How to go to the storage settings on Xiaomi: full instruction

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have powerful functionality that requires significant resources. Over time, internal memory is filled with photos, videos, app cache and system files. When free space runs out, the device starts to work slower and new programs stop being installed, at which point the user is faced with the question of how quickly and efficiently to get into the system partition of memory management.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can access system data, find hidden partitions, clean up garbage, and optimize the MIUI or HyperOS operating system. Proper file management allows you to extend the life of your gadget without having to buy a new model with more memory.

Xiaomi’s shell interfaces may vary depending on the Android version and regional firmware. Some menu items may be renamed or moved by developers to improve ergonomics. However, the basic principles of navigation remain the same, and following our steps, you will easily find the section you want.

Classic entry through the main settings menu

The most obvious and standard way to manage memory is through the main configuration menu, which works on the vast majority of Mi, Redmi and POCO devices. You don’t need special rights or third-party software, since the functionality is built into the underlying firmware.

To start, unlock the screen and find the gear icon. In the list that opens, you need to scroll down to the section that covers the general settings of the device. Different versions of the shell may call it differently, but the most commonly used term is "About Phone" or "Advanced Settings."

⚠️ Note: The menu item name may differ on the global and Chinese versions of firmware. If you don't find a match, look for sections with the word "Memory" or "Storage".

Once you go to the desired partition, the system will do a brief analysis of the occupied space, and you will see a color diagram showing the different colors of the data types: applications, images, videos and system files, and clicking on the clean button will trigger an automatic process to delete temporary files.

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Use the built-in Cleanup tool regularly to prevent critical memory filling with junk files.

It's important to understand the difference between internal memory and RAM, and this section shows the memory that you store, and RAM is displayed elsewhere, and it's responsible for the speed of programs running right now.

Use of the Security Application for Analysis

Xiaomi has implemented a powerful system application called Security into its devices, which is not just an antivirus, but a whole system maintenance combine that includes storage management, and accessing this tool is often faster than finding the right item in deep settings.

Find a green shield icon on your desktop, and when you run the app, you'll see a big Cleanup button and a few icons below, and we're interested in file management, and if you click on the icon, you'll be taken to a detailed analyzer that will show you what's eating your space.

• 📱 Application analysis: shows which programs take up the most space and how much their data weigh.
• 🗑️ Deep Cleanup: allows you to remove remnants of deleted programs and temporary installation files.
• 📸 Duplicate photos: a smart algorithm finds the same images, taking place in vain.

The app's functionality allows you to sort files by size, which is a very useful option when you need to immediately free up a few gigabytes, and the system itself will suggest you delete old videos or heavy documents that you haven't opened in a long time.

The feature of this method is the ability to batch delete files. You can select hundreds of screenshots or unnecessary screenshots from messengers and delete them with a single touch, which saves time compared to manually bruising the gallery.

Settings of the storage through the section "About the phone"

There is an alternative path that is often overlooked, but it leads directly to the technical information about the drive: The About Phone section contains summary data about the device, including the version of the processor, the screen model, and of course, the memory status.

To get there, go to the settings and select About Phone, which shows the total storage capacity and how much space is available, and click on the line with the storage capacity, and you will go to a detailed menu where you can manage the content.

This section is more technical, and it shows not only the busyness, but the type of file system, and for the average user, it may be less convenient than a standard cleaning, but it's an indispensable partition to diagnose problems with writing data.

This is where the actual available capacity is often displayed, which is always smaller than the manufacturer claimed, because part of the space is occupied by the operating system itself and hidden recovery partitions.

Memory management through file manager

The standard MIUI or HyperOS Explorer is another powerful tool that is forgotten, and it lets you go into storage settings not through the system menu, but through the prism of the file structure, which gives you a better idea of where the files are.

Open the Files app. At the top of the screen, there's usually a memory or analytic button. When you click on it, you'll see the visualization is occupied, and unlike the settings, you can go right to specific folders and delete their contents.

⚠️ Note: Be careful when deleting files through Explorer. Deleting system folders can lead to unstable applications or the operating system itself.

Explorer allows you to sort files by date of creation or last change, helps you find old downloads that you downloaded six months ago and forgot, and also conveniently manage files downloaded from messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp.

Using Explorer is especially effective when you need to find a specific heavy file, such as a forgotten movie in high resolution. System settings often group data by application, sifting specific files, and the Explorer shows them directly.

Specifics of working with a memory card SD

Many Xiaomi users use microSD cards to expand their storage capacity, and it has its own features to manage this type of memory. In storage settings, the card appears as a separate logical drive, but the system can use it in different ways.

There are two main modes of operation: use as portable storage and use as part of internal memory. In the second case, the card is formatted, encrypted and becomes unavailable to other devices without re-formatting, which is an important nuance to be aware of before setting up.

• 💾 Portable storage: the card works like a flash drive, files are visible on the PC, can be easily extracted.
• 🚀 Internal memory: the card speeds up the phone, it puts applications, but it can not be retrieved.
• 🔄 Data transfer: the system allows you to move photos and videos between the internal memory and the card in one click.

In the memory settings section, you can see the card's speed and health status. If the card is slow or has errors, the system will suggest you to perform optimization or formatting. Regular checks. SD-Maps help prevent the loss of important data.

When you install a new card, the phone will prompt you to set it up immediately, and it is recommended to choose the formatting for internal memory if the card is high-speed (U3 class or higher), which will allow you to install heavy games and applications on it, unloading the main drive.

Cleaning cache and hidden system files

One of the main reasons for the lack of space is the sprawling cache of apps, social networks, browsers and streaming services store a huge amount of temporary data to speed up work, but over time this cache becomes ballast.

You can access the app store settings through the Apps menu -> All Apps. If you select a specific app (like YouTube or Instagram), you will find the Memory option. There will be a "Clear Cache" button.

It's important not to confuse cache cleaning with data cleaning. Cleaning up data will delete your login, password and all the settings inside the application, returning it to "just out of the store." Clearing the cache is secure and only deletes temporary files.

For advanced users, there is the option of cleaning the system cache through the Recovery Mode menu, but this requires rebooting the phone and performing certain actions with buttons. In normal mode, it is enough to clean the cache regularly through the application settings.

⚠️ Note: It is not recommended to use third-party applications, "cleaners" from the Play Market. Xiaomi's built-in tools cope with this task better and do not load the system with advertising.

Regular maintenance cleaning of the cache allows you to keep the system in good shape, especially for instant messengers, which can accumulate gigabytes of images and videos that you have viewed, but do not need.

Frequent questions and memory problems

Users often face a situation where the memory is occupied by “other” or the amount of files does not converge with the occupied space, this can be due to the features of the file system or hidden system logs, and understanding the reasons helps to effectively combat the shortage of gigabytes.

Sometimes, after a firmware update, the occupied space may temporarily increase due to the indexing and backup processes of settings, usually after a few days of operation, the system is optimized and the excess space is freed up.

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Regular monitoring of storage and deleting unnecessary files is the key to fast operation of your Xiaomi smartphone throughout its lifetime.

Competent memory management on Xiaomi devices does not require deep technical knowledge, just periodically go into the settings, use built-in cleaning tools and carefully monitor what download and save applications, this will ensure a stable speed and no errors when working with the gadget.