Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are powerful multimedia devices that can store huge amounts of data. However, it often happens that the owner of a gadget does not fully understand what exactly his internal space is occupied. Knowing how to find out how much memory on a Xiaomi phone is a critical skill for maintaining high performance of the device. Lack of free space is one of the most common reasons why the system starts to work slowly and applications stop running correctly.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for diagnosing storage, learn how to distinguish between memory types, learn how to find hidden files that can take up gigabytes, and understand why the manufacturer’s 128 GB in practice are equal to 110 GB. MIUI and the new HyperOS provide users with powerful tools for analysis, but they are not always obvious at first glance.
Differences between RAM and ROM: What is what?
Before we get to specific verification steps, you need to understand the terminology. Xiaomi smartphone specifications always have two digits, like 8/256 GB. The first digit is RAM. It's a fast storage that right now runs the applications and processes you're running on the system. The larger that number, the more programs can run simultaneously without rebooting.
The second digit is embedded memory (ROM), or as it is often called, storage. This is where your photos, videos, installed games, music and the operating system are stored. When you hear the phrase "run out of memory on your phone," it's almost always about a lack of space in the ROM. RAM can be cleared in one click, but it's often harder to free up storage.
💡
Remember that RAM is automatically cleared by the system when resources are scarce, but a constant shortage of storage space (ROM) leads to critical system errors.
It's also important to consider that manufacturers use a binary number system to label chips, and the operating system is decimal. That's why on a 128GB device, you see about 115-118GB available. The rest of the space is reserved for system files and file system structure. This is normal for all Android smartphones, not a defect in a particular instance.
Checking through standard system settings
The easiest and most reliable way to know the exact amount of occupied and vacant space is to use the built-in Android interface. This method works equally well on older versions of MIUI and on the current HyperOS. First, you need to unlock the screen and find the Settings icon, which usually looks like a gear.
Once you enter the settings menu, scroll down to About Phone. In some versions of the shell, this section may simply be called About. This is where you get all the technical information about your gadget, including the processor model, Android version, and of course, storage data. Click on the memory digits bar to see a detailed breakdown.
☑️ Memory verification algorithm
In the window that opens, you'll see a color diagram or a strip, where you'll see different colors for file categories: apps, images, video, audio, etc. The system itself calculates how many gigabytes each category takes up, which allows you to instantly understand what's eating up your space. If other files are the majority, you should do a deeper cleaning.
Use of the Application Security
Xiaomi preinstalles its own security app on all its devices, and it's not just an antivirus, it's a powerful system maintenance combine that includes an advanced memory analyzer, which you can find in the Tools folder on your desktop or by searching for settings. Launch the app and select Cleanup.
The scanner will quickly analyze the contents of the drive and suggest removing the cache, advertising files and remnants of deleted applications. However, we are not so much interested in cleaning as statistics. By clicking on the "Clean" button or going to the "Deep Clean" section, you will be taken to the menu, where the files are sorted by size, and here you can find heavy video files in messengers, which you may have forgotten about.
⚠️ Warning: Be careful when using Deep Clean. Do not delete files labeled as Systems or files with incomprehensible names in the Android folder unless you are sure of their purpose.
A unique feature of this tool is the ability to sort files by the date of the last change, which is extremely useful for finding forgotten screenshots or videos that were taken a few months ago and are no longer needed.
Detailed analysis through the conductor
For those who want to know everything about their device, the standard Explorer will be an indispensable tool. Unlike the general settings, it shows the real structure of the folders. Open the Explorer app (folder icon) and at the top of the screen select the Fiddles tab or go to the root directory, often designated /storage/emulated/0/.
Here you will see all the main directories: DCIM (The camera, Download, Pictures and folders of installed applications. (long press) on any folder allows you to see its exact weight. Android/data It has grown to tens of gigabytes due to the cache of games or streaming services.
Where'd the gigabytes go?
Use the size-sorting function inside the conductor. Click three dots in the corner of the screen and select "Sort by size." This will instantly bring up the heaviest files, no matter what folder they are in, and this approach allows you to find forgotten.mkv files or archives that can take up critically much space.
Hidden reserves and system partitions
Users often wonder why after buying a new phone 256 GB of memory is available 230 GB: The answer lies in the system partitions. Android operating system, interface. MIUI/HyperOS, Google's pre-installed services and basic applications take up a significant portion of the space right out of the box. 15 before 25 GB.
In addition, some memory is reserved for clipboards and virtual memory (ZRAM) when physical RAM is not enough. In Xiaomi’s new Memory Extension models, some permanent storage is dynamically used as RAM, which can slightly reduce the amount of ROM available to the user, but significantly speeds up the performance of heavy games.
There's also a Recovery section that's hidden from the user's eyes, and it's necessary to reset the factory settings and update the firmware, and it's fixed in size and can't be used to store personal data, and understanding this structure helps you not look for "missing" gigabytes where they can't physically be.
| Type of section | Description | Can we clean it? | Approximate weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| System (System) | OS and interface files | No (only reset) | 15-25GB |
| Annexes (Apps) | Installed software and data | Yeah (deletion) | Depends on the user. |
| Multimedia. | Photos, videos, music | Yes. | Depends on the user. |
| Cash and stuff. | Temporary files | Yeah (cleaning) | 1-10 GB |
Optimization and freeing up space
Once you know how much memory is used, it's a question of optimizing. Cache cleaning is the first thing to start with. Cache is temporary data that apps save to make things faster, but over time it can inflate to huge sizes, especially for social networks and instant messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp.
On Telegram, the cache can be cleared directly in the app settings without losing correspondence. Go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use → Clear the cache. This can free up 2 to 10 GB of space instantly. For other applications, use the standard path: Settings → Applications → All Applications → Select the application → Storage → Clear the cache.
⚠️ Warning: Do not confuse "Clear Cache" with "Clean Everything" (or "Reset"). The second command will delete all your data in the application, including logins and saves, returning it to a state immediately after installation.
Also worth paying attention to cloud services: Google Photos and Xiaomi Cloud let you store original photos in the cloud, leaving only optimized smaller copies on your device, a feature that can save tens of gigabytes if you actively shoot high-resolution videos.
💡
Regularly cleaning the messenger cache and transferring photos to the cloud are the most effective ways to free up space without removing important applications.