Modern smartphones Xiaomi i Redmi have impressive characteristics, but even 128 or 256 gigabytes of internal memory can disappear unnoticed. Users often encounter a situation where the system reports a lack of space, blocking the installation of updates or the creation of new photos. This occurs not only due to the large number of media files, but also due to the accumulation of system garbage, application cache and residual files after uninstalling apps.
In the ecosystem MIUI and new HyperOS file management processes have their own characteristics that differ from pure Android. Standard cleaning methods often don't touch hidden directories or duplicates that take up gigabytes of usable space. In this article, we will take a closer look at how to safely and effectively deep clean your device without deleting important personal data.
The correct approach to memory maintenance can extend the life of the drive and speed up the interface. We'll look at both the manufacturer's built-in tools and advanced techniques for working with the file system via a computer. It is important to understand the difference between temporary files, which can be deleted thoughtlessly, and system data, the deletion of which will lead to failures.
Using the built-in Cleanup application
The first and safest step is to use the standard tool pre-installed in the shell MIUI. The Cleaner app automatically scans your device for temporary files, ad cache, and remnants of uninstalled apps. You can launch it through the icon on the desktop or in the battery and memory settings menu.
After starting the scan, the system will offer to remove “garbage”, the volume of which can reach several gigabytes. However, you should be careful: algorithms do not always accurately determine the importance of files. For example, the “Application Cache” section may contain data for offline maps or instant messenger caches, the deletion of which will require re-downloading the content.
⚠️ Attention: The “Deep Cleaning” function in the standard application sometimes suggests deleting old screenshots or rarely used installer APK files. Carefully check the list before confirming the deletion so as not to lose important installation packages of the apps you need.
For more detailed control, go to the application management section inside the utility. Here you can see which apps are consuming the most space. Often the leaders are social networks and instant messengers, such as Telegram or Viber, which store the history of media files locally.
Set up automatic cache clearing in the Cleaning application once a week so that the memory does not become critically clogged. This can be done in the settings of the cleaning application itself.
Manually clearing the cache and application data
If the automatic utility did not cope with the task, you need to move on to manually cleaning specific “heavyweights”. This method requires more time, but gives a guaranteed result. You need to go to menu Settings → Applications → All applications. In this list it is convenient to sort apps by the size of the space they occupy.
Select an application that takes up a disproportionate amount of memory. Inside the app card you will find two key buttons: “Clear” and “Delete”. The Clear button usually offers two options: clear cache or clear all data. Clearing the cache is safe and does not affect your logins and correspondence.
- 🗑️ Cache —temporary files that speed up content loading. Deleting them is safe, the application will simply download them again if necessary.
- 💾 Application data — all information, including settings, authorization and database. Deleting data will reset the application to the “as after installation” state.
- 📂 Android folder - in new versions of Android, access to it is limited, but some file managers still allow you to clear the contents
Android/obbandAndroid/data.
Particular attention should be paid to instant messengers. In the settings itself Telegram, for example, there is a built-in memory management tool. It allows you to set up automatic deletion of downloaded media files after a certain time, which saves space without losing access to the chat history in the cloud.
☑️ Check heavy applications
Analysis and removal of duplicate photos and videos
Media content is the main consumer of space on any smartphone. Over time, the gallery accumulates unsuccessful duplicates of photographs, similar burst shots, and screenshots that are no longer relevant. The built-in gallery Xiaomi has a search function for similar images, but it does not always work perfectly.
For better processing, it is recommended to use third-party solutions or carefully view the “Screenshots” and “Video” album. Users often forget about video files downloaded from the Internet, which each take up hundreds of megabytes. Deleting even ten of these files can free up space for thousands of new photos.
It's also worth checking your folder DCIM for hidden thumbnails (.thumbnails). This is the system folder where gallery previews are stored. Over time, the file .thumbdata can grow to several gigabytes if there are tens of thousands of photos in the gallery.
⚠️ Attention: Before mass deleting photos, be sure to create a backup copy in cloud storage (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk) or on your computer. Recovering files deleted without backup on Android is extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible.
Working with the Download folder and browser downloads
The folder Download (Downloads) often turns into a digital dump. PDF documents, APK installation files, images from browsers and attachments from mail are automatically saved here. Many users do not look here for months, allowing files to accumulate.
