How to effectively clean data on Xiaomi phone

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have powerful characteristics, but over time, even the fastest system begins to stumble about the lack of free space. When RAM is full and internal storage is filled to the end, the device begins to work slower, applications fly out, and new programs simply do not install. Clearing data becomes not just a desirable procedure, but a necessity for stable operation of the gadget.

Many users mistakenly believe that deleting a couple of photos will solve the problem.In fact, gigabytes of hidden debris, residual files of deleted applications and duplicates accumulate in the bowels of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS, and in this article we will discuss how to safely and efficiently clean the memory of the phone, returning it to its previous speed without losing important personal data.

Analysis of vault occupancy

Before you start mindlessly deleting files, you need to understand what exactly takes up space. Android provides built-in tools to visualize occupied space, but in the shell from Xiaomi this process is especially convenient. Go to the settings and find the partition responsible for storing data to see a detailed memory card.

Media files and social media cache are usually the lion's share. Apps like Telegram or TikTok can stealthily eat tens of gigabytes of video and imagery, and understanding the structure of the occupancy will help you make an informed decision about what to delete without regret.

• 📊 System files and firmware – occupy a fixed volume, which is difficult to reduce without flashing.
• 📸 Gallery and camera – often contain hundreds of duplicates and screenshots you forgot about.
• 💬 Messengers are hidden folders with media files from chats that are automatically saved to memory.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from Android system folders, MIUI or data manually through the file manager if you are not sure of their purpose, this can lead to malfunctioning of the system or loss of application settings.

You can use third-party utilities for deep analysis, but Xiaomi's built-in file manager is good at basic diagnostics. It will show the largest files and folders, allowing you to quickly free up space. The greatest gain in free space is usually due to cleaning the Downloads folder and messenger cache.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The easiest and safest way to start cleaning is to use a pre-installed toolkit from the manufacturer. Every Xiaomi smartphone has a Security app that includes a Cleanup feature, which scans the device for temporary files, ad residues and unused packages.

Run the scan and wait until it's over, and the system will suggest removing the debris you find at a click, but don't blindly trust the automation: look carefully at the file list before you confirm it, and sometimes the junk ends up with important documents or saved pages that you planned to use later.

Deep cleaning allows you to find large files that you rarely use and duplicate photos, which is especially true for owners of devices with a small amount of internal memory, such as 64 or 128 GB. Regular use of this feature helps to keep the system in good shape.

⚠️ Note: When using Acceleration, do not close the background processes of system services. MIUI may cause an interface reset or notifications to fail.

There's also a section in the Security app to manage boot, and turning off the extra apps that run with the phone will not only clean up RAM, but also save battery life, a comprehensive optimization approach that can't be ignored.

Manual cleaning of cache and application data

Automatic cleaners can't always get to the deep cache layers of specific applications, and to do a good data cleanup, you have to go into the settings of each heavy application separately, especially browsers, navigators and social networks.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Select an app that needs attention (like YouTube or Chrome) and find Memory. Here you will see two buttons: Clear cache and Clear all data. The first one is secure and deletes temporary files, the second one resets the application to the post-installing state, removing logins and settings.

You should pay special attention to messengers. WhatsApp or Telegram has its own storage settings, for example, Telegram can set up automatic decache after 3 days or a week, which will save you from having to manually clean in the future.

Gallery work and removal of duplicates

Multimedia is the biggest gigabyte eater. Xiaomi cameras are being shot at higher resolution every year, and one minute of 4K can weigh hundreds of megabytes. Regular gallery audits are a must for those who want to keep their phone in order.

Use the built-in duplicate search function. The system will find the same photos taken at a short interval and suggest leaving only the best ones, and it is also worth checking the “Recently Deleted” folder - often users forget to clean it, and deleted files continue to take up space for 30 days.

• 🗑️ Check the folder. DCIM →.thumbnails – Gigabytes of thumbnails can accumulate there that can be safely removed.
• ☁️ Set up sync with Google Photos or Xiaomi Cloud and enable the “Free Place” function».
• 🎥 View the Recorder folder – the recorder can store hours of unnecessary recordings.

And remember, video editors. If you're mounting videos on your phone, projects are often stored in their original quality, taking up a lot of space, and once the final video is rendered, it's better to migrate the source to your computer or to the cloud.

⚠️ Warning: Before a mass cleaning of the gallery, be sure to back up important photos. It is almost impossible to recover deleted files without a backup on a modern, data-encrypted smartphone.

💡

Useful tip: Enable the camera settings to save space or reduce the video quality from 4K to FullHD if you don’t plan on professional video processing.

Cleaning through Recovery mode (Full reset)

If the phone is slow even after all the cleaning, it may be time for drastic measures: a full reset will return the device to factory status. This is the most effective way to clean up data on Xiaomi, removing absolutely everything, including viruses and system debris.

To enter Recovery mode, turn off the phone completely. Then press the power button and the volume button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power, but continue to keep the volume until the menu appears.

Recovery menu (Main Menu):


1. Reboot




2. Wipe Data




3. Connect with MIAssistant




4. Safe Mode

From the menu, select Wipe Data, then Wipe All Data. Confirm the action. It takes a few minutes. After that, the phone will reboot as new. This procedure is irreversible: all contacts, photos and applications will be destroyed without recovery.

💡

A full reset via Recovery is the only way to guarantee that you will delete all data before selling your phone or get rid of complex system errors that aren’t treated with a routine cleaning.

Prevention of memory filling

To avoid going back to cleaning every month, adopt good habits, automate your garbage removal processes, and you can schedule automatic cache cleaning once a week or lower your free memory levels below 10% in the Security settings.

Use cloud storage. Google One, Yandex.Disk or Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud lets you store photos and videos online, leaving only thumbnails on your device, creating the illusion that files are at your fingertips, but they don’t physically take up space.

• 📲 Turn off auto-save in messengers for group chats.
• 🔄 Regularly remove apps that haven’t been used for more than a month.
• 🧹 Start the built-in security scanner once a month.

By following these simple rules, you will extend the life of your Xiaomi smartphone and keep it fast for many years.