Xiaomi: How to Check Memory – A Complete Diagnostic Guide

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have a lot of functionality, but over time, even powerful devices start to work slower, often caused by a lack of space or overflow of RAM. Users notice delays when switching between applications, long downloads of games or sudden closure of background programs. Understanding how the device’s resource is used is the first step to solving the problem.

In the Android operating system, which runs the MIUI shell or HyperOS, there are two fundamentally different types of memory: the first type is internal storage, where your photos, videos, installed applications and system files are stored; the second type is RAM, which provides speed for processes running right now, which cannot be confused, because the methods of cleaning and verifying them are radically different.

In this article, we will take a look at all the diagnostic tools available, where to find hidden engineering menus, how to use built-in cleaning tools correctly, and which third-party utilities are really worth considering. Proper resource management will allow you to extend the life of your gadget without having to buy a new one.

Differences between RAM and Internal Memory

Before you start cleaning, you need to understand the storage architecture clearly. RAM only works when the device is on. It stores the data of running applications for quick access. Once you turn off the phone or application, this memory is released. It is the volume and speed of RAM that determines the multitasking of your Xiaomi.

Internal memory (ROM) is a permanent drive, which stores the operating system itself, your personal files, messenger cache and application updates. When this partition is filled critically, the system begins to work unstable: saves may disappear, notifications may stop coming or the camera will not start at all.

Many users mistakenly believe that cleaning RAM will make room for photos. It's not. Deleting processes from RAM only temporarily unloads the processor, but does not add megabytes to the storage. To free up space for files, you need to work with the "Device Memory" section in the settings.

⚠️ Warning: Do not use aggressive third-party accelerators that promise to increase RAM software, a marketing ploy that often results in only ads and battery drains.

Understanding this difference will help you choose the right tools to optimize, so if your phone is slowing down when you open heavy games, it's a problem with RAM, and if you can't take a photo or install an update, your internal storage is exhausted.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The easiest and safest way to check memory status on Xiaomi smartphones is to use a pre-installed system application called Security, which has a green icon with a shield, which is deeply integrated into the MIUI shell and has access to system partitions that are hidden from ordinary file managers.

To run the check, open the app and find the Cleanup option, and the system will automatically scan the device for temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and a large cache. Once scanned, you will see a Cleanup button that will remove safe debris. However, for a deeper analysis, you should go to the Memory section inside the same application.

In the detailed statistics section, you'll see a diagram showing exactly what the space is occupied. The categorizes system is data by types: "Apps," "Images," "Video," "Documents," and "Other," and clicking on any category, you can go to the file list and delete the unnecessary, which is much more convenient than searching files manually through folders.

Also in the Security app, there's a "Speed Up" feature that clears RAM, and pressing a button triggers a script that closes the background processes. While Android can manage RAM itself, on older Redmi models, this feature can give you a noticeable boost in performance in the moment.

Detailed analysis through system settings

For those who prefer standard Android interfaces, detailed stats are available from the system menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same. Go to Settings → About Phone → Memory (or Storage).

Clicking on "Device Memory" will take you to the storage management menu, and here's a color diagram of the space distribution, and it allows you to sort applications by size, which is very convenient for finding heavyweights. Often, it turns out that a single forgotten messenger or navigator takes up several gigabytes of cache of cards and media files.

Special attention should be paid to the “Other” (or “System Data”) section, which often gets cache of streaming services, offline maps and temporary update files. Cleaning this section through the standard menu can be limited, so deep cleaning sometimes requires a PC connection or use. ADB-The teams we will talk about below.

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Before you clean the video section, check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder.It may store thumbnails that take up gigabytes, but removing them will force the gallery to recreate the preview, temporarily loading the processor.

Checking RAM in real time

To see how much RAM is available right now, you can use a desktop widget or a floating window. In the Advanced Settings settings, look for “Floating Window” or “Internet Speed Display,” which will show in the status bar the current network speed and free RAM in free/all format.

A more advanced way is to activate the developer mode, and you need to press "version" 7 times quickly. MIUI» (or "Version" OS») In the About Phone menu, after you have the "You've become a developer" message, go back to the main settings menu and find the "More" section» → «For developers».

Inside this menu, look for Memory or Memory Use, and you can see detailed statistics on how much memory is used, how many applications are used, and how much is free, and you can also use Run to clean RAM on schedule or forcefully, which is useful for diagnosing memory leaks when a particular application eats up all resources.

If you see RAM consistently below 500MB, even without heavy applications running, check the boot list. There's a "Safety" section in the battery settings or in the "Security" app, and disable all unnecessary programs there so they don't hang in the background.

Hidden engineering tests and codes

Xiaomi smartphones have a hidden CIT (Customer Integration Test) engineering menu designed to diagnose hardware components, accessed through a special code in the Phone app. Dial the combination ##6484##. If the code didn't work, try ##4636## for the standard Android menu.

In the CIT menu, you can check not only memory, but also memory integrity. Select Memory or Storage. The test will show the total volume, firmware version and error check results. This is especially true when buying a used device to make sure that the memory is not oversold and has no broken sectors.

⚠️ Warning: Be very careful on the engineering menu, do not press Clear eMMC or Wipe Data unless you understand the consequences, which can completely erase all data or make it impossible to boot the system.

Menu ##4636## provides real-time memory usage information, including statistics on each process you run, and you can see which app is using the most resources right now, which helps identify the culprit behind the system brakes.

Cleaning through computer and ADB

For advanced users who need to make room in the system section “Other”, the best tool will be the best tool. ADB (Android Debug Bridge. This method allows you to delete files that are not accessible to ordinary applications, USB-cable and installed drivers ADB.

First, turn on USB Debugging in the developer menu. Connect your phone to your computer and open the command prompt (CMD) or terminal in the ADB folder. Enter the adb device command to make sure the device is visible. Once you confirm access on your smartphone screen, you can start working.

adb shell pm list packages -f | findstr com.android


adb shell dumpsys meminfo

The dumpsys meminfo team will provide a detailed report on the use of RAM by each process. To clear the cache of a particular application, you can use the command adb shell pm clear com.package.name. It is a powerful tool, but it requires accuracy: removing the system package can lead to unstable operation.

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Using ADB is the most effective way to deal with a bloated system partition, but it requires technical knowledge and caution when typing commands.

And ADB can force you to shut down heavy system services that don't shut down normally, but they'll start again after you restart, and it's good for a one-off emergency cleanup before you do a big job.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)