Xiaomi Memory is Full: How to Clean Your Phone Fast and Safe

Why Xiaomi is running out of memory and what to do about it

You see "Memory is full" on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO screen again? This is one of the most common problems for smartphone owners of the brand - even on new models with 128 GB and 256 GB, memory mysteriously disappears. It's not just your photos and videos that are to blame: MIUI actively caches data, applications create duplicate files, and updates take up gigabytes unnoticed by the user.

In this article, we will analyze all methods of memory cleaning - from basic (removal of garbage and cache) to radical (reset to factory settings). You'll learn how to find "invisible" files that eat up space, which apps can be safely deleted, and why even after cleaning up, memory can fill up again.Instructions are suitable for all current models: Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5/X5 others.

Before you start, check how much memory is occupied: go to Settings → About Phone → Memory. If less than 10% is free, the phone is already slowing down due to space shortage. Our goal is to free up at least 15-20% for stable operation.

1.Cache and debris removal through built-in MIUI tools

The fastest way to free up 1-3 GB is to use the built-in Cleanup utility, which deletes temporary files, app cache, and remnants of deleted programs. Here's how to do it correctly:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Select the Cleaning section → Deep Cleaning.
3. Wait for the analysis (may take 1-2 minutes).
4. Click Clean and confirm the action.

Note that you can delete the cache of individual applications here, for example, YouTube or TikTok often accumulate 500 MB-1 GB of unnecessary data to clear the cache of a particular application:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Select the desired application (for example, Google Play Store).
• 🧹 Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – this will remove all settings!).

Important: Do not clear the cache of system applications (for example, com.android.systemui or com.miui.home) - this can lead to interface failures.

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If the app is slower after the cache is cleaned, that's OK, you need the cache to speed up the loading of data, and after a few runs, the speed will return.

2. Search and delete large files manually

Often, memory is clogged with files that are invisible to the user: system logs, error dumps, backups or downloaded updates.

1. Open Files (app) MI File Manager).
2. Go to the Category section → Large files.
3. Sort by size (click on three dots in the top right corner → Sort → by size).

Typical memory eaters that can be removed:

• 🎥 Video in a folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Miniatures that the system automatically creates.
• 📁 Download folder - here accumulate APK-files, documents and archives.
• 🔄 folder MIUI/backup — backups created by the system (unless you plan to restore old data).
• 📊 Files with.log or.dmp extensions are error logs (located in folders) Android/data root-catalogue).

Critical folder: MIUI/extra – Gigabytes of junk files from MIUI updates can be found here. Delete everything except the theme folder (if you use custom themes).

Remove thumbnails from DCIM/.thumbnails|

Clear Download folder from unnecessary files |

Check the MIUI/backup folder for old backups|

Delete files with the.log and.dmp| extensions

Clear the map cache in Google Maps (folder) Android/data/com.google.android.apps.maps)-->

3. Memory cleanup via Recovery Mode (for power users)

If the phone is slowing down even after cleaning, and the memory is still full, try removing the cache through Recovery mode. This will not reset your data, but will remove system debris that is not visible in the normal interface.

Instructions:

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.
5. Restart the phone (Reboot).

This method helps if:

• 📱 The phone has become slower since the update. MIUI.
• 🔄 Memory 'disappears' on its own (blame cache updates).
• 🚫 Applications are crashed with the error “Not enough memory».

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will completely reset the phone to factory settings by deleting all your files.

4. Remove pre-installed applications (bloatware) without root

Xiaomi is known for installing dozens of unwanted apps on phones: Mi Browser, Mi Music, Mi Video, games and services for China, many of which run in the background, consuming memory and battery power, and can be removed even without root rights through ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools, and execute the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.browser Replace com.miui.browser with the desired application package (list below).

List of safe packets to remove (checked on MIUI 14):

⚠️ Warning: Do not delete system packages like com.miui.home or com.android.settings, this will lead to system failure. If you are not sure, check the package with Google before deleting it.

5. Data transfer to SD-map

If you are actively shooting videos in 4K Or you can store a lot of music, even 256 GB might not be enough. SD-card (if the phone supports it) or to the cloud:

• 📁 SD-Map: Insert class map A2/U3 (For speed, format as internal memory in Settings → Memory. After that, you can transfer applications and files to it.
• ☁️ Cloud: Google Photos (unlimited storage of compressed photos), Mi Cloud (5 GB free), Yandex Drive (10 GB). Set up automatic download in Settings → Accounts. → Synchronization.
• 💻 PC/laptop: Regularly copy photos and videos to your computer via USB-cable or Wi-Fi (Mi Drop app).

How to transfer applications to SD-map:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Spotify).
3. Press Warehouse. → Change. → choose SD-map.

Important: Not all applications support portability. SD-The transfer programs will stop working.

6. Reset to factory settings: when necessary

If none of these methods worked, and the memory is still filled with invisible files, the last option is a complete reset, which will delete everything, including photos, messages and apps, so make sure to back up in advance.

How to Reset Xiaomi Right:

1. Save important data to your PC or cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data.
4. Enter your password (if installed) and confirm.
5. Wait until it is completed (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🔧 Set your phone up as new (don’t restore backup if it’s old – this could bring back the problem!).
• 📥 Install only the necessary applications.
• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once in a week) 1-2 weekdays).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) After the reset, you may need to re-activate your Mi Account. Make sure you remember your login and password!

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Factory reset is a last resort, and 90% of memory problems are solved by the first 5 methods in this article.

7. How to prevent memory filling in the future

To prevent Xiaomi memory from running out again, follow these rules:

• 📸 Photo and video: Set up automatic download in Google Photos and turn on the “Free space” option after downloading.
• 🎮 Games: Remove the cache of heavy games (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile) through Settings → Annexes.
• 🔄 Updates: Turn off automatic download of updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Downloading.
• 🗑️ Recycle Bin: Clean the Recycle Bin in the Files app (files are stored there for 30 days and take up space!).
• 📊 Monitor: Install Files by Google app – it shows which files take up the most space.

It is also useful to disable unnecessary MIUI functions:

1. Go to Settings → Special Options → Memory Notifications and turn them off (they are only annoying, but don’t solve the problem).
2. In Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud, turn off synchronization of unnecessary data (for example, records or notes).

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory on Xiaomi