Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices face the same problem sooner or later: a once-flashy smartphone starts to run slower, applications open longer, and free space in memory disappears without a trace. It is a natural process of accumulating digital garbage, which includes app cache, remnants of deleted programs, temporary files and advertising data. Cleaning up the system is not just a way to free up gigabytes, but also a necessary preventive measure for the stable operation of the operating system.
Modern MIUI and HyperOS shells have powerful built-in tools, but they don’t always handle deep layers of the file system. In this article, we’ll look at not only the standard methods available to everyone out of the box, but also advanced manual cleaning techniques. You’ll learn how to find hidden folders, delete advertising cache, and properly configure automatic device maintenance.
Before we start taking drastic measures, it's important to understand the nature of garbage. Not all temporary files are harmful, some of them speed up the loading of frequently visited pages. However, when the volume of such data exceeds reasonable limits, it starts to slow down the processor and RAM. Let's start with a basic level that every owner should know.
Use of the built-in Security application
The easiest and safest way to start cleaning is to use a system tool that is already installed on your device. The Security app on Xiaomi smartphones combines antivirus and cliner functions, which scans the file system for known debris patterns and suggests removing them at a click.
To run a deep cleanup, you need to open the application and select the Cleanup point. The system will analyze the cache, installer packet residues and temporary files. It is important to note that the built-in tool often does not remove the cache of heavy messengers or streaming services completely so as not to lose your authorization data. Autoclean here works preventively, preventing critical overflow.
☑️ Weekly prevention
After the initial scan, the system will suggest that you delete the files you find, but experienced users know that once is not enough, you should set up an automatic cleanup to keep the phone in order, and you should activate the appropriate switch in the Security settings.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use third-party accelerators from Play Market with aggressive advertising. They often become a source of garbage themselves and may contain malicious code that steals personal data.
Manual cleaning of cache and application data
Built-in tools are good for surface cleaning, but the real “junk” is hidden deep in installed programs. Social networks, browsers and instant messengers accumulate gigabytes of temporary files for years. Pictures from channels, stories viewed, video thumbnails - all this takes up space. To access this data, you need to go to the Settings menu → Apps → All applications.
Choose the most “heavy” application, such as Telegram or VK. Inside you will see two types of cleaning: “Clear cache” and “Clear all” (or “Erase data”). The first option is safe – it will only delete temporary files. The second option will return the application to state immediately after installation, deleting your correspondence and logins, so use it with extreme caution.
What is the difference between cache and data?
Special attention should be paid to browsers: they save the history of visits, cookies and cache pages for quick loading, regular cleaning of this data not only frees up space, but also increases privacy, in some cases, it helps to correct errors in the display of sites.
There is also a hidden Android/data folder where many apps put their files, which is restricted in newer versions of Android, but you can access through a Mi file manager or third-party explorers (like Total Commander), often with old update files and error logs.
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Use the file manager's Storage Analyzer feature to visually see which folders take up the most space, which will help you find forgotten videos or archives.
Working with the Downloads and duplicates folder
The Download folder is the black hole in most users’ memory, automatically bringing in all the messaging files, email documents, and downloaded app installers, often with files that will never be needed again for years, but that continue to take up space on the internal drive.
To clean up effectively, you need to open the file manager and sort files by date or size. Pay special attention to.apk formats, which are application installation files. Once you install the program, they become useless garbage. It is also worth checking the messenger folders, which often duplicate the received photos and videos into the general gallery.
| File type | Where to find | Can be removed | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| APK | Download folder | Yes. | Low (if the application is installed) |
| Log/Trace | System root / Application folders | Yes. | Low (technical reports) |
| Temp/Tmp | Different folders | Yes. | Low (temporary files) |
| Thumbnail | Folder.thumbnails | Carefully. | Medium (miniature photos, can be recreated) |
Remember duplicate photos. When synced to the cloud or transferred from another phone, files are often created, and specialized apps or built-in Google Photos can help find and delete identical images, freeing up precious gigabytes.
Removal of system debris and advertising identifiers
The MIUI and HyperOS shells are known for their love of collecting telemetry and displaying ads. While you can't completely shut down system services, you can significantly reduce the amount of data you collect and the ad cache, not only cleaning up memory, but also improving the interface's response speed.
First, you need to disable ad personalization. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services and disable the Ad Personalization slider. It is also recommended to reset your advertising ID so that the ad networks “forget” your preferences.
The second important step is to disable autoplay of video in your system applications, such as Music or Video. These features not only waste traffic, but also create preload cache files. Turn them off in the settings of the relevant applications through the Settings menu → Apps → All apps.
⚠️ Note: Do not remove system applications through ADB, If you don't know exactly what they're responsible for, removing critical components (such as Security Center or Updater) can lead to a cyclical reboot).
You also need to clean up the error log and the system reports, which are hidden in partitions, but they can be hundreds of megabytes. Periodic resetting of network settings also helps to clean up DNS cache and temporary connection files, which is especially useful for problems with Internet speed.
Cleaning through Developer Mode and ADB
For advanced users who want to get the most out of it, there's a developer mode available, which is a hidden menu that allows you to manage system processes, and to activate it, you have to click 7 times on the build number in the About Phone menu, and then you'll see the Developer option in the About Phone section.
This menu contains Disable logging, which prevents new logging, and it also has the option of limiting background processes, which indirectly affects the amount of debris generated, but the most powerful tool is working through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) from a computer.
By connecting your phone to your PC in USB debugging mode, you can execute commands to remove system debris that is not available to the average user, such as cleaning Dalvik Cache, which requires caution, but has an effect comparable to a complete reset.
adb shell pm clear com.android.browserThis command, for example, will completely clear the system browser cache, and you can do the same with other system services knowing their exact packet names. Remember, removing system components through ADB is irreversible without flashing it back up, so back up important data before experimenting.
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Use of the ADB-commands allow you to remove system debris that is not available through the standard interface, but requires high user qualifications.
Prevention and automation of cleaning
To avoid reverting to cleaning every two weeks, the system needs to be set up to automatically maintain. Xiaomi provides flexible tools for this, but they need to be activated manually. Regular prevention prolongs the life of flash memory and maintains performance.
The Security app has a Scheduled Cleanup feature: Set a time when the phone is not in use (e.g. at night) and the system will automatically remove garbage. It is also useful to set up automatic cleaning of the shopping cart in the gallery and file manager - usually files are stored there for 30 days, but this period can be reduced to 1 day or 7 days.
Keep an eye out for system updates. Newer versions of MIUI and HyperOS often fix bugs that cause logs and cache to swell, but it is always recommended to back up data to the Mi Cloud cloud or your computer before a major update.