How to Delete All Messages at Once on Xiaomi Redmi: Global Cleanup

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the need to quickly clean the device before selling, transferring to a new user or just to free up space. Standard methods of deleting correspondence on one takes a lot of time, especially if there are thousands of SMS and MMS in history. Users are looking for ways to remove all messages at once, so as not to waste hours monotonously pressing the “Delete” button in each dialogue.

MIUI and the new HyperOS have built-in mechanisms for mass data management, but they are not always obvious at first glance. Some features are hidden in the depths of the menu, others require activation through engineering codes or special applications. It is important to understand the difference between cleaning only text SMS, removing multimedia attachments and completely erasing data from messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram, because the approaches to them are radically different.

In this article, we will look at all the available methods, from standard system tools to radical measures like a complete reset. You will learn how to safely clean the history of calls and messages without losing important contacts or photos. We will also discuss the nuances of working with different versions of firmware, since the MIUI interface can vary significantly on old and new models.

Before taking action, it is necessary to realize the irreversibility of some processes. Deleting messages at the database level of the system often does not allow them to be restored by standard means. Therefore, prior backup of critical data is a mandatory stage of preparation that should not be forgotten.

Standard SMS cleaning capabilities in MIUI and HyperOS

The easiest and safest way to delete all messages at once is through the standard Messages app. Xiaomi developers have a mass selection feature that allows you to mark hundreds of dialogs at a time. However, many users limit themselves to removing individual chains, unaware of the existence of more effective management tools.

To start, open the messaging app and find a menu icon or edit button. In different versions of the shell, this element can look like three dots in a corner or as a separate pencil icon. Once you activate the editing mode, you will be able to select multiple dialogs at once, a baseline that does not require third-party software installation.

Importantly, the standard interface allows you to select dialogs in groups, but does not always offer a “Select All” button on the list’s home screen. In some versions of HyperOS, this feature is available through a long click on the first dialog, after which a checkbox appears to select the entire story. If this option is not available, you will have to use the “sample” method or third-party utilities.

⚠️ Note: Deleting dialogs through the standard menu does not always clear attached files (pictures, videos) from the device's memory.

The process of deleting through the standard menu is as follows: you pinch your finger on one of the messages, select the remaining dialogs and confirm the action. The system will request final confirmation, warning you that recovery is impossible, it is a reliable method for cleaning several dozen or hundreds of correspondence without risking damage to system files.

Using the “Cleanup” function for mass removal

In the arsenal of the MIUI shell, there is a powerful tool called Clearer, which is often underestimated. This system component can scan the device for junk files, but can also work with messages. To find this feature, go to the Security app, which is preinstalled on every Xiaomi smartphone.

Inside the Security app, you need to find a partition that manages memory or garbage, and it will suggest that you delete temporary files, app cache and, importantly for us, old messages, and the smart cleaner algorithm allows you to automatically detect messages that are older than a certain period or contain large attachments.

• 🗑️ Launch the Security app on the home screen.
• 📲 Select “Cleaning” or “Dispossession of garbage».
• 🔍 Wait for the scan to end and scroll down to the “Messages” section».
• ✅ Press the cleaning button next to kategoriya SMS/MMS.

The use of a built-in cleaner has its advantages: first, it is safe for the system, since the application has the necessary access rights; second, it is fast - the process takes a few seconds. However, be careful: the cleaner can remove not only spam, but also important confirmation codes or notifications from banks if they fall into the category of "old" or "unnecessary".

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Before you start a deep cleaning through the Security app, carefully review the previews of deleted messages so that important correspondence with delivery services or the carrier is not accidentally erased.

Some firmware versions allow you to set up automatic message cleansing. You can set a rule that says that everything is clean. SMS, Those that you've received more than 30 days ago will be deleted automatically, and that will eliminate the need to manually address the problem of overcrowded memory in the future. SIM-map or general parameters.

Radical method: Reset to factory settings

If your goal is to sell the phone or hand it over to another person, a partial cleanup may not be enough, and in this case, the only correct solution, like Xiaomi Redmi, is to delete all messages along with the rest of the data, is a full reset, which returns the device to the “out of the box” state, removing absolutely all user data.

The reset process affects not only SMS and MMS, but also contacts, photos, installed apps and their data, Google and Mi accounts. This is a “nuclear” option that ensures that no message will be restored by new owners. Before starting the procedure, be sure to create a full backup to the cloud service or computer.

