How to Clean Memory on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Phone

Many budget smartphone owners are facing a lack of internal storage, and the question of how to clean the memory on the Android phone xiomi Redmi 8 is becoming especially urgent.This model, released in 2019, has modest features, where the basic version has only 32 or 64 GB of internal space. Over time, the MIUI operating system grows, accumulating temporary files, app cache and system logs, which leads to a critical slowdown of the device.

A crowded drive is not only an inconvenience when installing new programs, but also a direct threat to the stability of the gadget. When the free space runs out, the smartphone begins to slow down, applications fly out, and photography may become impossible due to the lack of a buffer to save the image.

In this guide, we’ll look at all the available ways to free up space, from built-in cleaning tools to manually removing system debris.We’ll look at which folders can be deleted without risk to the system, how to transfer data to a memory card and why standard methods don’t always give 100% results. The MIUI system partition on Redmi 8 often takes up to 15 GB, so manually cleaning the messenger cache can free up to 10 GB of free space.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The easiest and safest way to start freeing up space is to use a regular tool from the developers of the MIUI shell. Security is preinstalled on every Xiaomi device and contains a “Cleanup” module that automatically scans the device for temporary files, residual data and advertising.

Launch the app and click the large green Clean button. The system will perform a quick analysis and suggest removing files that are considered safe to delete. However, this method is often superficial and does not affect the deep social media caches that occupy the lion's share of memory. For a deeper cleaning, you need to go to the Cleanup section inside the application and carefully study the categories Big Files, Recent and Applications.

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Don’t rely on automatic cleaning alone. In the Deep Cleanup section, you can find forgotten boot files and empty folders that the system doesn’t delete by default.

It's important to understand that the built-in scanner doesn't delete your personal photos or documents unless they're labeled duplicates. The cleaning algorithm is set to remove browser cache and temporary installation files, which only gives you a temporary gain in free space. Regular use of this tool is useful, but additional measures are needed to fundamentally solve the problem.

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Built-in cleaning removes only temporary system debris, but does not touch the heavy cache of messengers and personal media files that take up the most space.

Storage analysis and management of large files

To understand what is eating up your memory, you need to do a detailed analysis of the contents of the drive. Modern versions of Android and MIUI have a built-in analyzer that visualizes memory employment. Go to Settings → Memory or use the File Manager Explorer by selecting the Storage Analyzer tab.

Here you'll see a diagram that shows different colors for file categories: images, videos, audio, documents and applications. Often, it turns out that the bulk of the work is not installed programs, but downloaded videos from messengers or forgotten series in the Download folder. Deleting even one extra movie in high resolution can free up 2-3 GB, which for Redmi 8 is equivalent to installing a dozen new applications.

• 📂 Download folder: Here most often accumulate installation APK-files that are no longer needed after installing programs, and old documents.
• 📸 Gallery and Screenshots: Check the folders of screenshots and videos, often containing hundreds of failed screenshots or blurred photos.
• 🗑️ Recycle Bin: Don’t forget to clear the Recycle Bin in the gallery and file manager as deleted files continue to take up space for 30 days.

Pay special attention to folders with attachments from messengers. Telegram and WhatsApp create separate directories for each chat, where all the videos and pictures you see are automatically saved. Without setting up auto-save, these folders can grow to giant sizes, quietly filling the entire available volume.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

Messengers are the main memory eaters on any smartphone. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and social networks store a huge amount of temporary data to speed up the loading of content when re-viewed. On the Xiaomi Redmi 8 with its limited memory capacity, this becomes a critical factor.

In Telegram, the cleanup can be done most efficiently. Go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the “Clear Cache” button. The best part is that this action will not delete your correspondence or important files, they are stored in the cloud and downloaded again if necessary. Regularly cleaning the Telegram cache can free up from 500 MB to several gigabytes of space.

WhatsApp is more complicated because it doesn't have the same cloud storage of history, but you can free up space inside the app. → Data and storage → Storage. The app will show you a list of chat rooms that take up the most space. You can select a specific dialog and delete only the video or only the video. GIF-animation, saving text correspondence.

