How to see how much memory on the phone Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI

You bought a Xiaomi smartphone and you want to know how much memory it has? Or you notice that there's not enough space on your phone but you don't know where it went? In this article, we'll look at all the ways you can check your memory, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features and third-party apps. You'll not only learn the total storage capacity, but how to see how much memory is occupied by the system, applications and user files.

Note that on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO), the display memory is always less than the manufacturer's stated memory. For example, a 128 GB device will actually show ~115-119 GB. This is normal - part of the space is occupied by MIUI firmware, partition for recovery and service files. We will explain why this happens and how to accurately evaluate the real space available.

1. Standard method through "Settings"

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It works on all models, from the budget Redmi to the flagship Xiaomi 14, regardless of the firmware version.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Scroll down and select the About Phone section.
3. Stick to the item Warehouse (or Memory in older versions of MIUI).

Here you'll see:

• 📊 Total memory (for example, 128 GB).
• 📉 Occupied space by category: applications, images, videos, etc.
• 🔄 Clear button for quick removal of unnecessary files (cache, temporary data).

The new versions of MIUI 14 have slightly changed the interface: now the Storage section can be directly in the main settings menu. If you do not find it, use the search bar at the top of the screen (enter “memory” or “storage”).

💡

If you see a larger “Other” category in the “Storage” section (e.g., 10–20 GB), it is often a cache of system applications. It can be cleared through Settings → Applications → Application Management → Size Filter

2. Viewing memory through the "Files" (MIUI File Manager)

The second way is to use the standard File Application (or MIUI File Manager) that not only shows the space occupied, but also helps you analyze which files occupy the most space.

1. Open the Files app (folder icon).
2. In the bottom panel, click on Categories (or Analysis in older versions).
3. Select the Warehouse tab.

Here you'll see:

• 📱 Diagram of occupied space with a color breakdown by file type.
• 🔍 List of the largest files (for example, videos in the 4K or undeleted APK).
• 🗑️ Clean up button for garbage removal (cache, duplicates, empty folders).

The advantage of this method is detailing. For example, you can see that 5 GB of downloads from Telegram are taken up, or that the DCIM/Camera folder is full of RAW photos. This helps to make space point by point without deleting everything.

3.Use of the engineering menu (for advanced users)

If you want the most accurate memory information, including system, vendor and userdata sections, you can use the engineering menu, which is suitable for Xiaomi based on Qualcomm Snapdragon (most models).

Warning: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose! this can cause malfunctions in the phone.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code ##4636##
3. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information.
4. Scroll down to the Warehouse block.

Here you'll see:

This method is useful if you suspect that a userdata partition is eating up too much space due to file system errors, for example, if the free space suddenly becomes 10-20 GB less for no apparent reason, this may indicate that the partition is corrupted.

Memory check via ADB (for technicians)

If you need detailed memory partition data (for example, for diagnostics or before firmware), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to a computer.

Warning: Enabling USB debugging and working with ADB may pose a security risk. Do not follow commands that you do not know the purpose of.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.

Terminal

adb shell df -h

You'll get a table with the partitions, their size and the space available.

Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on




/dev/block/...  115G   45G   70G  39% /data

This method is useful if you:

• 🔧 Prepare for firmware via Fastboot and you need to check partition integrity.
• 🛠️ Diagnose memory problems (e.g. section) /data filled 100%, but in the interface MIUI It's not visible).
• 📊 Compare the actual and claimed memory (for example, to check whether the seller did not “cheat” with the used phone).

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC| Enable debugging on USB| Download ADB Tools (platform-tools)| Connect your phone with the original cable-->

5. Third-party applications for memory analysis

If standard MIUI tools are not enough, you can use third-party utilities, which offer advanced features such as:

• 🔍 Scanning duplicate files.
• 📊 Visualization of occupied space by folders.
• 🗑️ Cleaning the cache of all applications with one tap.
• 📁 Search for large and old files.

The best apps for Xiaomi:

Example of Files by Google:

1. Install the application and open it.
2. Go to the Cleanup tab.
3. Click Free Space – the program will automatically find unnecessary files (cache, duplicates, old APKs).
4. For detailed analysis, go to the Folders and sort the files by size.

💡

The side of the application may show more free space than the built-in MIUI tools because it takes into account hidden folders (e.g.,.thumbnails or Android/obb).

6. How to check memory on Xiaomi without turning on your phone (via Recovery)

If the phone doesn’t turn on but you need to know the amount of memory you need (like before buying a used device), you can use Recovery mode, which works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note, POCO, and Mi.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up at the same time until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select the language (if required).
4. Go to Advanced → File Manager (or Mount on older versions).
5. View the /data partition – its size corresponds to the user’s memory.

Please note:

• ⚠️ Recovery displays the real size of the partition, excluding system files. /data show 100 GB, then in the interface. MIUI will ~110–115 GB (including system and vendor).
• 🔧 If the Recovery menu is in Chinese, use the Power button to select and Volume to navigate.

7.Why is Xiaomi less memory than claimed?

Many users are surprised to see that on the Xiaomi 128 GB phone only ~115 GB is available. This is not a scam of the manufacturer, but a feature of Android.

• 📱 System partitions: system, vendor, boot, etc. take 5-10 GB.
• 🛠️ Firmware MIUI: It weighs 3-6 GB (depending on version).
• 🔄 Backup Space: Android Leaves Up ~5% of memory for service operations.

For comparison, here’s how memory is distributed across Xiaomi models:

If the difference between the declared and the actual volume exceeds 10-15 GB, this may indicate:

• 🛠️ Damage to the userdata partition (reflashing required).
• 📴 Hidden files from viruses (check with antivirus).
• 🔄 File system errors (resetting via Recovery will help).

💡

On phones with UFS 3.1 (such as the Xiaomi 12T), the difference between claimed and real memory is smaller (~3-5%) than on models with eMMC (~8-12%).

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory on Xiaomi