Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which are based on the shell MIUI or the new HyperOS, are complex computing systems, where the proper allocation of resources plays a critical role. When the device starts to work slower, applications fly out or load for a long time, the first thing an experienced user thinks about the state of the drives. Understanding how much free space is left and how efficiently RAM is used, allows you to extend the life of the gadget without buying a new one.
Many owners confuse concepts, believing that cleaning the messenger cache will free up gigabytes of space, although the problem can lie in a crowded system partition or degradation of the physical chip. Memory diagnostics is not just a look at the numbers in the settings, but a comprehensive analysis of how the system manages data. In this article, we will examine the regular diagnostic tools, hidden engineering menus and advanced methods of checking through the computer.
Don’t ignore the first signs of resource scarcity, as a crowded ROM drive (built-in memory) can cause serious disruptions to the Android operating system.We’ll look at secure ways to free up space and tools that will show a real picture of resource usage for your Redmi, POCO or Black Shark.
Differences between RAM and ROM in Xiaomi smartphones
Before you start cleaning or testing, you need to clearly understand the difference between the two main types of memory installed in your device: RAM (RAM) is a temporary storage where the processor holds running applications and active processes. Once you turn off the phone, the data from the RAM is erased completely. The larger the amount of RAM, the more applications can run in the background without rebooting.
By contrast, ROM (Remote Memory, ROM, or internal memory) is a place for long-term storage, where your photos, your games, your music, and the MIUI operating system are stored. Even after the battery is completely drained, the ROM data is stored, and the speed of the interface and the speed of the application installation are directly dependent on the type and condition of the particular drive.
⚠️ Note: Attempting to remove system files from the ROM section manually through root-right file managers may result in the inability to boot the system (bootloop).
Xiaomi smartphone specifications often include both, such as an 8/256 GB configuration that means 8 GB of fast RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. Understanding this difference will help you interpret the system’s messages about space shortages or the need to close applications correctly.
Staff verification tools through MIUI and HyperOS settings
The easiest and safest way to find out the current state of storage is to use the built-in shell tools. Xiaomi has provided a fairly informative section in the settings that allows you to evaluate the occupancy of partitions without installing third-party software. To navigate to the menu, you need to open Settings and select the "About" item, which displays general information about the model and versions of the software.
More detailed statistics are available via Settings → Memory (or Storage), where the system visualizes the data as a color diagram, showing how much space apps, images, videos and system files occupy, and clicking on a specific category, you can see a list of the most voracious programs and clear their cache.
- 📱 Annexes: show the amount occupied by the established APK-file-and-data.
- 🖼️ Images and videos: gallery and files downloaded from instant messengers.
- 🗑️ Other: often the most mysterious partition, including system cache and residual files.
For quick cleaning, you can use the built-in Security (shield icon) app that every smartphone in the brand has, Cleanup finds temporary files and cache that can be safely removed, but remember that it doesn't do deep partition analysis, only with the surface layer of debris.
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The "Other" section of the storage is often inflated by the cache of Telegram and WhatsApp. Go to the settings of these messengers and clear the cache inside them for better results.
Using the Engineering Menu for Deep Diagnostics
For users who don’t have enough standard reports, Xiaomi provides access to the engineering menu through a special code, which allows you to check not only the volume, but also the technical condition of the drive, as well as see detailed statistics on the use of RAM in real time. To open the menu, open the Phone application and type the combination # # # # # #6484##.
The CIT (Customer Information Test) menu that opens up features a lot of tests for different components: screen, sensor, speakers and memory. We're interested in the section related to the storage, which can be called Storage, Memory or SD Card (if the card is being checked), and you can run a write and read test that will show if there are any broken sectors or critical slowdowns.
You can also see more accurate data on free RAM through the engineering menu than you can in Task Manager, which is useful for identifying parasitic applications that consume resources even when they are folded, and if tests show errors or critically slow response rates, this may indicate physical wear and tear on the memory chip.
What if the code doesn't work?
Memory checks through a computer and ADB-team
The most accurate and technically detailed information about the state of memory can be obtained by connecting the smartphone to the computer and using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) debugging method requires pre-activation of the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About phone and quickly click on the MIUI version or OS version 7 times.
After activation in the menu Additional → For developers, turn on Debugging over USB. Connect your phone to your PC cable and open the command line in the folder with ADB. Entering the command adb shell dumpsys meminfo will give a detailed report on the use of RAM by each process, which is impossible to see with standard means.
adb shell dumpsys meminfoTo check the health of the embedded drive (ROM), you can use a command that asks for file system statistics, which will show the total volume, occupied space and, importantly, the number of available inodes, the exhaustion of which also leads to write errors.
adb shell df /data- 🔍 Filesystem: Filesystem name.
- 📏 Size: Total partition size.
- 📉 Use%: percentage of occupancy.
- 📂 IUse%: Percentage of inode used.
The use of ADB is especially relevant when the system is unstable and you want to understand what process is eating up all RAM. In the meminfo report, processes are sorted by consumption, which allows you to quickly identify the culprit of the lags.
☑️ Preparation for diagnosis through ADB
Analysis of speed and state of the drive
Modern Xiaomi smartphones use different types of memory: eMMC 5.1 in budget models and fast UFS 2.1, UFS 3.1 or UFS 4.0 in flagships. The type of memory depends on the speed of installing games, downloading levels and copying files. You can check the real speed of reading and writing using specialized applications such as A1 Bench or AndroBench available on Google Play.
When testing, pay attention to sequential reading and writing. For UFS 3.1 memory, reading values above 1500 MB/s are normal. If your results are significantly lower than the stated specifications for your model, this may indicate that storage is full or that problems with the controller are beginning.
| Type of memory | Approximate reading speed | Approximate recording speed | Where do you meet? |
|---|---|---|---|
| eMMC 5.1 | up to 300 MB/s | up to 130 MB/s | Budget Redmi |
| UFS 2.1 | up to 500MB/s | up to 150 MB/s | Mid-segment |
| UFS 3.1 | up to 2100 MB/s | up to 1200 MB/s | Xiaomi's flagships |
| UFS 4.0 | up to 4200 MB/s | up to 2800 MB/s | Top models 2023-2026 |
It is important to run speed tests on a device with a storage capacity of no more than 70-80%; a crowded disk runs much slower due to data fragmentation and lack of space for temporary controller operations; and a regular speed check helps to detect the degradation of the drive in time.
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A sharp drop in write speed when testing on a near-full drive is normal, but if the speeds are low on an empty device, it is a sign of a hardware problem.
Optimization and cleaning of system debris
After the diagnosis and identification of occupied space, the question arises about optimization. MIUI They offer a cleanup function, but for deep analysis, you'd better use the Files app. Android/data and Android/obb, where heavy games and applications are often stored.
Special attention should be paid to the folders of messengers. the directory Android/media/com.whatsapp or similar for Telegram can save thousands of viewed but no longer necessary images and videos. their removal through the file manager will free up more space than the standard cache cleaning in the settings.
⚠️ Note: When manually cleaning folders Android/data Do not delete files with the.obb extension for the games you plan to play, otherwise progress may be lost and you will have to download gigabytes of data again.
Also effective is the use of the "Extended Cleanup" function in the Security application, which analyzes large files, duplicates and rarely used applications, and regularly conducting such a procedure (every 1-2 months) helps to keep the system in good shape and avoid critical filling of the ROM partition.