Xiaomi Redmi 4X Memory Cleanup: A Complete Guide to Freeing Up Place

Xiaomi Redmi 4X is one of the most popular budget smartphones of 2017, but even its 16 or 32 GB of internal memory is eventually clogged with unnecessary files. If your phone starts to slow down, issue notifications about space shortages or spontaneously close applications, the problem lies in crowded storage. In this article, we will discuss all working methods of cleaning memory, from basic to radical, taking into account the features of the MIUI firmware for Redmi 4X (codename santoni).

It's important to understand that just deleting files is not enough, and we need to find and eliminate the "junk" processes that eat up memory invisibly: app cache, duplicate photos, residual data after uninstallation of programs, and system logs that MIUI accumulates for years, and we'll show you how to do this without risking data and with minimal time.

1.Diagnosis: Why memory fills up on its own

Before cleaning, you need to understand what exactly takes up space. On the Redmi 4X with MIUI 8-12 firmware, the main memory eaters are:

• 📱 Application cache -- temporary files that programs create to make things faster -- grows to gigabytes over time.
• 📸 Media files: photo in DCIM, Videos in Movies, downloads from instant messengers (especially Telegram and WhatsApp).
• 🗑️ Residual data – “tails” from remote applications that remain in folders /data/data.
• 🔄 System Logs (/data/log) — debugging files that MIUI diagnostics.
• 🎮 Game files - cache of games type PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty can weigh up to 2-3 GB.

To see the full picture, go to Settings → About Phone → Memory. This shows the memory distribution by category. Notice the System section — if it takes more than 8-10 GB on a 16-gigabyte model, this is a sign of a clog or update.

On Redmi 4X with 16 GB of memory, the MIUI system reserves up to 3-4 GB for its needs, so it is really available to the user only ~ 12 GB.

2.Cleaning App Cache: A Quick Way to Free 1–3 GB

Cache is a temporary file that applications create to speed up work, and over time, it accumulates and can take up gigabytes. On Redmi 4X, the cache is cleaned in two ways:

Method 1: Through the MIUI settings

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Sort by size."
3. Select an app with a large cache (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Google Play Services).
4. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – this will remove the app settings!).

Method 2: Mass cleaning through "Safety"

MIUI has a built-in tool for mass cleaning:

1. Launch the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the "Cleanup" tab.
3. Press "Deep Clean" and wait for analysis.
4. Check the boxes "App Cache" and "Junk Files", then tap "Clean".

⚠️ Warning: Do not clear the cache of system applications (MIUI System, Google Services Framework – This can cause phone malfunctions.

Clear the cache of messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)|Delete the social media cache (Facebook, Instagram)|Clear the Google Play Services cache|Clear the browser data (Chrome, MIUI Browser)-->

3. manual removal of unnecessary files: photos, videos, downloads

Media files are the main source of memory clogging, and on Redmi 4X, they are stored in the following folders:

• 📷 DCIM/Camera — photo and video.
• 🎥 Movies or Videos – recorded videos.
• 📥 Download – downloads from the browser and messengers.
• 💬 WhatsApp/Media or Telegram/Telegram Images - chat media.

For removal:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
2. Open the folders above and delete the unnecessary files.

💡 Use Files by Google (available in Play Market) – it automatically finds duplicates, large files and unnecessary downloads.

4. System garbage disposal: logs, temporary files, APK

MIUI creates a lot of utility files that are not visible to the user through standard Explorer, and to delete them, you need root rights or special utilities, and let's look at both.

No root rights: through ADB

If you don’t have root, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge):

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on the phone debugging over USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additional → For developers).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands: adb shell pm clear com.miui.analytics adb shell pm clear com.xiaomi.midrop adb shell rm -rf /data/log/*

These commands will remove MIUI analytics and system logs.

Root-Rights: via Root Explorer

If you have root, install Root Explorer or FX File Explorer and remove:

• 🗃️ folder /data/log — Here's where the logs are stored.
• 🗑️ folder /data/local/tmp — time-file.
• 📦 Folders. /data/data/com.xiaomi.* — cache of Xiaomi system applications.

⚠️ Note: Delete files in /system or /vendor It could cause a phone to crash. Don't touch those folders without a clear understanding!

5. Transfer applications to a memory card (if supported)

Redmi 4X officially supports microSD cards up to 128GB, but not all apps can be ported.

1. Insert a memory card (preferably a class 10 for speed).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Select the application and click "Move to" SD-map (option not available for all programs).

📌 Limitations:

• System applications (MIUI Launcher, Google Play Services) cannot be moved.
• Some games (such as PUBG) do not work with a memory card.
• After the transfer, the app can slow down if the card is slow.

💡 Alternative: Use the card as internal memory (formatting as Adoptable Storage:

1. Insert the card and select "Use as internal memory" when you request it.
2. Confirm the formatting (all data from the card will be deleted!).
3. After that, the system will automatically install applications on the map.

⚠️ Note: When you remove a card formatted as internal memory, the phone will stop seeing the apps installed on it!

6. Reset to factory settings: a radical method

If nothing works, you'll be left with a hard reset that will delete all data, including photos, contacts and apps, so first:

• 🔄 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 📤 Save photos and videos on PC or in the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 📋 Export contacts to VCF-file.

For discharge:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Reset settings.
2. Select "Erase all data."
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Once reset, the phone will be like new, with free memory.

• 🚫 Do not restore backup immediately – first check if problems are coming back.
• 📥 Install applications selectively, avoiding unnecessary ones.

💡

Factory reset is the only way to remove system debris that is not cleaned by other methods, but it is an extreme measure: use it only if the phone is completely unusable.

7.Memory optimization after cleaning: how to prevent clogging

To prevent the Redmi 4X from getting clogged again, follow these rules:

• 📵 Turn off auto-update apps in the Play Market (Settings) → Auto-update of applications → Never).
• 📸 Set up autoload media in messengers: WhatsApp: Settings → Data and memory → Autoboot media → Wi-Fi only. Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Autoboot media → Never.
• 🗑️ Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks) through Security → Cleanup.
• 🖥️ Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to automatically upload photos.

💡 Useful advice: Install the application SD Maid (requires root) or CCleaner to automatically clean up trash on schedule.

If you install/remove games frequently, consider an option with an external drive (e.g., a game that is not easily accessible, OTG-And if you plug it in through an adapter, you can play games right off the flash drive without clogging your internal memory.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning Redmi memory 4X