Cleaning up Telegram memory on Android Xiaomi: the full guide 2026

Telegram on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO) is often the main “eater” of internal memory. Messenger saves gigabytes of photos, videos, stickers and voice messages — even if you have watched them for a long time. Unlike the iPhone, where Telegram automatically optimizes storage when space is scarce, on Android (especially on MIUI firmware), this task has to be solved manually.

Compounding the problem, Xiaomi defaults to limit the background activity of apps, which makes Telegram not always properly clear the cache, and users are faced with a notification “Memory is full” or notice that the messenger slows down when scrolling chats. This guide provides current ways to clean up Telegram memory on Xiaomi (including models on MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS), which work in 2026.

Why Telegram is taking up so much space on Xiaomi

The main reasons for memory overflow:

• 📸 Automatic media saving: Telegram by default downloads all photos, videos and documents from chat rooms to a folder /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/. On Xiaomi, this folder can weigh 10+ GB, if you don't configure the filters.
• 🗑️ Messenger cache: Temporary files (miniatures, sticker previews, chat data) are accumulated in /data/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache/. Nana MIUI The cache is not always automatically cleaned.
• 🎵 Music and voice messages: Audio files from Telegram are saved in a separate folder and can be duplicated in the Xiaomi gallery.
• 🔄 Synchronization errors: Some Redmi models (e.g. Note 12 Pro)+) Telegram creates “dead” files that are not deleted through the application interface.

Xiaomi’s feature is that MIUI aggressively manages memory, but often “does not see” Telegram files as garbage, resulting in the system offering to delete the cache of other applications, while the messenger takes the lion’s share of storage.

Method 1: Clearing Telegram cache through Android settings

The fastest method is to delete temporary files through the app menu, which does not affect chats and media files, but frees up 100-500 MB:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Telegram in the list and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Confirm action. The cache will be deleted without rebooting the messenger.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ After cleaning the cache, the search history in Telegram may disappear. To avoid this, close the messenger through the multitasking menu before the procedure.

Close Telegram in multitasking

Check the free space in the storage settings

Disable mobile data (if you use Wi-Fi)

Backup of important chats-->

Method 2: Manually Delete Media Files in Telegram

If the Telegram folder takes up several gigabytes, you need to manually delete unnecessary files.

1. Open Telegram and go to Settings → Data and memory.
2. Select Memory Use – here is the volume occupied by chats.
3. Tapping chats from files (such as "Saved Messages" or group chats).
4. Sort files by size and remove unnecessary ones by holding your finger on the file and choosing Delete.

For mass removal:

• 📂 Use filters: Type → Video or size → More than 10MB.
• 🗑️ In the top menu, select Allow it all. → Delete (available only for single file type).

Tip for Xiaomi: After deleting files in Telegram, check the /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Images/ folder through any file manager (e.g. Files by Google).

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To avoid duplicate files, disable auto-save media in the Xiaomi gallery: go to Telegram Settings → Data and Memory → Media Saving and uncheck the Gallery.

Method 3: Optimizing Auto Download Media

Telegram downloads all media files by default, even if you don't open them. On Xiaomi, this results in a quick memory fill-up. To limit auto downloads:

1. In Telegram, go to Settings → Data and memory.
2. Select Auto Download Media.
3. For each type of network (mobile data, Wi-Fi, roaming) set the settings: 📷 Photo: Install "Never" or "Only from Contacts". 🎥 Video: Limit to "less than 5MB". 🎵 Audio: Turn off auto download or limit to "less than 3 MB". 📄 Install “Never” (unless you work with files all the time).

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi Redmi with HyperOS firmware may need to restart the messenger after changing these settings. Otherwise, the changes will apply only after 24 hours.

Method 4: Delete junk files through file manager

Telegram creates hidden files that are not deleted through the app interface, and on Xiaomi, you can find them manually:

1. Install a file manager with access to system folders (e.g. FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/ /data/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache/
3. Delete the following folders and files (if any): 🗃️ Temp - Temporary download files. 🗃️ thumbs - miniatures of images. 📄 Files with the.tmp or.part extension.

Important: Do not delete the entire Telegram Images, Telegram Video and Telegram Documents folders, which store your media files. Delete only specific unnecessary files.

Method 5: Reset Telegram settings (without losing chats)

If Telegram is slowing down even after cleaning the cache, resetting will help, which does not delete the chats, but returns all the parameters to the factory:

1. Open Telegram and go to Settings → More
2. Select Reset (optional available in versions 9.0+).
3. Confirm the action. The app will restart.

After discharge:

• 🔄 Auto-downloading media will shut down.
• 📱 The theme will return to the standard.
• 🔒 Privacy settings will reset (e.g., “Last Activity").

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi POCO s MIUI 13 after the reset, the account may be missing from the device. To avoid problems, check before the procedure that you have access to an email or phone number for re-authorization.

Method 6: Using the function "Storage optimization" in Telegram

The latest versions of Telegram (9.5+) have a built-in memory optimization feature that analyzes chats and suggests removing unnecessary files:

1. Go to Settings → Data and memory → Storage optimization.
2. Wait for the analysis to be completed (it may take 1-5 minutes).
3. Telegram will show you a list of files that can be safely deleted. highlight the unnecessary and click Clear.

Feature for Xiaomi: On some models (such as the Xiaomi 13T), this feature is unstable due to MIUI limitations on background activity. If the analysis is frozen, close Telegram through the multitasking menu and try again.

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Storage Optimization only deletes files that have not been opened for more than 30 days and are not marked as “favorites”.

Method 7: Transfer Telegram chats to a memory card (for older Xiaomi)

If your Xiaomi supports memory cards (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro or the Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro, you can transfer some of the data to Telegram SD-This is the map:

1. Insert the memory card into the slot (if supported).
2. Format it as internal memory (this will remove all data from the card!): Settings → Memory → SD card → Format as internal
3. Go to Telegram Settings → Data and memory → Download folder.
4. Choose the path to SD-map (e.g., map, /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Telegram/).

⚠️ Attention:

• 🚫 On Xiaomi MIUI 14+ transfer of Telegram SD-The card can cause file upload errors. Before the procedure, make a backup of chats.
• 🔄 If the memory card is slow (class below) UHS-I), Telegram will slow down when scrolling media files.

Additional tips for Xiaomi

To make Telegram take up less space on Xiaomi, follow these guidelines:

• 🔄 Regular cleaning: Delete unnecessary files every 1-2 weeks. MIUI Calendar.
• 📱 Disabling animations: In Telegram settings → Select animations "No animations" - this will reduce the load on memory.
• 🗑️ If you have little memory, install Telegram X – it consumes 20-30% less resources.
• 🔒 Encrypted chats: Files from secret chats don't sync to the cloud and take up space only on the device. manually delete them.

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On Xiaomi with HyperOS, you can limit Telegram’s background activity so that it saves unnecessary files less often. Go to Settings → Apps → Permissions → Autostart and disable Autostart for Telegram.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)