How to check the amount of memory on your Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Why it’s important to know the real amount of memory Xiaomi

Xiaomi smartphones are some of the most popular on the market due to price-to-performance ratios. But even in newer Redmi, Poco or Mi models, users often face memory shortages, and the reason is not always a small storage capacity: MIUI reserves some of the memory for their needs, the application cache takes up gigabytes, and some files are duplicated. Checking available and total memory helps you understand how much space is really left for your photos, videos and applications.

In addition, Xiaomi often encounter cases when the user buys a device with the declared 128 GB, and the settings display 112-116 GB. This is normal: part of the memory is firmware, bootloader and service partitions. But how to distinguish the legal "disappearance" of memory from marriage or fraud? In this article, we will analyze 5 proven methods, including hidden menus and third-party utilities, which will show the exact amount of memory taking into account all the technical nuances of MIUI.

Method 1: Using standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use built-in shell tools. It works on all Xiaomi models, from the budget Redmi 9A to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Instructions are universal for MIUI versions 12-14:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the About phone section (in some firmware - About the device).
3. Select the item "Storage" or "Memory".

Here you will see a diagram of the allocation of memory by categories: System, Applications, Media Files, etc. At the top of the screen will be Total Volume (e.g. 128 GB) and Available (real free space). Please note: if the amount of occupied and free space does not coincide with the total volume, this may indicate hidden system partitions or file system errors.

The presence of the item "Other" - often there are hidden unnecessary files

Application cache size (can take up to 5-10 GB)

Memory capacity occupied by MIUI (usually 8–12 GB)

Free space (if less than 10%, the phone will start to brake)-->

On some devices (like the Poco F5 or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the Cleanup option is available in this menu, which allows you to quickly delete unnecessary files, but does not show detailed information about memory partitions.

Method 2: Using the "Storage and USB" menu

In older versions of MIUI (up to 12th) or on some custom firmware, the path to memory information may differ.

1. Go to Settings. → Memory and USB-storage device (or storage unit).
2. At the top of the screen, select the Internal Memory tab.
3. Scroll down to the Everything block - here is the physical volume of the drive.

This method is useful if there is no Warehouse item in the About Phone section, and you can see how much memory the MIUI update cache (sometimes up to 1-2 GB) takes up, which is safely cleared by the Clean button.

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If the Storage menu displays less memory than the device specs, check for a virtual partition for features like App Cloning or Second Space.

Method 3: Using the MIUI file manager

The integrated file manager (folder icon) not only shows files, but also gives detailed statistics on memory.

1. Open the file manager.
2. In the top panel, press three points (⋮) and select the Warehouse.
3. You will see a pie chart with the distribution of memory by file type.

The advantage of this is that it can be deep scanned, for example, you can see:

• 📁 System files – usually take 6-10 GB, you can not delete them.
• 📱 Appendices - here is the size of each installed APK.
• 🎵 Multimedia – photos, videos and music (often occupy the lion’s share of memory).
• 🗑️ Recycle Bin - deleted files are stored here for up to 30 days and take up space.

If you have Unknown Files or Others over 1-2GB on the list, you can start cleaning or check your phone for viruses. The MIUI file manager has a built-in Deep Cleanup feature that finds duplicates and temporary files.

Once a week.

Only when the phone starts to brake

Never checked.

Using automatic cleaning.-->

Method 4: Through the Engineering Menu (for Advanced)

If standard methods don’t show the full picture (e.g., on dynamic partitioning devices or custom firmware), an engineering menu can be used to access low-level memory information, including system partition sizes and drive types (eMMC/UFS).

Warning: Not all commands on the engineering menu are safe. Don't change the settings unless you're sure they're there!

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) K50 POCO X5 Pro) The engineering menu can be blocked, in which case use the code ##4636##, which works on most devices without root permissions.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and type in the combination: ##284## (some models run ##6484## or #64663##).
2. Select Storage or Storage.
3. Look for the lines Internal Storage (Internal memory) and SD Card (if you have a memory card).

The engineering menu displays the actual physical amount of memory, without regard to service data. For example, if the MIUI settings show 116 GB, and here it is 128 GB, the difference is the system partitions. You can also see the type of memory (UFS 2.2, UFS 3.1, eMMC 5.1), which is useful when buying a used device.

Method 5: Third-party applications for memory analysis

If the built-in MIUI tools seem inadequate, you can use third-party tools that not only show the amount of memory, but also analyze its use, find duplicates and large files.

For example, AIDA64 will display not only the amount of memory, but also:

• 🔧 Type of storage (UFS 3.1 faster than eMMC 5.1).
• 📊 System partition sizes (/system, /vendor, /data).
• ⚡ Read/write speed (useful for checking broken memory cells).

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Clean Master) may show inaccurate memory data or aggressively offer "optimization.

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Third-party apps are useful for deep analysis, but do not replace built-in MIUI tools. For example, only Xiaomi’s file manager can properly clear the system update cache.

Frequent memory problems on Xiaomi and their solutions

Even if you've checked the memory correctly, there may be situations where the place is "disappearing" or the phone is acting strangely, and let's look at the typical cases and how to fix them:

1.Memory is full, but no large files

If the settings display 0 bytes freely but you don’t see large files, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🗑️ Hidden application files (e.g., Telegram or WhatsApp cache can weigh tens of gigabytes).
• 🔄 File system errors (solved by rebooting or by fsck command via ADB).
• 📦 Viruses or malware that create hidden folders.

Solution: Use DiskUsage to search for “invisible” files or reset the cache to Settings → Annexes → All applications → [Select the application] → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

2. the amount of memory is less than the declared

If the Xiaomi 12T Pro with 256 GB displays 230 GB, that’s fine. Manufacturers count 1 GB = 1,000,000 bytes, and the system 1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.

• 📱 Firmware MIUI (~8-12 GB).
• 🔧 Reconstruction section (~1-2 GB).
• 🛡️ Reserved space for updates (~3-5 GB).

If the difference is greater than 15-20 GB, check the device for authenticity (possibly the seller has replaced the drive with a less capacious one).

3.Memory ends quickly after cleaning

A frequent complaint from owners Redmi and Poco: after cleaning after a day or two, the memory is filled again.

• 📸 Autoload media files in messengers (Viber, WhatsApp).
• 🎮 Cache games (Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile can download up to 10 GB of data).
• 🔄 Background synchronization (e.g. Google Photos or Mi Cloud).

Solution: Turn off autoboot in messenger settings and limit the background activity of applications in Settings → Battery and Performance → Background Activity Management.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions