Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the device starts to work slower or stops accepting new photos due to lack of space. The question “where is the memory in Xiaomi” sounds simple, but the answer to it hides several layers of the file system that are not always obvious to the average user. Understanding the storage structure is the first step to optimize the operation of your gadget without having to reset it to factory settings.
In the modern shells of MIUI and the new HyperOS, resource management has changed significantly compared to standard Android. The system has become more aggressive in allocating space for app cache and system logs, which can create the illusion of “losing” gigabytes. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to find hidden files, what takes up the most space and how to properly clean up so as not to delete important data.
Don’t ignore the overflow signals, as this can lead to messaging and even loss of contacts when synchronized.We’ll look at both the built-in analyzer tools and advanced methods through the file manager. Proper data organization will allow your smartphone to work quickly even a few years after purchase.
Types of memory in smartphones Xiaomi
Before we start cleaning, we need to clearly understand what exactly we are going to clean. In Xiaomi smartphones, there is a separation between RAM (RAM) and embedded memory (ROM). RAM is responsible for multitasking and switching speed between running applications, while the built-in memory serves as a storage for all your files, photos, installed programs and the operating system itself.
When users ask where the memory is, they're most often referring to the internal storage, which is divided into a system partition that's hidden from the user, and a user partition that's accessible for writing. However, in the MIUI shell, some user space can be reserved for virtual memory or extensions, which sometimes confuses newcomers. It's important to distinguish between the physical size of the chip and the space available to the user.
There's also the concept of virtual memory extension, which the brand is pushing hard in recent models, which is part of the built-in storage to simulate RAM. While it helps in multitasking, it reduces the amount of space available for your files, and you can turn it off or configure it in the settings section, but whether you should do it depends on your needs.
It's worth noting that the HyperOS-based Android file system uses modern writing protocols that can display real volume in different ways. For example, data clusters can take up more space than the files themselves weigh, so the numbers in the settings and in the file manager can be slightly different.
How to view memory through settings
The easiest and safest way to find out what’s taking up space on your device is to use the built-in storage analyzer. Go to the Settings menu and select About Phone. Here you’ll see a general employment scale, but for detailed analysis, click on the Storage bar (or “Memory” in older versions of MIUI).
In the menu that opens, the system will provide a visualization of the distribution of data, and you'll see categories: apps, images, video, audio, documents, etc. Clicking on any category will open a list of files sorted by size, which allows you to quickly find "heavy" videos or forgotten downloads that take up gigabytes.
Special attention should be paid to the "Other" section. Often this is where messenger caches, remnants of remote applications or system update logs are hidden. HyperOS tries to automatically categorize these files, but sometimes they remain neoposnical. In this section, you can safely delete files with the.log extension or temporary archives.
💡
Use a file type search in the storage settings to instantly find all videos longer than 1 minute, which most often take up the most space.
If you're using an older version of the shell, the path may be slightly different: Settings → Memory → Cleanup. Here, the system will suggest removing the garbage, but manual control is always more effective than automatic control, since algorithms may find important files that you no longer need.
File Manager with Mi File Manager
The standard Mi File Manager Explorer (or simply Files) is a powerful tool that knows more about the Xiaomi file system than any third-party counterpart. To get to the root of the file system, open the application, go to the Files tab, and select Internal Drive. That's where all your data is physically located.
In the root directory, you'll see a lot of folders with the names of the apps you installed. Folders with names like com.whatsapp, com.tencent.mm (WeChat) or com.instagram.android contain media files and cache of the corresponding programs. Deleting the contents of the Download or DCIM folder (if you back up a photo) can free up significant space.
To access system folders hidden from normal browsing, you can enter /Android/data in the address bar of the explorer. However, starting with Android 11 and up, access to this folder is limited by Google's security policies. The MIUI 12/13/14 shell and HyperOS can block direct view of the content of some system directories without special permissions.
- 📂 DCIM/Camera — Here are all photos and videos taken on the main camera.
- 📂 MIUI/Gallery/cloud — Local thumbnails and data from Xiaomi Gallery.
- 📂 Tencent/MicroMsg — The hardest place for WeChat users, where all the media received are located.
- 📂 Android/obb — Cache files of heavy games that can take up 2-5 GB.
⚠️ Be very careful when removing folders in the directory Android/data. Deleting the wrong files can cause game progress to reset or malfunction applications that require re-authorization.
☑️ Check before deleting files
Use the size-sorting function inside folders. In Xiaomi's standard Explorer, you can sort files not only by date, but also by size, which will immediately highlight the largest objects, which is especially useful when searching for forgotten files.
Cleaning up cache and system debris
Cache accumulation is a natural process for Android. Apps save time to load faster on the next run. However, over time, this cache inflates and begins to occupy a critical volume. Xiaomi has a built-in Security app (green zipper icon) that contains the Cleanup tool.
Once cleaned, the system scans the device for advertising debris, residual files and cache. It is important to understand the difference between Cache and App Data. Cleaning the cache is secure and does not delete your logins or correspondence. Cleaning up the data (or "App Reset") will completely remove the application and return it to "as after installation", which will require re-entering the account account account.
You can use the engineering menu to clean your system logs in depth, but it requires caution. Enter ##6485## in the call (not all models with the new HyperOS version) and you can see detailed battery and memory statistics here, but you can't change the parameters without understanding.
Secret cleaning team
Regularly cleaning the cache of messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber) through their own settings gives a better result than system cleaning. Inside applications, you can select "Data Use" and clear the cache of media files, leaving text messages intact.
Comparison of cleaning tools
Users often have to choose between Xiaomi’s built-in tools and third-party utilities.built-in tools are better integrated into the system and have the rights to remove system debris that third-party apps may not see due to Android limitations.
Below is a comparative table of the main methods of memory management:
| Method | Access to system files | Security | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settings (Storage) | Limited. | Tall. | Medium |
| Security Annex | Complete. | Tall. | Tall. |
| Mi File Manager | Full (manual) | Depends on the user. | Maximum |
| Third-party cliners | Limited. | Medium | Low/Mediocre |
As you can see from the table, the Settings + File Manager bundle is the most effective. Third-party applications often simply duplicate the features of the built-in Security app, but they show ads and collect user data.
💡
Xiaomi’s built-in tools are optimized for a specific version of MIUI/HyperOS and work more stable than third-party counterparts that may conflict with the energy saving system.
You don't want to put multiple cliners on one device, they can conflict with each other, constantly trying to clean the same files, which only consumes battery and processor time.
Memory Expansion and Cloud Services
If physical memory is critically lacking, consider using cloud services. Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud ecosystem is deeply integrated, allowing you to free up space in the gallery by uploading original photos and videos to the cloud, and leaving compressed copies on the device.
Also worth mentioning is Memory Extension, which is available in the optional → Extension of memory. This feature uses part of the internal drive (ROM) as RAM. If you have a 6 or 8 GB model, adding virtual 2-3 GB can help with games, but does not increase the storage space for your photos.
⚠️ Warning: Activating memory expansion requires rebooting the device. 10-15 GB of free space on the internal drive, otherwise the function may not be activated or work incorrectly.
For storing large amounts of data, it is better to use external drives or clouds like Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or Mi Cloud, which will keep the device “light” and fast without removing important memories.
The Second Space Hidden Folder
Regular audits of the storage should become a habit, check the Downloads folder and social media cache once a month, which will take 5 minutes, but save you from suddenly running out of space at the most inopportune time.