How to check the operational and internal memory on the smartphone Xiaomi: all the ways

Owners of Xiaomi smartphones sooner or later face the need to check the memory status of the device โ€” whether it is RAM, which is responsible for multitasking, or internal storage, where files, applications and cache accumulate. From suspected memory shortages to sudden lags or errors when installing new programs, in this article we will examine all the available methods of memory verification on Xiaomi, Redmi and other phones. POCO โ€” standard-tool MIUI Professional utilities and hidden functions.

It's important to understand that just freeing up space through cache cleaning doesn't always solve the problem. Sometimes, you need a deep diagnosis: fragmentation testing, process analysis of RAM usage, or even hardware malfunction testing. We'll show you how to do this without and with root rights, and we'll also give you recommendations for memory optimization for scenarios ranging from gaming smartphones to budget models with 3 GB of RAM.

1. Memory check through standard MIUI settings

The easiest way to assess memory status is to use built-in tools. MIUI. This method is suitable for all modern Xiaomi smartphones, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 And Mi 13. Here's how to do it:

Open the Settings. โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Memory (on some firmware, the path may differ: Settings) โ†’ The vault. You'll see here:

  • ๐Ÿ“Š Total internal memory and how much is occupied.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Distribution by category: applications, multimedia, system files, cache.
  • ๐Ÿงน Clean button to delete unnecessary files (including cache and temporary data).
  • โš™๏ธ Detailed report on each file type (available on the MIUI 13+).

To check the RAM go to Settings โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Memory. โ†’ RAM (or Settings) โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Memory status on older versions. This is displayed here:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Current use of real-time RAM.
  • ๐Ÿ“‰ Memory loading schedule for the last 24 hours.
  • ๐Ÿ” List of applications that consume the most resources.

๐Ÿ’ก

If there is no detailed information about RAM in the Memory section, try running Security. โ†’ Optimization โ†’ Memory โ€“ there is often extended data.

Please note: in MIUI 14 and later, the Deep Clean feature is added, which analyzes not only the cache, but also duplicate files, large media and rarely used applications. However, this tool can delete data from some games (e.g. save in Genshin Impact or Honkai Star Rail) if it is stored in standard folders.

2. Use of the "Safety" application for diagnostics

Xiaomiโ€™s Security app is not only an antivirus, but also a powerful tool for monitoring the system.

  • ๐Ÿ” View detailed statistics on the use of RAM by processes.
  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Analyze junk files, including residual data after deleting applications.
  • ๐Ÿ“Š See the history of memory loading for a week.

To take advantage of these functions:

  1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
  2. Go to the Optimization tab.
  3. Choose Memory or Warehouse (depending on version) MIUI).
  4. Press Verification to scan the system.

Especially useful function "Memory Analysis", which shows:

  • ๐Ÿ“ Large files (video, APK, archive).
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Duplicate photos and documents.
  • ๐Ÿ—ƒ๏ธ Unused applications (installed more than 3 months ago and not running).
๐Ÿ“Š How often do you clean your memory on Xiaomi?
Once a week.
Once a month
Only when the phone starts to brake
Never clean.
Using automatic cleaning.

โš ๏ธ Attention: The Smart Cleanup feature in the Security app removes the cache of all applications by default, including data for quick launch (for example, on Instagram or TikTok). If you care about the speed of opening applications, turn off automatic cleanup in the optimization settings.

3. Memory check through developer modes

For advanced users who need more information, a developer mode is suitable.

  • ๐Ÿ“Š See real-time memory usage by process.
  • ๐Ÿ”ง Customize background process limits (useful for devices with 4GB of RAM or less).
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Turn on the debugging. USB use ADB.

To activate the developer mode:

  1. Go to Settings. โ†’ The phone.
  2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified "You became a developer").
  3. Return to Settings โ†’ Additional settings โ†’ For developers.

