Where to look at memory in Xiaomi phone: a complete guide to storage management

Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI They offer flexible memory management tools, but it's not always obvious where to look for the settings you want to use, and you've noticed that the phone is slowing down, and the "Not enough memory" notification is getting more and more frequent? Or just want to understand where the 128GB that was listed in the specifications went? In this article, we will analyze all the ways to check the occupied space - from the standard menus. MIUI Hidden System Tools.

Many users mistakenly believe that the memory of the phone is only photos and apps, in fact, even after a complete cleanup, the gadget can show busy people. 10-15 GB of invisible files: system cache, Google Play Services data, backups and temporary update files.We will show you how to find and safely remove this garbage without risking the stability of your smartphone.

You will also learn how to transfer applications to SD-map (yes, it is possible even on new models!), which files can be safely deleted, and which should not be touched, and why sometimes MIUI «The instructions are valid for all modern devices, from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and work on firmware versions. MIUI 12–14 (including global and Chinese).

1. Standard method: the "Storage" menu in the settings

The easiest way is to look at the Settings section. → The vault is here. MIUI visualizes the occupied space by categories: applications, images, video, audio, etc. But there are nuances that few people know about.

Open Settings (the gear icon) and select Storage. The system automatically scans the device and shows the memory distribution diagram. Click on any segment (like Apps) to see a detailed list.

• 📊 Sort programs by size (click on three dots in the upper right corner) → «By size»).
• 🗑️ Clear the cache of a particular application (tap on it) → «Clear the cache»).
• 🔄 Delete application data (Warning: This will reset all program settings!).

Notice the Other category, which often hides gigabytes of garbage: log files, temporary update data, and remnants of deleted applications. MIUI It is not always suggested to clean this section automatically – sometimes you have to do it manually (we will talk about this below).

⚠️ Note: If the System section is more than 20 GB occupied, this may indicate a firmware failure or a stalled update process.

2. Hidden Tools: "Storage Analysis" and "Deep Cleanup"

MIUI It hides some powerful tools for analyzing memory that you can't see at first, and one of them is "Storage Analysis:

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Slip three points in the top right corner.
3. Select “Storage Analysis” (some firmwares call the item “Details”).

Here, the system will show the real memory allocation to megabyte accuracy, including hidden folders and files that are not normally displayed in the standard menu.

• 📁 folder /data/log System logs (can be cleaned without risk).
• 🔄 Update files MIUI into /cache.
• 📱 Backup copies of applications in /data/data/com.miui.backup.

Another useful tool is Deep Cleaning (available in Security). → Cleaning. It removes:

• 🧹 Cache of miniatures (thumbnails) that can weigh up to 1-2 GB.
• 📄 Temporary download files and installers APK.
• 🔍 Remnants of Remote Applications (Lib and Cache folders) /data/data).

💡

If Deep Clean doesn’t find any debris, try restarting your phone and running it again – sometimes the system only “sees” files after the reboot.

3 How to Free Your Memory: 7 Ways to Work

Even if you delete photos and apps regularly, memory is still running out, here are 7 proven methods to help make room without risking to the system:

1.Cleaning up the Google Play Services cache

This app can take up to 500MB-1GB of cache to clean it up:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Google Play Services (use search).
3. Slip "Storage" → "Clear the cache."

Don't clean up the data! This could cause a Google account to crash.

2. Removal of duplicate photographs

MIUI has a built-in tool for finding duplicates:

1. Open the gallery → “Albums” → “Dublicates”.
2. Select unnecessary copies and click “Delete”.

If this section is missing, use third-party apps like Files by Google or CCleaner.

3. Transfer of applications to SD-map

Not everyone knows, but even on the new Xiaomi, you can transfer applications to a memory card (if it is formatted as internal storage).

1. Put it in. SD-map and format it as internal memory in Settings → Warehouse → SD-map.
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Select the application → «Warehouse» → «Change» → «SD-map».

⚠️ Note: After formatting SD-It's not going to be used on other devices without cleaning it up, and it's going to be slower than the internal memory.

