Where to Find Storage on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Memory Search and Management

You bought a new Xiaomi smartphone, but after a couple of months you were notified, "Not enough memory"? Or you were trying to find a downloaded file, but you didn't know where the storage on Xiaomi was hiding your data? This problem is familiar to many users of Mi, Redmi and POCO devices. The fact is that the manufacturer uses its own MIUI shell, which not only changes the Android interface, but also organizes the file system in its own way.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can access storage on Xiaomi devices, from the standard file manager to hidden system folders. You’ll learn where to look for downloads, photos, apps and cache, and how to make room without losing important data. We’ll focus on the nuances of different versions of MIUI (12 to 14) and popular models: Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13, POCO X5 and others. If you’ve ever lost files or couldn’t find a folder with music, this guide is for you.

1. Standard file manager MIUI: basic method

The most obvious and safe method is to use Xiaomi's built-in file manager, which is pre-installed on all MIUI devices and allows you to view files without any additional applications.

1. Go to the main screen or in the app menu.
2. Find the File icon (usually blue or white with the folder image).
3. Slip on it – the manager interface will open with categories: Images, Video, Audio, Downloads, etc.

At the top of the screen, you'll see the Device tab, which is the main internal storage of your smartphone.

• 📁 Download folder – all files downloaded from the Internet (by default).
• 📷 folder DCIM — Photos and video from the camera (including screenshots in the Screenshots subfolder).
• 🎵 Music folder – audio files (if you saved them there).
• 📄 Documents folder - documents (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.).

Note that in MIUI 14, the manager interface has become more minimalistic — some folders can be hidden under the category Other or All files. If you can’t see the desired directory, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show Hidden Files.

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In the MIUI file manager, you can sort files by date, size or type. To do this, tap the filter icon (three lines with dots) in the upper right corner.

2. Alternative file managers: when the standard one is not suitable

The built-in MIUI manager is not always convenient, it hides system files, does not support cloud services and sometimes "loses" folders, in which case a third-party application will help.

• 🔍 Solid Explorer is a paid, trial-period, supports dual-panel mode, FTP clouds.
• 📂 FX File Explorer – free, with access to root folders (requires root rights).
• ☁️ Files by Google – a simple manager with Google Drive integration and garbage cleaning function.
• 🛠️ MiXplorer is a powerful tool for experienced users (can work with archives and network folders).

To establish an alternative manager:

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Enter the name of the application in the search (for example, Solid Explorer).
3. Click Install and wait for the download to be completed.
4. Start the manager and provide access to the storage (all files management permission).

Third-party managers have the advantage of providing a full path to files (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/Download), which makes it easier to search, and some are able to analyze memory and find large, unnecessary files.

3. Search for hidden folders and system files

Many Xiaomi users face a situation where the memory is full, but the file manager does not see large files, the reason is hidden system folders and app cache.

1. Open the file manager (built-in or third-party).
2. In the top menu, find the Settings option (cog or three dots).
3. Activate the Toggle to Show Hidden Files.

After that, you will see folders whose names begin with a dot (for example,.thumbnails – image thumbnails) or system directories:

• 🗑️ Android – Application data (including cache).
• 🔄 MIUI — shell files (themes, wallpaper, log files).
• 📱 com.xiaomi – proprietary data of branded services.
• 🔒 secure_folder — Protected folder (if you created it).

Attention! Deleting files from system folders can cause a malfunction of the smartphone, for example, cleaning the Android/obb folder will delete game data, and changing files in MIUI can cause interface errors. If you are not sure about the purpose of the folder, you better not touch it.

To safely clean up your system debris, use the built-in Cleanup utility (the broomstick icon in the app menu) that only deletes unnecessary temporary files without affecting critical data.

4.Where the cache is stored and how to clean it

One of the main reasons for the memory shortage on Xiaomi is the app cache, which is a temporary file that programs create to speed up work, and over time, the cache grows to several gigabytes, to find it and clean it up.

