Your smartphone memory fills up in a discreet way: today you install a couple of apps, tomorrow you download photos from the messenger, and a week later the system issues a warning about the lack of space. This is especially true for Xiaomi’s budget models with 32-64 GB of internal memory, where every megabyte counts. But even owners of flagships with 256 GB sooner or later face the mysterious disappearance of free space.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to analyze the occupied space on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features and third-party utilities, how to find and delete unnecessary files, clear the cache of applications, detect “heavy” messengers, and even recover lost gigabytes that you didn’t know existed, and at the end, a checklist for quick memory optimization.
Method 1: Built-in memory analyzer in MIUI
The easiest and safest method is to use the standard MIUI tool. It is available on all modern versions of the shell (from MIUI 12 and later) and does not require the installation of additional programs.The Analyzer shows not only the total amount of occupied space, but also the distribution by categories: applications, multimedia, documents and system files.
To open the analyzer:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Memory (or Settings) → Storage on some models).
- 🔍 Click on the graph at the top of the screen and it will open a detailed report.
- 📊 Scroll down to see a list of the major files and apps taking up the most space.
Note the Other section, which often hides temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and cache system processes. For example, after the MIUI update, there may be a backup of the old firmware version weighing up to 1-2 GB. You can delete this data directly from the analyzer by clicking Clear.
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If the “Other” section is more than 5 GB, this is an excuse to check your phone for viruses or reset the cache through Recovery.
Method 2: Viewing folders through the file manager
The integrated MIUI file manager allows you to manually examine the contents of memory, including hidden system folders, which is useful if the analyzer does not show the full picture or you suspect that unnecessary data is hiding somewhere.
How to check folders:
- Open the Files app (an icon with a blue folder).
- Go to the Local Storage or Internal Memory tab.
- Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Show Hidden Files.
- Explore the following folders (sorting by size is available after a long tap in the free space and choosing Sort by → Size): 📁 DCIM — Photos and videos (often duplicates from messengers are here). 📁 Download – downloads from the browser (may contain outdated ones) APK-file). 📁 Android/data — application data (game cache, offline maps). 📁 MIUI/backup — System backups (you can delete if you don’t plan to roll back).
In a file. Android/obb Frequently stored game files weighing up to 5–10 GB (like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile) can be transferred to SD-Delete the game or card if the game has not been used for a long time.
What folders can be deleted without risk?
Method 3: Analysis through the Security App
The Security app (the shield icon) in Xiaomi not only protects against viruses, but also helps to manage memory. There is a separate Cleanup section that scans the device for debris, duplicates and large files.
Instructions:
- 🛡️ Open Security. → Cleanup.
- 🔍 Press Deep Cleanup and wait for the scan to be completed.
- 🗑️ In the results, note: App cache (can be cleared without consequences), residual files (residues after deleting programs), duplicate photos (especially relevant for Telegram and WhatsApp).
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⚠️ Warning: Do not clear the Autoboot section of the Security app unless you are familiar with system processes. Disabling critical services can cause phone malfunctions.
Method 4: Third-party applications for memory analysis
If the built-in MIUI tools don’t seem detailed enough, you can use third-party utilities that often offer advanced features, such as duplicate search, cloud storage analysis, or diagram visualization of occupied space.
Top.-3 apps:
| Annex | Features | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Files by Google | Smart cleaning, search for duplicates, recommendations for removal | Advertising requires access to files |
| SD Maid | Deep scanning of system files, cleaning of databases | Paid functions, complex interface |
| DiskUsage | Memory visualization as a map, search for large files | No Russian language, no automatic cleaning |
🔹 Files by Google is the best choice for beginners. Once installed, open the Cleanup tab and the app will find the files that are not needed by asking you to delete them.
🔹 SD Maid is for power users, and it can cache system applications (e.g. com.android.providers.media) that standard tools can't see, but beware: deleting some files can cause some malfunctions.
Make a backup copy of important data|Check the reviews of the application in the Play Market|Do not provide access to system folders without the need|After cleaning, restart the phone-->
Method 5: Checking through ADB (for advanced users)
If you're ready to dive into the technical details, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) will allow you to get a full account of the occupied space, including hidden system files, which requires connecting the phone to the computer, but gives you the most accurate data.
Instructions:
- Install ADB Tools on your PC.
- Turn on USB Debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap to activate Developer Mode, then Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging over USB).
- Connect the phone to your PC and execute in the command line: adb shell df -h This command will show the partitioning of memory (e.g. /data, /system).
- For detailed analysis of /data folder (where user files are stored) use: adb shell du -h -d 1 /data
📌 In the results, pay attention to folders larger 500 MB, for example, /data/app contains the specified annexes, and /data/media/0 — User files (photos, videos, documents).
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⚠️ Note: Delete files through ADB If you don't understand their purpose, you can crash the system. /system or /vendor — These are critical system sections.
Top.-5 «Xiaomi memory eaters and how to deal with them
Even if you clean your cache regularly, some MIUI apps and features continue to eat gigabytes unnoticed, and here are the main culprits and ways to curb them:
- Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber) 📌 Telegram by default downloads all media files to the folder Telegram/Telegram Images. It could be a year here. 10+ GB of unnecessary memes and stickers Solution: Open Telegram Settings → Data and memory → Autoload media and turn off automatic download for mobile data and Wi-Fi. Also clean the cache manually through Settings → Memory. → Telegram.
- Social networks (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook) 📌 TikTok caches video for quick viewing, taking up to 5 GB. Instagram stores stories and reels in folder Instagram/cache. Solution: Clean the cache of these apps weekly through Settings → Annexes → [Name of name] → Memory. → Clear the cache.
- Games (Genshin Impact, PUBG, Call of Duty) 📌 Mobile games are not just a place in the world. /data/app, but also download additional files to Android/obb. For example, Genshin Impact weighs in. ~15 GB and Call of Duty Mobile - up to 6 GB. Solution: Move the games to SD-card (if supported) or delete unused ones via Settings → Annexes.
- Offline maps (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps, 2GIS) 📌 One offline map of the region in Google Maps can weigh 1–2 GB. The card folder is in Android/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/files/OfflineMaps. Solution: Remove unnecessary maps through the application settings or manually through the file manager.
- System updates and logs 📌 After updating MIUI file MIUI/backup It's the old version of the firmware (~1–3 GB: It also logs into the /data/log, Solution: Remove backups to the MIUI/backup and clear logs through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Remove the service pack.
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Regularly cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks can free up to 20% of memory without deleting important data.
How to free up space without deleting files: 3 life hacks
If you need to immediately release your memory, but do not want to delete anything, use these methods:
- 🔄 Transfer of files to SD-Map or cloud Photos, videos and documents can be transferred to a memory card (if the phone supports it) or uploaded to Google Photos, Yandex.Disk. Xiaomi Gallery has a Free Place feature that replaces local files with their cloud versions.
- 🗃️ Archiving of rarely used folders with old photos or documents can be packaged in ZIP-archive (via file manager) and delete the originals.
- 🎮 Cleaning the cache of games without removing the Game like PUBG Or Free Fire allows you to clear texture cache and temporary files without losing progress. Go to the game settings and find the option Clear cache or Optimize memory.
💡 Bonus life hack: If you have Xiaomi with support OTG, Connect the flash drive through the adapter and transfer heavy files (such as movies or backups) to it.