How to completely clean Telegram on Xiaomi: from cache to secret chats

Telegram messenger on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO) over time takes up gigabytes of memory — even if you have not used the application for a long time. The reasons are rooted in automatic downloading of media files, cache accumulation and the features of MIUI, which sometimes duplicates data in system folders. Unlike iPhone, where storage is strictly isolated, on Android (especially with the shell of Xiaomi), Telegram files can “spread” across different directories, which makes it difficult to delete them.

This article is not about clicking "Clear Cache" in the app settings. We will look at all levels of cleaning, from surface cleaning to deep data deletion, taking into account the specifics of MIUI 12-14, including hidden folders, duplicates in MIUI Gallery and even residual files after uninstallation.

Why does Telegram take up so much space on Xiaomi?

On Xiaomi’s smartphones, Telegram behaves differently than on “pure” Android, and here are the key reasons for memory bloating:

• 📁 Dual media storage: MIUI automatically copies photos/video downloaded in Telegram MIUI Gallery, dubbing them.
• 🗑️ System cache: In addition to the cache of the Telegram itself, MIUI Creates additional temporary files in /data/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache.
• 🔄 Background Autoboot: The default setting downloads all media from chats, even if you haven’t opened them.
• 👻 "Ghost Files: After deleting chats or apps, invisible files remain in the app. /Android/data/org.telegram.messenger.

By comparison, on the same smartphone, but with the Pixel Experience firmware, Telegram takes up 30-40% less space when used identically, due to aggressive MIUI optimization, which often moves files to sleep mode instead of clearing the cache.

Method 1: Clear cache and data through Android settings

The most secure method that does not affect your chats and media, but frees up to 1-3 GB of space. MIUI 12–14:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Telegram in the list (use search if there are many apps).
3. Go to the Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. For deep cleaning, click Clear Data, but note: this will reset all the application settings (dark theme, notifications, etc.).

⚠️ Attention: If, after cleaning the cache, Telegram starts to "hang" while scrolling chats, this is normal. the application needs time (10-15 minutes) to restore the message index!

Backup chats (Settings → Chat → Export History)

Remember or photograph the notification settings

Check if Telegram is linked to Xiaomi account (Settings → Accounts)

Make sure there is enough media space in the Telegram cloud (if you use it)

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Method 2: Manually delete media files through file manager

Telegram keeps all downloaded files publicly available and can be manually deleted.

/storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Images/


/storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Video/




/storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Documents/

Use the standard "Files" from Xiaomi or Solid Explorer (it shows hidden folders).

1. Sort the files by date or size.
2. Remove unnecessary media (such as chat memes or old videos).
3. Pay attention to the Telegram Audio folder – there can be voice messages weighing 50-100 MB each.

💡 Useful advice: B MIUI 14 there is a bug - after manually deleting files from the Telegram folder, they can reappear in a few days.This is due to background synchronization. To avoid this, turn off autoload in the Telegram settings before deleting (Settings) → Data and memory → Autoboot media).

Method 3: Removing duplicates in MIUI Gallery

Xiaomi automatically scans all folders on the device and adds media to MIUI Gallery, creating duplicates.

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Albums → Folders.
3. Find folders called Telegram Images or Telegram Video.
4. Select all files → Delete → confirm.

⚠️ Warning: Deleting from Gallery doesn't remove originals from Telegram folder! it just takes them off the index MIUI. To free up space, you need to delete files directly through the file manager (see Method 2).

Method 4: Completely reset Telegram with chats saved

If the application began to slow down, and cleaning the cache does not help, try a “hard” reset with saving history:

1. Export chats: Settings → chat → Export Chat History (select) JSON-format for maximum compatibility).
2. Delete Telegram through Settings → Applications.
3. Install Telegram again from Google Play or AppGallery.
4. When you first start, select Restore from backup and specify the export file.

A critical nuance for Xiaomi: once reinstalled, Telegram may “forget” permissions to access files and the camera. Don’t forget to reissue them in Settings → Apps → Telegram → Permissions.

Method 5: Cleaning Ghost Files with ADB (for Advanced)

If the memory is not freed after uninstalling Telegram, the residual files may lie in hidden folders, and you will need ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and a computer to delete them:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on Xiaomi: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times), then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands: adb shell pm clear org.telegram.messenger rm -rf /sdcard/Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/* rm -rf /sdcard/Telegram/.trash/*

⚠️ Attention: Command rm -rf It permanently deletes files if you miss the path (e.g., skip the path). /Telegram/), You can erase the data from other applications!

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ADB-Cleaning is the only way to remove invisible files that take up space but don’t appear in the file manager, but this method requires caution and is only suitable for advanced users.

How to Prevent the Storage of Garbage in the Future

To Telegram does not “bloat” memory on your Xiaomi, follow these rules:

• 📵 Turn off autoboot: Settings → Data and memory → Autoboot media → Never.
• 🗑️ Clean the cache once a month (see Method 1).
• 🔄 Use the Telegram cloud: In chat settings, click on the name of the interlocutor → Media management → Save it to the cloud.
• 📱 Install Telegram X – lightweight version with optimized cache (available on Google Play).

💡 Useful advice for MIUI 14: Recent firmware versions have added the “Deep Clean” feature in Settings → Memory. → Cleanup. It finds residual files of apps, including Telegram. Run it every 2-3 months.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning Telegram on Xiaomi