Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the gallery starts to work slower and the space in memory disappears rapidly, this is due to the accumulation of temporary files that the system creates to speed up the preview of images. Over time, the database of thumbnails grows to several gigabytes, taking up valuable space and causing interface lags, cleaning this data is a safe and necessary procedure to maintain the speed of the device.
Many users mistakenly believe that deleting the cache will lead to the loss of personal photos or videos. In fact, cache files are only temporary copies that the system can recreate if necessary. Unlike real images stored in memory, service data does not carry unique value to the owner. Understanding the difference between system debris and user content allows you to optimize without fear.
In this article, we will discuss in detail the cleaning methods on the current versions of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS. You will learn how to distinguish standard temporary files from hidden thumbnails that take up space, and what actions will help free up gigabytes of memory. We will look at the standard system tools, as well as the nuances of working with the file system for advanced users.
Why is the cache of the gallery on Android inflated?
The main reason for the cache growth is the Android operating system, which allows you to quickly flip through the photo feed, the system creates a smaller copy of the images in advance, called thumbnails, which are stored in hidden folders and allow you to instantly display the preview without loading heavy originals into RAM every time.
With each new image taken, a screenshot or a saved image from the messenger, the thumbnail database increases. If you actively use the camera or send media often, the amount of service data can reach 5-10 GB. Standard cleaning through settings often removes only the surface layer of debris, leaving the deep structures intact.
Another factor is incorrect application shutdown or cloud sync failures, in which orphaned files are left in the system that are no longer in use but continue to occupy space, and regular cleaning helps avoid indexing errors when the gallery stops seeing new photos or shows empty previews.
⚠️ Warning: Before any manipulation of system files, make sure that your important photos are stored in the cloud or on your computer. Although cache cleaning is safe, the human factor has not been canceled.
It's also worth noting that some third-party apps can embed their banner ads or temporary images into gallery folders, which artificially inflate the volume of data and slow down the scanning of media files, and understanding the garbage accumulation structure is the first step to effectively fighting for space.
Basic cleaning through application settings
The easiest and safest way to free up space is to use built-in application management tools, which are root-free and available on any device, regardless of the firmware version, and allows you to delete temporary files without affecting your personal albums and display settings.
First, you have to get into the app management menu. On current versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14, the path may be slightly different from the classic versions of Android, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the Gallery system app, not just a shortcut on the desktop.
- 📱 Open your smartphone settings and go to the App section.
- 🔍 Select All applications and find the System Gallery in the list.
- 🗑️ Click on the Clean (or “Memory”) button and select Clear Cache.
Once you do that, the system will delete the temporary previews, and when you open the gallery next, you might notice that the first few seconds of the image load a little slower, which is normal, because the system is re-creating the thumbnails, but the amount of memory you're using will decrease immediately.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t confuse the Clear Cache button with the Clear Everything button (or Erase Data) and the second option will delete your albums, sorting settings and hidden folders, leaving your phone with an empty gallery.
If a standard cleanup didn't work and the amount of memory was the same, then the problem is deeper, in which cases temporary files could be stuck or locked by the system processes, then a deeper approach through the file manager would be required.
Removing hidden miniatures through the Explorer
To clean it up more thoroughly, you need to use the File Manager Explorer, which is where you store those heavy thumbnail folders that you can't remove by standard means, and this method allows you to manually control which data you're going to destroy.
You'll need to enable the display of hidden files, because the default cache folder is hidden from the user's eyes, and this is done to protect system files from accidental deletion, but in our case, this is a necessary step.
☑️ Cache search algorithm
The sequence of actions is as follows: open Explorer, click on the menu (three bars) and activate the Hidden Files switch. Then go to the root of internal memory and find the DCIM folder. Inside it may be the.thumbnails folder, which is the main place eater.
| folder | Location. | What does it contain? | Can be removed |
|---|---|---|---|
| .thumbnails | /DCIM/ | Image miniatures | Yes. |
| cache | /Android/data/... | Temporary data of the annexes | Yes (with caution) |
| MIUI/Gallery | /Android/data/... | Cloud gallery cache | Yes. |
| screenshots | /Pictures/ | Your screenshots. | No (these are your photos) |
After deleting the contents of the.thumbnails folder, it is recommended to restart the device, this will start the process of re-indexing media files. In the first minutes after turning on the phone may get a little warmer, this processor actively creates new, optimized thumbnails instead of deleted ones.
