Modern Xiaomi smartphones running on the shell of MIUI or HyperOS have powerful characteristics, but even they eventually begin to “gaze” from the lack of free space. Users often face a situation where the device suddenly reports a storage overflow, which leads to the inability to install updates, create new photos or even normal messengers, this is due to the accumulation of temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and duplicate media files.
Memory cleaning is not just about removing unnecessary images, it's about a complete maintenance process. Unlike other manufacturers, Xiaomi smartphones have a specific file structure and aggressive caching algorithms that require a special approach. If you notice that the phone is starting to run slower and the storage boot indicator is burning red, you need to immediately audit the content.
In this guide, we will discuss all available methods of freeing up space, from standard system tools to advanced file manager techniques. You will learn which folders can be deleted without fear of damaging the system, how to effectively deal with the “bloated” cache of messengers and why standard cleaning does not always give the desired result. Proper storage management will prolong the life of your gadget and return it to its former speed.
Analysis of storage occupancy and search for "eaters" of the place
Before you start deleting files, you need to determine exactly what takes up precious gigabytes. MIUI-based Android provides built-in tools for data visualization, but they don't always show the full picture. Often users delete personal photos, thinking they occupy the most space, while the bulk of the "eat" social network cache and system logs.
To start with, use a standard analyzer. Go to Settings → Memory (or Settings → About Phone → Storage). Here you will see a color diagram showing apps, images, videos, audio and system files in different colors. Pay attention to the Other section, which is often a hidden data layer that includes browser cache, remote game remnants, and temporary update files.
⚠️ Warning: Do not delete files from system folders unless you are 100% sure of their purpose.Deleting critical files can cause a phone to reboot cyclically or reset to factory settings.
You can do a more detailed analysis through the built-in Security app. Click on the Cleanup icon, and the system automatically scans the device. After scanning, don't rush to press the Clean button, but scroll down to the Files section. Often there are large video files from messengers that you've watched for a long time, but they continue to take up space.
It is important to distinguish between device memory and RAM. In this article, we are talking about internal storage (ROM) where your files are located. RAM is responsible for running applications and is cleared automatically when resources are scarce, although periodic smartphone reboots are also useful for resetting temporary processes.
Use of the built-in application "Security" and "Cleanup"
Each Xiaomi smartphone has a Security system app, which is the main tool for maintaining the device, which not only removes garbage, but also knows how to find specific files left after deleting applications and large files that you may have forgotten in the back of folders.
Start the app and select Cleanup. The system will suggest removing obvious debris: advertising files, residues from APK installers, empty folders and browser cache. However, to get the most effect, you need to go to Deep Cleanup. This is where the bulk of the data is hidden. The algorithm will suggest removing old screenshots, blurred photos, large files and unused applications.
☑️ Checklist of deep cleaning
Pay special attention to the "Applications" section, where MIUI sorts programs by space, and it often turns out that messengers like Telegram or Viber take up 5-10 GB. Inside this menu, you can go to manage a particular application and clear its cache without affecting important correspondence data (if the function is supported).
⚠️ Note: When using the Remove Unused Apps feature, the system may mark as unnecessary Xiaomi or Google system services that you rarely use, but which are necessary for the correct operation of notifications and synchronization.
Also in the Security app is a Storage Analyzer (or built into the cleanup in new versions of HyperOS) feature that visually shows files sorted by size, a convenient way to find forgotten movies or archives downloaded six months ago, delete them immediately without going to the file manager.
Manual cleaning through the file manager and working with folders
Automatic tools are good, but manually cleaning through standard Explorer is the best. To do this, open the File Manager app and go to the "Folders" section. Here you will see the directory structure where all the installed applications are stored.
The heaviest folders are usually those of social networks and instant messengers, such as the Android/media folder (in newer versions of Android) or Android/data (which is limited to Android 11+ but is accessible via special access or PC) contain cache. However, the easiest folders to find are by app names: Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber, Instagram.
Here is a list of folders that are most often inflated and that can be cleaned safely:
- 📂 MIUI/debug_log — It stores the system debugging logs that only developers need to find bugs.