Go to the Explorer application and open the Downloads category. Sort files by size. You'll be surprised to find old update installers for apps you installed a long time ago or movies you watched a year ago. Feel free to delete all files with the extension .apkif you do not plan to transfer them to another device.
Also check the folders of specific browsers, for example Chrome or UC Browser. They may have their own download directories inside the main downloads folder or in the root of the internal memory. Clearing these directories often frees up 1 to 5 GB of free space instantly.
Path to check: /storage/emulated/0/Download/Don't forget about the folder Bluetoothif you have ever received files using this protocol. Old presentations, music or documents received from colleagues or friends several years ago may be stored there.
Regularly checking the “Downloads” folder once a month prevents critical memory from filling up and allows you to keep the device clean without complex manipulations.
Cleaning system partitions and the .thumbnails folder
There is a hidden There is a problem in the Android file system related to the generation of thumbnails. The system creates thumbnails for each image in the gallery so that they appear quickly as you swipe. These thumbnails are saved in a hidden folder .thumbnails inside the directory DCIM.
Over time, the size of this folder can become comparable to the size of all your photos. A standard file manager may not show this folder because its name begins with a dot. To access it, you will need to enable the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings or connect the phone to the PC.
Nothese are just error logs| File type | Location | Can be deleted? | Consequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| .thumbdata | DCIM/.thumbnails | Yes | The gallery will take longer to open when first launched |
| log files | MiUI/debug_log | Yes | |
| temp files | Data/local/tmp | With caution | Possible malfunctions in some applications |
| backup | MIUI/backup | Only old ones | It is impossible to restore settings from an old copy |
To prevent uncontrolled growth of this folder in the future, some users create an empty file in the folder DCIM/.thumbnails with the same name as the thumbnail file, and make it read-only. This prevents the system from writing new data there, although in new versions Android this trick does not always work stably.
How to see hidden files on Xiaomi?
In the standard Explorer application, click on the three dots in the upper corner or on the settings icon. Find the "Show hidden files" switch and turn it on. After this, folders starting with a dot will become visible.
Transferring data to an SD card and to the cloud
If the internal memory is filled with irrevocably necessary data, the only way out is to expand the storage. Many models Redmi support format memory cards microSD. Transferring photos, videos and music to an external card is the best solution for unloading the main storage.
In the storage settings, you can select a memory card as the default recording location for the camera. This will allow new pictures to be immediately saved to external storage. However, it is worth remembering that the write speed on cheap cards can be slow, which will lead to delays when shooting bursts or recording video in 4K.
An alternative to a physical card is cloud storage. Services like Google Photos offer image compression without losing visual quality, allowing you to store thousands of photos for free. Activate the “Free up space” function in the Google Photos application - it will delete from your phone those copies that are already securely uploaded to the cloud.
⚠️ Attention: Do not transfer the applications themselves to the SD card (the “Move to SD card” function in the application settings). This often leads to unstable operation of apps, since the reading speed of external cards is lower than the speed of internal UFS memory.
When choosing a memory card, give preference to a speed class not lower than U3 or V30. Cheap class cards C10 can quickly fail when actively recording video or constantly accessing system files.
Use the “Format as internal storage” function only as a last resort. This will encrypt the card, and you will not be able to read it on a computer or other phone without a full reset.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why does the memory quickly fill up again after cleaning?
Most likely, you have automatic media downloading active in instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp). Check the settings of these applications and disable auto-uploading of photos and videos. It is also possible that the system creates new cache files immediately after clearing, which is normal behavior.
Is it safe to delete the Android/data folder?
In modern versions of Android, access to this folder is limited. Deleting content may reset games and applications, forcing them to download additional files again. Delete only those subfolders that correspond to already deleted apps.
How to find out what exactly is taking up space if the system says “Other”?
The “Other” section usually contains a cache of system services, offline map files, data from streaming services (Spotify, YouTube) and backups. For a detailed analysis, use applications like DiskUsage or connect your phone to a PC to visually assess the folder structure.
Can clearing the cache delete my WhatsApp conversations?
No, if you click “Clear cache”. Messages are stored in the “Application Data” section. However, if you click “Clear all” or “Reset”, then all messages will be deleted permanently if there is no backup.
Why do you need a factory reset for cleaning?
Factory Reset is a radical method that deletes absolutely everything except system files. This is the only way to remove deep-seated system debris that is not removed by regular cleaning. Before doing this, be sure to make a full backup of your important data.