💡
If the.thumbnails folder pops up again immediately and grows rapidly, there may be a big video hanging in the gallery. Try to delete the problem file through your computer.
Cleaning cache in the cloud gallery Mi Cloud
Mi Account owners often use cloud sync. Cloud gallery cache can take up a significant amount of space, keeping previews of images that are deleted from the cloud but left in the local cache. Clearing this section helps if you use the "Free Space" feature.
Go to the gallery settings and find the item associated with Mi Cloud or sync. Here you can see the amount of data downloaded for offline viewing. If you rarely watch photos without the Internet, there is no point in keeping gigabytes of previews on your device.
It's also worth checking the cart in the cloud. Often deleted photos first enter the cloud basket, taking up a quota, and copies of them can be cached on the phone. Cleaning the cart in the cloud through the browser or account settings will help synchronize the status of files on the device.
It's important to understand the difference between deleting from the cloud and clearing the cache: Deleting from the cloud will remove photos from all devices associated with the account. Clearing the cache will simply delete temporary copies from the current phone, leaving the originals in the cloud available for viewing when the network is available.
Use of the built-in MIUI cleaner
The MIUI and HyperOS shells have a powerful built-in optimization tool that is often ignored. Security can find deep debris that is not visible in a standard cleaning, analyzes the structure of files and suggests removing unnecessary residues.
Run the Security app and select Cleanup. The system will scan. After the initial analysis, click Deep Cleanup. Here, in the Photos or Images category, duplicates and remnants of deleted albums may be hidden.
- 🧹 Select Images or Large Files Category.
The good thing about this technique is that it visualizes content, you see what's taking up space, and you can make an informed decision, but the automatic analyzer sometimes makes the mistake of labeling important screenshots or saved pictures as "junk," so visual control is a must.
⚠️ Warning: The built-in cleaner may suggest removing "redacted images." Make sure these aren't your originals in low resolution if you specifically saved such versions.
Regularly using deep cleaning once a month helps keep the system on track, preventing the accumulation of a critical mass of temporary files that can cause file system conflicts.
What if the gallery does not open after cleaning?
Problems after cleaning and their solution
Sometimes, after aggressively clearing the cache, users are confronted with unexpected behavior in the system: the gallery can take a long time to load, show empty albums or display dates incorrectly. This does not mean that you damaged the phone - just the database needs time to rebuild.
The most common problem is that previews disappear, instead of images, you see gray squares or file not found icons, because the system hasn't yet scanned the media library and created new thumbnails to replace those that were deleted, and it can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour depending on the number of photos.
If the gallery continues to work incorrectly after a long time, the media.db database file may have been corrupted. In this case, resetting the Media Storage application helps. Find this application in the list of all programs (you may need to turn on the display of system processes) and clean its data.
It's also worth checking if the energy savings are in the background for the gallery. After cleaning, the system could reset resolutions or restrict background activity, which interferes with the indexing process.
💡
After deep cleaning of the cache, be sure to give the phone 10-15 minutes of work with the screen on so that the system has time to restore the file index.
Prevention and optimization of storage
To avoid revisiting the issue of cleaning every two weeks, it’s worth introducing a few good habits: Regular maintenance takes less time than dealing with the effects of crowded memory. Today’s Xiaomi smartphones have powerful automation tools.
Set up an automatic cleanup in the Security app, and you can set a schedule where your phone will delete temporary files once a week, which will help keep the cache within reasonable limits without you being involved.
- ☁️ Use cloud services (Google Photos, Yandex Drive) with the function of freeing up space.
- 📂 Regularly disassemble the Downloads folder, where a lot of garbage from browsers accumulates.
- 🚫 Turn off auto-save in messengers so that pictures from chats do not fall into the gallery.
It is also recommended to check the Android/data folder periodically. apps can leave huge amounts of data there even after deleting. Using third-party file managers such as Total Commander or Solid Explorer gives more flexible control over folder structure.
Remember that a full memory (over 90%) slows down any storage device significantly, and try to keep at least 10-15% of the total internal memory free, which will ensure stable operation not only of the gallery, but of the entire operating system.