Memory Cleanup on Xiaomi Redmi 4X: A Complete Guide to Freeing Up Place

Xiaomi Redmi 4X is still a popular budget smartphone, but its main drawback is only 16/32 GB of internal memory. Over time, the device begins to slow down, applications fly out, and the system gives notifications about the lack of space, the reason lies not only in the small amount of the drive, but also in the features of MIUI, which actively uses cache and temporary files.

In this article, we will discuss 7 effective ways to clean up memory on Redmi 4X, from basic methods (hand-held garbage removal) to radical ones (factory resetting), focus on hidden MIUI folders that take up to 3-5 GB of space and are not deleted by standard means, and learn how to transfer applications to a memory card (yes, this is possible even on stock firmware!) and which files can be safely deleted without risk to the system.

Important: All instructions are tested on Redmi 4X with MIUI firmware 9-12. If your device is running on a newer version, some menu items may differ - but the logic of the action remains the same.

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

Before you start cleaning, you need to figure out which files are taking up space. Redmi 4X has built-in tools for this, but they don't show the whole picture. Here's how to get the details:

Open Settings → Memory of the device. Here you will see a diagram of the allocation of memory by categories: System, Applications, Photo/Video, Audio and Other. However, this section often understates the actual amount of garbage. For example, the cache of applications can appear as "Other", when in fact it can be safely removed.

For more accurate analysis, use third-party utilities:

• 📊 Files by Google – shows large and unnecessary files, including duplicates.
• 🔍 SD Maid (requires root) – scans hidden folders MIUI, such as /MIUI/backup or /miad, gigabyte.
• 📁 DiskUsage – visualizes occupied space in the form of an interactive map.

Notice the folders:

• /Android/data – this is where application data (cache, downloads, game saves) is stored.
• /MIUI – System backups and logs that are rarely needed by the user.
• /DCIM/.thumbnails – Photo and video thumbnails that can be deleted without loss.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders /system, /efs Or files with the.odex extension, which will cause the system to crash, and avoid cleaning the folder. /Android/obb, if you play games: additional data is stored here (for example, graphics packages for the game). GTA or PUBG).

2. Cleaning the application cache and system

Cache is a temporary file that is created by applications to speed up work. Over time, they accumulate and can take from 1 to 3 GB. In Redmi 4X, the cache is divided into two types:

• Application cache – data of individual programs (for example, thumbnails in a gallery or a web page in a browser).
• Dalvik-cache – files that Android creates to optimize the work.

To clear the cache of individual applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications.
2. Select an app (such as YouTube or Facebook).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

For mass cleaning, use Settings → Memory → Clean (this will remove the cache of all applications at once).

To clean the system cache (Dalvik-cache), you will need to restart in Recovery Mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
3. From the recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

Close all applications

Connect your phone to charge (the process can take 5-10 minutes)

Backup important data (in case of failure)

Do not interrupt the cleaning process.-->

⚠️ Warning: Cleaning up Dalvik-cache can cause the system to initially "brake" after a reboot - this is normal. Android will recover the necessary files within a few minutes 10-15 minute.

3. Removal of unnecessary applications and their data

Xiaomi Redmi 4X stock firmware contains many pre-installed applications that cannot be removed by standard means. However, they can be disabled or removed using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), here is a list of the most voracious system programs:

To remove system applications without root rights:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and install ADB Tools.
3. Enter the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer (replace com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer with the desired application package).

List of Redmi 4X system application packages:

• 🎵 Mi Music — com.miui.player
• 📺 Mi Video — com.miui.videoplayer
• 🌐 Mi Browser — com.android.browser
• 🧹 Clean Master — com.miui.cleanmaster

💡

Before removing system applications, check for compatibility with your version of MIUI. Some packages (e.g., com.xiaomi.mipicks) may be associated with key system features.

4. Transfer applications to a memory card

Xiaomi Redmi 4X It supports microSD cards up to 256GB, but by default, the applications are installed in internal memory. SD-It's a map, even without root rights:

Step 1: Format your memory card as an internal storage (this will delete all data from it!):

1. Put the card in the phone.
2. Go to Settings → Memory → SD card.
3. Click Format as internal.
4. After formatting, select Transfer Data (it will take 10-20 minutes).

Step 2: Move the applications:

1. Open the Settings → Applications.
2. Select an app (such as Facebook or Telegram).
3. Click Warehouse → Change → SD Card.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 Not all apps support portability (such as WhatsApp or Banking apps).
• 🐢 The work of applications from the memory card can be slower (depending on the class) SD-map).
• ⚠️ After the map is extracted, the transferred applications will stop working.

5. Cleaning up hidden MIUI folders

MIUI creates many hidden folders that take up space but are rarely used, such as /MIUI/backup, which can weigh up to 1-2 GB due to backups of themes and settings. Here is a list of safe directories to clean:

To see the hidden folders:

1. Use a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Remove unnecessary folders (see table above).

For cleaning without root rights:

• 📂 Connect your phone to your PC and use Total Commander or Far Manager to access hidden folders.
• 🔄 Move important files (such as photos) to a memory card or PC before cleaning.

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the phone starts to brake

Never clean.-->

6. Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If all previous methods failed and the phone still makes errors about memory shortages, it will delete all data, including apps, photos and settings, so back up first.

How to perform the reset:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Restore and reset.
2. Select Settings Reset.
3. Mark Clear internal memory (optional if you want to delete everything, including files).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Alternative method (if the phone is not turned on):

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to Enter Recovery Mode.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe All Data.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Attention: After the Redmi reset 4X You may need to enter your Mi Account if you previously enabled Device Protection. If you do not remember the password, unlocking your phone will be difficult – you will need to contact Xiaomi Support with proof of purchase.

💡

Factory reset is the last chance to make your phone work again, and only use it if other methods have failed, as the process is irreversible and requires reconfiguration of the device.

7.Memory optimization after cleaning

Once the space is vacant, it is important to prevent it from filling up quickly. Here are some tips for the Redmi 4X:

• 📱 Turn off automatic app updates in the Play Market → Settings → Auto Update (select Do Not Update Automatically).
• 📷 Configure saving photo/video to the memory card in the camera: camera settings → Warehouse → Map. SD.
• 🎮 Limit the cache for games: in the game settings (for example, PUBG or Free Fire) select Low quality graphics – this will reduce the cache size.
• 🔄 Clean up downloads regularly: folder /Download It often contains unnecessary files (APK, PDF, archive).

We also recommend installing easy alternatives to popular apps:

• 📘 Facebook Lite instead of Facebook (takes up 10 times less space).
• 📷 Google Photos – Gallery Go (from Google, but optimized for weak devices).
• 🎵 Instead of Spotify – Deezer or Yandex Music (less background memory consumption).

For advanced users:

• 🛠️ Install custom Recovery (TWRP) and use scripts to automatically clean garbage (e.g. Universal Cleaner Script).
• 🔧 Turn it off. MIUI Optimization through ADB: adb shell settings put global miui_optimization 0 This will reduce the background activity of the system, but may cause some functions to function unstablely.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleaning on Redmi 4X