To perform the reset, go to Settings, then select About Phone (or Advanced Settings in older versions). Find Reset and select Erase All Data. The system will require you to enter the screen unlock password and the Mi Account password to verify the identity of the owner. Once confirmed, the phone will reboot and begin the formatting process.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure the battery is at least 50-60% Interrupting the formatting process due to battery discharge may result in the inability to boot the system (bootloop).

This method is the only one that is guaranteed to remove messages from hidden system databases that aren't always available to third-party cleaner apps. Once the reset is complete, the phone will greet you with the screen of the initial setup, as if you just pulled it out of the box in the store.

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Hard Reset is the only way to guarantee that messages can be deleted so that they cannot be recovered by software, which is critical when selling a device.

Delete history in popular messengers

Modern communication has shifted from SMS to instant messengers like WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and others. Standard Android tools do not allow you to remove the history of these applications “wholesale” for all chats at once through the system menu, since the data is stored in the secure databases of each application separately, which requires specific actions within each service.

WhatsApp has an archiving feature, but it doesn't delete messages, it hides them. To completely delete them, you have to go to the chat settings, select Chat History and click Clear Chat. To do this for all contacts at once, you have to either delete the app entirely (which will remove the local database) or use the deletion function. When you reinstall WhatsApp without restoring it from the backup, the whole story will be lost.

Telegram is easier because of the cloud nature of the messenger. You can go to the settings, select Privacy or Data and Memory, and find the option to clean up your history. Telegram allows you to delete all personal chats, groups and channels at once. However, remember that in cloud messengers, deleting on your device can sync and delete correspondence on all your devices (tablet, PC).

• 📱 WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Chat history → Clear all chat rooms.
• ✈️ Telegram: Settings → Confidentiality → Delete my history (or clear my cache in Data & Memory»).
• 💬 Viber: Settings → Memory. → Clear memory (deletes media, but not text) or delete an account.

It is important to distinguish between cleaning the cache and cleaning the app data. if you are in Android settings (Apps) → App management) select Clear Data for the messenger, which is equivalent to deleting it and reinstalling it: all messages on that device will disappear, but can remain on the server or other devices if you do not select the option of completely deleting the account.

Work with the Engineering Menu and ADB (For Advanced Users)

For users who want to gain full control of the file system, there are more sophisticated methods. Using USB debugging (ADB) allows you to send commands directly to the SMS database. This requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and having basic command line knowledge.

You need to activate the developer mode before you start, and you need to tap the build number seven times in About Phone. Then, in the Developer menu, turn on USB Debugging. Connect the phone to your PC and install ADB drivers. The SMS database cleanup command looks difficult for the beginner, but it works.

adb shell pm clear com.android.mms

This command completely cleans the system messaging application data, which is equivalent to deleting the entire history of SMS and MMS. However, using ADB carries risks: the wrong command can affect system components, causing unstable phone operation. In addition, modern versions of Android with encryption enabled may require additional rights or unlock the screen during the execution of the command.

⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB A mistake in the team's syntax can lead to the deletion of the wrong data or disruption of system services.

There are also special applications from Google Play that request permission to access SMS and can clear a database with a single button, which work on the principle of emulating clicks or using the system's API. Examples are applications like SMS Backup & Restore, which have a Wipe-cleaning feature of the message base, a more secure alternative to ADB for ordinary users.

Recovery of deleted messages and precautions

Once you've decided how to delete all your messages at once, the reverse may be necessary: to restore accidentally deleted correspondence. If the reset was not made and the messages were deleted recently, chances are there. Android does not always immediately overwrite the freed space with new data.

The first place to look for saved copies is cloud services. Google Drive often backs up SMS automatically. Check your backup settings in your Google account. It's also worth checking Mi Cloud if your phone has synced to your Xiaomi account.

If you don't have cloud-based copies, you can try specialized software to recover data on a PC (like Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData), which scans your phone's memory. However, on today's memory-encrypted smartphones, the chances of successful recovery without root rights are extremely small, and often such programs restore only what has already been synchronized or saved in cache.

• ☁️ Check Google Drive and Mi Cloud for older backups.
• 💾 Use the software to recover data only from verified sources.
• 🚫 Do not write new data to your phone after deletion, so as not to overwrite memory sectors.

In conclusion, regular message cleaning is a good habit to keep your device running fast and safe. Use MIUI's built-in tools for routine cleaning and resort to a complete reset only when absolutely necessary. Remember that digital hygiene begins with control of incoming information.