Smartphone owners Redmi 5 often face an unpleasant situation when the device begins to work slower, and notifications about lack of space appear with alarming regularity. This model, released several years ago, was initially equipped with a modest amount of built-in storage - only 16 or 32 gigabytes. Modern applications have become much “heavier”, and social networks and instant messengers consume gigabytes of RAM and permanent memory to store caches and media files.
Critical disk fullness does not just prevent you from downloading new apps or taking photos. It directly affects the stability of the operating system MIUIbased on Android. When free space approaches zero, the system cannot create temporary files necessary for the correct functioning of background processes. This leads to interface freezes, spontaneous reboots, and even the inability to make calls.
In this article we will examine in detail safe and effective methods for freeing up space. You'll learn how to find hidden files, clean up system junk without losing important data, and set up automatic optimization. A competent approach to storage management will extend the life of your gadget and return it to its former response speed.
Analysis of the fullness of the built-in storage
Before you start deleting files, you need to clearly understand what exactly is taking up space on your disk. Standard smartphone settings provide basic information, but for in-depth analysis it is better to use the built-in cleaning tool or third-party utilities. In the interface MIUI the path to this information usually lies through the menu Settings → Memory.
The system automatically scans partitions and distributes the occupied space into categories: applications, images, video, audio, etc. Pay special attention to the “Other” item. Often this is where the remains of deleted apps, error logs and temporary update files accumulate, which can occupy several gigabytes. Visualization Filling helps to quickly identify the main “eaters” of space.
Sometimes users are surprised to see that the amount of occupied data exceeds the declared memory capacity. This is due to the peculiarities of calculating volume in binary and decimal systems, as well as reserving space for system needs. However, if the difference is too large, there may be hidden file system errors.
⚠️ Attention! Do not delete files from system folders manually through the file manager unless you are 100% sure of their purpose. This can lead to unstable operation of the firmware.
Use the built-in Security application for the initial scan - it automatically detects large files and duplicates, saving you time.
Cleaning application cache and system junk
The fastest way to free up space is to delete cached data. Cache is temporary information that applications save to speed up their work. For example, YouTube stores video thumbnails, and the browser stores copies of visited pages. Over time, this data becomes outdated and becomes useless ballast.
To clean it, you can use the standard “Cleanup” function in the security application. Click on the scan button and the system will offer to delete unnecessary files. However, for more thorough work, it is worth going into the settings of each “heavy” application separately. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, select the desired app (for example, Telegram or VK) and click “Clear” → “Clear cache.”
It is important not to confuse clearing the cache with clearing data. If you click "Clear all data", the application will return to the state it was immediately after installation: you will lose your chat history, settings and authorization. The cache is deleted safely, although when you first launch the application it may take a little longer to load than usual.
- 🗑️ Clear your browser cache regularly, as it can grow to hundreds of megabytes in a week of active surfing.
- 📱 Check the cache of social networks - they often take up the lion's share of memory on old ones smartphones.
- ⚙️ Use the “Deep Cleaning” function in the standard MIUI optimizer to search for residual files.
After the procedure, reboot the device. This will allow the system to correctly recalculate free space and update file system indexes. You will immediately notice that the available volume has increased.
☑️ Weekly memory maintenance
Managing your media library and transferring files
Photos and videos are the main content that fills the memory on Redmi 5. The smartphone camera takes pictures in good resolution, and one minute of high-quality video can weigh more than a hundred documents. It is irrational to store the entire collection on an internal drive.
The first step is to revise the gallery. Remove bad shots, screenshots that are no longer needed, and duplicate images. MIUI has a search function for similar photos, which helps you quickly select and delete unnecessary ones. After deleting, the files end up in the trash, from where they must be completely removed so that space is actually freed up.
The second step is data transfer. If your device has a memory card slot microSDbe sure to use it. You can transfer all photos, videos and music to an external drive. To do this, go to the “Explorer” application, select the necessary files, select “Move” and specify the path to the SD card.
⚠️ Attention! Formatting a memory card as internal memory (if this option is available) will delete all data on it. Make a backup copy of important files before this operation.
Also consider using cloud storage services such as Google Photos or Yandex.Disk. Set up automatic uploading of photos to the cloud with the “Free up space” function. This will remove the originals from the phone, leaving them available on the Internet in high quality.
How to set up auto-upload in Google Photos
Open the Google Photos application, click on the profile icon, select “Photo Settings” → "Startup". After enabling the download, go to the menu and click “Free up space on your device.”
