Xiaomi smartphone owners often face internal memory overflows, which significantly slows down the operating system. One reason for the lack of free space is the accumulation of a huge number of temporary files, application cache and residual data after remote programs.
The Android file system is complex enough that not all directories can be touched without consequences. In this article, we will discuss in detail the safe methods of cleaning storage, the use of built-in MIUI tools and third-party file managers. You will learn to distinguish system debris from personal data, which will keep your gadget in excellent condition.
Analysis of the memory occupancy of the smartphone
Before you start taking radical action, you need to do a thorough review of what exactly occupies space on your device. The standard analyzer allows you to quickly identify heavyweights, but to understand the structure of files better use specialized tools. Data visualization helps you understand which parts have bloated to giant sizes.
Notice the "Other" section, which is often found in the vault statistics, which may contain messenger caches, update remnants, and temporary files that can be safely deleted, and ignoring this section can lead to the fact that even after cleaning the gallery, memory will not be freed.
- 📂 Use the built-in storage analyzer in the settings for the initial evaluation.
- 🔍 Carefully examine the "Other" section for large data clusters.
- 🗑️ Check the gallery cart, as deleted photos are often stored there for 30 days.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with the.obb or.apk extension unless you are sure of their origin, as they may be necessary for the operation of games and applications.
Modern versions of the HyperOS and MIUI shell provide more detailed statistics than older versions of Android, and users should take advantage of these advantages to avoid guessing where gigabytes of memory have gone.
Use of the built-in application Explorer
The easiest and safest way to manage files is to use a standard application that is already installed on every Xiaomi device, which has a simple interface and is divided into convenient categories, which makes navigation easier for even inexperienced users.
To access hidden system folders, you need to activate the appropriate option in the conductor settings, which will allow you to see the directory structure more deeply and find those hidden tails from remote applications. However, be careful: access to the root system opens up the possibility of accidental damage to the OS.
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Before removing any unknown folders, copy their content to your computer or cloud storage to be able to recover data in case of an error.
The built-in tool also allows you to sort files by date of change, which is very convenient for finding old garbage. You can quickly find files that have not been opened in years, and without regret eliminate them.
- 📱 Open the "Conductor" app on the main screen.
- ⚙️ Click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings".
- 👁️ Activate the switch to show hidden files".
Once you turn on the hidden object display, you'll see folders that start with a dot, and that's where the application configuration files are often hidden, and they're not automatically deleted.
Removing user folders and garbage
Most of the garbage is created by users themselves in the process of active use of the smartphone. Social networks, messengers and browsers store thousands of temporary files that eventually turn into ballast. Regular cleaning of this data is the key to the speed of your Android smartphone.
Special attention should be paid to the Android/data and Android/obb folders. In newer versions of the operating system, access to them is limited for security reasons, but file managers still allow you to work with their contents.
☑️ Pre-deletion check
Often, users forget about the Download folder, which stores all the files from the Internet, which may contain installation packages that have been installed for a long time, or old presentations and documents.
| The name of the folder | Description of the contents | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| DCIM | Photo and video from the camera | Only unnecessary files. |
| Download | Downloads from the browser | Yeah, unless you have to. |
| MIUI | Shells and topics | Careful, just the cache. |
| Temp | Temporary files | Yes, it's safe. |
When cleaning your MIUI folder, be extremely careful, as removing unnecessary subdirectories can reset personalization settings or remove downloaded themes.
Working with system folders and Android limitations
Since Android 11, Google has imposed severe restrictions on access to system partitions of the file system, designed to protect user data and ensure the stability of the operating system. Attempts to remove system folders without root permissions often result in the "Access Denied" error.
To circumvent these restrictions, you can use special methods, such as connecting your smartphone to your computer in mode. MTP use ADB-However, standard conductor tools will not remove critical system directories, and that is the right thing to do from a security perspective.
⚠️ Warning: Attempting to force removal of system folders through third-party root-rights programs can lead to a device brick and loss of warranty.
If you still decide to work with system files, make sure that you know exactly the purpose of the deleted directory. It is better to leave an extra system folder than delete the desired one and get a cyclical reboot of the smartphone.
What is a Root right?
Modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS have built-in protection against removing important components, so even with developer rights, the system will alert you to the danger.
Cleaning the cache and residual application files
As applications work, they create a lot of temporary files that are designed to speed up their launch, but over time, this cache grows and starts to take up gigabytes of memory without doing any good, and cleaning the cache is a safe way to free up space.
Unlike deleting data, clearing the cache does not affect your personal settings, logins and passwords.You can safely clean the cache of your browser, YouTube, Instagram and other heavy-duty applications. This is especially true for social networks.
- 🚀 Go to the smartphone settings and select "Apps".
- 📱 Find the right application in the list (for example, Telegram).
- 🧹 Click on "Storage" and select "Clear Cache".
There are also special cleaning utilities built into Xiaomi’s shell, which automatically find garbage and suggest removing it, making life much easier for the user.
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Regularly cleaning the messenger cache can free up to 5-10 GB of memory, as they store all the media files viewed locally.
Remember that once the cache is cleared, applications can load a little longer on the first run, as they will have to re-form temporary files.
Using a computer for deep cleaning
Connecting a smartphone to a computer through USB-The cable gives you access to the entire file system without the limitations of the mobile OS. This is the most reliable way to remove large folders that are inconvenient to remove from the small screen.
When you connect, select File Transfer (MTP) mode, and then your smartphone will appear in My Computer as a removable disk, where you can see the real folder structure and remove the extra mouse using the usual keyboard shortcuts.
This method is particularly useful for removing duplicate photos or heavy video files that need to be transferred to a computer's hard drive first.
USB debugging mode is not required for simple file copying.
You may need to use specialized software.Once the cleanup is complete, be sure to safely extract the device to avoid damaging the file system.