Hand-cleaning Xiaomi garbage: 7 ways to free up memory without software

Why clean Xiaomi manually when there are built-in tools?

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones (or HyperOS in newer models) are known for their “care” for the user: the system automatically clears the cache, offers to optimize memory and even deletes unused files. But what if these tools do not work efficiently enough? Or worse, delete the necessary data, leaving gigabytes of real garbage?

You can manually:

• 🧹 Remove residual files from long-deleted applications (which built-in cleaners often skip).
• 📁 Clear hidden folders with messenger cache (Telegram, WhatsApp), which take up to 5-10 GB.
• 🔄 Reset system application settings (e.g. com.miui.gallery) that slow down after updates.
• 🚀 Release until 30–40% Memory if the phone has not been cleaned for a long time (data based on analysis) 50+ Redmi Note devices 10/11/12 and POCO X3/X4).

The main advantage of manual cleaning is control, and you decide what to delete and what to leave, unlike automatic tools, which are often wrong, but there are risks: you can accidentally erase important data or disrupt the system, so make sure to back up before you start.

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

Cache is a temporary file that applications create to speed up work, and over time, it accumulates and takes up gigabytes of memory. In MIUI/HyperOS, the cache is divided into two types:

• 📱 Custom cache – application files (e.g. thumbnails in the Gallery or map data in Google Maps) can be deleted without risk.
• ⚙️ System cache - OS files (e.g., cache com.android.systemui) and its cleaning can cause malfunctions.

How to clean the cache safely:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or Instagram).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. For mass cleaning, use Settings → Memory → Cleanup, but do not click “Clean all” – this will delete system data.

Clear the cache of messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

Delete the browser cache (Chrome, Mi Browser)

Reset data of unused games

Cleaning the cache of Gallery and Music-->

Warning: Do not cache system applications like com.miui.home or com.android.phone, which can lead to:

• 🔄 Continuous restarts of the launcher.
• 📵 Loss of network settings (will have to be configured) APN freshly).
• 🔕 Disappearance of widgets from the main screen.

2.Residual files removal: where the garbage hides after uninstallation

When you uninstall an app through Settings or Google Play, it often leaves behind:

• 📁 Folders in /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/[name packet] (e.g. com.tencent.mm for WeChat).
• 🗃️ Files in /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/ (play-off).
• 📄 Configuration files in /data/data/ (root-only).

How to find and remove this garbage:

1. Use Explorer (e.g., built-in Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to internal memory → Android → data.
3. Delete folders with names of remote applications (for example, com.facebook.katana for Facebook).
4. For games, check the Android/obb folder – there are often files weighing 1-3 GB.

Attention. ⚠️: Do not delete active application folders, for example, if you use VK, Don't touch com.vkontakte.android, it will cause crashes. /system/ or /vendor/ — It can make your phone tick.

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To avoid confusion about which folders belong to which applications, use App Tracker, which shows which files belong to each application installed.

3. Cleaning system logs and dumps: Hidden gigabytes

MIUI/HyperOS logs everything from application errors to network connection data, which rarely exceed 1 GB, but over time, they accumulate so much that they start to slow down the phone, especially on budget models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3).

Where to look for logs:

• 📜 /data/log/ — Basic system logs (available from root).
• 📊 /data/anr/ — app-hang reports.
• 💀 /data/tombstones/ — Memory dumps in crashes (may weigh on the 50–100 MBT each).
• 📡 /data/misc/wifi/ — Wi-Fi connection logs (sometimes hundreds of megabytes).

How to clean (without root rights):

1. Install ADB on your computer (instruction below).
2. Connect the phone and execute the command: adb shell pm trim-caches 1G This will clear the cache of all user applications.
3. To delete logs, use: adb shell logcat -c (clears current logs, but does not delete old files).

