Xiaomi suddenly reports a space shortage, which is familiar to every smartphone owner: MIUI or the new HyperOS starts to run slower, cameras refuse to shoot high-resolution video, and apps crash when they launch, because the Android operating system requires free space for temporary files and proper background processes. If you ignore the warnings, the device can completely stop responding to commands.
Unlike many other manufacturers, Redmi and Poco phones have a specific file system structure where system partition and user space can be severely limited. The app cache that should speed up work grows over time to giant sizes, taking up gigabytes of useless garbage. Understanding exactly where these files are hiding is the first step to solving the problem.
In this guide, we will examine not only standard cleaning methods, but also the hidden features of the system that allow you to free up to 10-15 GB of data without losing important photos or documents. You will learn how to safely remove duplicates, clean hidden messenger folders and use engineering tools to analyze disk space. The system partition on Xiaomi is reserved and clean it through third-party file managers without root rights is impossible and dangerous.
Analysis of the occupancy of the storage facilities
The first thing you need to do is figure out what's taking up space. The MIUI has a powerful analysis tool built in that users often ignore, preferring third-party software. Go to Settings → Memory (or Settings → Phone → Storage) and it visually displays the distribution of data into categories: apps, images, videos, documents, and more.
And look at the Other section, which is often where the biggest data is hidden, whether it's offline maps, streaming cache, or forgotten archives, and clicking on that category will allow you to go into detail and find giant files that you can delete painlessly.
The in-house analyzer also highlights rarely used applications, and if you installed a program six months ago and never run it, the system will suggest removing it, which is an effective way to get rid of the digital junk that just takes up space.
- 📊 Go to the memory settings to see the color graph of the space allocation.
- 🗑️ Use the “Clean” button in the recommendations section for quick garbage removal.
- 📂 Analyze the category "Documents", often there are old ones. APK-installer.
Using the “Security” app and cleaning the cache
The centerpiece of optimization in Xiaomi smartphones is the System Security app, which has deep system access rights and can clear out what is not available to the average user. Launch the app and click on the Cleanup button. The system will scan and suggest that temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and ads be deleted.
Special attention should be paid to Deep Cleaning, which analyzes the content of popular applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok. Inside messengers often accumulate thousands of viewed but no longer needed pictures and videos, you can selectively delete media files from chat rooms, leaving text correspondence intact.
⚠️ Note: When using Deep Cleanup, carefully watch which files you delete. Messengers may save important work documents or personal photos that you do not want to lose forever.
Cache is temporary data that speeds up the loading of frequently visited pages or interface elements. Cleaning it is safe for the phone to work, but can cause apps to load a little longer on the first run after cleaning. Regular procedure frees up a significant amount of memory.
☑️ Weekly cleaning of the phone
Working with take, similar photos and screenshots
Xiaomi's modern cameras take great pictures, but users often forget to delete the unfortunate footage. The gallery accumulates series of similar photos taken in "Serial Shooting" mode or simply as a result of hand tremors. The built-in MIUI algorithm is able to find such duplicates and suggest their removal.
Open the Gallery app, go to the Albums tab, and scroll down to the Similar Photos or Bad Photos section, and the system will show you groups of shots where you can choose the best one and send the rest to the basket, and it's also worth checking out Screenshots, which often stores images that were only relevant at the time of creation.
For more advanced search, you can use a file manager. Sort files by size and date. Larger video files shot in 4K or 8K resolution take up the most space. If you don't plan on mounting or storing them, deleting them is the fastest way to get free space.
- 🖼️ Remove a series of similar photos, leaving only 1-2 best shot.
- 📸 Check the video folder in the gallery for long, but useless videos.
- 📝 Screenshots of correspondence or one-time codes can be deleted immediately after use.
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Enable sync with Google Photos or Xiaomi Cloud with Free Space, which will remove photos from your device that are already stored in the cloud, but leave them available for viewing.
Cleaning up garbage in popular apps and instant messengers
Social networks and instant messengers are the main memory eaters. Telegram, for example, by default caches all media files viewed so that they open instantly even without the Internet. Over time, this cache can reach 10-20 GB. To fix this, go to Telegram Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use and click “Clear Cache.” There you can also set autodelete media in 3 days or a week.
On WhatsApp, the situation is similar: all sent and received “circles”, stickers and cards are stored in memory, the best way to clean them is through the phone’s built-in file manager, finding the Android/media/com.whatsapp folder, or through the app’s settings in the Storage and Data section.
Short video apps like TikTok or YouTube Shorts also aggressively cache content. These apps often don’t have a “clean everything” button in their settings, so you have to go to the system settings: Apps → All apps → TikTok → Memory → Clear the cache.
| Annex | Where to look for settings | What to remove | Safe? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Settings → Data and memory | Cash, auto-save. | Yeah, totally. |
| Settings → Storage | Big files, video | Yeah, but check the important ones. | |
| Phone settings → Memory | Cash app. | Yes, we'll need an entrance. | |
| YouTube | Settings → General | Cash, offline video. | Yes. |
Why is Telegram's cache so big?
Removal of system debris and residual files
When you delete Android apps, they often have their tails — folders with settings, logs and temporary data. On Xiaomi, the built-in analyzer helps with this, but sometimes you need a manual approach. Use a file manager (such as “Conductor” from Xiaomi or Google Files) and go to the root folder.
Look for folders with names of games or programs that have been deleted, and it's also worth checking the Download folder. Many users have been storing.apk installation files there for years, which are no longer needed because the apps have been installed for a long time, and deleting these files is the easiest way to free up space.
The file deserves special attention. MIUI It's at the root of the internal memory. It's inside a folder. debug_log, If you're not a developer and you're not debugging the system, you can delete the contents of that folder. Also check the backup folder, which may contain older, multi-gigabyte backups.
⚠️ Warning: Be extremely careful when manually deleting files in the root folder. Do not touch folders with the names of system processes (e.g. Android, obb, data) unless you are 100% sure of their purpose.
You can use the developer mode for a deeper cleaning, but it requires caution. Activating it (clicking on the build number seven times in About Phone) will give you access to more detailed memory usage statistics, but standard MIUI tools usually do better and safer for the average user.
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Manually removing residual folders after uninstalling applications is the most effective way to return space that a standard cleaner doesn’t see.
Data transfer and use of cloud services
If the cleanup didn’t work, it’s time to rethink the way you store data. Your smartphone’s internal memory isn’t designed to store archives. Use cloud storage: Google Photos, Yandex.Disk, Cloud Mail.ru or Xiaomi Cloud.
Set up automatic upload of photos and videos. Once files are synced to the cloud, use the "Free Space" feature in the cloud service application, which will delete local copies of files, leaving only their thumbnails in the gallery. The full photo will only be uploaded when you click on it.
Another option is to use USB-OTG flash drives, which can connect a regular USB drive to a modern Xiaomi via a Type-C adapter and transfer heavy files to it, a cheap and reliable way to expand physical space without buying a new phone.
- ☁️ Set up autoupload photos to the cloud to automatically free up space.
- 💾 Use external drives to archive old videos and documents.
- 🔄 Check your sync settings regularly so you don’t lose important data.