The clipboard on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is one of the most mysterious features for users. Many people mistakenly think that this temporary storage exists only when copying text or files, but in fact MIUI stores the history of the clipboard in hidden system folders and offers tools to manage it. However, finding this data is not so easy: unlike Samsung or Google Pixel, where the clipboard is integrated into the keyboard, Xiaomi has it hidden deeper.
If you’re looking for where your photos, text, or links are physically stored, or want to clear history to free up memory, this article will help you understand.We’ll look at all the ways you can access them, from standard MIUI tools to manually search through the file manager.We’ll focus on the Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10, and the flagships of the K series, as the file layout may vary depending on the firmware version.
It’s important to understand that the clipboard in Xiaomi works differently than on other Android devices, and there’s no single storage, but it’s shared across multiple services: MIUI Clipboard, Google Services, and even third-party keyboards like Gboard, so you’ll have to use a combination of methods to control the data you copy.
1. Standard clipboard in MIUI: Where to look for a story?
MIUI 12-14 has a built-in clipboard manager, but it's hidden from direct access. To open it, follow the following steps:
- Open any text field (for example, in Messages or Notes).
- Hold the empty space with your finger until the Insert menu appears.
- Slip on the clipboard icon (the icon of a paper clip or two sheets of paper) in the top panel.
Here you will see the last 20 to 50 copies (depending on the model), but this list is cleared automatically when the phone is restarted or after 1-2 hours of inactivity. To save the data for a long time, you need to manually pin it (click on three dots next to the item and choose to Secure).
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Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi 9A or Redmi 8) may not have a built-in clipboard due to the lightweight version of MIUI Go.
2. Where are the clipboard files physically stored?
If you need to find a folder with clipboard data in your phone’s memory, it’s located along the following path:
/data/data/com.miui.clipboard/files/But access to this directory is limited, and you'll need root rights or special applications like FX File Explorer with superuser mode enabled, and without root access, you'll only see an empty folder or you'll get a Permission denied error.
Alternative path (for some versions of MIUI):
/data/system/clipboard/It stores temporary files in encrypted form, and can only be viewed through ADB or with tools like MT Manager (root required).
How to view hidden files without root?
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Note: Deleting files from these folders manually may cause clipboard malfunctions. Use system tools to clean them safely (see Section 4).
3.Clipboard in keyboard: Gboard vs MIUI Keyboard
Many users don't know that the keyboard also stores the clipboard history, and depending on which keyboard you use, the path to data will be different:
- 🔹 MIUI Keyboard: History is stored in the same system folder /data/data/com.miui.clipboard/, but only available through the keyboard interface (holding your finger in the text field) → buffer-icon).
- 🔹 Gboard (Google): Opens its own clipboard. To see it, click on the icon ⚙️ → The clipboard in the keyboard toolbar. /data/data/com.google.android.inputmethod.latin/.
- 🔹 Samsung Keyboard: If you installed a keyboard from Samsung, the story will be duplicated in the /data/data/com.sec.android.inputmethod/.
Important: Gboard syncs the clipboard with your Google account, so the copied data can be saved even after the phone is reset. To turn off this feature, go to Gboard Settings → Clipboard → Sync and deactivate the option.
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If the clipboard in Gboard does not work, clear the app cache in Settings → Apps → Gboard → Memory → Clear the cache.
4.How to clear the clipboard on Xiaomi Redmi?
Over time, the clipboard history gets filled with unnecessary data, which can slow down the phone, and you can clean it up in a number of ways:
- Through MIUI: Open the clipboard (hold in text field → clip icon). Press Control (three dots in top right corner). Choose Clear all or delete items selectively.
- Through keyboard settings (for Gboard): Open Settings → System → Language & Input → Virtual Keyboard → Gboard. Go to Clipboard → Edit. Press Delete All or select individual elements.
- Through file manager (requires root): Use Root Explorer or MT Manager. Go to /data/data/com.miui.clipboard/files/. Delete all files with the.clip or.tmp extension.
☑️ Preparation for the clearance of the exchange buffer
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Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro) may be affected by system notifications after clearing the clipboard through the file manager, in which case rebooting or resetting keyboard settings will help.
5. Recover deleted data from the clipboard
If you accidentally cleared the clipboard or lost important text, you can try to restore it.
- 🔍 Through backups MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backups. If you have previously created a backup, restore data from there (System settings section) → buffer).
- 🔍 Through Gboard (if sync was enabled): Open Gboard → buffer → Press three points. → Restore. Data from the last 7 to 30 days can be stored here.
- 🔍 Through third-party applications: Apps like Clipboard Manager or Clip Stack can save history regardless of the system buffer.
If none of the methods worked, try a cache search:
adb shell "su -c 'find /data -name "clipboard"'"This command (executed through ADB) searches for all files associated with the clipboard. The paths found can be opened through Root Explorer.
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The most reliable way to save clipboard data is to use third-party cloud-sync applications (such as Clipper or Copy Bubble).
6.Why does the clipboard not work on Xiaomi Redmi?
If the clipboard has stopped saving data or gives out errors, the reasons may be as follows:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer exchange empty | Cleaning up the history after the reboot | Secure important elements manually |
| No copying of text | Failure at com.miui.clipboard | Clear the clipboard app cache in the settings |
| History is not displayed. | System clipboard disabled | Include in Settings → Additional → Special features → Exchange buffer |
| Failure to insert error | Keyboard conflict | Switch to the standard MIUI Keyboard |
If the problem persists, try resetting the keyboard settings:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the MIUI Keyboard or Gboard.
- Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
- Reboot the phone.
7. Alternative applications for clipboard management
If the built-in MIUI tools don’t suit you, install one of these apps:
- 📋 Clipper – Clipboard Manager: Stores history indefinitely, supports cloud sync and search through copied text. There is a widget for quick access.
- 📋 Copy Bubble: Displays clipboard history as a floating window. Can recognize links, phone numbers and email.
- 📋 Clip Stack: Minimalist app with support for dark theme and quick access through the notification panel.
- 📋 1Clipboard: Synchronizes the clipboard between devices (including PCs) and supports formatted text and images.
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Note: When using third-party clipboards, disable the built-in MIUI buffer to avoid data duplication. Go to Settings → Additional → Clipboard → Disable the system buffer.