Optimizing the work of messengers
Messengers seem to WhatsApp, ViberTelegram work like real vacuum cleaners for memory. They automatically save every photo, video and voice message received to internal memory. Over the course of a year of active correspondence, more than 5-10 gigabytes of garbage can accumulate in several chats.
In the settings of each messenger there is a section “Data and storage” or similar. There you can disable automatic downloading of media files. It is recommended to disable autoloading for mobile data, allowing it only via Wi-Fi, or disable it completely to view pictures only by clicking.
In addition, these applications have built-in memory management tools. For example, in Telegram you can configure automatic cache clearing: “Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage → Auto delete.” Set the value to "3 days" or "1 week". This ensures that old media files don't take up space forever.
| Application | Path to cleanup | Recommended setting |
|---|---|---|
| Settings → Data and storage | Disable auto-download photo/video | |
| Telegram | Settings → Data and memory | Auto-delete cache: 3 days |
| Viber | More → Settings → Memory | Clear cache manually |
| Phone settings → Applications | Clearing the cache through the system |
Regularly clearing attachments in chats allows you to keep the system in good shape. Delete old groups from which you have left, as their correspondence history may continue to be stored on disk.
Setting up automatic cache deletion in instant messengers is the most effective way to prevent memory overflow in the future without manual intervention.
Deleting unused applications and games
Often we install games or utilities “for once”, and then we forget about them. They not only take up the space of the installation file, but also continue to store their data, updates and cache. On Redmi 5 with its limited capacity, every megabyte counts.
Go to the list of all applications and sort them by size or date of last use. Ruthlessly delete what you haven't used in the last month. Pay attention to pre-installed software (bloatware), which often comes bundled with Xiaomi firmware. Many of these apps can be removed or at least disabled, which will hide them from the list and stop background activity.
To remove, go to Settings → Applications, select the unnecessary software and click “Delete”. If the button is inactive, then it is a system application. In this case, select "Disable". This action will return some of the space occupied by updates to this application.
- 🎮 Games often weigh more than 1 GB due to the cache with textures and sounds - delete them first.
- 🛒 Purchases and delivery services that you rarely use can be deleted and reinstalled if necessary.
- 📺 Widgets and live wallpapers consume resources and space - replace them with static images.
Remember that deleting an application erases all data associated with it. If the app contains important information, make a backup copy or export the data before uninstalling.
⚠️ Attention! The MIUI interface may change with firmware updates. If you do not find the described menu items, use the search in settings by entering the name of the function.
Resetting settings as a radical method
If all of the above methods did not help and the memory is still full, the system may have accumulated critical file system errors or “broken” files that cannot be deleted by standard means. In this case, the most effective solution would be a full reset to factory settings.
This procedure will return the phone to the state it was in when purchased. Absolutely all data will be deleted: contacts, messages, applications, settings and files. Therefore, before starting the operation required make a complete backup copy of important information to your computer or to the cloud.
To perform a reset, go to Settings → About phone → Reset settings. Select "Clear all data". The device will reboot and begin the formatting process. This may take from 10 to 30 minutes. After turning on, you will receive a clean system with the maximum amount of free memory.
Settings → About phone → Reset settings → Clear all dataUse this method only as a last resort. After resetting, install only the necessary applications and immediately set up rules for storing media files so that the problem does not recur in a couple of months.
Before resetting the settings, write down or photograph important passwords for Wi-Fi and accounts, as they will be deleted from the device memory.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why does the memory fill up by itself immediately after cleaning?
This is normal system behavior. Applications create new temporary files (cache) while running. In addition, messengers continue to receive new media files. If the space disappears too quickly (gigabytes per day), check your phone for viruses or hidden miners using an antivirus.
Is it possible to transfer applications to a memory card on Redmi 5?
In modern versions of Android and MIUI, the ability to transfer applications to an SD card is limited or absent for many apps. It's up to app developers to decide whether to support this feature. You can transfer only those applications whose settings have an active “Move to SD card” button.
Is it safe to delete the Android folder on a memory card?
No, deleting the entire folder Android is strictly not recommended. It stores application data, game caches and app settings. Deleting this folder will reset all applications to their original state, losing game progress and settings. You can only delete specific folders within it that relate to already deleted games.
How to clear the "Other" folder in the storage?
The "Other" folder often contains system update files, application data that the system could not classify, and the remains of deleted apps. Try clearing the cache of all applications in a row. If this does not help, the only reliable way to clear this partition is to create a backup copy and completely reset the phone.
Does full memory affect Internet speed?
Directly - no, but indirectly - yes. When the memory is full, the smartphone processor works under increased load, trying to manage the file system. This can cause a general sluggishness in the interface, which makes the browser or applications seem to work slower, including loading content from the network.