack of ability to download new applications or take photos, but also the reason for a significant decrease in the performance of the entire system. When the disk is crowded, it is more difficult for the processor to manage files, which causes the interface to slow down and games to fly out.

Device owners often face a situation where the system reports a lack of space, but when you analyze folders in detail, the user can not find files that occupy gigabytes, this is because a significant part of the volume is occupied by hidden system logs, remnants of remote programs and messenger cache, which grows to huge sizes. Understanding the structure of the memory of MIUI or HyperOS will help you safely free up space without losing important data.

In this article, we will look at all cleaning methods, from built-in tools to advanced techniques for working with system files, you will learn which folders can be deleted without fear, and which can not be touched categorically.

Analysis of the memory occupancy of the smartphone

Before we start taking drastic measures, we need to determine exactly what is eating up precious gigabytes. The standard storage analyzer in Android settings often shows only the big picture, hiding details. For deep analysis, it is better to use specialized utilities or the built-in file manager that is in the MIUI shell.

The largest volume is usually multimedia files and application data. Messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp tend to store all the videos and photos viewed in the memory of the device, creating duplicates, and you should also pay attention to the Download folder, where browsers by default download installation files and documents that often forget to delete.

⚠️ Warning: Before deleting files from system folders, be sure to check their contents. Deleting the folder with the name of the application does not always mean that the application itself will stop working, but you may lose settings or stored data inside it.

For detailed statistics, go to Settings → Memory, where the system will break the data into categories: applications, images, video, audio, etc. If the category "Other" takes up a suspiciously large amount of space, this is a signal of accumulation of system debris or residual files.

Use of the built-in Security application

The easiest and safest way to start cleaning up is to use a regular shell developer tool, Security, preinstalled on every Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone, which can find temporary files, advertising debris, and remnants of remote programs.

Launch the app and select Cleanup. The system will scan and suggest that you delete files that do not affect the system, which can be thumbnails of photos, temporary browser files or empty folders. The process takes only a couple of minutes and does not require the user to have deep technical knowledge.

But don't just rely on automatic cleaning, you can find large files you forgot to delete or rarely used apps in the Deep Clean section, and you can also find a cache cleaner for specific programs, which is especially useful for social networks that inflate their volume dozens of times.

Cleaning the cache and application data

Cache accumulation is a natural process for the Android operating system. Apps save time to load faster and not waste traffic. However, over time, the cache can reach several gigabytes, especially for video and social media apps.

To clear the cache of a particular application, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Select the desired program (such as YouTube or TikTok) and click Memory. Here you will see two buttons: Clear the cache and Clear all (or Erase Data). The first is secure and deletes only temporary files, the second will reset the application to the state immediately after installation, removing logins and settings.

• 📱 Telegram: often stores gigabytes of media files. Better clean through the settings of the messenger: Settings → Data and memory → Use of memory → Clear the cache.
• 📸 Instagram: accumulates a lot of graphical junk. Regularly cleaning the cache through Android settings helps reduce the amount of occupied space.
• 🌐 Browsers: Chrome and other browsers store the history and cache of pages. their cleaning will free up space, but will require re-entry to some sites.

Regularly checking the Memory section in the application settings helps keep under control the "bloated" programs. If the application takes up a disproportionate amount of space for no apparent reason, try reinstalling it.

Working with DCIM folder and gallery

Media files are the main consumer of space on any modern smartphone. The DCIM folder contains all your photos and videos taken on camera. Often, thousands of unnecessary screenshots and failed frames accumulate in the same directory or in the next Screenshots folder.

And you should pay special attention to the messenger folders inside the gallery. WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram create separate albums for the images and videos they receive. Many of them are promotional mailings or postcards that are not valuable but take up space. Deleting such files through the file manager is often more effective than through the gallery.

Remember to check the newly deleted album in the gallery. The files you deleted are actually stored there for another 30 days, taking up space. To finally free up the memory, you need to clear this basket, too.

Removing system debris and hidden files

In the Android file system, there are hidden folders that start from a dot (like.thumbnails). The.thumbnails folder stores thumbnails of all images in the gallery. Over time, this file can grow to several gigabytes, slowing down the gallery and taking up space.

To access hidden files, you need to enable the display of hidden elements in the file manager, usually through the settings menu of the conductor itself (three dots in the corner), find the MIUI or Android folder and carefully study the contents. Deleting the.thumbnails folder is safe: the system will create it again, but already cleaned when you open the gallery.

⚠️ Be very careful when deleting files in the folder Android/data and Android/obb. Deleting the contents of these folders can cause resets in game progress or apps to malfunction.

It’s also worth checking the MIUI/gallery/cloud folder if you’re not using cloud sync, and it can still have local copies of photos that have been removed from the cloud.

Specifics of cleaning on different versions of MIUI and HyperOS

The MIUI shells and the new HyperOS have differences in how the file system is organized and accessed. In the newer versions of Android (11, 12, 13, 14), third-party apps have limited access to the Android folder, meaning that third-party cleaners may not see all the garbage.

HyperOS has improved its memory algorithm, and it offers to clear the cache more often. However, manual control is still the most effective method, and users of new versions of the OS are encouraged to use the built-in conductor more often, since it has the necessary system permissions.

If you upgrade to the latest firmware, check to see if there are any old update installation files left at the root of your memory, which may have update.zip names or firmware version number, and once installed successfully, they are no longer needed.

Table: What can and cannot be removed

To systematize your knowledge of safe cleaning, use the following table to help you avoid critical errors that can lead to a reset or system failure.

Additional Advice and Optimization

In addition to manual cleaning, there are a number of preventive measures that will help maintain order in memory, such as setting up automatic cache cleaning in the Scheduled Security app, and it is also recommended to disable auto-save media files in messengers, if this feature is not urgently needed.

Another effective method is the use of USB-Debugging and PC connectivity to transfer large archives to a computer, especially for owners of models with a small amount of internal memory, such as 64 GB versions.

⚠️ Warning: Never delete.apk files from system folders unless you are sure of their origin.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)