Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones sooner or later face a lack of internal memory. Android system over time, the acquisition of temporary files, the remains of remote applications and cache, which takes up gigabytes of space, which leads to slowdown of the interface, long launches of games and the inability to install new programs.
There are many ways to solve this problem, but not all of them are equally effective. In this article, we will discuss how to clean your phone from Android Xiomy garbage manually for free without resorting to the help of dubious cleaners, which often only put additional strain on the processor.
Manual cleaning allows you to control every file you delete and ensures you don’t lose important data.We’ll look at the built-in MIUI tools, system folders, and deep cleaning techniques available to every user.
Use of the built-in Security application
The first and most secure tool to free up space is the standard Security app, preinstalled on all Xiaomi devices. It automatically scans the device for temporary files, residual data and advertising debris. To start cleaning, you need to open the application and click the Cleanup button.
Once the scan is complete, the system will suggest that you delete the files you found, but be careful: sometimes the junk section will contain files you would like to save, such as thumbnails of images from messengers.
⚠️ Warning: Before clicking the "Clean All" button in the Security app, carefully review the list of files. Make sure that these are not important screenshots or documents that you recently downloaded.
Additionally, the app has a Deep Clean feature that analyzes large files and duplicate photos, and it's a great way to find forgotten high-resolution videos that take up the lion's share of memory.
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Use the “Storage Analyzer” function in the Security app to visually see which folders occupy the most space on your drive.
Manually cleansing the app cache through settings
The largest amount of garbage is usually generated by social networks and messengers such as Telegram, WhatsApp and VK. These applications save thousands of temporary files for fast downloading of content, but over time this cache inflates to an unthinkable size, you can manually clean it through system settings.
To do this, go to the Settings menu → Apps → All apps. Select the program you want from the list and click on Memory. Here you will see the "Clear Cache" button. It is important not to confuse it with the "Clear All" button, since the second option will delete your logins and correspondence.
- 🗑️ Telegram: Often accumulates gigabytes of video and voice messages in cache.
- 📸 Instagram: Stores thumbnails of tape and storis that can be safely removed.
- 🎵 Spotify/Yandex.Music: Cash offline tracks can occupy a significant place.
Regularly checking the most “heavy” applications helps keep the system in good shape, and it is recommended to perform this procedure once a month to maintain optimal performance of the device.
☑️ Monthly cleaning
Working with file manager and system folders
For more advanced users, manual cleaning through standard Explorer is available, and folders containing residual files from remote programs and system debris are stored here. Be careful: deleting system files can lead to unstable Android operation.
At the root of internal memory, there are often folders with names of remote games or applications, which can be safely deleted. Android/data, But you need to clean it selectively, only removing folders of games that you've already deleted from your phone.
| folder | Description of the contents | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| Download | Files downloaded from the browser | Yes, selectively. |
| DCIM/.thumbnails | Photo miniatures | Yes, it's safe. |
| MIUI/Gallery/Cloud | Cloud gallery cache | Yeah, unless you're synchronizing. |
| Android/obb | Game data files | Only for remote games |
Pay special attention to the DCIM/.thumbnails folder, which is a hidden folder where the system stores previews of all your photos, and over time it can grow to several gigabytes, and when it clears it instantly, it frees up space, but when the gallery opens the next time, the system will recreate those files.
How do you see hidden folders?
Cleaning up the download and multimedia folder
The Download folder is the default location for everything you download from the Internet. Documents, APK installation files, pictures, and forgotten videos often lie there for months, and auditing the directory regularly is the easiest way to find space.
It’s also worth checking the messenger folders inside the gallery. WhatsApp and Viber often save all the received media files to a shared gallery, even if you’ve already viewed them and forgotten. In the settings of the messengers themselves, you can turn off auto-save to the gallery to avoid clutter.
⚠️ Note: Deleting files from the folder Tencent/MicroMsg (For WeChat) or similar messenger system directories, you may lose the ability to open old attachments.
Remember to check the Recycle Bin in the Gallery and Files app. Deleted files are stored there for another 30 days, continuing to take up space on your Xiaomi device.
Removal of duplicates and large files
Often, the phone has copies of the same documents or photos taken from different angles. Manually search for them for a long time, so you better use the function of finding large files. In the standard Xiaomi Explorer, there is a sorting by size.
Click on the sort menu and select "By size." The first ones on the list are video files and archives, which are the most common ones that cause the message "Memory is full." Deleting even one forgotten movie in 4K can free up up to 10 GB of space.
- 🎬 Video files: Check the Video and Movies folders for old screen entries.
- 📦 Archives:.zip and.rar files are often left behind after installing mods or firmware.
- 📱 Backups: Old system or application backups can weigh a lot.
Use file extension search. Type ".mp4" or ".apk" into your Explorer to quickly find all videos or installers on your device.
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The quickest way to free up space is to find and delete the 2-3 biggest video files you no longer need.
Resetting settings as a last resort
If manual cleaning doesn't work and the phone is slow, you might consider a full factory reset, a radical method that removes all data from the device, returning it to the "out of the box" state.
Before this procedure, be sure to back up your contacts, photos and important documents to your computer or to the Mi Cloud. After resetting, the phone will fly, as there will be no accumulated debris in the system.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The process will take a few minutes, after which the phone will restart.
⚠️ Warning: Full reset is irreversible. Without prior backup, you will lose all photos, contacts and correspondence forever%.
This method is recommended to be used no more than once a year or when selling the device to a new owner, and it ensures that the system is completely cleaned of any software errors and accumulated junk.