How to clean Xiaomi smartphone from garbage and unnecessary files: 7 proven ways

Your Xiaomi is slowing down and your memory is filled with obscure files? Even new models like the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or POCO F6 accumulate gigabytes of garbage over time: app cache, remnants of deleted programs, duplicate photos and temporary system files. Unlike the iPhone, where cleaning is reduced to a few taps, Android with the shell MIUI requires a comprehensive approach — otherwise, in a month, the problem will return.

In this article, we will discuss 7 ways to clean up — from embedded tools to hidden MIUI features that are not mentioned in the official guides. Particular attention will be paid to the error of many users: removing the cache of system applications (for example, com.miui.system), which leads to malfunctions in the shell, you will also learn how to safely clean memory without the risk of removing important data, and why the standard “Optimizer” in MIUI often misses up to 30% of garbage.

1. Built-in tools MIUI: What's really working?

Starting with the basic features that the shell itself offers, the latest versions of MIUI (14+) have made the Security tool → Cleanup smarter: it analyzes not only cache, but also unused APKs, update remnants and duplicate media files.

• 🔍 Deep cleaning removes the cache of all applications, including system ones, and risks that the theme of the design may fly or the gesture setting may reset.
• 🗑️ The basket is in MIUI 14+ Recovery of deleted files (lasts 30 days) but takes up to 5% of memory!
• 📊 Memory analysis shows which apps take up the most space, useful for identifying voracious games like Genshin Impact or Honor of Kings.

How to start a complete cleanup:

1. Open Settings → Security → Cleaning.
2. Press Deep Cleanup and confirm the action.
3. In the section Additional, select File Remains and Large Files.

⚠️ Note: Do not use the acceleration cleanup function in MIUI 13 and below – it often deletes Google Play Services data, leading to account sync errors.

2. Manual cache cleaning: which files can be deleted without risk

App cache is the main memory eater, but not all cache is equally useful (or harmful), for example, YouTube or TikTok cache can be cleaned, but deleting the cache com.android.vending (Google Play Market) will cause malfunctions when updating applications.

Safe List for Manual Cleaning:

How to clean the cache manually:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want (such as Chrome).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

Select only custom applications (not system)

Do not clear the Google Play Services cache or MIUI System

Check the cache size before deleting (if <50MB – you can skip)

Restart the phone after cleaning-->

3. Delete Unnecessary Files: Where to Look for Hidden Garbage

MIUI It creates many hidden folders that you can't see in a standard file manager, like the.thumbnails folder at the root of the memory can weigh up to a few times as much. 1 GBs are thumbnails for a gallery that the system doesn't automatically delete. MIUI/sss Stores screenshots of the lock screen (even if you haven’t taken them!).

Where to look for hidden rubbish:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/ — temporary files of themes, wallpapers, animations.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ — cache of games and applications (here can lie gigabytes of data from Free Fire or COC).
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails/ — photo and video miniatures.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Download/ — old-fashioned APK-file.

To access hidden folders, use File Manager+ (built into MIUI) or Solid Explorer. In the file manager settings, enable the display of hidden files (Settings → Show hidden files).

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Before deleting your Android/data folder, check to see if it stores game saves. Some titles (like Genshin Impact) save progress locally rather than in the cloud.

4. Cleaning up of duplicate photos and videos

MIUI has a nasty feature: when editing a photo in a standard gallery, the original file is not deleted, but saved as a copy. As a result, after a year of use, up to 2-3 GB of duplicates can accumulate on the phone. The same thing happens with videos recorded in Slow-Mo, the system saves both the original and the slowed-down version.

How to find and remove duplicates:

1. Use the Files by Google app (Clean up → Duplicate Files section).
2. At Xiaomi Gallery, go to Albums → Duplicates (available in MIUI 14+).
3. For advanced cleaning, install Duplicate Files Fixer – it even finds similar photos with different resolutions.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete duplicates in the folder WhatsApp/Media — This can be backups of media files from chat rooms.

5. Optimization of autoboot and background processes

Many applications (especially Chinese ones like UC Browser or SHAREit) are launched at the start of the system and hang in the background, consuming memory. MIUI has a hidden autoboot control section, but it is hidden deep in the settings.

How to turn off autoboot:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun.
2. Sort the list by the date of last use.
3. Turn off auto-runs for apps you don’t use daily.

For complete control over the background processes:

• 🛡️ Install Greenify (requires root or ADB-permitting).
• 🔄 Enable charge saving mode in Settings → Battery – It limits background activity.
• ⚡ Use Permissions. → Special access → Optimize the battery to eliminate critical applications from optimization.

6. Reset the recovery section cache (for advanced)

If your Xiaomi has become unbearably slow and standard methods don’t help, try clearing the recovery cache.This will remove temporary update files and firmware residues that can weigh up to 1-2 GB. Important: This method doesn’t delete user data, but requires a reboot to recovery.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery Mode.
3. Select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data – the second option will completely reset the phone to factory settings!

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Cleaning the recovery cache is especially useful after failed MIUI updates or if the phone “hangs” on the logo when turned on.

7. Alternative methods: from ADB to custom firmware

If none of the methods worked, radical methods remain: for example, through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can manually remove unnecessary system applications that cannot be uninstalled by standard means. This is true for Xiaomi with a pre-installed bloatware (for example, Mi Video, Mi Music, Mi Browser).

Bloatware Remove Commands (requires PC connection):

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.videoplayer


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.player




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser

For users willing to go further, there is an option to install custom recovery (TWRP) and MIUI firmware without bloatware (e.g. MIUI EU or Xiaomi.eu), which are already cleared of unnecessary applications and have an optimized core.

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Before uninstalling system applications via ADB, back up to TWRP or using Swift Backup. Some applications (e.g. com.miui.securitycenter) are critical to MIUI operation.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cleanup