Attention. ⚠️: If you are not sure about the teams ADB, A syntax error (such as an extra space) can cause your phone to reset:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on the MIUI version 7 times to activate the Developer Mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Activate Do Not Save Logs (this will stop writing new logs).

4.Storage optimization: What takes up space on Xiaomi

People often wonder, "Why is it that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 has only 10 GB of memory, with 128 GB, even though I didn't install anything?" The reason is hidden files that the system doesn't mention. Here are the main memory eaters:

• 🎵 Music and podcasts: Apps like Spotify or Yandex Music cache tracks to the music /Android/data/com.spotify.music/ (before 4–8 GB).
• 📸 Gallery: Miniatures and edited photos in /DCIM/.thumbnails (before 1–2 GB).
• 🗺️ Maps: Offline maps Google Maps or Yandex Maps weigh up to 2-3 GB.
• 🎮 Games: Even after deleting the game, files can remain in the game. /Android/obb/ (For example, Genshin Impact leaves the 15 GB).

How to find and delete:

1. Open Mi File Manager and go to Categories → Large Files.
2. Sort by size and delete unnecessary files (e.g. old WhatsApp videos in /WhatsApp/Media/).
3. For maps: open Google Maps → Profile → Settings → Offline maps and remove unnecessary regions.

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The biggest garbage accumulates in the folders of messengers. For example, in Telegram, the sticker cache and the gif can take up to 3-5 GB. To clean it, go to Telegram Settings → Data and memory → Storage → Clear the cache

5. Reset system application settings: when nothing helps

If the phone started to brake and cleaning the cache didn't help, the problem could be settings for system applications.

• 📱 com.miui.home (launcher) – if the main screen is slowing down.
• 📞 com.android.contacts – if contacts are slowly opened.
• 📷 com.miui.gallery – if the gallery does not load the photo.

How to reset your settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Show All Apps.
3. Find the system application you need (e.g. Gallery).
4. Select Warehouse → Space Management → Resetting.

Attention. ⚠️: Resetting the com.android.settings application settings will result in:

• 🔄 I will reset all personal settings (wallpaper, sounds, gestures).
• 🔐 Losing saved Wi-Fi passwords.
• 📱 Return to the standard launcher (if you used a third-party launcher).

If the reset didn’t work, try disabling the problem app (unless it’s system critical).For example, com.miui.weather2 (weather) can be turned off without consequences.

6. Manual cleaning of Dalvik cache: for advanced users

Dalvik cache is an optimized file that Android creates to speed up the launch of applications. Over time, they fragment and can take up to 1-2 GB. Clearing Dalvik cache is useful if:

• 🐢 The phone slowly opened the app.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI/HyperOS lags appeared.
• 📉 Free memory is decreasing on its own.

How to clean (recovery or root required):

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery.
3. Choose Advanced → Wipe Dalvik Cache.
4. Reboot your phone (Reboot System)

Warning ⚠️: After cleaning the Dalvik cache, the first start of the phone will be longer than usual (up to 5-10 minutes). Do not interrupt the process! Also do not clean the Dalvik cache more than 1 time every 2-3 months - this can lead to memory wear and tear.

7.Alternative methods: ADB and hidden commands

If standard methods don't work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) for deep cleaning, which requires connecting the phone to a computer, but allows you to remove debris that is not available through the interface.

The main cleaning commands are:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.securitycenter #Disposal of the Security Center


adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media # Cleaning up media cache




adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files




adb shell sync # File system synchronization

Hidden MIUI commands are also useful:

• 📞 Dial on the phone ##4636## → Choose Usage Statistics → Clear data (resetting of usage statistics).
• 📱 Type #284## for sensor test (sometimes helps to reset system errors).

Attention. ⚠️: Teams. ADB They can harm the system if you're incorrectly entered. For example, the adb shell rm command -rf /data/* It would completely erase all user data (photos, contacts, messages) on one of the Redmi Note test sites. 8 Pro. Always check the syntax!

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cleanup