Method 1: Through phone settings

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as YouTube or Facebook).
3. Slip the vault. → Clear the cache.

Method 2: Mass cleaning

• 🧹 Open the Cleanup app (icon with broomstick).
• Select the Deep Cleaning tab.
• Tick the unnecessary files (cache, residual data, duplicates).
• Press Clean (usually freed 1-5 GB).

Critical information: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 13), the application cache may be stored in the /data/data folder, which is not available without root rights.

5. Xiaomi Cloud Storage: How to Use Mi Cloud

If internal storage is constantly lacking, consider using Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud, which offers 5GB of free storage (with the option of expanding to 100GB for a fee) to configure sync:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Cloud
2. Sign in to your Xiaomi account (or create a new one).
3. Select data types for synchronization: Contacts, Photos, Notes, etc.
4. Activate Autoupload Photo/Video so that media files are automatically saved to the cloud.

After setting up, you will be able to:

• 📲 View files from any device through i.mi.com.
• 🔄 Recover data when resetting your phone.
• 📂 Free up space on your smartphone by removing local copies (Option to Free up space in the gallery).

Attention! When you delete files from Mi Cloud, they are erased from all synced devices. If you want to save a copy, first download the files to your computer through the web version of the cloud.

Enable contact synchronization|Activate autoloading photo|Check the available location in the cloud|Download important files on PC (backup)|Automatically clean local copies-->

External drives: flash drives and memory cards

Many Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro) support microSD cards up to 1TB. This is a great way to expand storage, but there are nuances:

How to connect the memory card:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Insert the card into the slot (usually located next to the SIM tray).
3. Turn on the device - a notification about the new drive will appear.
4. Go to Settings → Storage → SD card and select the format: Portable storage – files will have to be moved manually. Internal storage – the card will become part of the system (cannot be retrieved without resetting).

For USB-flash drive (via OTG-adapter):

• 🔌 Connect the adapter to the phone and the flash drive to the adapter.
• In the notification, select Open File Manager.
• The flash drive will appear as a separate partition (for example, USB-accumulator).

Important: Not all apps support external drives, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, which by default only store media files in internal memory. To change this, use a file manager to manually transfer folders (such as WhatsApp/Media) to a memory card.

7.Analysing Occupied Space: Which Files Take the Most

If your memory is running out but you don’t know what it is, use the built-in analyzer:

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Wait for the scan to be completed (it may take 1-2 minutes).
3. See the memory distribution diagram by category: 🎥 Videos – usually take the most (especially if you’re shooting in the video) 4K). 📷 Photos – even in compressed format, thousands of pictures “weigh” gigabytes. 🎮 Apps – games like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile can weigh 5-10 GB. 🗑️ System data – cache, log files, updates.

For a detailed analysis, use the DiskUsage app (available on Google Play), which visualizes occupied space as an interactive map, where large files are highlighted in bright blocks, so you quickly find memory eaters, such as forgotten downloads or duplicate photos.

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The heaviest files on Xiaomi are usually high-resolution video, games and social media cache (Facebook, TikTok), and cleaning these categories regularly will free up up to 20-30% of memory.

8. porting applications to a memory card (for supported models)

On some Xiaomi devices (such as the Redmi 9A or POCO M3), you can transfer applications to a memory card, freeing up internal storage.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Facebook).
3. Slip the vault. → Change (if the option is active).
4. Select the SD Card and confirm the transfer.

Limitations:

• ⚠️ Not all applications support portability (especially system applications).
• ⚠️ After the transfer, the application may work slower.
• ⚠️ The memory card should be formatted as an internal storage.

If the Change option is inactive, your Xiaomi model does not support app portability, in which case you only need to clear the cache or delete unnecessary programs.

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Before you pen the application on the memory card, check its speed class. For normal operation, you need a card at least Class 10 or UHS-I.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi storage