Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face a lack of free space when the device starts to work slowly or refuses to accept new files. Built-in memory quickly fills with photos, videos, app cache and system files. USB-The drive in this context is not only an external flash drive, but also a logical partition of internal memory that the system perceives as a data store. MIUI or hyperos.
The cleaning process requires careful attention, as deleting system files can lead to unstable work of the gadget. Modern Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with powerful tools for managing files, but not all users know how to use them correctly. In this article, we will discuss safe and effective ways to free up space. Formatting or manual cleaning - the choice of method depends on your final goal and the availability of important data.
Before you start any manipulation, you need to make sure you have access to your Mi Account or cloud storage for backup, which will avoid losing valuable contacts and documents. Next, we will look at the step-by-step algorithms that will be suitable for most models of the Redmi Note and Xiaomi Mi line.
Diagnostics of memory occupancy and search for hidden files
The first step is always to diagnose. Don't delete files randomly hoping to make room. Android stores data in a complex structure, and understanding what it takes up will help you do a point-by-point thing. Use the built-in storage analyzer to see the distribution of space between applications, images and system files.
Users often do not realize that a significant portion of the «USB-Memory is occupied by forgotten downloads from messengers or remnants of remote applications. Social network cache can grow to several gigabytes, occupying the place that the system mistakenly attributes to user files.
For more details, go to the settings and select About Phone, then Storage. Here you will see a color diagram where each sector is responsible for a specific type of data. Xiaomi also offers a built-in Security utility that automatically scans the device for large and unused files.
Notice the Others section, which often includes files that the system cannot classify, or residues after resetting, and analysis of this category can reveal hidden backups or error logs that take up gigabytes.
⚠️ Warning: Do not delete files from system folders unless you are sure of their purpose.Deleting critical libraries can cause a cyclical device reboot.
Use of the built-in application "Conductor" and "Cleaning"
The safest and fastest way to clean USB-drive on Xiaomi Redmi - the use of standard shell tools MIUI. File Manager has a built-in analyzer that groups files by type, which allows you to quickly find and delete duplicates or unnecessary documents.
To get started, open the Security app (a green lightning icon) and select the Cleanup tool. The system will automatically scan the memory and prompt you to delete temporary files, app residues and advertising debris. This method is safe, since Xiaomi algorithms do not affect the user’s personal data without their confirmation.
☑️ Checklist for quick cleaning
If the automatic cleanup didn't work, go to the manual mode through Explorer. Click on the folder icon, then select a category like Documents or Downloads. Here you can sort files by size or date to find the largest ones. Size sorting is especially effective for finding forgotten video files.
The Explorer menu also has a duplicate search feature, which scans the internal storage and finds copies of images or documents with the same content, and removing those copies is a great way to get back space without losing information.
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Use the Compression feature in the Explorer for rarely used archives so that they take up less space but remain on the device.
Cleaning the cache of applications and data messengers
The main memory eaters in modern smartphones are messengers and social networks. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store every photo and video viewed in a cache that over time can exceed the volume of the operating system itself.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find the most heavy programs (usually browsers and social networks). Click on the app name, then select Memory. Here you will see the "Clear Cache" button. Importantly, don't confuse it with the "Clear All" button, because the second option will delete your logins and correspondence.
- 📱 Telegram: inside the application go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage and click "Clear Cache." You can set up autodelete media files.
- 💬 WhatsApp: Open Settings → Data and storage → Storage management. You can delete large files from specific chat rooms here.
- 🌐 Chrome/Browsers: in the browser settings, find the “History” or “Privacy” section and clear the site data and cache.
Once the cache is cleared, applications can load a little longer on their first run, as they have to re-form temporary files. This is normal system behavior. Regularly cleaning the messenger cache is the best prevention of space shortage on Redmi.
⚠️ Attention: Clearing the data (not cache) in messengers will lead to a complete exit from the account and the removal of correspondence, if a backup copy was not made.
Work with DCIM folder and the album "Recently Deleted"
folder DCIM (Digital Camera Images is the standard repository for all photos and videos taken by the phone's camera, and users often delete the images from the gallery, but forget that they move to the basket, where they continue to occupy space on the camera. USB-storage device for up to 30 days.
To permanently delete files, open the Gallery app and go to the recently deleted album, where all deleted media files are located. Click three dots in the corner of the screen and select Clear All, only after that the memory they occupy will be physically released.
How to find hidden folders with photos?
It's also worth checking the Screenshots folder inside DCIM or Pictures. Screenshots are often saved automatically and forgotten by the user. Sorting by date will help you quickly find old screenshots and delete them.
If you use cloud sync Mi Cloud or Google Photos, turn on the “Free Space” feature, which will remove photos and videos that have already been successfully uploaded to the cloud from your device, leaving them available for viewing over the Internet.
Formatting USB-storage
If software cleaning doesn't work, the radical method is formatting, which completely destroys all the data on the selected partition, returning it to its original state. SD-card, and internal memory (the latter requires resetting to factory settings).
Formation of an external map or USB-flash drives (when connected through OTG), Go to Settings. → The phone. → Storage. Select the drive you want and click "Format." The system will warn you of data loss. The file system will be changed to Android compatible (usually exFAT or "Fat"). FAT32).
| Type of storage | Cleaning method | Data security | Recommended frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal memory. | Resetting settings | Backup required. | 1 time per year or on sale |
| SD-map | Menu formatting | Complete removal | When reading errors |
| USB OTG flash drive | Formatting | Complete removal | If necessary, |
| Cloud storage | Deletion of files | Safe. | Regularly. |
Formatting internal memory without resetting is not possible with standard tools for Android security reasons. If the system says that memory is damaged, try first clearing the Media Storage cache through the application menu before deciding on a full reset.
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Formatting is a last resort: always back up your important data to your computer or the cloud before you start.
Using a PC and ADB team for deep cleaning
For advanced users who don't have enough standard methods, there's a computer-based cleanup option. Connecting your smartphone to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP) allows you to see the file system as disks, which is convenient for mass deletion of files using the keyboard.
A more powerful tool is USB debugging and the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) utility, which allows you to remove system debris and cache that is not available to the average user, by turning on Developer Mode (7 times clicking on the build number in About Phone) and activating USB Debugging.
After connecting the phone to the computer, open the command line and enter a command to access the shell:
adb shellYou can then use commands to search for large files, such as:
find /sdcard -type f -size +100MThis command will find all files larger than 100MB in internal memory. Be extremely careful when deleting files through ADB, as there is no recycle bin and confirmations.
⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB An error in the path to the file can lead to the removal of system components and the breakage of firmware.
You can also use specialized software via your computer, such as Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools, which allows you to safely remove pre-installed software (bloatware), which takes up space and resources of the system, but is not removed in the standard way.