Cleaning up the Telegram folder on Xiaomi: a complete guide with proven methods

The Telegram folder on Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and others) often grows to giant sizes — often occupying 5-10 GB or more. The reason lies in the automatic saving of media files, chat cache and service data that the messenger accumulates for years. If you notice that the phone’s memory is running out, and in the Storage section there is a huge volume under the inscription Telegram or or org.telegram.messenger — this article will help regain control of the space.

Unlike the standard instructions, here we will analyze all possible sources of garbage: from hidden folders with downloads to the cache of the web version (Telegram Web). Particular attention will be paid to the unique problem of Xiaomi devices with MIUI - duplicate files due to the features of the file manager and integration with the Mi Cloud. You will learn how to clean up memory without losing important data, which files can be deleted safely and which ones should not be touched.

Why does the Telegram folder take up so much space?

Telegram messenger saves on the device all the media files that you have ever received or sent: photos, videos, stickers, gifs, documents, even if you did not open them!

• 📁 Telegram folder in the root directory stores downloads by default (path: /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/).
• 🗑️ Cash app (Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache/) Contains temporary files for quick chat downloads.
• 🔄 Duplicates are created due to automatic saving in the gallery (MIUI copy DCIM/Telegram/).
• 🌐 The Web version (Telegram Web) leaves its cache in the Android/data/org.telegram.messenger.web/.

On Xiaomi, the situation is aggravated by the MIUI file manager, which does not always correctly display hidden folders, as well as a memory optimizer that blocks cache cleaning for “system” applications. For example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro, users are faced with the fact that after manually cleaning the Telegram folder, its size increases again every other day due to background synchronization of the messenger.

Method 1: Clean up via Telegram settings

The safest method is to use the messaging tools built in, which are suitable for removing unnecessary media files without the risk of damaging chats or settings.

1. Open Telegram and go to the ⚙️ Settings → Data and memory.
2. Select Memory Use - here you will see a list of chats sorted by the amount occupied.
3. Tap on a heavyweight chat (such as 5.2GB) and click Clear History.
4. Set ticks next to the types of files you want to delete: 📸 Media (photo, video, gifs) 📄 Files (documents, archives) 🎵 Music and voice

Clean up

⚠️ Note: This method does not delete files that are saved manually (via the Save to Gallery menu) but will have to be erased separately through the file manager.

Method 2: Manually delete Telegram folder through file manager

If the built-in tools don’t work, you’ll have to delete files manually, and Xiaomi is better off using a third-party file manager (like Solid Explorer or FX File Manager) because the standard MI File Manager can hide system folders.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with access to root folders (e.g., Solid Explorer from Google Play).
2. Go on the way: /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/ Here you will see folders: Telegram Audio – voice messages Telegram Documents – documents Telegram Images – photos Telegram Video – videos and GIFs

Select the unnecessary files and delete them. For convenience, sort by date or size.

Make sure to clean the File Manager Recycle Bin!

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the entire Telegram folder through the file manager! This will cause the messenger to fail, it will stop opening media files until it restores the folder structure.

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Before mass deletion, sort files by size (click Size → Decline in the manager) and quickly find the heaviest videos and documents.

Method 3: Clearing Telegram cache through Android settings

Telegram cache can take up to 1-2 GB, even if you haven’t used the messenger in a long time. On Xiaomi, cleaning it has nuances due to MIUI optimizations.

How to clean:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Telegram in the list and tap on it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. If the button is inactive, click Clear data, but note: this will delete all chats and settings (you will have to re-enter your account).

Method 4: Removing duplicates in the MIUI Gallery

Xiaomi automatically copies media files from Telegram to a standard gallery, creating duplicates, for example, the same video can be stored in /Telegram/Telegram Video/, and /DCIM/Telegram/.

How to find and remove duplicates:

1. Open the Gallery app on your Xiaomi.
2. Go to the Telegram album (it is created automatically).
3. Select all files (long-term press → highlight everything) and click Delete.
4. Confirm the removal and clean the gallery basket.

🔍 How to check if duplicates have been removed:

• 📂 Compare folder sizes /Telegram/Telegram Video/ and /DCIM/Telegram/ — They should be different.
• 🔄 Use duplicate apps like Files by Google or Duplicate Files Fixer.

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Duplicates in the MIUI gallery can take up to 30-50% of the total volume of the Telegram folder, and their removal will free up space without losing data in chat rooms.

Method 5: Disabling Auto Download Media

To prevent the Telegram folder from growing again, disable automatic file saving, which is especially true for channel users and large groups where dozens of media files are posted daily.

Instructions:

1. In Telegram go to the ⚙️ Settings → Data and memory.
2. In the section Auto Download Media, select: 📶 Mobile Internet → Never. 📡 Wi-Fi → Just a photo or never. 🔄 Roaming. → Never.

Compress images when sending

💡 Additional advice: In the chat settings (tap on the name of the interlocutor) → ⚙️) You can turn off notifications and auto-download media for a specific dialogue, and it's useful for active groups where there's a lot of unnecessary content.

What do you do if nothing helps?

If, after all the manipulations, the Telegram folder still takes up a lot of space, check:

• 🗂️ Hidden folders: Some files can be stored in /Android/obb/org.telegram.messenger/ or /data/data/org.telegram.messenger/ (available only with root rights).
• 🔄 Residual files: After deleting Telegram and re-installing, old data may remain. SD Maid or CCleaner for deep cleaning.
• 📱 Mistakes. MIUI: on certain firmware (for example, MIUI 13 for Redmi Note 9) Telegram files can be displayed in storage as "System Data." In this case, cache reset via Recovery will help.

🛠️ Extreme measure: If free space is critically small and a Telegram folder weighs tens of gigabytes, try:

1. Create a backup of chats (Settings → Chat → Export Chat History).
2. Delete the application and manually erase all associated folders (Telegram, org.telegram.messenger).
3. Install Telegram again and restore only the necessary chats.

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On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, after a complete reinstallation of Telegram, the folder with the media is created anew, but without the old “tails” and duplicates.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up Telegram on Xiaomi