In the developer section, find:

  • Average memory usage - shows the RAM load schedule for the last 3/6/12 hours.
  • Memory is a detailed report on each running process (including system processes).
  • Process limit โ€“ allows you to limit the number of background tasks (useful for saving battery).
How to limit background processes to save RAM?
In Developer Mode, find the Process Limit parameter and select: - Standard Limit (default) - No background processes (maximum savings, but applications will reboot) - Maximum 2 process (optimally for the 3-4 GB RAM) - Maximum 4 process (for the purpose of 6+ GB RAM) After the change, restart the phone.

To analyze internal memory through ADB (For example, to check for broken sectors, use the command:

adb shell df -h

This command will display a list of all memory partitions, indicating the free and occupied space, /data) use:

adb shell df -h /data

4. Third-party applications for deep diagnostics

If the built-in tools MIUI Not enough, you can use third-party utilities, and we tested some popular apps and selected the best ones for Xiaomi:

AnnexFunctionsPlusesCons
DevCheckDetailed information about RAM, storage, processorNo ads, showing chip temperatureNo memory cleanup.
AIDA64Performance tests, file system analysisSupports root, checks the speed of reading / writingPaid version for extended tests
SD MaidCache cleaning, duplicate search, database analysisDeep scanning, supports rootA complex interface for beginners
Files by GoogleDisposal of garbage, analysis of large filesSimple interface, integration with Google DriveNo information on RAM

To check the speed of internal memory (relevant in case of suspicion of wear of the flash drive) we recommend AIDA64:

  1. Install the app from Google Play.
  2. Go to the Warehouse section โ†’ Memory test.
  3. Run a read/write test (at least 1 GB of occupy for accurate results).

Normal indicators for modern Xiaomi smartphones:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฅ Reading: 300โ€“800 MB/s (UFS 2.1/2.2), 100โ€“300 MB/s (eMMC).
  • ๐Ÿ“ค Recording: 150-400MB/s (UFS), 50โ€“150 MB/s (eMMC).

โš ๏ธ Note: If the recording speed is below 50 MB/s on devices with UFS 2.1 (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro), this may indicate wear of flash memory or problems with the controller, in which case we recommend backing up the data and contacting the service center.

5. Memory check via PC (ADB and Fastboot)

For users who prefer to work with their phone via a computer, there are several ways to diagnose memory using the device. ADB And Fastboot, which is a good way to do this:

  • ๐Ÿ”ง Checks for broken sectors (bad blocks).
  • ๐Ÿ“Š Analysis of memory usage in real time.
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Cache reset without data loss.

First, make sure that the PC is installed:

  • ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ ADB Fastboot (you can download it via Googleโ€™s Platform Tools).
  • ๐Ÿ”Œ Drivers for Xiaomi (if Windows does not recognize the device).
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Included debugging by USB phone-on.

The main commands for memory check:

View information about memory sections


adb shell df -h




Checking the free space in /data (where user data is stored)



adb shell df -h /data




Read/write speed test (requires root)



adb shell "echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches"




adb shell "dd if=/dev/zero of=/sdcard/testfile bs=1M count=1024; rm /sdcard/testfile"




Clearing the cache (safe, does not delete user data)



adb shell pm trim-caches 1000000000

To check for broken sectors (root required):

adb shell


su




badblocks -v /dev/block/mmcblk0pXX

(substitute mmcblk0pXX on the relevant section, for example, mmcblk0p53 for /data).

โ˜‘๏ธ Preparation for memory verification through ADB

Done: 0 / 5

6. How to check memory for wear (for advanced users)

Flash memory in smartphones has a limited record life (usually 3000-5000 cycles for eMMC and 10 000 cycles).+ for UFS). Over time, the memory cells wear out, which leads to:

  • ๐Ÿข Slow down recording (phone "thought" when installing applications).
  • ๐Ÿ’ฅ Sudden reboots with intensive use.
  • ๐Ÿšซ File saving errors (for example, photos are not saved to the gallery).

