How to completely clean up the memory of messages on Xiaomi: all ways

Messages on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO) are often clogged with thousands of SMS, MMS and notifications from banks, social networks and services. Even if you regularly delete dialogs, the system can store hidden copies, app cache Messages and backup files that occupy precious megabytes. In this article, we will examine all possible cleaning methods, from manual removal to hidden MIUI functions that are not written in the official instructions.

Xiaomi’s feature is that the standard Messages app is integrated with the Mi Cloud and can sync data even after visible deletion. For example, when resetting or flashing, “old” SMS sometimes recover automatically. We will show how to guarantee to erase everything – including backups and system cache – and explain why some methods do not work on all firmware (for example, on MIUI 14 and later changed the path to message storage).

1. Manual deletion of messages via the application

The most obvious, but not always effective, way is to clean up directly in the Messages app, which is suitable if you need to delete individual dialogs or folders (such as spam or app notifications).

• 📱 Do not remove hidden backups that MIUI automatically.
• 🔄 Does not clear the app cache, which can weigh up to 50-100 MB.
• ⚠️ On some firmware (for example, MIUI 13 Global) no mass removal option.

How to manually delete messages:

1. Open the Messages app (an envelope icon).
2. Press and hold your finger on any dialogue, then select the others (check the boxes).
3. Slip on the basket icon (🗑️) top-down.
4. For complete cleaning, go to ⋮ → Settings → Clear all messages.

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If you don't have a "Clear All" option, try clamping your finger on any dialog and select "Select All" from the top menu. On POCO F5 and the new Redmi Note 12, this bug is fixed in MIUI 14.0.5+.

Important: After manual removal, check the Recycle Bin folder (if you have one in your firmware).In some regional versions of MIUI, messages are first moved there and stored for up to 30 days to clear the Recycle Bin:

1. Open the messages. → ⋮ → Basket.
2. Click Clean or highlight everything and remove manually.

Clearing the cache of the Messages app

Messages can take from 20 MB to 1 GB (depending on the number of media files in the app). MMS). Cleaning it doesn't remove it by itself. SMS, But it frees up space and speeds up the application, and it's especially relevant for users who often get it. MMS with photos or videos (for example, from banks or instant messengers).

How to clear the cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Messages in the list (or Messages in English firmware).
3. Slip the vault. → Clear the cache.
4. For complete cleaning, also click Clear Data (⚠️ It'll delete all messages!).

If the Clear Cache button is inactive, the cache is empty or the app is using dynamic storage (starting with Android 11), in which case only reinstall the app (more on this in the next section).

3. Remove via MIUI Cleaner (built-in utility)

MIUI Cleaner (or Optimization in newer versions) is a standard garbage cleaner on Xiaomi, which can find and delete residual message files that are not visible in the app itself.

• 🗑️ Logs of dispatch SMS (files with the.log extension).
• 📁 Temporary folders from MMS (usually lie /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.android.mms).
• 🔄 Duplicate messages created when synchronized with Mi Cloud.

How to clean with MIUI Cleaner:

1. Open the Optimization app (icon with broomstick).
2. Go to the Deep Cleanup tab.
3. Select the garbage files → Communications.
4. Check all the items found and click Clean.

On MIUI 14 and newer paths may differ:

Optimization → Storage → Analysis → Multimedia and Files → Messages

Backup of important SMS

Close the Messages app in multitasking

Connect your phone to charge (the process can take 5-10 minutes)

Check the space (needs at least 200 MB)

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If MIUI Cleaner does not find the message files, try updating the database:

1. V MIUI Cleaner go to the ⋮ → Settings.
2. Put the trash database up to date.
3. Reset the analysis.

4. Complete data resetting of the "Messages" annex

If the previous methods didn't work, the radical way is to reset the application data, and that will delete:

• 📩 All right. SMS and MMS (including drafts).
• 🔧 Application settings (themes, notifications, signals).
• 📱 Synchronization with Mi Cloud (you will have to reconfigure).

How to reset data:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Messages.
2. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
3. Confirm the action (a warning will pop up about deleting all messages).

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This method is guaranteed to delete ALL messages, including those that are not displayed in the application interface, and use it if you plan to sell the phone or transfer it to another person.

After reset, the Messages app will return to factory settings, and when it first starts, the system may suggest that you restore messages from the backup (if you have one in the Mi Cloud) to avoid this:

1. Before resetting, turn off sync: Messages → ⋮ → Settings → Synchronization of messages.
2. Remove backups to Mi Cloud (more on this in the next section).

5. Delete Message Backups in Mi Cloud

Many users forget that Xiaomi automatically backs up SMS/MMS in the Mi Cloud, and even after cleaning the phone, messages can be restored the next time you log in, so you have to manually delete copies to prevent this from happening.

How to delete backup copies:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Go to Device Backup → Messages.
3. Click on the last copy and select Delete.
4. For complete cleaning, turn off automatic backup of messages.

If you use third-party SMS apps (like Google Messages or Textra), check their cloud reservation settings. For example, in Google Messages, copies are stored in Google Drive and deleted as follows:

1. Open Google Messages → ⋮ → Settings → Backup.
2. Click Delete backup copy.

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Before you delete backups, export important SMS to the file. Use applications like SMS Backup & Restore (available on Google Play).

6. Cleaning through the engineering menu (for experienced users)

On MIUI firmware before version 12.5, there was a hidden way to clean messages through the engineering menu, which allowed you to remove even system SMS (for example, from a carrier) that do not appear in the standard interface, but on new versions this method may not work or require an unlocked bootloader.

How to open the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code: ##4636###.
3. Go to Phone Information → Test menu.
4. Select SMS Data Cleanup (if the item is missing, the method is not supported).

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect actions in the engineering menu can lead to loss IMEI You can only use this method if you're confident in what you're doing. MIUI 13/14 It is better to use alternative methods.

An alternative way for advanced users to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), for example, a command to clean the SMS database:

adb shell pm clear com.android.mms

This command is equivalent to an application data reset, but works even if the MIUI interface is blocked.

7. Automatic Message Cleanup (Tunes the Rules)

To avoid manually clearing memory, set up automatic deletion of old SMS. MIUI has a built-in feature that allows you to:

• 🗓️ Delete messages older 30/60/90 days.
• 📤 Clean up SMS from specific senders (e.g. spam).
• 🔄 Archiving important messages before deletion.

How to set up automatic cleaning:

1. Open the messages. → ⋮ → Settings → Autocleaning.
2. Turn on the Automatic Removal Switch.
3. Select a storage period (recommended 60 days).
4. Add important contacts (e.g. bank SMS) to the exceptions.

On POCO and some Redmi, this function may be called Storage Management and resides in:

Messages → ⋮ → Settings → Storage → Autocleaning

If the automatic cleaning is not working, check:

• 🔋 Is there enough space on the phone (needs at least 100 MB of free space).
• 📶 Is the phone connected to the Internet (the function requires synchronization with the cloud).
• 🔄 Is the battery optimization for the Messages app disabled.

Frequently asked questions