Modern Xiaomi smartphones have impressive features, but even large amounts of internal memory tend to end at the most inopportune moment. One of the main reasons for the lack of free space is often the popular messenger Telegram, which tends to accumulate huge amounts of temporary files during active use. Pictures, videos, voice messages and documents are stored in the app’s cache, taking up gigabytes, although the files themselves have long been viewed and are not needed constantly.
Many users mistakenly believe that to free up space, you need to delete important chats or reinstall the application, which leads to the loss of correspondence history. In fact, the MIUI operating system and the messenger itself offer safe and effective tools for memory management. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways to quickly and correctly clear the Telegram cache on Xiaomi devices, while saving all your data intact.
Regularly cleaning temporary files not only frees up precious megabytes, but can also have a positive effect on the speed of the application itself. If the messenger started to work slowly or freeze when downloading media, then resetting the cache is often the first step in diagnosing the problem. Let's look at how to do this correctly using the built-in functions of the system and the messenger itself.
What is Cache and Why Does It Take So Much Space?
Cache is a buffer memory area where the app stores copies of data it has already downloaded from the Internet. When you open a news channel or view photos in a group, Telegram stores them locally on your Xiaomi, so that when you reopen the same picture, it downloads instantly, without wasting mobile traffic and time.
The problem is that by default, storage settings can be too aggressive. Messenger can store gigabytes of videos and photos you’ve already seen and don’t need anymore. Over time, the cache folder size can grow to 5, 10, and even 20 gigabytes, which is critical for low-end smartphone models with a small amount of built-in storage.
It is important to understand the difference between cache and important data. Cache is a temporary file that can be deleted without losing functionality. Your correspondence, contacts and settings are stored on a server or in an application database, so cleaning the cache will not affect the integrity of your personal information. It is a secure operation that can be done regularly.
⚠️ Warning: Cache cleaning only removes temporary media and document files, and your text messages, contacts, and account settings will remain in place and be re-uploaded if necessary.
On Redmi and POCO devices, the system can display memory differently depending on the version of the shell. Sometimes the cache is divided into several categories, which can confuse the user. However, the principle of operation remains the same for all Android devices: temporary files are necessary for speed, but their excess damages free space.
Clearing the cache through the settings of the Telegram
The safest and most effective way to free up space is to use the messenger's built-in tools, and the developers have a flexible memory management system that allows you to delete data selectively or automatically, so you have to open the app and go to the main settings menu.
In the application interface, the path to the desired partition is as follows: click on the three bars in the upper left corner, select Settings, then go to the Data and Memory section. This is the key item Memory Use, which shows detailed disk statistics.
Once you go to the memory usage menu, you will see the Clear Telegram cache button, and when you click on it, you will start the process of deleting temporary files, the system will warn you about how much space will be freed up, this action is safe and does not require confirmations for each file separately.
☑️ Cleaning algorithm through the application
The peculiarity of this method is that it only deletes files from your Xiaomi local storage. If you need these files again (for example, you decide to review an old video), the messenger will simply download them again from the server when you open the corresponding chat.
What's going on with secret chat rooms?
Managing Media Autoload to Save Space
To prevent the problem of overcrowded memory from returning too quickly, you need to set up automatic download files. By default, Telegram can download all photos and videos as soon as they are received, which quickly eats up the free space.
In the same Data and Memory section, find the Media Autoloader, where you can set your behavior for chats, channels and groups separately, and split your Wi-Fi and mobile connection settings, and you can turn off autoloading videos or set a file size limit.
- 📱 Private chats: You can leave the photo upload but disallow the video as private videos often take up a lot of space.
- 📢 Channels: For news channels, it’s better to turn off autoload completely so that the tape doesn’t get clogged with heavy content.
- 👥 Groups: in large groups with high activity, autoload should be limited to only photos so that the cache does not grow exponentially.
Also in this section is the important Save Media setting: If the slider is activated, all the files you receive are saved to the phone gallery and system folders, taking up space even after the messenger itself has been cleared, and disabling this feature makes memory control much easier.
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Expert advice: Set a period for automatic cache clearing in Telegram settings (e.g., 3 days or 1 week).The app will delete old files that you did not open in a given period.
Use of MIUI system tools for cleaning
The MIUI operating system, which is installed on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, has its own powerful memory management tool, and sometimes system cleaning can be more effective because it removes not only media cache, but also temporary log files and other digital debris that accumulates during operation.
To do this, open the Security app (green zipper icon) that is preinstalled on all brand devices. Select the Cleanup tool. The system will analyze memory and suggest removing unnecessary files. However, for deeper cleaning, it is better to use application management.
Go to your smartphone Settings, then select Apps -> All Apps. Go to Telegram. Inside the app menu, click on Memory or Storage. Here you will see two buttons: Clear and Delete.
Click on the Clean button (or the broom icon). The system will offer two options: Clear the cache and Clear everything. You need the first option. The second option (Clean everything) will reset the application settings to factory and require re-authorization, which in this context we do not need.
| Action. | What's removed | Do I need authorization? | Impact on correspondence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning inside Telegram | Media, documents, temporary files | No. | No (boot again) |
| Clear the cache (in Android settings) | Temporary system and application files | No. | No. |
| Clean everything (in Android settings) | All data, logs, cache, accounts | Yes (full entrance) | Local data will be dumped. |
| Deletion of the annex | Complete removal of the program | Yeah (reinstallation) | Correspondence on the server is maintained |
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System cleaning through Android settings removes deeper temporary files than internal cleaning in the app, but requires caution when choosing the type of cleaning.
Memory analysis by file type
Before you mindlessly delete everything, it’s helpful to understand what’s taking up the most space on your Xiaomi, and Telegram’s built-in memory analyzer lets you sort data by size, helping you identify specific chats or channels that are the main gigabyte eaters.
In Memory Use, scroll down to the chat list, and here you'll see a ranked list of dialogues, and it often turns out that 80 percent of the space is just 20 percent of the chat rooms, usually from movies, music bots, or workgroups, where heavy presentations are constantly being dropped.
You can go to a particular chat room on this list and select Clear cache only for that, which allows you to pinpoint heavy files from specific conversations without touching important personal communications, which gives you more control over your smartphone content.
Also worth looking at is the Other tab in statistics, which may contain files that are not identified as photos or videos, often downloaded document files, APK installation packages, or archives that have been sent in chat rooms, and deleting them usually frees up space most effectively.
⚠️ Note: When cleaning the cache of a particular chat, make sure that there are no unique files that you need right now and are not stored in the cloud or on your computer.
Frequent problems and their solution during cleaning
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users sometimes encounter difficulties, such as the cleaning button may be inactive, or the memory size will not change after cleaning, which may be due to the peculiarities of the Android file system or indexing errors.
If the counter shows the same numbers after cleaning, try to close the application completely through the menu of running tasks and start it again. Sometimes the system takes time to recalculate the folder size.
In rare cases, the cache may be damaged, leading to incorrect display of media or errors when downloading. If the application is unstable even after cleaning, a more radical method may be considered - reinstallation. Make sure you remember your phone number and have access to it. SIM-map.
- 🔄 Reboot: A simple phone restart often solves problems with the hanging cache.
- 📉 Update: Make sure you have the latest version of Telegram installed from the official Google Play or GetApps store.
- 🗑️ Downloads folder: check the standard download folder, Telegram files often get there if autosave is enabled.