Cleaning up Xiaomi Redmi phone from garbage: 7 proven ways

Your Xiaomi Redmi is slowing down, quickly discharged or issuing messages about memory shortages? 90% of the time is due to accumulated system debris, residual application files and crowded cache. Even the new models of the Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 after 3-6 months of active use begin to “suffocate” from unnecessary data.

In this article, 7 working cleaning methods that will restore your phone performance, we will analyze both standard MIUI tools and hidden features that are not written about in the official instructions. No root or complex manipulations, only safe methods proven on the Redmi 9A, Note 10 Pro, POCO F4 and other popular models.

Important: cleaning up garbage is not a one-time action, it's a system care, and after reading this article, you can not only make room, but also set up your phone so that garbage accumulates more slowly.

1. Built-in utility "Cleanup" in MIUI: hidden opportunities

The most obvious but often underrated tool is the standard Cleanup utility (formerly called Security), which is available on all Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones with MIUI 12 and newer, but 80% of users use it inefficiently, limiting themselves to the “Clean Up” button.

How to open the advanced settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Cleanup (or find the Cleanup icon on your desktop).
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Deep Clean.
3. Enable sliders to clean the cache of system applications and delete residual files.

What exactly does the utility remove:

• 🗑️ Application cache – temporary files that take up to 3-5 GB on an actively used phone.
• 📁 Residual files – “tails” from remote programs (for example, folders) Android/obb play-off).
• 🔍 Log files are system logs that MIUI Creates for diagnosis (can weigh up to 1 GB).
• 📥 Downloads – automatically finds and prompts you to delete old files from the Download folder.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache for messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) and banking applications - this can lead to re-authorization. → Annexes → [Title of the annex] → Memory. → Clear the cache.

2 Manual folder cleaning: where to look for hidden trash

The built-in utility doesn't delete everything. For example, it skips:

• 🎮 folder Android/obb — This is where the game data is stored (may weigh) 10+ GB).
• 📸 folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo and video miniatures (up to) 500 MB).
• 📂 folder MIUI/Backup — Backup copies of system settings (up to) 2 GB).
• 📄 Documents folder – often unnecessary PDF and Excel files.

How to safely clean these folders:

1. Connect your phone to your PC or use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to the internal memory and find the folders.
3. Delete everything except: Current game files (in Android/obb) Important documents (in Documents).

🔹 Tip: Before deleting, back up important folders on your PC or in the cloud. DCIM/Camera (It is better not to touch your photos, but to clean only DCIM/.thumbnails.

3. Cleaning the cache and application data: what can be deleted and what can not

App cache is a temporary file that speeds up programs, but it grows to giant sizes over time, like Facebook cache can take 1-2GB and Google Play Services can take up to 500MB.

How to properly clean the cache:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application (start with the most “heavy” – social networks, instant messengers, games).
3. Press Memory. → Clear the cache.

🔹 How to use Files by Google:

1. Install the app from the Play Store.
2. Open the Cleanup tab.
3. Click Free Space and select categories to scan.
4. Check the files proposed for deletion and confirm the cleanup.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as CCleaner) may delete important system files to the system. MIUI. We don't recommend using them.Stick to the proven utilities from the list above.

💡

Before mass deletion of photos through Files by Google, sort them by date. Often duplicates appear when you send photos through messengers - the originals remain in the gallery, and copies are saved in the folders WhatsApp Images or Telegram Pictures.

5. Optimization of autoboot and background processes

One of the reasons for the brakes is apps that start automatically and run in the background, such as Mi Video, Mi Music, Clean Master (if installed) can consume up to 20% of RAM even when you are not using them.

How to turn off autoboot:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Facebook).
3. Press Autostart and turn off the slider.
4. To completely turn off the background, repeat the steps and select Battery → Background Activity Management → Limit.

📌 List of apps that can be safely disabled from autoboot:

• 🎵 Mi Music, Google Play Music (if you don't use it).
• 📺 Mi Video, Google Play Movies.
• 🛒 Mi Store, GetApps (unless you install apps from there).
• 🔄 Clean Master, DU Speed Booster (they clog the system themselves).

⚠️ Note: Do not turn off the autoload for:

• 📱 Google Play Services (May Lead to Errors in Android).
• 🔒 Mi Security (responsible for security).
• 📞 Phone and Contacts (Can Stop Calling).

💡

Disabling autoboot for 10-15 unnecessary applications can free up to 300-500 MB of RAM and increase battery life by 10-15%.

6. resetting the partition cache (wipe cache partition) - a radical method

If the phone is stuck on the MI logo when it's turned on or braked even after cleaning, it will help to reset the cache of the cache partition. This does not delete your data, but clears the system cache that may be damaged.

How to make a wipe cache partition:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Volume Up + Power buttons and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. Release the buttons and you will be taken to the Recovery menu (some models need to select a language).
4. With volume buttons, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 1-2 minutes).
6. Reboot the phone (Reboot) → Reboot to System).

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will delete all your data, photos and apps. Also don't interrupt the process - this can lead to a phone blink (inoperability.

🔹 When does this method help:

• 🐢 The phone is slowing down after the update. MIUI.
• 🔄 Apps are constantly flying out or not opening.
• 📱 The screen is loaded long after switching on.

7.Tune your phone to minimize garbage accumulation

To avoid cleaning your phone every week, set it up so that garbage accumulates more slowly:

Storage optimization:

• 📸 In Google Photos, turn on Free up space (deletes photo from your phone after uploading to the cloud).
• 🎮 In game settings (for example, PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact: Disable Auto-Resource Update.
• 📥 In Chrome, turn off File Downloads to SD-The card (if it is slow, it slows the system).

Set up updates:

• 🔄 B Settings → The phone. → Update system to disable Wi-Fi autoboot if you have limited traffic.
• 📦 In the Play Store, disable Auto-Update applications or limit it to Wi-Fi only.

Control of annexes:

• 🛡️ Install Greenify (requires) MIUI 12+) — It freezes unnecessary applications, preventing them from working in the background.
• 📊 Use AccuBattery to monitor battery consumption – it will show which applications are loading the system the most.

💡

Regular cleaning (every 1-2 weeks) + the correct settings of the phone will reduce the accumulation of garbage by 70-80%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up Xiaomi Redmi