Free up space on Xiaomi: from cache to hidden files

Owners of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO And they're going to have to deal with a lot of space, and even on 128GB devices, they're going to have to have a lot of space. MIUI It can show alarming notifications about a filled storage, and it's not always the user's fault, because the firmware is actively using cache, backing up and accumulating utility files that over time take up gigabytes of precious space.

In this article, we will discuss 10 proven ways to free up memory on Xiaomi – from basic (removal of garbage and cache) to advanced (cleaning hidden folders and optimization) MIUI). We will pay special attention to unique "chips" MIUI, They don't write about in the standard instructions, like how to remove duplicate photos created by the system, or why cleaning through Security doesn't always work (2023–2026 and are suitable for most models, including Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly eats memory?

Before you clean your smartphone at random, you need to understand which files are taking up space. MIUI There's a built-in storage analysis tool, but it often shows data incorrectly -- for example, it doesn't take into account hidden folders or system cache:

Open the Settings. → The phone. → Storage. Here you'll see a diagram of the memory distribution by category: Apps, Images, Videos, Audio and Other. Click on each category to see the details:

• 📱 Apps: Sort by size and pay attention to games (like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile can weigh 10).+ GB) and instant messengers (Telegram or WhatsApp with cache).
• 📸 Images: the system will show not only your photos, but also screenshots, uploaded pictures from instant messengers, as well as thumbnails, which take up to 1-2 GB.
• 🎬 Video: not only your videos can be hidden here, but also automatically saved pages from social networks or cache TikTok/YouTube.
• 🗑️ Others: the most insidious category, hiding temporary files, system logs, backups and even deleted files that have not been permanently erased.

If the built-in analysis seems inadequate, use third-party utilities like Files by Google or SD Maid (available on Google Play) will show hidden folders, such as:

• /storage/emulated/0/Android/data — cache;
• /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Backup — backup MIUI;
• /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails — picture-size.

⚠️ Note: Do not manually delete folders called com.android. or miui. this can cause system failures. MIUI.

2. Cleaning the application cache and system

Cache is a temporary file that creates applications to speed things up, and over time, it accumulates and can take up several gigabytes. MIUI There are two types of cache:

1. Application cache – files of individual programs (for example, maps in Google Maps or thumbnails in Instagram).
2. System cache - firmware files that are updated with updates MIUI.

To clear the cache of individual applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or Chrome).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

For mass cleaning of the cache of all applications:

1. Open the Settings → Storage → Clean.
2. Select the app cache and confirm the action.

The system cache is more difficult to clean if it is updated MIUI The smartphone has slowed down or shows little free space, try it:

1. Go to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Clear Update Data.

⚠️ Warning: Cleaning the system cache may cause the data to be re-loaded the next time you update.

3. Removal of duplicates and unnecessary photos

System system MIUI It has a nasty feature: it automatically creates duplicate photos when editing, cropping or saving from instant messengers:

• 📸 When importing photos from Google Photos or Mi Cloud, two copies of the same image can be saved in the original resolution and in compressed resolution.
• 🎥 Videos captured in mode HDR Pros, which take up 30-50% more space than conventional ones.
• 📱 Screenshots are automatically saved to DCIM/Screenshots and may be duplicated in Pictures/Screenshots.

To find and remove duplicates:

1. Open the gallery. → press three points → Management → Duplicate.
2. The system will show pairs of identical or similar photos, and you can delete them one by one or all at once.

For a deeper cleaning, use the Files by Google app:

1. Open the app and go to the Cleanup tab.
2. Choose Duplicate Files or Blurred/Unsuccessful Photos.
3. Review the proposed files and delete the unnecessary ones.

If you are actively using Google Photos, check your sync settings:

1. Open Google Photos → tap on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.
2. Make sure Delete from the device after backup is enabled (the “Free Space” option).

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If you often take screenshots, turn off automatic saving to the gallery. MIUI Go to Settings. → Additional settings → Screenshots and disable the "Save to the Gallery" option. DCIM/Screenshots, but will not be duplicated.

4. Cleanup of downloads and temporary files

The Download folder is a real dump of unnecessary files.

• 📄 PDF-documents that you opened once;
• 🎵 Audio files from messengers;
• 📦 Archives (.zip,.rar) that have already been unpacked;
• 🖼️ Pictures and memes saved for later".