- 📂 Tencent/MicroMsg — A folder of junk from Chinese services and some games, often containing temporary files.
- 📂 Download is a classic download folder where installation files can lie for years APK documents.
- 📂 DCIM/.thumbnails — It's a hidden folder with thumbnails of a photo that can weigh several gigabytes, and it's safe to delete, but it'll be recreated the next time you open the gallery.
Hidden system folders
When manually cleaning, it is important to remember the folder.thumbnails in the DCIM directory. This is a unique case where a hidden system file can grow to 10-15 GB on phones with a lot of photos. Regularly cleaning this folder (pre-enabled the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings) is the fastest way to get a few gigabytes of free space.
Cleaning messengers: Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber
Messengers are the main memory eaters on modern smartphones, they store every photo, video and voice message viewed. Telegram, for example, has the default setting "Save media", which leads to duplication of all files from the cloud to the memory of the phone.
To clean Telegram, go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the "Clear Cache" button. The most important thing is to set the "Maximum Cache Size" option. Set a limit of, for example, 500 MB or 1 GB. Then the application will automatically delete old files when the cache reaches this limit without asking you.
WhatsApp is similar, but there's a nuance: When you clear the cache through your phone's settings, you might lose important settings, so it's better to clean the app itself: Settings → Data & Storage → Storage Management. Here you can pick the chat rooms that occupy the most space and delete only the video or only the files, leaving the text of the correspondence.
| messenger | Where to clean | What to remove safely | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Settings → Data and memory | All the cache, media files. | You need to re-download the photo/video when viewing |
| Settings → Storage | Video, GIF, documents | Delete correspondence when selecting "All messages" | |
| Viber | More. → Settings → Memory. | Cash media files | Loss of contact avatars |
| Phone settings → Applications | Cash app. | Signing out of your account (sometimes) |
Remember that once the messenger cache is cleared, when you first open heavy chats, they can load a little slower, as the content will be downloaded from the server again, which is normal behavior that indicates a successful cleanup.
Removing duplicates and optimizing the gallery
Over time, the gallery accumulates hundreds of identical photos taken in serial mode, or screenshots that you saved "just in case." Manually go through thousands of photos for a long time, so it is worth using smart sorting tools.
The Xiaomi Gallery app has a built-in duplicate search feature, but it doesn't always appear. A more reliable way is to use Google Photos or third-party crawler apps that specialize in finding similar images, which group similar frames, allowing you to leave one best and remove the rest.
💡
Use Google Photos cloud storage with Free Space, which automatically removes photos and videos that are already securely stored in the cloud, leaving only a preview in the gallery.
Also worth checking is the folder "Recently deleted." Often users delete photos, but forget that they are stored in the cart for another 30 days, taking up space. Cleaning this basket is an instant way to get up to several gigabytes. Also, pay attention to 4K video: one minute of this video can weigh 300-400 MB. If the quality is not critical, consider compressing old videos.
We take dozens of screenshots, forgetting to delete them in a minute, go to DCIM/Screenshots or Pictures/Screenshots and sort files by size, and often you find forgotten screenshots of maps, correspondence or web pages that are no longer relevant.
Radical measures: data dumping and transfer
If none of these methods have helped to free up enough space, it may be that deep system errors or file system fragmentation are the problem, and more radical but effective measures may be considered.
The first option is to transfer media files to an external medium, if your Xiaomi supports microSD cards (or you use them). USB-flash-drive OTG), Move all the photos, videos and documents there. In the camera settings, specify saving new images immediately to the memory card.
The second, most effective option is a full reset to factory settings (Wipe Data), which will return the phone to the "store-like" state by removing all the software debris accumulated over the years of use, before you make a full backup through the Mi Cloud or on your computer.
⚠️ Warning: Full reset removes ALL data from your phone, including contacts, messages and accounts. Make sure you remember the password from your Mi Account and Google account, otherwise the phone may be locked after the reset.
💡
Full reset is the only way to remove system debris that is not visible to the user and is not removed by standard cleaning tools.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The process will take 10-15 minutes. Once turned on, you will get a clean system with maximum free memory. This often “revives” old smartphones, making them work as fast as the day you bought them.