How to check the memory of the Xiaomi phone: diagnosis and cleaning

Modern Xiaomi smartphones, whether flagship Mi or budget Redmi, offer users a wide range of features, but over time, even a powerful device can face a shortage of resources. System memory is a critical component that directly affects the speed of the interface, the speed of application launch and the stability of the operating system MIUI or HyperOS. When free space ends, the phone starts to work slowly, applications fly out, and new programs stop installing.

Device owners need to regularly monitor their storage to avoid emergencies. Unlike computers that require third-party utilities, Xiaomi’s Android shell has powerful diagnostic tools built in. User experience shows that timely inspection can extend the life of the gadget and keep it running at a high level for several years of use.

In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways to check Xiaomi phone memory, including hidden engineering codes, standard system settings, and specialized applications. Diagnostics does not require deep technical knowledge, but requires careful execution of certain commands so as not to accidentally delete important data or disrupt the operation of system files.

⚠️ Warning: Before conducting a deep diagnosis or cleaning the system cache, be sure to back up important data, as some methods can lead to loss of information.

Analysis of the built-in MIUI system

The easiest and safest way to know how much free space you have on your device is to use the regular Security app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones and provides basic but useful information about the state of internal storage. To start the check, open the app, which usually has a green icon with a shield, and find the Cleanup or Accelerate section.

Once you scan, you'll see a detailed breakdown of how much space apps, photos, videos, music, and other garbage take up. By clicking on the "Clean Up" button, you can delete temporary files that often inflate the amount of memory you're using. Social media and instant messenger cache data can take up gigabytes, and deleting them is safe for programs to run.

You can get more detailed information through your smartphone settings. Go to Settings menu → About phone → Storage. Here you can see a pie diagram that visualizes the distribution of space. You can see what exactly takes up the most space: the system, applications or user files. This helps you understand whether you need to delete old videos or uninstall- or rarely used games.

• 📱 Visualization: Color diagram shows the ratio of occupied and free space.
• 🗑️ Cleanup: Quick Cleanup Button Allows System Garbage to Be Removed in One Click.
• 📂 Categorization: Files are broken down by type for easy management.

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The built-in Security app is the first tool to use to quickly assess memory status without installing third-party software.

Using CIT's Hidden Engineering Menu

For deeper verification, including physical fitness testing of memory modules, Xiaomi smartphones have a special CIT (Customer Interface Test) engineering menu, which is accessed through a special code that is entered in the dialing field, which allows you to check not only the volume, but also the response of the drive, which is useful when buying a used device or diagnosing crashes.

To get to the menu, open the Phone app and dial the combination ##6484##. If the code is entered correctly, the test list will open. Find the item associated with Internal Storage or Mainboard to run the read and write test. The system will record the test file and count it, checking the integrity of the data. If the test is passed, you will see the message "Pass", if there are errors, "Fail".

It's important to understand that the CIT menu is for service engineers, so some tests may not be clear to the average user. Memory testing is a stress test here: it loads the controller. You shouldn't run it too often or keep it running for a long time without having to cause the device to heat up too much.

• 🔧 Access: Enter ##6484## in dialer.
• 📝 Check: Test of recording and reading sectors of the drive.
• ✅ Result: Clear indication of passing or failing the test.

Checking RAM (RAM) and virtual extension

In addition to permanent storage (ROM), critical memory (RAM) is the storage of running applications. On modern Xiaomi devices with the shell MIUI 12.5, MIUI 13, 14 and HyperOS, the function is available “Memory Extension”, which allows part of the permanent storage for the needs of RAM, creating a so-called swap file.

Check the current state of RAM in the Settings → Expansion of memory (the path may vary depending on the model). Here you will see how many gigabytes of physical memory is available and how much is added virtual. Virtual memory is slower than physical, so do not expect performance miracles, but for the background of many applications it is a useful option.

You can use a built-in accelerator floating ball or third-party widgets to monitor RAM load in real time. If the indicator shows that free RAM is constantly close to zero, the system begins to actively use swaps, which can lead to micro-latency, in such cases it is recommended to close the background applications or restart the device.

Diagnostics SD-map and external storage

If your smartphone has a MicroSD card installed, its status also requires regular checks. Flash memory has a limited resource of overwriting cycles, and over time it can degrade, leading to loss of photos and corruption of files. Android allows you to check the status of the card through the Settings → Storage menu.

In this section, select yours. SD-The system will show you the amount of space you have and the amount of space you have, and it will also allow you to format, and formatting is a radical but effective way to fix the logical errors of the file system. Before you do this, make sure to copy all the data to your computer or to the cloud, as everything will be deleted in the process.

⚠️ Note: If the system is often written «SD-The card is damaged" or "Formatting required" may have physically failed, and trying to revive such a card by recording important data may result in its complete loss.

For more detailed reading and writing speed checks on Android, there are apps like the A1 SD Bench or SD Maid that run speed tests and compare results to standards, and if the speed has dropped well below the card manufacturer's stated speed, it's a sure sign that the drive is worn out and it's time to replace it with a newer and more reliable one.

• 💾 Monitoring: Regularly check card status in settings.
• 🔄 Formatting: Use FAT32 or exFAT for compatibility.
• ⚡ Speed: Card class (A1, A2, U3) impacts the speed of applications.

Third-party applications for in-depth analysis

Android’s regular tools are sometimes not enough to detect hidden problems, such as duplicate files, large forgotten downloads, or deep file system analysis. In such cases, specialized applications from Google Play come to the rescue. One of the most popular and secure tools is DiskUsage or its modern counterparts.

DiskUsage scans memory and displays the result as a handy map of a tree, where the size of each rectangle corresponds to the size of a file or folder. This allows you to instantly find the "eaters" of space that are hidden in the depths of system folders or forgotten game caches. Visualization makes the cleaning process intuitive even for inexperienced users.

Another powerful tool is Files by Google, which is the official app from the search giant that integrates perfectly with Android, and it can find fuzzy photos, old screenshots and files that you may have already sent in messengers, but they are preserved in the gallery.

Cache cleanup and storage optimization

Once you have the diagnosis and the problem areas are identified, you have the optimization phase. App cache is a temporary file that speeds up the program launch, but over time grows to a giant size. Cache cleaning doesn't delete your logins and passwords, but it can reset some settings within specific applications, so be prepared to log in again.

For mass cleaning, you can use the built-in Cleanup feature in the Security app. Click on the broom icon and the system will prompt you to delete temporary files. It is also useful to go to Settings → Apps → All apps, sort the list by size and manually check heavy programs (social networks, browsers, maps).

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Regularly restarting your phone (at least once a week) helps the system automatically reset some temporary files and free up RAM, which has a positive effect on overall performance.

Don't forget the Download folder. Often users download APK installation files, documents or pictures that are no longer needed. Manually sorting this folder once a month is a great habit that will free up hundreds of megabytes of space. Also check the WhatsApp, Telegram folders, where all received media files are automatically saved, even if you've already viewed them in the chat.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)