Modern Xiaomi smartphones running the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS offer users a lot of features, but over time, even devices with a large storage capacity begin to suffer from a lack of space. This leads to reduced performance, inability to install updates and problems when shooting videos. Users often notice that free space disappears for no apparent reason, filling up with system logs, application cache and duplicate files.
Effective internal memory cleaning requires a holistic approach, as standard methods like photo deletion don’t always work. You need to understand the structure of the Android file system and know which folders you can touch and which you should not touch to avoid operating system failures. In this article, we will discuss proven ways to free up space, ranging from built-in tools to advanced methods of analyzing disk space.
Analysis of occupied space through built-in tools
The first step before any active action is diagnostics. MIUI It has a powerful built-in tool that allows you to visually assess what exactly takes up precious gigabytes. → Memory. Here you'll see a color diagram showing applications, images, videos, audio files and system data in different colors.
Users are often surprised to find a huge amount in the Other category. This section may contain instant messenger data, streaming cache services or remnants of remote programs. Storage analysis helps identify such hidden eaters of space that do not appear in the standard list of applications. If you see that the App category takes up a disproportionate amount of space, it is worth checking the list of installed programs.
⚠️ Note: Do not manually delete system files through the file manager unless you are sure of their purpose.This can result in a cyclical device reboot or loss of important network settings.
It is important to note that the built-in analyzer does not always show the real picture for individual folders. For example, the browser cache can be scattered across different directories. For more detailed study, it is recommended to use specialized utilities, which will be discussed below, but even a basic system report is often enough to find the main sources of contamination.
Using the “Conductor” application and cleaning up garbage
Each Xiaomi smartphone preinstalled the System App Explorer (or File Manager), which is one of the most effective tools for quick cleaning. Unlike third-party solutions, it has deep access to system folders and securely deletes temporary files. Launch the application and click on the Cleanup button in the bottom menu or on the home screen.
The system will scan and suggest removing what's called garbage, which includes remnants of APK installation packages, image sketches and temporary update files. Secure cleaning through this tool will not affect your personal data unless you select the appropriate ticks. After scanning, you will see a list of categories that can be cleared with a single click.
☑️ Daily memory check
The Big Files section is particularly noteworthy, and users often forget about downloaded movies or archives, which can take up hundreds of megabytes. Explorer allows you to sort files by size, making it easier to find heavy objects, and it’s worth looking at the Download folder, where everything from the Internet is stored by default.
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Check DCIM →.thumbnails regularly, and it stores thumbnails of your photos and videos that can grow to several gigabytes, and can be safely deleted, and the system will recreate them if needed.
Working with the cache of messengers and social networks
The main consumers of free memory on modern smartphones are messengers Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber. These applications store every photo and video viewed in the memory of the device. Over time, the database of media files can reach 10-20 GB or more. Clearing the cache in the phone settings often does not help, because messengers consider this data important.
To clean the app properly, you need to go to the settings of the app itself. In Telegram, for example, you need to go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. Here, the Clear Cache feature is available. The unique feature of Telegram is cloud storage: cleaning the cache does not delete correspondence, files will only be re-loaded when you re-view it, and this is the safest way to free up space.
On WhatsApp, the situation is different. Files are stored locally. To clean up memory, go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you can see the chats that take up the most space and delete media selectively. We recommend setting up automatic cleanup so that media files are not permanently stored.
| Annex | Location of cleaning settings | Security of removal | Recommended frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Settings → Use of memory | High (files in the cloud) | Once a month |
| Settings → Data and Storage | Medium (requires a backup copy) | Once a week. | |
| Viber | More. → Settings → Memory. | Medium | Once a month |
| Phone settings → Applications | High (cache only) | As necessary |
Removal of duplicates and unused applications
Over time, apps that you've stopped using accumulate in memory, not only take up space, but they can run in the background, consuming CPU resources. MIUI has a feature that shows applications that have not been used for a long time. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications and sort them by frequency of use or size.
Also relevant is the problem of duplicate photos and documents: When you sync frequently from different devices or accidentally save the same files, copies can be created. You can use built-in folder search or third-party utilities that specialize in finding duplicates to find such files.
Removing the system applications (bloatware) that are preinstalled by the manufacturer but you don’t need it also works. However, this often requires root rights or the use of ADB (Android Debug Bridge). Standard means to remove the system applications Xiaomi can not, you can only disable them, which hides them from the menu, but does not free up much space.
How to remove system applications through ADB?
Setting up cloud services and Google Photos
One of the most effective ways to fight for space is to move media files to the cloud. Google Photos offers a "Free Space" feature that removes photos and videos from your device that have already been successfully uploaded to your cloud account, which allows you to keep the originals safe without taking up local memory.
Similarly, Xiaomi Cloud (or Mi Cloud) works. With gallery synchronization enabled, the original photos can be stored on the server, and only their reduced copies can remain on the phone. To view in full quality, you will need the Internet. Synchronization settings are located in the Settings menu → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → Gallery.
It is important to check sync status regularly, and if you delete photos from your phone before you have finished downloading, they can disappear from the cloud (when sync is enabled), so the algorithm must be rigorous: first make sure that the photo is in the cloud, then clear the place on the device.
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Using cloud storage is not just a backup, but a way to turn an unlimited cloud into an extension of your smartphone’s memory, leaving only current files on your device.
Advanced methods: Disk analyzers and reset
If standard methods don't work, specialized analytics applications like DiskUsage or Files by Google come to the rescue, and they build a visual memory card, where each file is represented by a rectangle, the size of which is proportional to the weight of the file, and this allows you to instantly find forgotten archives, error logs, or cache of cards.
When you work with these programs, you can find folders with names like android/data/com... They store app data inside them. Cleaning these folders can reset the progress of games or program settings. Data visualization helps you understand whether to delete a particular application or game that takes 5 GB.
In the extreme case, when the memory is full of system debris that cannot be removed, it helps to completely reset to factory settings. Before that, make sure to back up important data. The path to reset: Settings → About the phone → Settings → Settings → Erase all data. This will return the phone to the “store-like” state.
⚠️ Note: Full Reset permanently deletes all data from internal memory, including photos, contacts and messages. Make sure you have an up-to-date backup on your PC or in the cloud before starting the procedure.