Also, remember to cache browsers and social networks like Instagram or TikTok. These apps cache the feeds you see, which allows you to flip through them faster, but clogs up memory. These applications are better cleaned through the Android settings menu, which will be discussed in the next section, since within the applications themselves cleaning functionality is often limited.

Delete application data through Android settings

If the messengers’ built-in tools don’t work, or the application doesn’t work properly, a more radical method can be used: clearing the data through the system menu, which allows you to delete all temporary files, logs, and settings of a particular program, returning it to the “just after installation” state.

To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find a “heavy” app like YouTube or Facebook. Click on it and select Storage. Here you will see two buttons: “Clear Cache” and “Clear All” (or “Reset”). The first button is secure, the second will delete your authorization and settings within the app.

• 🚀 Cache Clearing: Deletes temporary files, speeds up the application, does not affect logins and passwords.
• ⚠️ Clearing all data: Completely resets the application. You will have to re-enter your login and password, adjust notifications and preferences.
• 📉 Forced Stop: Before clearing the data, it is recommended to click “Stop” to complete all the application’s background processes.

Use this method for applications that you rarely use but continue to run in the background and accumulate debris. Google system applications such as Google Play Services or Google Photos also have their own cache, which sometimes inflates to inadequate sizes after synchronization errors.

⚠️ Warning: Do not use the Clear Everything feature (Data Reset) for system applications such as Phone, Contacts or Messages if you are not sure about your actions. SMS, which were not stored in the cloud.

Working with MIUI folder and system garbage

Shell MIUI She is known for her love of creating various logs and error reports, which can take up a significant amount of space. MIUI or debug_logs, If you're not a developer and you don't send error reports to Xiaomi, you don't need those files.

It's also worth checking the Android/data and Android/obb folder. The data folder stores app data, it's dangerous to touch it. But the obb folder often has deleted game files. If you delete a game but the cache (graphics and sounds) is left in obb, it will be a dead weight to occupy gigabytes.

Another source of debris is the.thumbnails folder in the DCIM directory, where the system stores thumbnails of your photos for quick viewing in the gallery. Over time, this folder can grow to the size of the original photos. It can be safely deleted, the system will create new thumbnails as needed, but it will take time the next gallery opens.

Transfer data to memory card and cloud

The Redmi 8 is equipped with a hybrid slot, which allows you to use a microSD card up to 256 GB. This is the best way to solve the problem of space shortage forever. You can transfer all photos, videos, music and documents to an external medium, freeing up internal memory solely for installing applications.

Use a file manager to transfer files. Select the files you want in your internal memory, click Move, and select a memory card. Some applications, such as a camera or voice recorder, allow you to select the default location in your settings. Go to the camera settings and change the save path to SD-map.

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Use high-quality U1 or U3 speed memory cards. Cheap cards can run slowly, leading to delays when shooting high-resolution video or the phone freezes while reading data.

An alternative to a physical map is cloud storage, Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or Mi Cloud allow you to upload photos and videos to the Internet, freeing up space on your device. Google Photos has a Free Space feature that automatically removes from your phone those pictures that have already been successfully uploaded to the cloud.

⚠️ Note: When transferring applications to a memory card (move to the memory card function) SD») Keep in mind that the speed of the program may decrease, since the memory cards are usually slower than the built-in drive.

Radical measures: Resetting to factory settings

If none of the above methods has produced the desired result, and the memory continues to fill up rapidly on its own, it is possible that the system has accumulated a critical amount of errors or malware.

This procedure will completely remove all data from the phone, returning it to the “out of the box” state, all your contacts, photos, apps and settings will be destroyed, so make sure to back up important data on your computer or in the cloud before starting the procedure.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase All Data. The phone will request confirmation and password from your Mi Account. Once you reboot, you will get a clean system where the question of “how to clean up memory” will not bother you for a long time.