Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones accumulate vast amounts of data about user activity in the background. Page history, call logs and app cache can take up gigabytes of memory, slowing down the system. Cleaning up this data is not just a way to make room, but also an important measure of digital hygiene to protect personal information.
Many owners of Android devices and MIUI shells don’t know that standard removal of applications doesn’t erase their tracks completely.The system continues to store usage logs, search queries and temporary files. Complete cleaning requires a comprehensive approach to every data source, from the built-in browser to Google’s system services.
In this guide, we will look at all possible ways to remove the digital footprint. You will learn to find hidden sections in the settings and use special tools for deep cleaning. ADB debugging system log is not deleted by standard means and requires separate attention during full cleaning. Let's look at each step in detail.
Clearing History in the Standard Mi Browser
The built-in Mi Browser is the primary navigation tool for many users. It collects data about visited sites by default to speed up loading. To start cleaning, you need to open the application and go to a menu designated by three horizontal lines or dots at the bottom of the screen.
In the menu that opens, select History, then click on the basket icon or the Clear button, and the system will tell you to choose the time range: last hour, today, yesterday or All the time. Choose a full period for maximum effect.
For a more subtle setup, go to the Settings section inside the browser, then select Privacy and Security. There are switches available to automatically clear data when you leave the application. Cache and cookies are also recommended to be deleted regularly so that sites do not track your movements.
- 🗑️ Click on the three bars in the bottom menu and select History».
- ⏱️ Select the All-Time Time Range for a full cleanup.
- 🔒 Enable the “Clear on exit” option in the privacy settings.
- 📉 Separately delete cookies to reset sessions on sites.
⚠️ Note: After clearing history and cookies, you will have to log in again to all sites where you were previously saved.
☑️ Checking the browser cleanup
Delete data in Google Chrome and Yandex.Browser
Users who prefer third-party solutions often install Google Chrome or Yandex.Browser. The cleaning mechanism is similar, but has its own features of the interface. In Chrome, you need to click on three dots in the upper right corner and select History, and then Clear History.
Unlike the standard browser, you can configure the deletion options in more detail here, you can choose to delete only your browsing history, leaving passwords and credit card data intact. This is convenient if you want to just hide the pages you visited, but keep usability.
In Yandex.Browser, the procedure is similar: a three-point menu, a history section, a clear button. Pay attention to the "Additional settings" tab in the cleanup window. You can delete stored licenses and sharing data. Sync with a Google or Yandex account can restore history, so check your cloud storage settings.
| Purification parameter | Google Chrome | Yandex.Browser | Mi Browser |
|---|---|---|---|
| History of visits | There is. | There is. | There is. |
| Cookies | There is. | There is. | There is. |
| Cash. | There is. | There is. | There is. |
| Passwords. | Optionally. | Optionally. | Optionally. |
Cleaning of call logs and SMS-message
Call logs are one of the most sensitive parts of a phone, and you can delete a particular number by putting it in the call list and selecting "Delete." But for complete cleaning, it's easier to use mass removal. Open the Phone app, go to the Journal tab.
Press and hold your finger on any record until the selection menu appears. Select "Select all" or manually select the desired contacts. Then click on the basket. Similar actions are performed in the Messages app. Here you can delete entire dialogs, which frees up significant space in memory.
Remember that deleted messages often end up in the shopping cart inside the app, where they need to be removed separately. In newer versions of MIUI, the shopping cart is in the Message Settings menu or in the top toolbar. Backing up SMS to Google's cloud can save deleted texts, so check your sync settings.
- 📞 Open the Phone app and go to the call log.
- 👆 Press one entry to activate the selection mode.
- ✅ Click on “Select All” or select the numbers you need.
- 🗑️ Click on the basket icon for final removal.
⚠️ Attention: Remote SMS And call logs can't be restored by standard phone tools without a pre-built backup.
How to Restore Remote Contacts?
Delete search history on Google and YouTube
Google search and YouTube video hosting store your search history and your videos you've viewed as linked to your account, which is designed to personalize your search results, but many users see this as an intrusion, and you can delete your history through the app's settings or through your Google account.
Open the Google app, click on the profile avatar, and select History. This shows all the actions. You can delete the posts individually or select Delete the entire story. Similar path on the YouTube app: avatar -> Settings -> General -> Clear browsing and search history.
For a deeper cleanup, use myactivity.google.com. Once logged in, you will see a detailed chronology of all activities, including using Android apps. Auto Delete allows you to set up automatic erasure of data older than 3 or 18 months. Geolocation is also cleared in this section if it was enabled.
myactivity.google.com -> Activity controls -> Auto-Delete💡
Use Incognito mode in YouTube and Google Search so that your browsing and search history doesn’t stay on your account at all, which is more convenient than manually cleaning it all the time.
System cleaning through the application "Safety"
MIUI and HyperOS have a Security system application pre-installed, a powerful tool that allows you to clean not only garbage, but also your application history. Launch the application and select Cleanup.
After scanning, the system will suggest that you delete temporary files. However, to clear the history, you need to go to the Accelerate or Booster section. There are often usage statistics displayed. Deeper cleaning is available in the application settings. Go to Settings -> Apps -> All applications.
Find the app you want (like the Store or Gallery) and select Memory, and it will have a Clear Cache and Clear Data button, and resetting the data will completely remove the history of the activity within that particular application, returning it to the post-installation state. The cache can be deleted safely, and resetting the data will require reconfiguration of the application.
- 🛡️ Open the Security app on your desktop.
- 🧹 Click “Clean” to delete temporary system files.
- 📱 Go to Application Management to work with specific programs.
- 💾 Select “Clean Cache” for Safe Garbage Removal.
💡
System cleanup via Security only removes temporary files. To delete personal history (visits, calls) you need to use the settings of specific applications.
Advanced Methods: ADB and Complete Log Removal
For users who want to delete all traces of activity, including system debugging logs, there is a method using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to a computer and installing drivers, which allows you to delete logs that are not available through the normal interface.
First, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings -> About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version 7 times. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on "Debugging USB." Connect the phone to your PC and enter a command to clean the logs.
adb logcat -cThis command clears the system logger buffer. You can also use commands to reset usage statistics, but this requires root rights in some versions of Android. Be careful: interfering with system logs can affect some of the phone's diagnostic features. ADB is a tool for power users.
⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB requires on-set debugging USB. Do not leave this mode on permanently as this reduces the security of the device when connected to someone else's chargers.