Xiaomi Redmi 5 smartphones, despite their age, remain reliable devices, but over time, the accumulation of digital “garbage” inevitably leads to a slowdown. Overflowing memory causes interface freezes, long launches of applications and even sudden reboots. Users often look for ways to speed up the gadget without resorting to buying new equipment or paid maintenance.
Manual cleaning is the most effective method, as automated “cleaners” often delete only surface data, leaving deep system deposits. In this article, we will detail how to safely free up space on Redmi 5 using only built-in Android tools and file manager.
The process requires care, because working with system files requires accuracy, and you will learn to distinguish between important OS components and unnecessary copies that can be painlessly deleted, and this knowledge will be useful for the maintenance of any Android device in the future.
Memory Occupation Analysis and Search for Hidden Folders
Before you start deleting, you need to understand what exactly takes up space. Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 5 often face a shortage of internal memory of 16 or 32 GB. Standard display tools can hide the real amount of data occupied by messengers and browser cache.
For detailed analysis, use the built-in Explorer app. Go to the storage settings via Settings → Memory menu to see the overall picture of resource allocation. Here you will see the main categories of the place consumers, such as Applications, Images and System Files.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from folders with system, android, or data names unless you are 100% sure of their content. MIUI.
Special attention should be paid to the Download folder, where APK installation files often accumulate after software updates. Also check the DCIM/.thumbnails directory, which can grow to gigabytes, storing thumbnails of your photos. Deleting the contents of this folder is safe, but it will fill up again the next time you open the gallery.
Cleaning the cache of applications and system services
Social networks and instant messengers generate the most temporary data, and apps like Telegram and YouTube store videos and images they've watched in cache to speed up their re-upload, and over time, that cache becomes a huge, useless ballast.
To manually clean each application, follow the following steps:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → All applications.
- 🔍 Find a “heavy” app on the list (for example, VK or Chrome).
- 🗑️ Click on "Memory" and select the "Clear Cache" button (not to be confused with "Clear Everything").
It's important to distinguish between cache and data. Cache cleanup only deletes temporary files without affecting your logins, passwords, and correspondence. If you choose Clear Everything or Delete Data, the app will return to a state immediately after installation, and you will have to re-authenticate.
💡
The browser cache can be cleared faster through the application itself: go to history and select “Clear History”, making sure that the tick is next to “Images and Other Files”.
System services also accumulate errors and logs. Periodic cache cleaning of standard services, such as the Google Play Store or Google Play Services, helps to eliminate errors when updating programs.
Removal of duplicates and residual files
When you use a smartphone on Xiaomi Redmi 5, you inevitably get copies of files, which can be photos sent multiple times, or remnants of deleted applications. Android file system does not always automatically track such duplicates.
Use the built-in cleaning tool available through the Security app. Click on the Cleanup icon and the system will scan the device for temporary files and duplicates, but manual inspection through the conductor gives the best result.
In the file manager, look for folders with the names of remote games or programs. Often, developers leave their folders with logos or settings even after removing the main application.
- 📂 Go to the root directory of internal memory.
- 🔎 Look for folders with names of known apps that are no longer on the menu.
- ❌ Delete these directories if they do not contain important documents.
☑️ Duplicate check
Special attention should be paid to the MIUI folder at the root of the storage, which contains a gallery folder with cloud thumbnails and a cloud folder, and if you don't use Mi Cloud, you can examine the contents of these folders for unnecessary backups.
Working with Android folder and Google cache
The Android directory is one of the most important and also the most "junk" of all, and it contains the data and obb folders, and the obb folder stores the caches of heavy games, which can take up to several gigabytes even after the game itself is deleted.
If you have deleted the game but the space is not free, check the path of Internal Storage → Android → obb.
/storage/emulated/0/Android/obbHere are folders with packet names (e.g. com.rockstargames.gtasa) If the corresponding app is not on the menu, you can delete the folder.
⚠️ Note: Remove the contents of the folders inside Android/data only those applications that you no longer plan to use, as it can store settings and saves.
Google services also create a lot of temporary files. Clearing the data of the Google Play Services app can reset some sync settings, so proceed carefully.
What is a.nomedia file?
Comparison of cleaning methods: built-in against third-party
Users often argue about whether MIUI is built-in or third-party utilities like Clean Master. For Xiaomi Redmi 5, with its limited RAM, third-party “heavy” cliners can do more harm than good by wasting battery life.
The built-in Security app is optimized for your hardware and has deep access rights. Third-party programs often run superficially and impose advertising.
| Parameter | Built-in cleaning | Third-party annexes | Manual removal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Tall. | Medium | Depends on the user. |
| Depth of cleaning | Medium | Low/Mediocre | Maximum |
| Battery consumption | Minimum | High-pitched | Absent. |
| Advertising | No. | Often | No. |
The manual method described in this article is the middle ground, it doesn't require any additional software to be installed, and it gives you complete control over what's being deleted, and the file manager is your best friend in the fight for space.
💡
The combination of a built-in cleaning once a week and manual folder revision once a month is the perfect strategy for Redmi 5.
Optimization of WhatsApp and Telegram messengers
Messengers are the main memory eaters on any modern smartphone. WhatsApp by default saves all received photos and videos to the gallery, creating duplicates. Telegram stores the cache in a separate hidden folder, which can grow to tens of gigabytes.
In Telegram settings, go to Data and Memory → Memory Use. You can set a cache size limit or autodelete media files. You should set a limit of 1-2 GB so that the application controls the amount of space it occupies.
WhatsApp's a little more complicated. To clean it manually:
- 📁 Open the Explorer and find the WhatsApp folder → Media → WhatsApp Images.
- 🖼️ Inside, there is a Private (hidden photos) and Sent folder (sent by you).
- 🗑️ Most often, garbage accumulates in the WhatsApp Video and WhatsApp Animated Gifs folder.
WhatsApp also has built-in storage. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. You can sort files by size and delete the heaviest videos or forwarded messages you don't need.
⚠️ Before mass cleaning of folders of messengers be sure to make a backup of important documents and photos to the cloud or to your computer.