Delete the cache of Google Play Services

Clear the Download folder (/Download)

Transfer photos to the cloud (Google Photos or Mi Cloud)

Remove unused applications

Check the folder. /DCIM/.thumbnails

Start “Deep Cleanup” in the Security section

Disable automatic saving of media files from messengers-->

4.Why is Xiaomi lying about free memory?

Have you ever noticed that when files are deleted, the space is not as large as the space that was taken up by the deleted data? ext4/f2fs, use MIUI. Here are the main reasons for the “disappearance” of memory:

System backup

Android is always backed up 5-10% memory for system needs (for example, for updates or temporary files) 128 GB can be up to 6-8 GBs that are “not visible” to the user.

2. File fragmentation

When files are deleted, space is not always freed up entirely, it is broken down into fragments, and over time, this leads to less free space than it actually is.

• 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes it helps the system “recalculate” memory.
• 📱 Make a cache reset (in the recovery menu).

3. Hidden update files

MIUI Downloads updates in the background and stores them in the folder /cache. Even after you install the update, the files can stay there for months to delete:

1. Open Explorer (e.g. Files by Google).
2. Move to the /cache (You may need to display hidden files).
3. Delete all files with the.zip extension or names like update.

5 How to check memory through a computer (ADB conductor)

If you want detailed memory allocation or standard methods don't work, plug your phone into a PC. Here are two ways:

Method 1: Windows/macOS Explorer

Connect Xiaomi to the USB (Select File Transfer Mode. In Explorer, you will see two folders:

• 📁 Internal storage – the main memory of the phone.
• 📁 SD card (if any) - memory card.

Open Internal Storage and check the heaviest folders:

• 📸 DCIM — photo and video.
• 🎵 Music, Movies, Downloads – Media Files.
• 🤖 Android → Data – Application data (root rights required to access).

Method 2: ADB teams

For advanced users: with the help of ADB You can get accurate memory statistics. Connect your phone to your PC, turn on Debugging by Memory. USB» (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap, then return to the additional → For developers, and execute commands:

adb shell df -h


adb shell du -sh /data

The first command will show free space on all sections, the second - folder size /data (where all user data is stored).

6.Memory optimization: settings that save space

To end the memory less often, adjust MIUI cost-effectiveness:

1. disable automatic media saving

Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) and social networks (Instagram, TikTok) save all photos and videos to the gallery by default.

• 📱 On WhatsApp: Settings → Warehouse and data → Autoboot media → Choose "Never».
• 📸 On Instagram: Settings → Account. → Preservation of originals → turn off.

2. Set up cloud storage

Move your photos and videos to the cloud so they don’t take up space on your phone:

• 🌥️ Google Photos: Turn on “Free Space” after downloading.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization of the gallery.

3. Limit the app cache

Some programs (like Facebook or TikTok) can accumulate gigabytes of cache.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application → «Warehouse» → «Limit the cache».
3. Set a limit, for example, 500 MB.

💡

Even if you don’t install new apps, memory will decrease due to updates to existing programs and system files, and regular cache cleaning and transferring media files to the cloud will help avoid space shortages.

Radical measures: dumping and flashing

If all the methods have been tried and the memory is still running out, then radical methods remain. They should only be used as a last resort!

1.Reset to factory settings

This will delete all the data, but it will return the phone to its "clean" state.

• 🔐 Make a backup copy in Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• ☁️ Upload important files to the cloud.
• 📱 Remember the logins and passwords from the accounts.

Resetting itself: Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Resetting settings.

2. Flashing through Fastboot

If the problem is in the corrupted system files, a complete firmware reflash will help.

1. Download the official firmware for your model from en.miui.com.
2. Unpack the archive and follow the instructions for the firmware through the Mi Flash Tool.

This method requires skill and can lead to a phone blink if you make a mistake!

⚠️ Warning: After flashing the phone will be completely cleaned, including internal memory (userdata). SD-The card is an internal storage, the data on it will be stored.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory in Xiaomi