Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face situations where the device is slowing down, apps are crashing or the system reports a lack of space to install updates. Understanding how to check Xiaomi’s memory becomes a critical skill for keeping the gadget running. RAM and embedded memory (ROM) are two different resources, and they should not be confused, as the methods of diagnosis and cleaning are significantly different.
The modern MIUI shell and the new HyperOS provide users with powerful built-in tools to monitor resources. However, standard tools may not be enough to deeply check the state of the drive or identify broken sectors. In this guide, we will examine everything from simple visual checks in settings to using an engineering menu and third-party utilities for stress testing.
Don't ignore the first signs of storage degradation or clipboard overflow. Timely diagnosis helps avoid personal data loss and prolongs the life of your smartphone. Next, we'll look in detail where to find accurate information about the free space and how to assess the real speed of your device.
Differences between RAM and ROM in Android
Before we go into diagnostics, we need to understand the difference between memory types: RAM is a temporary storage facility where the applications and processes that are running right now are located, and it's cleared when you turn off your phone or force processes to stop, and the more RAM you have, the faster you switch programs.
By contrast, persistent memory (ROM or ROM) is used to store the operating system, photos, videos, music and installed applications, a parameter that often raises questions among users when space runs out for new files. Xiaomi smartphones use types of eMMC drives or faster UFS, and their wear and tear over time affects the overall speed of work.
⚠️ Warning: Constant confusion between gigabytes of RAM and ROM leads to wrong optimization actions. Deleting photos won't free up RAM, and closing apps won't add room for new files.
For Android to work properly, it is important that both types of resources are loaded by no more than 80-85%. If RAM is full, the system begins to aggressively unload the background processes, which leads to a constant reboot of applications when returning to them.
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Use the Memory widget on the MIUI desktop for instant access to RAM cleanup, but don’t abuse the Acceleration feature, as it can force you to close the necessary system services.
Visual verification through smartphone settings
The easiest and safest way to check Xiaomi's memory is to use a regular interface. The system provides detailed statistics without having to install additional software. To start, go to the Settings menu and select About Phone, which displays general information about the processor model, Android version and the amount of internal storage.
For more detailed analysis, click on the Warehouse bar (or “Memory” in older versions of MIUI). The system will perform a quick analysis and show how much space is occupied by applications, how much is occupied by images, and how much is allocated for system files. Color indication will help quickly assess the criticality of the situation: green means normal, red – critical shortage.
The cleanup function is also available in this section, and by clicking the Clean button, you'll launch a built-in scanner that will prompt you to remove cache, old installer packages, and duplicate files, a secure procedure that won't affect your personal data, but will free up valuable space.
It is worth noting that the manufacturer’s stated memory capacity is always less than the actual amount available to the user. Part of the ROM is reserved for the recovery partitions and the Android operating system itself with the shell, so on a device with 64 GB on board, the user is available approximately 50-54 GB.
Using the CIT Engineering Menu for Diagnostics
For more in-depth verification, including physical health testing of memory chips, Xiaomi smartphones have a hidden CIT (Customer Integration Test) engineering menu, accessed through a set of special code in the Phone app. Enter the command ##6484##. If the code is entered correctly, a list of dozens of tests will open.
You'll find the items in the test list that are associated with the storage, usually called the Main Storage Test or Internal Storage, and you'll see that you can actually write and read the data to the internal drive, and the system will write the test file, count it, and compare the checksums, and if you pass the test successfully, you'll see the green Pass.
☑️ Check through CIT menu
The RAM test usually takes longer and loads the processor, checks the memory cells for errors, and if your phone suddenly restarts during this test or gives a Fail error, it may indicate a physical malfunction of the motherboard.
⚠️ Warning: Be careful in the engineering menu. Do not run tests that are not sure of the purpose (for example, tests calibration of sensors or screen) so as not to bring down the factory settings of the device.
The engineering menu is a powerful tool for service centers, and for the average user, it is enough to pass basic storage tests, and if tests show errors, it is recommended to back up the data immediately, since the drive can fail at any time.
