Xiaomi and Redmi are famous for their speed, but over time, even a powerful device can start to slow down. It is a natural process of accumulating system debris, app cache and fragments of deleted files. When RAM is crowded and the drive is full, the MIUI or HyperOS operating system cannot effectively manage the resources of the processor.
There are two basic ways to solve this problem: software cleaning and physical maintenance. In the first case, we remove digital junk, free up space and speed up the interface; in the second, we get rid of real dust in the speakers, charging ports and on the camera. Combining these methods maximizes performance and prolongs the life of the gadget.
Before embarking on radical measures like a complete reset, it’s worth trying gentle optimization methods. Below we’ll detail how to safely and efficiently clean your phone without losing important data.
Automatic cleaning with standard means
The easiest and safest way to get started is to use the built-in Security tool, which is already installed on every Xiaomi and Poco device and has deep access to the file system, and scans the device for temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and advertising debris.
To start the procedure, open the application menu and find the icon with the shield. Press the Clean or Scan button. The system automatically analyzes the amount of space occupied and suggests removing unnecessary files. This process usually takes no more than a minute.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use third-party accelerators from Google Play if the built-in app is enough for you. They often contain ads and consume battery resources themselves.
Once scanned, you'll see a list of categories that you can clear, and be careful when selecting items related to messages or a gallery, so you don't accidentally delete important photos or correspondence.
Manual cleaning of cache and application data
Automatic scanners don't always delete the cache of messengers like Telegram or Viber, because they think it's important for programs to work. But that's where gigabytes of images and videos are stored. To clean up deeply, you need to go to the settings of each heavy application separately.
Go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Find the leader program for memory consumption (often social networks or browsers). Click on it and select Memory. Here you will see two buttons: Clear cache and Clear everything.
Using the Clear Cache function is safe: it will delete temporary files, but save your logins and settings. The Clear Everything button (or Reset) will return the application to state immediately after installation, removing all authorizations and local data.
- 📱 Telegram: better to clean through the settings of the application (Data and memory) → Memory use to prevent authorization.
- 🌐 Chrome: Clearing the cache will speed up page loading, but will require re-entry to some accounts.
- 📸 Camera: Sometimes accumulates preview errors, resetting camera settings solves focus problems.
Regular manual checks of heavy applications help keep the system on track without the need for a complete reset.
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Use the Deep Cleanup feature in the Security app to find forgotten ones APK-installer files and empty folders left after deleting programs.
Storage analysis and removal of duplicates
Often memory is not occupied by system debris, but by the user's personal files: duplicate photos, unnecessary screenshots and downloaded documents. Modern versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS have a convenient storage analyzer.
Find the Files app (yellow folder) and go to the Analyzer tab, and the system will group files by type and show you what takes up the most space, and pay special attention to the folders with video and large documents.
It's also worth checking the DCIM →.thumbnails folder, which stores thumbnails of your gallery photos, and over time, this file can grow to several gigabytes, and it can be safely deleted, and the system will recreate it the next time you open the gallery.
| File type | Where to find | Can be removed |
|---|---|---|
| Screenshots | Gallery → Screenshots | Yeah, unless you have to. |
| WhatsApp Media | Files → Android → Media → Media | Only the old ones. |
| Downloads (Downloads) | Download folder | Yeah, after the check. |
| Cash cart. | Map settings | Yeah, if not roaming. |
Removing duplicate photos is the fastest way to free up space, and the analyzer often has a separate item to look for similar images.
☑️ Checking the vault
Using the Developer Mode to Clean
For advanced users, Xiaomi provides access to hidden menus, which can force process stops and clear memory more aggressively through developer mode, which is useful if the phone is frozen or a particular app is not behaving properly.
To activate the mode, go to Settings → About phone and 7 times quickly click on the version of MIUI or HyperOS. After the inscription “You became a developer” appears, go back to the main settings menu and find the option Additional (or “Advanced settings”).
Inside the developer menu, look for a section that's related to memory or processes, and you can see services running, but be careful: shutting down system processes can cause the interface to reboot.
⚠️ Note: Do not disable processes with the names "System", "Android», «MIUI» Or Google, if you don't know exactly what they're responsible for, it can disrupt your phone.
A safer method in this section is to limit background activity, set a background process limit to "2 processes" or "3 processes" if RAM is scarce (less than 4 GB).
Full reset to factory settings
If the software cleaning doesn’t help and the phone continues to slow down, the radical method remains – Hard Reset. This action completely removes all data from the internal drive, returning the smartphone to the state “out of the box”.
Before starting the procedure, make sure to back up. Use the Mi Cloud or Google Drive cloud, or transfer photos and contacts to your computer. After resetting, it will be impossible to recover data without a backup.
To perform the reset via the menu:
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Click Reset settings (bottom of the screen).
- Choose to erase all data.
- Enter the unlock password and confirm the action.
The phone will reboot and start the cleaning process, which can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
What if the phone doesn’t turn on after resetting?
Physical cleaning of the hull and ports
Exterior purity affects not only aesthetics but also functionality. A dust-filled conversational speaker makes the sound quiet, and a pile in a pants pocket that gets into a USB-C charging port can prevent cable contact.
To clean the speaker mesh, use a soft toothbrush, carefully, without pressing hard, brush the hole, and it is better to blow the dust out, rather than dig it out with a needle, so as not to damage the membrane.
Clean the charging port with the utmost care, use a wooden toothpick or plastic shoulder blade, metal objects (needles, pins) can close contacts and disable the power controller.
- 🧼 Screen: wipe with microfiber, slightly moistened with a special tool for screens.
- 🔌 Port port USB: carefully remove the compressed dust with a wooden toothpick.
- 📷 Camera: wipe the lenses with a dry soft cloth to avoid scratching the coating.
Regular physical cleaning prevents the device from overheating, as dust in the speakers and slits of the case worsens the heat sink.
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Integrated approach: The combination of digital garbage removal and physical port cleaning ensures maximum performance and durability of the Xiaomi smartphone.