You can check the memory wear by:

  1. AccuBattery applications (shows battery health and indirectly memory status).
  2. Smartctl teams through ADB (root):
adb shell


su




smartctl -a /dev/block/mmcblk0

Critical parameters in the output of smartctl:

  • Media_Wearout_Indicator โ€” shows wear in percentage (the lower the worse).
  • Avg_Erase_Count โ€” average number of erasure cycles.
  • Max_Erase_Count โ€” Maximum number of cycles for the most worn cell.

If Media_Wearout_Indicator below 30%, It means that the memory is very worn out and may fail in the near future:

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Make backup copies regularly.
  • ๐Ÿšซ Avoid heavy recording (e.g., video shooting in the video) 4K).
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Consider replacing the motherboard (at the service center).

๐Ÿ’ก

If your Xiaomi is over 3 years old and has been actively used to record videos, take photos in the video. RAW or frequent application updates, the probability of memory wear is much higher.

7.Memory optimization: tips for different scenarios

Just checking your memory isn't enough -- it's important to optimize it correctly. Here are some tips for different situations.

๐Ÿ“ฑ For devices with 3-4 GB of RAM (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3)

  • ๐ŸŽฎ Use Game Turbo for games โ€“ it temporarily frees up RAM.

๐ŸŽฎ For gaming smartphones (Black Shark, POCO F4 GT)

  • ๐Ÿ”ฅ Enable the performance mode in the battery settings.
  • ๐Ÿงน Clean up the game cache after the session (for example, in Genshin Impact, the cache can take up to 8 GB).
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Reboot your phone every 2-3 days to reset your memory.

๐Ÿ“ธ For photographers (a lot) RAW-photo)

  • ๐Ÿ“ Store media on a memory card (if supported).
  • โ˜๏ธ Set up automatic downloads in Google Photos or Mi Cloud.
  • ๐Ÿ—ƒ๏ธ Use Files by Google to find and remove duplicates.

๐Ÿ”‹ To save battery and memory

  • โšก Turn off auto-update apps on Google Play.
  • ๐Ÿ›‘ Freeze unnecessary system applications through ADB:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.weather2

(substitute com.miui.weather2 slack-up).

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory on Xiaomi

๐Ÿ” How to know how much memory is used by system files?
Go to Settings. โ†’ Warehouse โ†’ System files. This is the volume that's occupied. MIUI, On some models (for example, Mi 11), this partition can take up to 12-15 GB.
โšก Why does it fill up quickly after cleaning up the memory?
It's connected to: ๐Ÿ”„ App cache (especially social networks and instant messengers). ๐Ÿ“ฅ Auto-update applications in the background. ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Remnants of Remote Applications (Folders in the /Android/obb/). Solution: Turn off auto-update in Google Play and regularly clean the obb folder manually.
๐ŸŽฎ Can I increase the memory on Xiaomi?
Physically, no, but some models (POCO X5 Pro, Redmi Note 12 Pro+) Supports virtual RAM (using part of the internal memory as RAM) to enable: Go to Settings โ†’ Additional settings โ†’ Expand memory. Select volume (usually 1-3 GB). Reboot your phone. โš ๏ธ This is a temporary solution โ€“ virtual RAM is slower than the physical one.
๐Ÿ› ๏ธ What to do if your phone shows โ€œMemory is fullโ€ but there are few files?
Causes: ๐Ÿ—ƒ๏ธ Hidden files (such as.thumbnails in a folder) DCIM). ๐Ÿ” File system errors (check through the AIDA64). ๐Ÿ“ฆ Residual data after update MIUI (folder /cache). Solution: Delete the.thumbnails folder (it will recover automatically). Launch the adb shell rm -rf /cache/* (Reset to factory settings (if the problem persists).
๐Ÿ”„ How to transfer applications to a memory card?
Starting with MIUI 12 and Android 10, porting apps to SD-The map is limited: ๐Ÿ“ Use the card as a portable storage device (but not all apps will support it). โ˜๏ธ Transfer application media files (such as game cache) manually. ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ For root users: application App2SD.