Checking the speed and state of the drive
Over time, the speed of reading and writing data on flash memory can decrease, especially on models with the type of memory eMMC, which degrade faster than modern UFS 3.1 or 4.0. To check the real speed, built-in tools are not enough, so you will have to use third-party applications, such as A1 Bench or AndroBench.
These utilities run a series of tests: sequential reading, sequential writing, random reading and random writing. Results are given in megabytes per second (MB / s). For modern Xiaomi smartphones, medium and high-end are normal sequential reading performance above 500 MB / s for UFS. If you see numbers around 100-150 MB / s on the new flagship, this is a reason to think about diagnosis.
You can compare your results using the table below, which gives approximate values for the different types of memory used in Redmi and POCO devices:
| Type of memory | Consecutive reading (MB/c) | Consecutive recording (MB/s) | Characteristic models |
|---|---|---|---|
| eMMC 5.1 | 250 - 300 | 100 - 130 | Redmi 9, Redmi Note 9 |
| UFS 2.1 | 450 - 500 | 150 - 200 | Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 |
| UFS 3.1 | 1500 - 1800 | 700 - 900 | POCO F3, Xiaomi 11/12 |
| UFS 4.0 | 3000 - 4000 | 2000+ | Xiaomi 13/14, POCO F5 Pro |
Why is the speed dropping?
Low recording speeds are especially critical when shooting high-resolution (4K/8K) video. If memory fails to record the data stream, video recording is interrupted or frames are skipped, so benchmarking is useful not only for hardware assessment, but also for understanding device limitations in multimedia tasks.
Memory Analysis with ADB and PC
For advanced users who want to know everything about their device, there is a method of checking through USB debugging and a computer. By connecting the smartphone to a PC and installing ADB drivers (Android Debug Bridge), you can access system statistics hidden from the usual interface, which requires entering a command in the terminal.
The adb shell dumpsys meminfo team will provide a detailed account of how RAM is distributed, and you will see a list of all processes, their priorities, and the exact memory consumption in kilobytes, which helps to identify memory eaters that are not visible in the standard task manager.
adb shell dumpsys meminfo | grep"Total RAM"To check the status of the built-in drive, you can use the command adb shell df (disk free) to show the use of blocks in all parts of the file system. More detailed information about the health of the drive (if supported by the controller) can sometimes be obtained through the adb shell cat. /sys/class/mmc_host/mmc0/mmc0:0001/health, Although on many devices, this path is closed by access rights.
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Using ADB allows you to see hidden system processes that can consume resources in the background, going unnoticed in normal use.
Working with ADB requires care. Error commands can lead to unstable operation of the system, so before starting manipulations, it is recommended to study the documentation or use graphical shells for ADB if (command line) causes difficulties.
Cleaning and optimizing storage
Once you have checked Xiaomi's memory and found a lack of space, you need to clean it properly. Don't rely on automatic cleaners. Start with the Download folder, where APK installation files, forgotten documents and temporary messenger files often accumulate.
Pay special attention to the app cache. In MIUI, you can go to Settings → Apps → All apps, select a heavy app (like Telegram or YouTube) and click Clear → Clear cache. It is important not to confuse it with the Clean Everything (or Reset) button, as this will delete your logins and settings inside the application.
- 📸 Gallery: Check out the album "Deleted" - photos can be stored there for another 30 days, taking up space.
- 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp and Telegram store all received videos and photos. Use built-in cleaning tools inside the applications themselves (Settings) → Data and storage).
- 🗑️ System garbage: Files with the.tmp or.log extension at the root of internal memory can often be safely deleted.
An effective way to free up space is to transfer media files to cloud storage (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk, Mi Cloud) and then delete them from the device. You can also use the function "Storage Optimization", which stores the original photos in the cloud, and leaves them on the phone reduced copies.
⚠️ Warning: Before manually cleaning files, always double-check their contents. Delete system folders with names like Android, MIUI or data may cause resets or application failure.