Xiaomi Data Files: What It Is and Can You Delete a Folder?

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones sooner or later face a lack of built-in storage. The system begins to warn about the memory filling, and when you try to figure out the reasons, the user finds a huge folder called Data or Data Files, which can take up tens of gigabytes. The natural question arises: what is stored inside, can it be deleted and will not clean up the phone?

In fact, the Data folder is a system partition where Android stores information about installed applications, their cache, settings and user data. Simply removing this folder or its content through the file manager is impossible without root rights, since access to it is limited at the kernel level, but there are safe ways to clean up its volume, which we will discuss in detail in this article.

Before you get into action, you need to understand the structure of your device's file system. Mismanipulation of system files can lead to loss of important data or even to a bootloop. Let's figure out which files are taking up space and how to properly manage storage on MIUI or HyperOS.

What is the Data folder on Android

Android operating system section /data This is where all the apps you download from Google Play or install through Google Play are located. APK-The directory not only stores executables, but also databases, logs, game saves and temporary files. When you see a notice saying, "Data folder takes up a lot of space," it's the total volume of all these elements.

It’s worth noting that there are many subfolders inside the Data partition. For example, /data/data contains the settings of each individual program, and /data/media is what the user sees as internal memory (photos, videos, downloads). Confusion often arises: users think they are removing “junk” but are actually trying to interfere with the operation of system libraries. On Xiaomi devices, access to these structures is additionally protected by the MIUI shell.

⚠️ Note: Attempting to manually delete folder /data or its critical subdirectories through third-party root-right file managers are guaranteed to render the smartphone inoperable.

Understanding the file system architecture helps avoid fatal errors. The Data partition grows dynamically as you use your phone. The more applications you install and use, the more space they occupy in that area. Cleanups must be done in the standard ways that the manufacturer envisions.

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The Data partition is the heart of the system, where all applications and their settings are stored; it can not be simply erased, but can be optimized.

Why Data Folder is Growing and Takes Up Memory

The main reason for the inflated size of the Data folder is the accumulation of cache and junk files. Messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp store every photo and video viewed in their internal database, which is physically located in the section. /data/data. Over time, this “hidden” weight can reach the level of 10–20 GB, although you can't see these files in the gallery.

The second reason is the remnants of remote applications, sometimes when programs are uninstalled, the tails of temporary files, error logs, or settings are left in the system, while Xiaomi's built-in security utility struggles with this, but it's not always effective against deep-seated artifacts, and it's also the data from Google's system services and the MIUI shell itself, which cache information to speed up work.

A third factor is system and application updates. When you upgrade to Android or heavy games, older versions of files may not be deleted instantly, taking up space in the Data section before the first reboot or manual cleaning. In addition, some applications create huge debugging logs if they are enabled in developer mode.

• 📱 Messengers: Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber save media files in hidden databases inside Data.
• 🎮 Games: Cash games (OBB and level data) often weighs more than the application itself and lies in system folders.
• 🔄 System cache: Temporary update files and Google Play Services background services.

Regular monitoring of storage allows you to notice abnormal growth in time, and if you haven't installed new heavy games, but the memory disappears, most likely, the problem in a particular application that is not working correctly with the cache, in such cases, detailed analysis through the storage settings helps.

Can I remove files from the Data folder manually?

The answer to this question depends on what you mean by manual deletion. If you are trying to erase the /data folder itself or its contents through a root access explorer (like Root Explorer or MiXplorer), you can't do this, and it will delete all the apps and settings, turn the phone into a brick or go into an endless reboot.

However, if manual deletion means clearing the cache of specific applications through system settings, then not only can it be done, but you should do it periodically. You can go to Settings → Apps → All applications, select a heavy program and click on the "Clear Cache" or "Clear All Data" button. The second operation will reset the application to the "just after installation" state, removing logins and settings, but free up space in the Data section.

There's also a safe way to clean up through Recovery. Xiaomi can do Wipe Cache, which will safely delete temporary system files without affecting your personal photos and contacts. But Wipe Data's operation in Recovery is a complete factory reset that will delete everything.

⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB Forcing the removal of system folders (e.g. adb shell rm) -rf /data/data/com...) One error in the syntax of the command can destroy the system.

Thus, manual removal is only possible within the framework of a permitted system interface or specialized cleaning utilities, direct interference with the file structure of the Data partition without a deep knowledge of the Android architecture is prohibited.

Safe Ways to Clean the Data Partition on Xiaomi

To free up space in the Data section without risking the system, use the regular MIUI tools. The Security app (green zipper icon) has a Cleanup function. It analyzes cache, advertising files and residues of remote programs, which is the most secure method for the average user.

The second effective method is to work with the messenger cache. Telegram or WhatsApp has its own storage settings. For example, on Telegram you can set the cache autodeletion: Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use → Clear cache. You can set a limit, for example, 1 GB, so that the application itself deletes old files.

The third way is to remove unused apps, and often we forget about programs that hang in the background and generate data, go through the list of installed apps and remove those that haven't been used in the last 3 months, which will make room not only in the Data section, but also speed up the smartphone.

Remember the Deep Clean feature in Xiaomi’s standard Explorer, which finds large files, duplicates, and forgotten downloads, and performing these routines regularly will keep the Data partition at its optimal size without having to climb into system files.

Memory analysis with special utilities

If standard tools don't give you a complete picture, you can use third-party disk analyzers. Applications like DiskUsage or Storage Analyzer visualize the contents of memory, showing which folders in the Data partition are inflated the most, and they work without root rights, displaying only the data that is available to the user.

With these slits, you can see that, for example, the.thumbnails folder has grown to gigabytes, or that a particular game stores old resources. This allows you to point to the problem. Xiaomi also has a built-in analyzer: Settings → Memory, which shows the distribution of space by category.

It's important to distinguish system files from user files. Utilities usually mark system partitions with warnings. If you see a file called logcat or tombstones in large folders available, it can often be deleted — these are crash logs that only developers need to debug.

Using analyzers helps to find hidden memory eaters that are not visible on a cursory examination, especially for users who are actively installing and testing new applications.

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Tip: Turn on the “Cache Autodelete” function in Telegram settings and set a limit of 500 MB. This will prevent the Data folder from growing in the future.

Radical measures: Resetting and reflashing

If the Data partition is bloated to critical values, cleaning the cache doesn't help, and the phone is slow, the last resort is a full reset to the factory settings (Hard Reset). This operation completely clears the /data partition, returning the phone to the "out of the box" state. All applications, photos, contacts and settings will be deleted, so make sure to make a backup.

You can reset your phone via: Settings → About Phone → Settings → Erase All Data. Alternatively, through Recovery Mode (clutching the volume button up and power when the phone is off). Select Wipe Data and confirm the action. After that, the phone will boot clean, and the Data folder will be the minimum size.

In some cases, especially after upgrading from one version of Android to another (for example, from 11 to 12), the structure of the Data partition can change, which leads to read errors and occupied space. In such situations, experts recommend doing a “clean installation” of firmware through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility, choosing Clean All mode.

⚠️ Warning: Before performing a full reset, make sure you remember the password from your Mi Account and Google Account. Otherwise, the phone will be locked by the security system. FRP, And unlocking it will be very difficult.

Radical measures are a powerful way to address space shortages, but they take time to reconfigure your phone and install apps, and use this method only when the gentle cleaning methods have run out.

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A full reset (Wipe Data) is the only way to ensure that the Data partition is clear of all errors and debris, but it requires backup.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)