How to Clean Xiaomi 8 Pro from Garbage by Hand: The Complete 2026 Guide

Xiaomi 8 Pro

hand-cleaning

Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to click “Clear Cache” in the settings – but this only removes a part of temporary files. Deep cleaning includes working with system folders, analyzing storage and optimizing background processes. In this article, you will learn how to safely free up space on Xiaomi 8 Pro without root rights and third-party utilities using only built-in Android tools.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly is the memory?

Before you start cleaning, you need to understand which files are eating up memory. On Xiaomi 8 Pro, there is a built-in tool for this — Settings → Memory. This shows the distribution of space into categories: applications, media, cache, etc.

Pay special attention to the sections:

• 📁 «System data** – often hides residual files after updates MIUI (It can take up to 5-10 GB!).

If you have more than 2-3 GB of files in your file section, that's a direct signal to action. Also check the Download folder, which many users haven't cleaned out old documents and installers in years.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse the app cache (securely deleted) with the application data (contains settings, logins, game progress!

2. Cleaning up cache and unnecessary application data

Cache is the main memory eater. On the Xiaomi 8 Pro, it can be cleaned in two ways: globally for all applications or selectively.

Method 1: Mass cleaning of the cache

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
2. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with the Clean up Garbage button – it deletes more data!).
3. Confirm action. This will free up 500MB to 2-3GB, depending on the number of applications installed.

Method 2: Manually remove cache for individual applications

This method is useful if you want to make room without affecting frequently used programs (such as instant messengers or games).

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Facebook or Google Play Services).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

Note:

YouTube

Clear the cache (not data!)

Remove downloads from instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

Delete offline maps (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps)

Clear the history in the browser-->

3. Deletion of residual files and “junk” folders

After uninstalling applications on the Xiaomi 8 Pro, there are often folders with configuration files, logs and cache, which you can't see in the standard file manager, but they take up space.

Step 1: Enable the display of hidden files

1. Open File Manager → click on three dots in the upper right corner.
2. Select Settings → Show hidden files.

Step 2: Conduct an audit in key folders

Go to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/) and check:

• 📂 Android/data/ — This is where the application data is stored. You can erase the folders of remote programs.
• 📂 Android/obb/ — game files (e.g. Genshin Impact cache or Call of Duty Mobile) If the game is deleted, the folder can also be deleted.
• 📂 MIUI/ — system logs and dumps. Delete only files with the.log or.dump extension.
• 📂 Pictures/Screenshots/ — screenshots 6 months are rarely needed.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders Android/secure and MIUI/backup — This could disrupt the system!

4. Optimization of system files and MIUI updates

Xiaomi is known for its updates MIUI It leaves old firmware versions in the memory of the device. These files can take up to 3-4 GB!

How to remove old firmware:

1. Go to Files → Categories → System Data.
2. Find the file. cached_update or filename update.zip.
3. Remove everything except the latest version (its name contains the current MIUI build number).

Cleaning up memory dumps

When it crashes, it creates dumps (.dmp files) that are useless to the user but take up space.

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/debug_log/

/data/anr/

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Before you delete your system files, check their date of creation. If the file is older than 3 months and weighs more than 100 MB, it can almost certainly be deleted.

5. Cleaning up messaging apps and social media

Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber) and social networks (Facebook, Instagram) are the main “drivers” of garbage, they store media files, stickers, voice messages and cache, which is rarely cleaned automatically.

How to clean:

• 📥 Telegram: Open Settings → Data and memory → Storage. Click Clear cache. Delete unnecessary downloads in Telegram Files).
• 💬 WhatsApp: Go to Settings → Memory. Sort files by size and remove heavy media (video, gifs). Clear the folder. WhatsApp/Media/ manually.
• 📸 Instagram: Remove the cache in Settings → Annexes → Instagram → The vault, clear the folder. Pictures/Instagram/ from old stories and uploaded photos.

Important: WhatsApp has a hidden Databases folder with chat backups, and if you don't plan on recovering your chats, you can delete them, which will free up to 1-2 GB.

6. Optimization of autoboot and background processes

Even after the memory is cleared, the Xiaomi 8 Pro can slow down due to background processes. Many apps run automatically and consume resources.

How to turn off autoboot:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or AliExpress).
3. Press Autostart and turn off the slider.
4. Also turn off Background Activity and Notifications if they are not needed.

List of applications that can be safely restricted:

• 🛒 AliExpress, Wildberries, Ozon – Turn off auto-start and background activity.
• 🎮 Games (PUBG, Free Fire – Banning the background.
• 📰 News apps (Yandex.News, Google News) – limit content updates.

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Turning off autoboot for 10 to 15 unnecessary applications can increase battery life by 15 to 20 percent and speed up the system.

7. Alternative methods: ADB and hidden settings

If standard methods didn't work, you can use the ADB debugging bridge for deep cleaning, which requires a connection to a PC, but allows you to remove system debris that is not available through the interface.

Instructions for cleaning through ADB:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).
2. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands: adb shell pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster # Cleanup of built-in cleaner adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media # Reset media cache adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files

Hidden MIUI settings for experienced users:

• 🔧 Type ##4636## in the dialer to open the test menu, where you can reset battery statistics and clear the system cache.
• 📊 B Settings → Special facilities → System settings hidden section animation optimization (disabling animation speeds up the interface).

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB They can disrupt the system if you enter it incorrectly. -rf / — This will result in a complete reset of the phone!

8.Prevention: How to prevent the accumulation of garbage

To avoid cleaning the Xiaomi 8 Pro every month, follow the following simple rules:

• 📵 Remove unused applications immediately after installation (if you don’t need them).
• 📂 Set up automatic cache cleanup in Settings → Memory. → Autoclean (set a schedule once a week).
• 🔄 Check the Download folder regularly and delete old files.
• 🚫 Turn off automatic download of media in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).
• 🔄 Update. MIUI Wi-Fi only to avoid interrupted downloads (they leave garbage in memory).

It’s also useful to use cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to automatically upload photos and videos, which will free up space on the device by leaving the originals in the cloud.

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Regular cleaning (once every 1-2 months) prevents memory fragmentation and prolongs the life of a flash drive by 20-30%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up Xiaomi 8 Pro