Xiaomi smartphones are famous for their price-performance ratio, but over time, even powerful devices can start to work slower. The main reason for the slowdown is the accumulation of system “junk”, residual files of remote applications and bloated cache. Owners often notice that free space on the drive disappears for no apparent reason, and the MIUI interface begins to slow down when switching between tasks.
Effectively cleaning Xiaomi phone from garbage is not just a way to free up a few gigabytes, but a necessary procedure to extend the life of the device. Regular file system maintenance prevents critical errors in the Android operating system. In this article, we will discuss proven methods that will help return the gadget to its former sharpness.
There are many tools for ordering, from built-in developer utilities to advanced methods through the computer. The system partition "Other" is often inflated precisely because of the malfunctioning of automatic cleaning mechanisms, so manual intervention is sometimes necessary. Do not ignore the first signs of memory shortage, as this can lead to a complete failure of the system to update or take photos.
Use of the built-in "Security" application
The first and most obvious tool that is already installed on your device is the system application Security, which was developed by Xiaomi engineers specifically to monitor the state of the system and quickly clean temporary files, and running this utility allows you to instantly scan the main directories for known debris.
When you click on the Clean button, the system analyzes the cache of applications, advertising files and residues of package installers. Automatic analysis is safe for user data, since algorithms exclude important system files. However, it is worthwhile to understand that the built-in scanner often acts superficially and does not delete deep logs or messenger cache without additional permission.
For deeper work inside the app, there's a Memory Cleanup section, where you can manually select file categories to delete, and users often forget about the Downloads folder, where old APK installation files and saved images from browsers can lie for years.
- 📱 Click on the Cleanup icon on the app’s home screen for a quick start.
- 🗑️ Use the Deep Clean feature to find large and duplicate files.
- ⚙️ In the “Security” settings, you can activate automatic cleaning when you reach the filling threshold.
⚠️ Warning: Before starting a deep cleaning, be sure to check the list of files proposed for removal. Sometimes important documents or saved voices from messengers fall into the category of garbage.
Don’t rely solely on automated scripts. Periodic manual checks of what the system suggests to remove help avoid accidentally losing information, especially for those who are actively using their smartphone to work with documents.
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Periodically (once a month) run a full virus check through the same Security app, as malware often masquerades as system processes and consumes resources.
Manual cleaning of cache and application data
The largest consumers of memory in Android are social networks and instant messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and TikTok retain huge volumes of media files that are not always deleted by standard methods. To effectively clean Xiaomi, you need to go to the individual settings of each heavy application.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Select the right program, such as YouTube or Instagram. Here you are interested in two buttons: Clear cache and Clear all data. The first deletes temporary files, the second resets the application to the state immediately after installation, removing logins and settings.
App cache can take anywhere from a few megabytes to tens of gigabytes. For example, streaming services cache parts of a video to play smoothly, and that file grows over time. Regularly cleaning the cache makes room without losing personal correspondence or accounts.
☑️ Checklist for manual cleaning
Special attention should be paid to the gallery and cloud services, often deleted photos end up in the cart inside the gallery and continue to take up space for another 30 days, and releasing this basket is a quick way to gain additional space.
- 📂 Go to the settings of a specific “heavy” application.
- 💾 Click the Memory button to view detailed statistics.
- 🧹 Use the “Clear Cache” button to securely delete temporary data.
It's important to distinguish between cache and app data. If you clear "All Data" in the messenger, you'll log out and lose your local history if it's not synced to the cloud.
Storage analysis and search for hidden files
Sometimes standard tools don't show what's taking up space on the disk, and in those cases, storage analysis tools come to the rescue, and there's an inbuilt analyzer in the MIUI shell, but third-party solutions can be more visual, and they visualize the file system by showing the heaviest folders.
Often users do not realize that the folder Android/media or Android/obb can weigh 10-20 GB. It stores game data and offline maps of navigators, removing maps from Google Maps or Yandex Navigator, which you do not use, instantly frees gigabytes.
It’s also worth checking the MIUI/gallery/cloud folder if you’ve used the Xiaomi cloud but stopped. There may be thumbnails and original photos left. The system analyzer in the Memory section will help sort files by size and date.
| Type of file | Where to find | Can be removed | Risk of data loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash app. | Settings → Applications | Yes. | Low. |
| Downloads (Downloads) | The conductor → Downloads | Yeah (selectively) | Medium. |
| Logs of the system | MIUI/logs folder | Yes. | No. |
| Offline maps | Navigators. | Yes (if you don't need to) | High (for navigation) |
When working with a file system through a Explorer, be extremely careful. Deleting system folders with names like data or system (if visible) can lead to unstable phone operation.
What is a folder.thumbnails?
Cleaning through computer and ADB
For advanced users who want to gain full control of the file system, there is a method of cleaning through the computer using USB debugging, which allows you to delete files that are hidden from the average user and work with the file system as an external disk.
First, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI 7 times. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on “Debugging USB.” Connect your phone to your PC, you will access the internal drive.
A more powerful tool is the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) utility, which can execute commands to force the system caches to be cleaned, such as the command to clear the batch installer cache is as follows:
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This command forces the system to free up as much space as possible by removing the cache of all applications at once, which is especially useful when the phone interface is not responding or the free space is close to zero.
- 💻 Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable in the “File Transfer” mode».
- 🔧 Install drivers and platform ADB PC-only.
- ⌨️ Enter a cleaning command in the terminal for deep defragmentation of the space.
⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB Incorrect commands can result in the removal of critical system components or loss of personal data without the possibility of recovery.
After performing the procedures through the computer, it is recommended to restart the device, which will allow the system to re-index the files and correctly display the freed space in the settings.
Optimization of the work of messengers
Messengers are the main memory eaters on any modern smartphone. Telegram, for example, caches all media files viewed by default so that they load instantly when reopened. Over time, this cache can reach tens of gigabytes.
In the settings of the Telegram itself there is a section "Data and memory» → «Memory usage. Not only can you clear the cache with a single button, but you can also set up auto-delete it, so if you set a limit of, say, 1GB or 500MB, you let the app manage its own appetite».
Similar to WhatsApp and Viber. WhatsApp cleans through Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. It’s convenient to delete files from specific chats without touching your overall correspondence history. Often the largest files come in group chats that can be selectively cleared.
Remember the Documents tab in messengers, which is a common feature of sending heavy presentations, videos and archives that have been in memory for years, and revising those files is a great way to make room quickly.
- ⏱ Set up autodelete media in the settings of each messenger.
- 🗑 Check the Documents and Music section within the apps regularly.
- 📉 Turn off auto-save to the gallery for incoming photos and videos.
Disabling auto-save to the gallery is a critical step, and it prevents duplicate files: the original stays in the chat room, and the copy is not created in the Camera or Downloads system folder, saving you space in half.
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Customization of autodelete cache in messengers solves 80% of problems with memory shortage on Xiaomi smartphones of the medium and budget segment.
Prevention and healthy habits
So you don't have to struggle to get a lot of space, you have to develop good Android habits, and regularity is the key to success, and you just have to spend 5-10 minutes a week checking uploaded files and updating apps.
Use cloud storage to archive old photos and videos. Services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk allow you to free up space on your device by storing originals in the cloud. Google Photos' "Free up space" feature automatically removes from your phone those pictures that have already been uploaded to the cloud.
Also keep an eye on the apps you've installed, and periodic audits of the software list help you identify those you haven't used in months, and removing those apps is the best way to prevent background debris from accumulating.