How to Clean System Memory on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones with a shell MIUI or HyperOS offer users powerful multimedia tools, but over time, even a device with a large storage capacity begins to work slower. The main reason is filling the system partition with temporary files, app cache and residual “garbage” that accumulates after remote programs. Understanding how to properly free up space in the system partition is the key to extending the life of the gadget without buying a new model.

Many users mistakenly believe that standard cleaning through “Security” is enough, but the deep processes of the Android operating system require a more detailed approach. In this article, we will discuss not only the basic methods, but also advanced techniques that allow you to reclaim (reclaim) gigabytes of free space that were quietly absorbed by the system.

Analysis of vault occupancy

Before you start taking drastic action to delete files, you need to determine exactly what is taking up the precious space. Xiaomi's standard tools provide basic statistics, but for deep analysis, you'd better use the built-in analyzer. Go to the Settings menu, then select About phone and click on Warehouse. Here you'll see a color diagram where each sector is responsible for a specific type of data.

Pay special attention to the "Other" or "System Files" section. Often, that's where error logs, old firmware updates, and remote app cache are hidden. System memory is not just OS files, but buffer zones that applications create for fast operation but forget to clean. If that partition takes up a disproportionate amount of space, manual cleaning is required.

You can use third-party utilities to explore in more detail, but in most cases, a built-in analyzer is enough to show which applications take up the most space and immediately go to their management. Don't ignore the Downloads section, as users often forget about downloaded APK installation files or documents.

• 📊 Use the built-in analyzer in the About Phone section for the initial evaluation.
• 🗑️ Note the “Other” category, which is often inflated by system debris.
• 📱 Check the amount of data occupied by messengers, as they store media files in shared memory.
• 🔍 Look for large video files or archives left over from old projects.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

Every Xiaomi smartphone has a Security system app preinstalled, which is the first optimization tool. It not only removes viruses, but also effectively cleans the cache of the system. Launch the app, find the Cleanup section and click the scan button. The system will automatically find temporary files, installer packages and remnants of remote applications.

But standard cleaning is often superficial. Once you've finished scanning, click on the broom icon, but don't stop there. Go to Deep Clean, where MIUI algorithms will suggest removing large files, duplicate photos, and unused applications, a safe way to quickly free up a few gigabytes.

Importantly, regular use of this tool helps keep the system’s performance high.The Android operating system is prone to fragmenting free memory blocks, and periodic cleaning helps defragment the logical structure of storage, although physically it affects flash memory less than HDD.

Don't just rely on automatic mode. Manually check the Big Files list that the app offers, often with forgotten videos from events or backups that you don't need anymore, and removing such objects is the fastest way to get a free space.

Manual cleaning of cache and application data

The most voracious users of system memory are social networks and instant messengers such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber. They store every image and video viewed into cache, which can reach tens of gigabytes over time. To clean them, go to Settings → Apps → All applications.

Select the app from the list and find Memory, where you will see two buttons: Clear cache and Clear all (or Wipe all) Clear cache is safe: it will delete temporary files but save your logins and correspondence, but the Clear all button will reset the app to factory state, removing all correspondence and authorization history, so use it with caution.

⚠️ Warning: Before using the Clear All feature, make sure you have a backup of important chats, otherwise you will lose your entire correspondence history without the possibility of recovery.

For instant messengers, it is often more effective to use built-in cleaning tools. For example, on Telegram you can configure automatic cache deletion through Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use. Set a cache autodelete timer for 3 days or a week, and the application will keep the system memory clean.

• 🧹 Regularly check the memory of heavy applications in the settings.
• ⚙️ Set up autodelete the cache inside the messengers themselves.
• 🚫 Do not click “Erase Data” if you do not want to lose your email history.
• 📸 Pay special attention to Instagram and TikTok, which cache a lot of videos.

Working with Android folder and system garbage

One of the most challenging tasks for users is to clean the Android folder at the root of the internal drive, which stores application data, including game cache, offline maps and temporary browser files. Directly deleting the entire folder can lead to malfunctioning programs, so you need to act selectively.

Inside the Android folder, you are interested in two subfolders: data and obb. The obb folder stores heavy game files (graphic resources). If you delete a game but the folder with its name (for example, com.gameloft.android) remains, it can be safely deleted. The data folder stores settings and application cache; delete only those folders whose names correspond to the already deleted programs.

It's also worth checking the root folders with the names of popular services like Yandex, com.whatsapp or thumbnails. The thumbnails folder contains thumbnails of images from the gallery and can grow to huge sizes. It's safe to delete it - the system will just recreate it when it's needed, but you'll get free space right away.

💡

Use a file manager with access to system folders, such as Xiaomi’s Explorer or Total Commander, to see hidden files and folders starting from a dot.

For advanced users, there is a possibility of using ADB-commands to clean the system cache without superuser rights. By connecting the phone to a computer, you can execute a command to clean the packet manager cache, which often solves the problem with the "bloated" partition "Other».

adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999

This command forcibly trims the cache of all installed applications to the lowest possible value, freeing up space in the system partition, which is especially useful when standard methods do not help.

Removal of duplicates and large files

Over the years, many copies of the same files have accumulated in the memory of a smartphone, whether it's screenshots, saved images from messengers or multiple versions of a single document, and finding and removing duplicates is an effective way to make room without losing important information.

The MIUI shell has a built-in duplicate search function in the Security or Files app, but for more thorough verification, you can use specialized applications that compare not only names but also the contents of files, which allows you to find copies that have been renamed or moved to other folders.

The files in the Download folder deserve special attention. Browsers and instant messengers often save documents that you opened once there. Regularly sorting this folder by date and size helps you quickly find forgotten archives and installation files.

Cleaning through Recovery Mode and Reset

If standard methods don't work and the system partition is overcrowded, you can use Recovery Mode, which is a mode that clears the Dalvik Cache partition cache, which is used by the system to optimize application launch, and it won't delete your personal data, but it can free up a significant amount of system memory.

To enter Recovery mode, turn off your phone and press the button combination (usually Volume Up + Power). From the menu, select Wipe Cache Partition. Be careful: don't confuse this item with Wipe Data, which will completely reset the phone to factory settings.

⚠️ Warning: Operations in Recovery Mode require accuracy.Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset will result in the complete removal of all your photos, contacts and apps.

In the extreme case, when the system is unstable due to space shortage, a full reset helps.Be sure to back up the data to the Mi Cloud cloud or to your computer before you do it. Once reset, the phone will be like new, with clean system memory and maximum speed.

💡

Regular prevention takes less time than emergency cleaning of a crowded drive, which can result in data loss.