Xiaomi garbage cleanup: a complete guide to freeing up memory

Why Xiaomi’s smartphone is “clogged” and how to fix it

Even the most powerful Xiaomi smartphone is slowing down over time, and it's caused by the accumulation of unnecessary files: app cache, remnants of deleted programs, duplicate photos and temporary system data. Statistically, up to 30% of internal memory on devices with MIUI is occupied by this "digital garbage." If your Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 started to slow down and the notification "Not enough memory" appears too often, it's time to clean up the entire system.

Unlike the iPhone, where cleaning is limited to iOS tools, Xiaomi offers more features, from built-in MIUI features to hidden commands for power users. But it is important to act carefully - improper cleaning can delete the necessary data or disrupt the system. In this guide, we will analyze 7 proven methods, including little-known tricks that are not described in the official documentation.

Before you start, check how much space is actually occupied by garbage:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Click on Memory Analysis (may be called Storage).
3. Pay attention to the sections “Cash”, “Downloads”, “Other” – this is where the main garbage lies.

If the volume of “Other” exceeds 5-10 GB, your smartphone critically needs cleaning.

Method 1: Built-in MIUI cleaning – fast and safe

The easiest way is to use a standard MIUI tool called Cleanup, which removes the application cache, temporary files, and remnants of deleted programs without affecting personal data, and then launch it:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → Clean (or use a search by settings by entering “clean up”).
2. Click Scan - the system will analyze the device for debris.
3. Select the categories to clean (we recommend that you mark everything except Download if you store important files there).
4. Click “Clear” and confirm the action.

This method removes up to 1-3 GB of unnecessary data at a time, but it has limitations.

• 🔹 Does not clean deep system files (such as log files) MIUI).
• 🔹 Does not delete duplicate photos or old backups.
• 🔹 May miss cache of some system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery).

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If the Clean Up button is not on the menu, upgrade to the latest version of MIUI or install the Security app from the Mi App Store – it contains advanced tools.

For a deeper cleanup, go to Settings → Apps → App Management, select any app (like YouTube) and click Clear Cache. Repeat for all commonly used programs. This will free up an additional 500MB-1GB.

Method 2: Manual folder cleaning for experienced users

Some MIUI files are not deleted by standard means. They can be found manually through the file manager. Attention: incorrect deletion of system files can cause failures! Use this method only if you are confident in your actions.

Open any file manager (such as the built-in Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer) and go to the following folders:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/ — It stores temporary themes, wallpapers and system updates, and can delete anything except the theme folder (if you use custom themes).
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Download/ — Check for the old ones APK-Files, memes and unnecessary documents.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ — cache of games and applications. Only delete folders of programs that have already been removed from the device.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails/ — Photo miniatures that can be safely cleaned.

Pay special attention to /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/backup/. This is where you store backups of messages, notes and settings that can take up to 5 GB. If you do not plan to restore old data, feel free to delete all content.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files in folders /system/, /vendor/ or /data/ This can result in a loss of warranty or a “brick” of the device (complete inoperability).

Method 3: Cleaning through ADB – for tech-savvy

If standard methods didn’t help and the smartphone still slows down, try cleaning through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which removes the hidden cache of system applications that is not available through normal settings.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi and ADB-tools drivers.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the following commands in the terminal (command line):

adb shell


pm clear com.miui.home #Cleaning up the launcher cache




pm clear com.android.providers.media # Cleaning up media storage




pm clear com.miui.gallery #Cleaning up gallery




pm clear com.android.vending # Google Play Market Cleanup

These commands will remove the cache of key system applications, which can free up to 2-4 GB of memory. For a complete list of applications, use the pm list packages command.

⚠️ Note: Do not clean applications whose names contain google, android or miui.system - this can disrupt the system. --user 0 without understanding their actions.

Method 4: Remove duplicates and unnecessary media files

Photos and videos take up the lion’s share of memory on a smartphone. According to Xiaomi, up to 60 percent of users store duplicate images, screenshots and repetitive videos.

For manual cleaning:

1. Open the Gallery and go to Screenshots. Delete unnecessary ones (e.g., payment confirmations over 1 year old).
2. In the album “Downloaded” find memes, stickers and pictures from messengers – they can be removed without consequences.
3. Use the file manager's "Search by Size" function to find videos and photos over 50MB.

Remove screenshots older than 6 months

Check WhatsApp/Media folder for unnecessary files

Cleanse the album “Bulled” from memes and stickers

Transfer important photos to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)

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Remember the messenger cache, Telegram and WhatsApp accumulate up to 5-10 GB of unnecessary media to clean it up:

1. In Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Storage → Clear cache.
2. WhatsApp: Settings → Memory → Memory Management.

Method 5: Disabling and removing system applications

MIUI is known for a large number of pre-installed applications, many of which cannot be removed by standard means, but can be disabled or removed via ADB, which will free up memory and reduce background activity.

List of safe applications to disable (do not affect the operation of the system):

• 📱 com.miui.analytics – statistics collection (can be turned off without consequences).
• 📱 com.xiaomi.midrop - Mi Drop (unless you use Wi-Fi file transfer).
• 📱 com.miui.videoplayer - standard video player (if you use it) VLC or MX Player).
• 📱 com.miui.player – music player (similar to Spotify or YouTube Music).
• 📱 com.android.browser – standard browser (if you use Chrome).

To disable the application:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an unnecessary app and click “Disable” (the “Delete” button may be inactive).
3. Confirm the action. The app will disappear from the menu and stop wasting resources.

To completely remove system applications, you will need ADB. For example, to remove Mi Music, do:

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

⚠️ Note: Do not delete apps named com.android, com.qualcomm or com.miui.home, which will cause your smartphone to fail. XDA Developers).

Method 6: Resetting to factory settings - an extreme measure

If all previous methods failed and the smartphone is still slowing down, then hard reset is left, which removes all data from the device, returning it to the "out of the box" state.

• 🔄 Smartphones are critically slow or freeze.
• 📉 Free memory less than 10% of the total.
• 🔧 Planning to sell or transfer the device.

Before discharge, it is mandatory:

1. Make a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Save your photos to the cloud (Google Photos or Mi Cloud).
3. Write down logins and passwords from accounts (they will be deleted).

To perform the discharge:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select “Erase all data” (may be called “Delete everything”).
3. Enter the password from the Mi Account (if linked) and confirm.

The process will take 5-10 minutes, after which the smartphone will restart.

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Factory reset deletes all data, including files in internal memory. The memory card (if any) is not affected, but it is also recommended to format it separately.

Method 7: Optimize memory to prevent clogging

To prevent the garbage from accumulating again, follow these recommendations:

• 📲 Turn off autoload media in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram). → Memory and data → Autoboot media → Choose “Never” or “Only on Wi-Fi».
• 🔄 Clean the cache once a week through the built-in utility MIUI.
• 🖼️ Use cloud storage for photos (Google Photos with the Free Place function»).
• 📥 Delete. APK-files after installing applications (they remain in the Download folder).
• 🔋 Turn off background activity of unnecessary apps: Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start.

It's also useful to turn off the automatic log entry that takes up space.

1. Activate Developer Mode (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Turn off the "Log Bookkeeping" option HCI» and “Debugging by USB (safe-haven)».

If you frequently install and remove applications, use APK-managers (e.g. managers, APK Extractor, to avoid file residues, is also useful to check the folder once a month. /Android/obb/ — It contains heavy game files (up to) 2–3 GB per game, which can be removed after passing.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cleanup