Xiaomi System Memory is Full: 7 Proven Cleaning Ways (Including Hidden MIUI Files)

Why does Xiaomi’s system memory fill up on its own?

Have you noticed that your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO suddenly ran out of space, even though you didn’t install new apps or download large files? The problem of filled system memory is one of the most common among users of smartphones based on MIUI. Most often this is due to the peculiarities of the shell, which actively caches data, creates backups and accumulates garbage in hidden folders.

Unlike the user’s memory (where your photos, videos, and apps are stored), the system partition is responsible for running Android and MIUI. When it fills up, the phone starts to slow down, applications crash, and the system produces errors like “Not enough memory” or “Clear up space.” And standard cleaning methods through Settings → Storage often don’t help — because garbage is hidden deep in the system folders.

In this article, we will discuss 7 working ways to free up system memory on Xiaomi, including little-known tricks with ADB, cleaning the MIUI cache and removing unnecessary updates. All methods are tested on current versions of MIUI 14/15 and work without root rights.

1. Cleaning of the MIUI cache and system applications

The first thing to try is to delete the temporary files that MIUI creates to speed up work, which can take up to 3 to 5 GB, but is not displayed in the standard file manager.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 In the search bar, enter "System" - all preinstalled services will be displayed.
• 🧹 For each of them (especially for the others). MIUI System, Security, Download Provider) Press Storage → Clear the cache.
• 🗑️ For apps like Gallery, Music, or Browser, also clear the data (but note that this will reset their settings).

If the cache accumulates again quickly after cleaning, it may indicate a failure in MIUI Optimization, the service responsible for background optimization, in which case resetting its settings will help:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 5 times in a row on the MIUI version to activate Developer Mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the MIUI Optimization option and turn it off (reboot will be required).

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After MIUI Optimization is turned off, the phone may be a little slower, but it will stop clogging the memory with unnecessary processes. Turn it back on after 1-2 days - the cache will no longer accumulate as quickly.

2. Remove unnecessary updates and duplicates of MIUI

Xiaomi often releases delta updates (small patches) that are downloaded automatically, but not always deleted after installation. 1–2 GB in a folder /data/ota_package. To remove them:

• 📂 Connect your phone to your PC and enable debugging. USB (Settings → For developers).
• 🖥️ On your computer, open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) enter:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/ota_package/*




rm -rf /cache/ota/*




exit




exit

If you do not have root rights, use the built-in file manager:

1. Open the File Manager (or File Manager) application.
2. Go to Categories → System files.
3. Find the OTA or Download folders and delete all of their contents.

Also check the /MIUI/backup folder, which may contain duplicate backups from previous firmware versions, and you can delete them if you don't plan to roll back.

3. Cleaning Dalvik-cache and ART-cache)

Dalvik-cache and ART-Caches are temporary files that Android creates to speed up the launch of applications, which can grow to 500 MB-1 GB over time, especially if you often install and delete programs:

Charging the phone > 50%|Save important data (photos, contacts)|Close all applications|Disable debugging by USB (if it was included)-->

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 1-2 minutes).
5. Reboot the device (Reboot → System)

This method won’t delete your data, but it will reset app optimization – the first run after cleaning may be slower than usual.

4. Disposal of garbage through ADB (advanced method)

If standard methods don’t work, try deep cleaning through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to delete files that are not normally available to the user, for example:

• 🗃️ Residual files of remote applications (folders in the /data/data).
• 📦 Google Play Services cache (can weigh up to 1GB).
• 🔄 Logs and dumps of the system (/data/tombstones, /data/anr).

For this:

1. Install ADB Tools on your PC.
2. Connect your phone and allow debugging (Settings → Developers → Debugging via USB).
3. In the command line, type:

adb shell


pm clear com.android.providers.downloads




pm clear com.android.providers.media




rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*




rm -rf /data/log/*




exit

Please note: Do not delete files in /data/app or /system, this will lead to system failure.

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Cleaning with ADB is more effective than standard methods, but requires caution. Always check the paths before removing - an error can make the phone inoperable.

5. Disabling unnecessary system applications

MIUI is known for a lot of pre-installed applications, many of which run in the background and clog memory. They can't be removed without root, but you can turn them off so they don't consume resources.

The list of the most “voracious” services Xiaomi:

To disable:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the unnecessary app and click Disable (or Remove Updates if the button is active).
3. Confirm the action. The app will disappear from the menu and stop working in the background.

⚠️ Note: Do not disable services with the names com.android. or com.qualcomm. – this may lead to loss of communication, GPS or mobile.

6. Transfer of applications to SD-card (if supported)

If your Xiaomi supports memory expansion via microSD (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro), you can transfer some applications to the card.

How to do this:

• 📱 Put it in. SD-card (preferably of class 10 or higher).
• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Warehouse → Internal memory.
• 📦 Click on the application you want to migrate and select Change. → SD-map.

Please note that:

• ✅ Not all applications are portable (many system applications remain in internal memory).
• ⚠️ After the transfer, applications can run slower (depending on the speed). SD-map).
• 🚫 Some functions (widgets, auto-run) may stop working.

7. Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If none of these things work, and the system memory is still full, it's a radical reset, but it's guaranteed to clean up all the files you don't need before you reset.

Keeping contacts (export to) VCF)|Copy photos/videos to PC or cloud|Record logins/passwords from accounts|Make sure you know the data from the Mi Account (if tied)-->

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select to erase all data (factory recovery).
3. Enter the password from your Mi Account (if required).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) After the reset, the bootloader may be blocked if the phone was tied to the Mi Account. Make sure to remember the username and password!

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi system memory