Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones today have impressive specs, but even 256 gigabytes of internal storage can run out unexpectedly quickly. Users often face a situation where the system notifies about the lack of space, blocking the ability to install updates or create new photos, this is due to the accumulation of temporary files, the proliferation of social network cache and duplicate media files that covertly take up gigabytes.
Users of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS need to understand the difference between normal removal of applications and deep cleaning of the system. Standard methods often leave "tails" in the form of hidden folders and error logs. In this article, we will discuss not only basic settings, but also advanced methods of freeing up space that will help return the phone to its previous speed without losing important data.
Before we start taking drastic measures, it is important to analyze what exactly takes up space. Often the culprits are not installed games, but the cache of messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, which can grow to tens of gigabytes per year of use. The Android folder in new versions of the system is hidden from standard viewing for security, which requires a special approach to cleaning.
Analysis of storage occupancy through standard means
The first step is always diagnostics. Xiaomi smartphones have a powerful analysis tool built in that visualizes disk space. To get there, you need to go to the Settings menu → About Phone → Storage. Here the system will show a detailed diagram divided into categories: applications, images, video, audio and so on.
Notice the "Other" section, and often it's where files are hidden that the system can't automatically classify, and it can be databases, archives, or remnants of remote programs, and if you click on this section, you'll see a list of files sorted by size, and if you delete unnecessary archives or old downloads, you can instantly free up a few gigabytes.
It's important to check the gallery basket regularly, and when you delete the photos, they don't disappear without a trace, but they go to the "Deleted" album, where they are stored for 30 days. If you accidentally delete an important frame, it can be restored, but if you need a place urgently, the basket must be manually cleaned through the album menu.
Use of the built-in "Security" application
Every Xiaomi device has a Security system app preinstalled, which includes the Cleanup module. It's not just a marketing ploy, it's a really useful tool for quick surface cleaning. Launch the app and press the big green scan button. The system will find temporary files, APK installer residues and advertising junk.
However, be careful with the "Accelerate" function. It forcibly closes the background processes, which can lead to a faster battery drain the next time the application is launched, since the system will have to download them again. To clean up the memory, it is better to use the "Clean up" tab, ignoring aggressive closure of applications.
☑️ Daily Memory Hygiene
In the Security settings, you can enable automatic cleanup, which allows the system to self-delete temporary files when the storage is more than 90% full, and also includes a registry cleanup feature that deletes records of non-existent files, although on modern computers, the system can also be used to remove files from the registry. SSD-This gives the minimum productivity increase.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use third-party Play Market client apps with questionable ratings. They often contain ads, collect user data, and can delete system files necessary for stable operation. MIUI.
Deep cleaning of the cache of messengers and social networks
The most voracious apps on any Android smartphone are messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and social networks store every image, video and voice message viewed in local memory, which over time can reach 10-20 gigabytes, although these files are not visible in the application itself.
For Telegram, it is better to clean up inside the app itself, not through the Android settings. Go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the Clear Cache button. Moreover, you can set a restriction on the Autoupload Media menu, for example, save photos and videos only when you connect to Wi-Fi or do not save them at all unless they are added to Favorites.
On WhatsApp, the situation is similar. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The system will show the files that occupy the most space and allow them to be deleted selectively. Often it turns out that most of the time is occupied by forwarded videos from group chats that you are not interested in.
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Turn on the “Auto-Delete Media” feature for all chats in Telegram settings, setting a 3-day or 1-week deadline, which will prevent the accumulation of gigabytes of garbage in the future.
Social networks like Instagram and TikTok also actively cache content. In the settings of these applications (Cash or Free Place section), you can clear temporary files. If this option is not available, you will have to use the Android menu: Settings → Apps → All Apps → [Select App] → Storage → Clear cache. It is important not to confuse with Clear Data, as this will reset the authorization and settings of the application.
Working with Android folder and system files
Starting with Android 11 and up, access to /Android/data and /Android/obb folders for third-party file managers is limited.This is for security reasons, but makes life difficult for Xiaomi users who are used to cleaning garbage by hand.
To access these hidden directories, you can use the built-in Explorer (folder icon). Search for /Android/data. If the system issues an access warning, click Go to folder or use a special code in the dial menu (depending on the MIUI version) to open full access.
| Type of folder | Location. | What can be removed | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache | Android/data/com.app.name/cache | Temporary files, sketches | Minimum, the app will create them again |
| Files/Media | Android/data/com.app.name/files | Uploaded files, offline maps | Medium, you can lose application data |
| OBB | Android/obb/com.game.name | Games resources (textures, music) | High, the game will stop running without data |
| Log | Different system folders | Error log files | Low, safe to remove |
Pay special attention to remote game folders. If you've deleted a heavy game long ago, its "tail" in the obb folder can stay there for years, find folders with the names of remote applications and safely delete them altogether.
How to delete a folder if the system says "Access denied"?
Removal of duplicates and large files
Over the years, hundreds of duplicate photos have been accumulated in memory, which can be screenshots taken several times in a row, or the same videos saved from different sources, manually searching for them for a long time, so it is better to use built-in sorting functions.
In the Gallery app, go to the Albums tab and scroll down to the Other Albums section, which often hides Screenshots, WeiXin (screenshots from WeChat), WhatsApp Images. Sort the content by size and date. Deleting old screenshots of checks, correspondence and temporary photos is the fastest way to free up space.
Also worth checking is the Download folder. Browsers and instant messengers by default save all downloaded files there: PDF-documents, app installers, presentations, often contain files you needed once six months ago, and boldly delete anything that is not valuable.
⚠️ Attention: Before mass deletion of photos and videos, be sure to back up your computer or cloud service (Google Photos, Xiaomi Cloud). It will be impossible to restore deleted files without a backup after cleaning the basket.
Radical Methods: Resetting and Formatting
If none of the above methods worked, and the memory fills up on its own right after cleaning, there may be a problem with the file system or deep system errors, in which case a full factory reset helps, which will put the phone back in the "out of the box" state.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The system will warn you that all files will be deleted. Make sure you save contacts and important documents. Once rebooted, the phone will be completely clean, free of debris and errors.
There is also a method of formatting the internal drive through Recovery Mode, but for ordinary Xiaomi users, a standard reset through the settings menu is enough. This ensures that all user data is deleted and system partitions return to their original state.
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A complete reset is the only solution if the memory is filled “by itself” for no apparent reason, indicating a logical file system failure.