Lacking memory on Xiaomi: A complete guide to vacating space (2026)

Xiaomi smartphones are known for their performance and functionality, but even they are not immune to the problem of memory shortage: You try to install a new application, and the system gives an error "Not enough space"? Or the phone suddenly starts to brake, although it used to work like a clock? The reason is almost always the same - filled storage.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to free up memory on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — From basic (delete unnecessary files) to advanced (transfer applications to the Internet) SD-map and reset to factory settings. You will learn how to release before 10-15 GB space without losing important data, even if the phone is making a mistake when trying to clean up.

Whether you’re using Xiaomi’s flagship 14 Ultra or the budget Redmi Note 12, the instructions are for all MIUI-based models (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS).

1. Checking Occupied Space: What Exactly Eats Memory?

Before you clean everything, you need to know which files are taking up the most space. MIUI has a built-in memory analyzer, but it doesn't always show the full picture. Here's how to check the storage correctly:

Open Settings → Storage. Here you will see a diagram of the distribution of memory by category:

• 📱 Applications - games, messengers, social networks.
• 📷 Photos and videos often take 50%+ memory.
• 🎵 Audio – music, podcasts, voice messages.
• 📄 Documents — PDF, Excel, archives.
• 🗑️ Cache and garbage – temporary files that can be safely deleted.
• 🔄 System data – updates, logs, backups.

If you have more than 5-10 GB of data in the Other or System data section, it is an alarm, most often it means that the system is filled with error logs, remnants of deleted applications or corrupted files, in which case only deep cleaning (about this in section 5) will help.

If the Storage section displays less storage than it should (e.g. 64GB instead of 128GB), it could mean:

• 🔧 Problem with the memory partition (repair or firmware needed).
• 📱 Phone recognizes. SD-Card as internal memory (check in Settings) → Warehouse → Storage settings).
• 🛠️ Marriage of the manufacturer (rarely, but it happens).

2.Cache and garbage cleanup: A quick way to free up 1-5GB

The easiest and safest way is to delete temporary files, and app cache, update remnants, and junk data can take up to 5-10 GB of memory, and it is completely useless.

Cleaning methods:

• 🧹 Built-in cleaning MIUI: Go to Settings. → Warehouse → Clean. Click "Clean" (the system will find the files that are not needed) Select "Deep Clean" to remove the remnants of the deleted applications.

Manual cache cleaning for individual applications

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Telegram or YouTube).
3. Press "Storage» → «Clear the cache».
4. 🤖 Third-party utilities (if built-in cleaning doesn't help): SD Maid (can find dead files), Files by Google (simple interface, shows garbage by category) CCleaner (clears cache and history).

Move the applications to SD-card (if supported):

1. Open the Settings → Applications.
2. Select the application → «Warehouse» → «Change» → «SD-map».
3. 🎯 Clear offline data: In Google Maps: Profile → Settings → Offline maps → Delete it. Spotify/Yandex Music: delete downloaded songs. Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Clear the cache.
4. 🤖 With help. ADB (Adb shell pm trim-caches for advanced users 256m adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* adb shell rm -rf /cache/* These commands will clear the cache and temporary files, but require the debugging mode enabled. USB.
5. 🧹 Through third-party utilities (root rights): SD Maid (CorpseFinder section finds remnants of deleted applications) Root Explorer (you can manually delete files from the application). /data/log). Attention! ⚠️ Deleting system files without root permissions can lead to system failure. If you are not sure, it is better to back up.

How to do the reset correctly:

1. Backup: Copy photos/video on your PC or in the cloud. Export your contacts to your Google Account. Save a list of installed apps (you can use Titanium Backup or adb backup).

Perform the reset:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select "Reset all settings."
3. Confirm the action (a password may be required).

Alternatively, if the phone is slowing down:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to Enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. Recover: Log in to your Google Account, and contacts and some apps will be restored automatically. Download saved photos from the cloud. Install the apps you need again.

💡

After a reset, the phone will run faster, but the first 1-2 days can warm up – this is normal, as the system indexes files and optimizes performance.

Attention! ⚠️ Don't reset if:

• The phone is not charged at least 50% - the process can be interrupted.
• You have not made a backup copy – the data will be lost irretrievably.
• You have a bootloader unlocked – after resetting, the phone may need to be re-unlocked.

7.Prevention: How to avoid memory shortages in the future

To avoid recurring problems, follow these rules:

• 📱 Clean the cache regularly (once in a week) 1-2 weekdays).
• 📷 Set up an automatic upload to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 🎮 Remove the games after you have passed (or transfer them to the game). SD-map).
• 🔍 Check the "Large Files" in the MI File Manager once a month.
• 📥 Turn off auto-save media files in messengers: WhatsApp: Settings → Data and storage → Autoboot media → Turn off for mobile data. In Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Autoboot media → Choose "Never».
• 🛡️ Use lightweight alternatives to "heavy" apps: Heavy app Easy alternative Facebook Hermit Lite Apps or Facebook Lite Up to 200 MB Google Chrome Brave or Mi Browser Lite Up to 150 MB Instagram Lite Up to 100 MB Google Maps OsmAnd~ or Yandex.Maps (without offline cards) Up to 1 GB

Useful tip: If you install/remove apps frequently, turn on Auto Clean in Settings → Storage → Cleanup → Auto Cleanup. The phone will automatically delete unnecessary files once a week.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory shortages on Xiaomi