How to Clean Up Xiaomi’s Internal Memory: 7 Ways to Work

Why Xiaomi is losing memory and what to do about it

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a problem: the phone’s memory fills up “on its own” even though you haven’t installed new apps or downloaded large files, due to the features of the MIUI shell, which actively caches data, creates backups and hides system files from the user. For example, after updating the firmware, the system can take up to 5-7 GB of additional space due to duplicate files.

Another common reason is automatic storage of multimedia from instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber). One high-resolution video can weigh 50-100 MB, and during a month of active chatting, several gigabytes of “invisible” files are accumulated in chat rooms, to which is added the cache of games (for example, Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile can take up to 10 GB), temporary browser files and duplicate photos created by the Gallery application.

In this article, we will analyze 7 proven methods of cleaning memory - from basic (cache removal) to advanced (manual cleaning of system folders via ADB). All methods are tested on current versions of MIUI 14/15 and are suitable for models 2020-2026 (Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5/X5, etc.).

Method 1: Built-in utility "Cleaning" in MIUI

The fastest and safest method is to use the standard Security app (or Security in global firmware), which analyzes memory and suggests that you delete unnecessary files without risking damage to the system, and to start cleaning:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Security.
2. Slip on the "Cleaning" icon (broom sign).
3. Wait for the scan to be completed (usually 10–30 seconds).
4. Click Clean next to the categories “Junk”, “Cash” and “Big Files”.

The utility removes:

• 🗑️ Temporary application files (YouTube cache, TikTok, games).
• 📁 Empty folders and duplicate files.
• 📥 Downloads from instant messengers (if not saved in the Gallery).
• 🔄 Residual files after deleting programs.

⚠️ Warning: Do not manually clean the System Waste section – this can cause disruptions MIUI. The utility itself determines which files are safe to delete.

Method 2: Manually cleansing the application cache

Cache speeds up programs, but it grows to giant sizes over time, for example, Facebook cache can take 1-2 GB, and Google Play Services can take up to 500 MB.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose an app (such as Chrome or Instagram).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

For mass cleaning:

• 🔍 Sort apps by cache size (tap on "Size" in the top bar).
• 🧹 Remove cache from programs that are over 100MB.
• 🚫 Do not clear the cache of system applications (Settings, Phone, Messages) – this can cause errors.

⚠️ Warning: After cleaning the cache, some apps (such as Spotify or Netflix) will take longer to load on the first run – this is normal.

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If after cleaning the cache, the application began to work slower, restart the phone - this will help restore performance.

Method 3: Delete large and unnecessary files

Often, the memory is clogged with hidden files that the user does not even know about.

• 🎥 Video from WhatsApp/Telegram (folder WhatsApp/Media or Telegram/Telegram Video).
• 🎵 Musical tracks downloaded through VK or Yandex Music.
• 📸 Photos and videos automatically saved from Instagram or TikTok.
• 📄 PDF-files and documents opened through the browser.

To find and remove them:

1. Open Files (File Manager application)
2. Go to the Categories section and select Large Files.
3. Sort by size and remove the unnecessary.

For deep cleaning, use filters:

Method 4: Transfer of data to SD-map

If your internal memory is full and your external card is not, consider:

Option 1: Use SD-maps as internal memory

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi allows formatting SD-This is an Adoptable Storage function that combines the memory of the card and the phone into one partition:

1. Put it in. SD-map (class recommended) UHS-I U3 higher).
2. In the notification, tap “Configure” → “Inner memory”.
3. Follow the instructions (the map will be formatted!).

⚠️ Warning: Once formatted, the card will not be used on other devices without being completely cleaned, and it will be encrypted and data cannot be recovered if damaged.

Option 2: Cloud Storage

For backup, you will be suitable:

• 🌥️ Google Photos (unlimited storage of compressed photos/video).
• 📁 Mi Cloud (5GB) is free for Xiaomi owners).
• 🔗 Yandex Disk or Mail.ru Cloud (10-100 GB when registering).

To automate the download:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Add a Google or Mi Account.
3. Enable synchronization for Photos, Contacts and Notes.

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Transfer of data to SD-The card or the cloud does not release internal memory immediately – you need to manually delete files after copying!

Method 5: Clean system folders through ADB (for advanced)

If standard methods don’t work, you can manually delete unnecessary system files via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires debugging over USB and is suitable for users familiar with the command line.

What can be safely removed:

• 🗃️ folder /data/local/tmp (temporary update files).
• 📂 folder /data/log (Logic of the system, if there are no errors).
• 🔄 Files of the form.bak or.old in /data/app (post-refreshment).

Instructions:

1. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands: adb shell su rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* rm -rf /data/log/*

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files in folders /system or /vendor — It's going to make the device break, and don't touch files with the.odex or.vdex extension, they're critical to work. MIUI.

Method 6: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If your memory is full of system debris (like after multiple firmware updates) and other methods don’t work, do a hard reset.

How to reset:

1. Back up important data (contacts, photos, messages) through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Restore and reset.
3. Select “Reset” → “Delete all data”.
4. Confirm the action (you will need to enter a pattern lock or PIN).

After discharge:

• 🔄 The phone will reboot and offer to configure it as new.
• 📱 Restore data from backup (but don’t copy old system files!).
• 🚫 Do not install applications that previously took up a lot of space.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) After the reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account to unlock the bootloader!

Method 7: Optimize memory with third-party applications

If you do not want to dig into the settings manually, use specialized utilities:

Recommendations for use:

• 🛡️ Before mass cleaning, create a recovery point through TWRP (if there is root).
• 🔍 Don’t trust apps that promise to ‘speed up your phone by 300%’ – this is a marketing trick.
• 📊 Check cleanup reports regularly: some utilities delete files from folders DCIM or Downloads without warning.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi memory cleanup