Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones sooner or later encounter a mysterious object in the file system called apps. Usually, attention to this folder is attracted either by its volume, which can grow to several gigabytes, or security issues from antivirus programs. Users often wonder what is stored inside and whether it is system debris that can be painlessly removed to free up space.
Understanding the structure of the catalogs in the shell MIUI HyperOS is critical to the proper maintenance of the device. App folder on Xiaomi is a system cache where the installation is stored. APK-Update files for apps from Mi GetApps and Google Play. Unlike temporary files that can be erased without looking back, this directory acts as a buffer to speed up the application manager.
Many users mistakenly believe that the presence of a large number of files in this section indicates a virus or malware. However, in 99% of cases this is the normal behavior of the Android operating system adapted by the manufacturer. Next, we will look at the mechanisms of operation of this directory, how to clean it and answer the main question: whether to interfere with the work of system processes manually.
Appointment and functionality of Apps Directory
The Android/data/com.xiaomi.mipicks/files/apps directory (or similar to Google Play) is automatically created when the app store is first launched, and its primary purpose is to locally save installation packages (.apk) for the programs you download or update, which allows the system to not download the same file repeatedly from the Internet if, for example, the installation is interrupted or you need to re-install.
When you run an app update through GetApps or Play Market, the file is first downloaded to that hidden folder, and after successfully installing and verifying the integrity of the data, the system can leave a copy here for a while, which speeds up the re-installation process in the event of a crash, but also leads to a gradual inflating of the occupied space.
Note that in the newer versions of Android (11 and above), access to this folder is limited by the Scoped Storage security policies, which means that the standard file manager can not show the contents of the data folder without special permissions.
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Use the built-in Security app to analyze your space, as third-party file managers may not have access rights to Android 11+ system cache.
Content Analysis: What’s Inside and How Much It Weighs
Inside the app folder, you'll find a lot of subfolders with obscure names consisting of a set of numbers and letters, which are hashes or packet identifiers, each of which corresponds to a particular application that was installed or updated on your Xiaomi device.
The weight of this directory is directly dependent on your activity. If you frequently update heavy games or social networks, the folder can reach 2-5 GB. However, if you use a smartphone moderately, this figure rarely exceeds 500 MB. It is important to understand the difference between a cache and an installation file: it is the installers that lie here, not the data of your accounts.
The system automatically manages the life cycle of these files, but not always in a timely manner. APK-Files can stay in a folder for months, taking up valuable space on the built-in drive, and these "silvered" files are the target for manual cleaning by advanced users.
Can I delete the Apps folder on Xiaomi?
The question of deleting the app folder is one of the most popular in the support forums of Xiaomi. The short answer is: yes, you can delete files inside this folder, but you need to do it correctly. Complete deletion of the directory itself (root folder) can lead to errors in the app store, so you should only delete the content.
⚠️ Warning: Don't delete the entire app folder through root access unless you're sure you're doing it. Better clean up the contents. Deleting system directories can disrupt your work. OTA-update.
If you decide to clear this cache, the app store will simply re-download the installers you need the next update. No critical data (passwords, correspondence, game progress) is stored in this folder. The risk of losing user information when cleaning apps is zero.
However, if the deletion is done during an active update of the application, the process may interrupt and you will have to start the installation again, so it is recommended to clean when the phone is not busy with background downloads or installations.
Instructions for safe cleaning of storage
To safely remove the accumulated debris from the application folder, you do not need to be a programmer. You can use standard system tools or third-party file managers with permissions. Below is an algorithm for manual removal.
☑️ Secure cleaning of the Apps folder
The first and easiest way is to use the built-in cleaner. Go to Settings → Memory and start scanning. The system will suggest removing the app cache, which often includes data from the apps folder. This is the most secure method for ordinary users.
For a deeper cleanup through the file manager, you may need to give the Explorer app special permissions. In MIUI 12/13/14, when you try to log into the Android/data folder, the system will request to go to special features. You will need to select Explorer from the list and allow access.
After the rights are granted:
- 📂 Open the way to the internal drive → Android → data → com.xiaomi.mipicks → files → Apps (for GetApps).
- 📂 For Google Play, the path could look like Android. → data → com.android.vending → files → apps.
- 🗑️ Select all files inside the app folder and click “Delete».
- ✅ Confirm the operation and wait for the process to end.
What to do if the files are not deleted?
Automatic cleaning and system limitations
Modern HyperOS and MIUI shells are equipped with smart algorithms that must independently monitor the size of the application folder. However, in practice, these mechanisms often work incorrectly or work too late when the memory is already full.
You can set a cache clearing schedule in the Security settings, which helps keep things order, but doesn't guarantee that installers will be removed from the app folder because the system thinks they're important for speed, so manual checks once a month are still relevant.
Also worth mentioning is the memory extension feature, which uses a portion of internal storage as RAM. If the app folder has grown to a giant size, it can negatively affect the speed of the virtual store. RAM-disk, as fragmentation of files will interfere with fast access.
| Cleaning method | Security | Efficiency | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in cleaner | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| Manual removal (Conductor) | Tall. | Tall. | Medium |
| Third-party utilities (Clean Master, etc.) | Medium | Tall. | Low. |
| ADB teams (PC) | Low (for beginners) | Maximum | Tall. |
Common errors and problems after removal
After manually cleaning the app folder, users sometimes notice strange behavior in app stores, such as GetApps may start re-downloading updates for already installed programs, thinking that files are corrupt, a normal system reaction to the lack of local installer copies.
In rare cases, there may be a "Not enough space" error when trying to install a new application, even if there is physical space.This is because indexing the file system takes time. + Volume Up is usually