To clear the Downloads folder:

1. Open Files (app) MI File Manager).
2. Go to the internal storage. → Download.
3. Sort files by date of change or size and delete unnecessary ones.

To automate the process:

1. In Files by Google, go to the Cleanup tab. → Downloads.
2. The app will prompt you to delete files that have not been opened for more than 30 days.

Pay special attention to the folder /Android/data. It stores cache and application data that can be deleted without harming the operation of programs:

• /Android/data/com.tencent.mm/MicroMsg/Download — downloads from WeChat;
• /Android/data/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Media — WhatsApp media files;
• /Android/data/com.instagram.android/cache — Instagram cache.

⚠️ Warning: Don't delete the entire folder - just the contents! Deleting the com.whatsapp folder itself will crash WhatsApp.

5. Optimization of messengers and social networks

Messengers and social networks are the main memory eaters, for example, Telegram can take 10.+ GB cache only, and TikTok up to 5GB of temporary files. Here's how to reduce their appetite:

For Telegram there is an additional lifehack: if you are a member of many channels, turn on the option “Do not save media to the gallery” (Settings) → Data and memory → This will prevent duplication of photos and videos in the main gallery.

On WhatsApp, look at the backups, which are automatically created and can weigh several gigabytes, and then delete them:

1. Open the files. → Internal storage → WhatsApp → Databases.
2. Delete files with a name msgstore.db.crypt14 (These are old backups).

6.Removal of unnecessary applications and their residues

Even after deleting applications, Xiaomi often has its tails — folders with data, cache and settings. PUBG Mobile in a folder /Android/obb It may still be a file size. 1–2 GB.

To completely remove the application and its data:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the unnecessary app and click Remove.
3. If you have the option to Clear Data, press it before deleting it.

To find the remnants of remote programs:

1. Open Files and go to Internal Storage → Android → data.
2. Look for folders with names of remote applications (for example, com.tencent.ig for the first time). PUBG Mobile).
3. Delete these folders manually.

Also check the folder. /Android/obb — This store stores additional game files (graphics, levels, etc.) after deleting the game, these files become useless, but remain on the device.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete the folders of current applications from /Android/data or /Android/obb — It's going to crash them, just the remnants of the remote programs!

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Before removing the game, check its size in Settings → Apps. If the game weighs more 1 GB, most likely in the folder /Android/obb There are additional files that need to be deleted as well.

7 Hidden MIUI functions for memory release

Firmware MIUI It has a few hidden tools that few people know about, and they allow you to make room without manual cleaning:

• 🧹 Deep Cleanup: Go to Settings → Warehouse → Clean and select Deep Clean. The system will scan the device for unnecessary files, including remnants of deleted applications and corrupted downloads.
• 🔄 Storage optimization: in the same section (Settings) → Storage) click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Optimization. The system will transfer rarely used files to the cloud (if Mi Cloud is connected) or compress them.
• 📦 File compression: MIUI It can automatically archive old photos and videos. → Warehouse → File compression.

Another useful feature is automatic cleaning, so you can turn it on.

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Autoclean.
2. Turn on the option and set up a schedule (e.g., clean up once a week).
3. Select which files to delete automatically: cache, downloads, basket.

If you are using Mi Cloud, check your sync settings:

1. Open your Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud
2. Make sure you have enabled the “Sync and Free Space” option, which will allow you to delete local copies of files after they are uploaded to the cloud.

8.Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If all of these methods didn't work, and the smartphone still shows "Memory is full," you might have to resort to a complete reset, which is a radical method that will delete all of the data, including apps, photos and settings, before resetting:

• 🔄 Backup important data (photos, contacts, messages) via Mi Cloud or Google Account.
• 📝 Write down the usernames and passwords from the applications - after reset, you will have to log in again.
• 🔌 Charge your smartphone at least 50% – the process can take 10–30 minutes.

To reset Xiaomi to factory settings:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Delete all data.
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

Once reset, the smartphone will look like new.

• Restore data from the backup copy;
• Disable automatic downloading of media in messengers;
• Clean the cache and downloads regularly so that the problem does not recur.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting to factory settings does not delete files from the memory card (if installed).If you want to clean it, do it separately through Settings → Warehouse → Map. SD.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory release on Xiaomi