Smartphones brand Xiaomi, including the popular lines Redmi i Poco, are famous for their performance, but even powerful hardware can suffer from a lack of free space. When the internal memory becomes full, the device starts to work slower, the cameras refuse to shoot in high resolution, and new applications cannot be installed. This is a common problem faced by owners of both budget models and flagships.
In the operating system Androidon which the shell MIUI or HyperOSruns, the accumulation of temporary files occurs naturally during use. Messengers store thousands of media files, browsers cache pages, and games load additional resources. Understanding where exactly this data is hiding is the first step to effectively wiping your device.
There are many ways to get back those gigabytes of free space, and most of them don't require root access or complex software. In this article we will analyze in detail the standard tools of the system, the capabilities of cloud services and manual methods for removing unnecessary things. You will learn how to safely remove system junk without fear of damaging important data or phone settings.
Storage analysis: finding the heaviest files
Before you start deleting, you need to determine exactly what is taking up space. The standard storage analyzer Xiaomi provides a visual data distribution diagram. Go to Settings → Memoryto see a breakdown by category: applications, images, videos, documents and more. Visualization helps quickly find hidden amounts of information.
It often turns out that the lion's share of memory is occupied not by system files, but by content from instant messengers. WhatsApp, Telegram i Viber have the habit of automatically saving all received photos and videos to the gallery, creating duplicates. Without prior analysis, the user can delete unnecessary system caches, ignoring gigabytes of personal media files.
⚠️ Attention: When clearing folders with unknown names in the root directory, make sure that they do not belong to important work applications. Deleting system folders may reset app settings.
Use the built-in function to sort files by size. This allows you to instantly identify forgotten movies, long videos or archives that were downloaded months ago. Files larger than 1 GB are often forgotten downloads or backups that are no longer relevant. Manually checking such items gives better results than blindly using cleaners.
Using the built-in application Security
Each smartphone Xiaomi has a pre-installed system application Securitywhich includes a powerful tool for cleaning up garbage. It scans your device for residual files, temporary data, and ad cache. Running a deep scan through this interface is the safest way for inexperienced users.
The application automatically identifies files that can be deleted without affecting system operation. However, you should be careful: sometimes important logs or temporary files of active applications are included in the list of candidates for deletion. Before clicking the cleanup button, carefully review the list, especially the section Large files.
☑️ Check before cleaning
In addition to basic cleaning, the application has a function Speedupthat closes background processes and frees up RAM RAM. Although this does not increase the amount of internal storage, the comprehensive use of optimization tools improves the overall responsiveness of the interface. Regular use of these features helps keep your phone in good shape.
Run a full clean through the Security app once a week to prevent the accumulation of a critical mass of temporary files.
Cleaning the cache of applications and social networks
Social networks and instant messengers are the main consumers of free memory. An application Telegram, for example, can occupy tens of gigabytes if the media caching limit is not set in the settings. To clear the cache, go to Settings → Applications → All applications, select the one you need and press Memory.
In the menu that opens you will see a button Clear cache. It is important not to confuse it with the button Clear everything or Reset, since the latter action will delete your logins, correspondence and settings within the application. The cache is temporary data that the application will download again if necessary.
| Application | Where to clean | Is it safe | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Settings → Data and memory | Yes | Frees up to 10+ GB |
| Phone settings → Application | Yes | Speeds up startup | |
| YouTube | Settings → General | Yes | Deletes thumbnails |
| Chrome | Settings → Privacy | Yes | Resets website sessions |
For some applications, such as YouTube or Spotify, the function of downloading content for offline listening is available. Forgotten playlists and videos can take up significant space. Check the download sections inside the applications themselves and delete what you no longer plan to watch without the Internet.
Why is the cache growing again?
Cache is temporary storage that speeds up applications. After cleaning, it will begin to fill up again as apps are used; this is normal system behavior.
Deleting duplicates and similar photos
The smartphone gallery is often overcrowded with burst shots, interface screenshots and similar photos. The shell MIUI i HyperOS has a built-in duplicate search algorithm. It analyzes images and offers to delete duplicate frames, freeing up space without losing the quality of albums.
In addition to duplicates, you should pay attention to the folder Screenshots. Users often take screenshots of receipts, correspondence or cards that are only relevant for a couple of days. Regular revision of this folder allows you to keep your storage in order. Also check the Deleted items (Recently Deleted) folder, as deleted photos are often kept there for another 30 days.
Using cloud services such as Google Photos or Yandex Driveallows you to enable the free up space feature. After the backup, the originals are deleted from the device, leaving only high-quality thumbnails in the gallery that take up minimal space. This is one of the most effective methods for lovers of mobile photography.
⚠️ Attention: Before mass deleting photos, be sure to check that the cloud backup was successful and accessible from other devices.
Transferring data to a memory card and to the cloud
If your model Xiaomi supports the installation of memory cards microSD, this is an ideal solution for storing photos, videos and music. Modern versions of Android allow you to configure the transfer of media files by default. Go to the camera settings and select the memory card as the main storage location.
For files that are rarely needed but should be at hand, use cloud storage. Services like Google Drive or Dropbox are integrated into the system like regular folders. You can move document archives and old projects there, leaving only active files on the internal drive.
Some applications allow you to change the path where data is saved in their settings. For example, navigation applications Navitel or 2GIS can store maps on an external memory card, which significantly saves internal space. Check the settings of heavy applications for the presence of such an option.
Using a memory card for multimedia is the easiest way to increase the available space without deleting important applications.
Radical measures: reset to factory settings
If none of the above methods helped, and the memory continues to rapidly fill with incomprehensible files, the system may have accumulated a critical amount of errors. In this case, a full reset to factory settings helps. This action will return the phone to its out-of-the-box state.
Before performing this procedure, you must make a complete backup of all data. Resetting will delete absolutely everything: contacts, messages, applications and files. Make sure your contacts are synchronized with your account Google or Mi Account, and photos are uploaded to the cloud.
To reset, go to Settings → About phone → Reset settings. Select item Erase all data. The process will take a few minutes, after which the phone will reboot and require initial setup. This is guaranteed to remove all software junk.
What if the memory is full immediately after the reset?
If immediately after resetting and installing a minimum of applications the memory is again occupied by 90%, this may indicate a malfunction of the drive itself or a critical error in the firmware version. In this case, it is recommended to reflash the device via a computer or contact a service center.
Is it possible to delete system applications?
Removing system applications without root access is impossible using standard means. Using third-party apps to freeze or remove system components can lead to unstable operation of the phone or a “bootloop” (cyclic reboot).
Why does the “System” memory take up 20 GB?
The “System” section includes not only OS files, but also data from all installed applications, their cache, updates and backups. Users often mistakenly mistake this volume for the size of the operating system itself, whereas this is the total indicator of all device data.
Does full memory affect the charging speed?
There is no direct effect on the current flow rate, but if there is a critical lack of space (less than 100 MB), the phone can work slowly, heat up and take a long time to process background tasks, which is why the charging process may seem longer or intermittent.