How to find and delete hidden files on Xiaomi smartphones: the complete guide

Why Hidden Files Are Taking Place on Xiaomi and How to Detect Them

Have you ever noticed that memory on your Xiaomi Redmi, POCO or Mi mysteriously decreases even though you haven't downloaded anything? The reason is often hidden system files, app cache and residual data from remote programs. Unlike normal photos or documents, these files don't show up in a standard Explorer - they need to be searched specifically.

Hidden files on MIUI There are three categories: system (necessary for Android), user (created by apps but hidden from view) and junk (remains after uninstallation, temporary files). For example, the.thumbnails folder stores thumbnails of images, and the.nomedia folder stores data that shouldn't be displayed in the gallery. 500 MB to 3-4 GB of memory, depending on the model and the period of use of the smartphone.

But here's the catch: Deleting some hidden files can disrupt the system, so before cleaning it, it's important to understand which data is safe to touch and which is not, and then we'll figure out how to find those files, what tools to use and how to clean them without risk to Xiaomi.

Where hidden files are stored on Xiaomi: paths and folders

Hidden files on Xiaomi are distributed across several key directories, including:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/ — The root folder of internal memory where user hidden data is stored (for example,.android_secure file-encrypted).
• 🔧 /data/data/ — The system folder with application data (only available with root rights) accumulates caches and settings.
• 🗑️ /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ — Application folders, where often the "tails" remain after deleting programs.
• 📸 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails/ — Photo and video miniatures that can weigh hundreds of megabytes.

To see these folders, you need to enable the display of hidden files in Explorer. In the standard MIUI File Manager, this is done as follows:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Activate the option to show hidden files.

If you use a third-party explorer (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File Manager), the path will be similar.Please note: some system folders (e.g. /data/) will remain unavailable without root rights or ADB.

How to Clean Hidden Files with a Standard MIUI Explorer

If you don't have root rights, the safest way is to use the built-in MIUI File Manager, which allows you to delete most of the unneeded hidden files without risk to the system.

1. Open the files. → Go to the internal storage.
2. Enable the display of hidden files (as described above).
3. Sort files by size by tapping into three points → Sort → By size.
4. Check the following folders: 📂.thumbnails (can be removed, they will recover automatically). 📂.trashes - basket MIUI (hand-cleaned). 📂 Android/data/ — Remnants of remote applications (folders with uninstalled program names).

Delete

Important: Don’t touch folders called com.android., com.xiaomi. or miui, which are system data, and avoid deleting files with.odex,.apk, or.so extensions if you’re not sure what they’re supposed to be.

⚠️ Warning: If widgets or wallpapers stop working after deleting hidden files, restore deleted data from the shopping cart (.trashes) or restart your smartphone. Some apps (such as Mi Video) can only create new thumbnails after restarting.

Cleaning Hidden Files with ADB (without root)

If a standard explorer doesn't show all the hidden files, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which doesn't require root rights, but allows you to access some system folders.

1. Install. ADB-PC drivers.
2. On your smartphone, activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings → About phone).
3. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
4. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell ls -la /storage/emulated/0/ This will show all the hidden files and folders in the internal memory.
5. To delete unnecessary data, use the command: adb shell rm -r /storage/emulated/0/.thumbnails (replace the path with the desired one).

Cleaning instructions:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleanup tab.
3. Slip Deep Cleanup. → Scan.
4. After analysis, select Residual Files and Cash → Clear.

MIUI Optimizer doesn't show you which files it deletes, but it's safe for the system, but it doesn't clean folders like.thumbnails -- you have to manually delete them.

• 🛠️ SD Maid (requires root for full functionality).
• 🧹 Files by Google (shows hidden files and offers cleanup).
• 🔍 CCleaner (can find residual application data).

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Built-in cleaning MIUI It only deletes secure files, but it doesn't touch hidden folders like.thumbnails or.nomedia. ADB.

What to do if hidden files are not deleted

Sometimes hidden files can be blocked by the system or applications.

1. Reboot your smartphone. Some files may be busy with processes, and rebooting them will free them up.
2. For example, Solid Explorer or Root Explorer (the latter requires root) often work where the standard MIUI File Manager is powerless.
3. If the file is not deleted, try changing permissions through ADB: adb shell chmod 777 /path/to/file Then re-delete.
4. Delete via PC. Connect Xiaomi to your computer in File Transfer mode and try to delete files via Windows Explorer or Total Commander.

If the file is still not deleted, it may be used by the system.

• 🔍 Check the file name on Google – often by the extension or name you can see what it is responsible for.
• 🛑 Do not delete files with the names lib, odex, apk or containing com.android.
• 📱 Try to delete the application that owns the file (if it is not system-based).

⚠️ Note: If after deleting hidden files, Xiaomi started to slow down or give out errors, most likely, an important system file was deleted. In this case, only a factory reset will help (but this will delete all data.

How to Prevent the Accumulation of Hidden Files in the Future

To prevent hidden files from filling up memory again, follow these tips:

• 📱 Clean the cache regularly. Go to Settings. → Annexes → App management, select frequently used programs (e.g. Facebook, Instagram) and click Clear cache.
• 🗑️ Set up an automatic cleaning. MIUI Optimizer enable Auto Clean (under Settings).
• 🚫 Avoid junk apps: Some programs (especially from unknown sources) leave behind tons of unnecessary files.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI. In new versions of firmware optimized work with cache and temporary files.
• 📁 Use cloud storage. Move rarely used files to Mi Cloud or Google Drive to make room.

It's also useful to keep track of which apps are the most "junky."

1. Open the Settings → Memory.
2. Put it on the App Data.
3. Sort by size – apps at the top of the list are most often the culprits of memory filling.

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If you install and delete games frequently, clean the folder. Android/obb/ manually – it can take up several gigabytes, even if the game itself has long been uninstalled.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden files on Xiaomi