How to Increase Xiaomi’s Internal Memory: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the device starts to work slower due to overcrowded storage. Android requires free space for data caching and correct operation of background processes, so ignoring warnings about space shortage can lead to failures. Increasing the available volume is not only deleting unnecessary files, but also competent optimization of the entire file system.

There are many ways to address the problem of a lack of gigabytes, from simple settings in the menu to the use of external media. The internal memory of a smartphone is its desktop, and if it is littered with garbage, it becomes impossible to find the right tools. In this article, we will discuss proven methods that will help you free up valuable space without losing important data.

Before we start taking drastic measures, it is worth analyzing what exactly takes up space. Often users do not even suspect that hidden social network caches or forgotten downloads can take up tens of gigabytes. The right approach to file management will extend the life of your gadget and speed up its operation.

Analysis of vault occupancy

The first step to freeing up space is detailed diagnostics. The standard MIUI or HyperOS shell provides built-in monitoring tools, but they don't always show the full picture. You need to understand the filling structure to remove exactly what inflates the system, rather than just erase files at random.

Use the built-in Security app, which is pre-installed on all the brand’s devices. Go to Cleanup and wait for the scan to be completed. The system will prompt you to delete temporary files, but before confirming, you better click on the Analysis button to see a detailed report by category.

And look at the Download folder and the Big Files section, and often there are APK installation packages that have been used, or high-resolution video files that have been forgotten after viewing, and manually checking those sections allows you to quickly find and remove gigabytes of useless junk.

• 📂 Open Explorer and sort files by size to find heavyweights».
• 📱 Check (busy) in the storage settings for each application separately.
• 🗑️ Pay attention to the shopping cart in the gallery - deleted photos can be stored there for up to 30 days.

⚠️ Note: When analyzing large files, be careful with the.obb and.data file extensions. Deleting them can lead to loss of progress in games or reset application settings.

Cleaning cache and junk application files

The most voracious in terms of accumulating temporary data are messengers and social networks. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store every photo and video you view in the memory of the device, even if you have already deleted correspondence. Clearing the cache is a safe way to return gigabytes, since it does not delete your personal chats, but only temporary display files.

For good cleaning, it is better to use the built-in functions of the applications themselves, not just the system cleaner. For example, on Telegram you can set up automatic deletion of the media cache after 3 days or a week, which will prevent the growth of folders with images in the future.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps and select the messenger you want. Go to Storage and click Clear Cache. Don’t confuse this button with Clear All, which will delete your authorization and messaging database.

💡

Set up in Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use → Store media → 3 days. This will automatically free up space without losing access to files in the messenger cloud.

Regularly cleaning the browser cache also gives a tangible result, especially if you often watch videos online. Browsers save thumbnails and temporary page files to speed up loading, but over time this “accelerator” turns into a brake that takes up space.

• 🧹 Use the Deep Clean feature in the Security app once a week.
• 📸 Turn off WhatsApp status autosave to the gallery so duplicates don’t accumulate.
• 🌐 Regularly clean up your download history in Chrome or Yandex.

Use of the SD-maps and virtual memory

If your smartphone has a memory card slot, this is the easiest way to expand the physical volume. SD-The map is not only a photo storage, but also an extension for installing applications.

To install applications on external media in MIUI, you often need to activate a hidden function or use the "Memory Extension" mode. In new Xiaomi models, virtual expansion is available, where part of the permanent memory is allocated to the RAM, but this is a slightly different technology.

To move the data, insert the card into the slot and wait for notifications. The system will suggest formatting the drive. Select the option "Use as internal storage" if you want to install applications there, or "Use as portable storage" for photos and videos.

⚠️ Note: Formatting a memory card to internal storage encrypts data. You can't read this card on another device without re-formatting, which will delete all files.

Optimization of multimedia and cloud services

Photos and videos are the main consumers of space in a modern smartphone. Instead of storing thousands of pictures in memory, it is smarter to use cloud services. Google Photos and Xiaomi Cloud allow you to free up space with a single click, saving copies on the Internet.

Google Photos has a convenient "Free Space" feature that finds images that have already been successfully uploaded to the cloud and deletes a local copy of them, which is safe because you can always browse the photos online or re-download them as needed.

If you rarely print large-format photos, there is no point in storing the originals at maximum resolution, switching the camera to optimization mode or using compression formats that save up to 40% of space without visible loss of quality on the smartphone screen.

• ☁️ Activate the “Free Place” feature in Google Photos.
• 📹 Set up video recording in format H.265 (HEVC) saving space with high quality.
• 🔄 Turn on sync only over Wi-Fi so you don’t waste traffic.

Removing System Applications and Bloatware

Xiaomi smartphones often come with software preinstalled that the user doesn’t always need, and some of these apps can be removed in the standard way, but more advanced methods will be needed to remove the system’s “junk” (Bloatware).

To safely remove system components without obtaining Root rights, you can use the Xiaomi utility ADB/Fastboot Tools on a computer, which allows you to deactivate or delete system packets that are usually hidden from the user.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.bloatware_name

Enter commands only after carefully checking the name of the package on the Internet.Removing critical system services such as com.miui.securitycenter or telephony components can lead to a cyclical reboot of the device.

⚠️ Warning: Never delete packages associated with Framework, SystemUI or Telephony unless you're an expert.This can turn a smartphone into a brick».

Resetting settings as a last resort

If none of these methods worked and the memory is filled up instantly even after cleaning, it may be that the system has accumulated file system errors or malware, in which case the most effective solution would be a complete reset to factory settings.

This procedure will put your smartphone back out of the box, and all data, accounts, and apps will be deleted, so be sure to back up important information to your computer or cloud before you start the process.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset. Select “Erase All Data.” The process will take a few minutes, after which the phone will restart clean. This often solves problems with “bloating” the system that cannot be fixed manually.

💡

Full reset is the only way to ensure that hidden system errors and remnants of remote applications that take up space are removed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)