Xiaomi smartphone owners are well aware of the situation when the device starts to work noticeably slower and notifications of memory shortages appear at the most inopportune time, due to the accumulation of system debris, residual files of remote applications, browser and messenger cache, which can take up gigabytes of usable space. Unlike many other brands, MIUI provides users with powerful built-in tools for memory control, but often not enough for deep cleaning.
Hand cleaning isn't just about removing images from a gallery, it's about taking a holistic approach to removing hidden data that the system thinks is important but you don't need anymore. In this article, we'll look at effective ways to free up space without installing questionable software-cliners, which are often the source of advertising and the extra load on the processor. You'll learn how to safely delete temporary files and optimize MIUI on your own.
Use of the built-in Security application
The first and most obvious step is to use a Xiaomi tool that is preinstalled on every device.The Security app has access to system partitions that third-party programs often cannot reach without root rights. Run it and select Cleanup to allow the system to analyze the volume of temporary files.
Once scanned, you'll see a list of files that can be deleted. However, standard cleaning is often superficial. Click on the Clean button, then go to Deep Clean if it's available in your firmware version, where the system will suggest removing large files, duplicate photos, and unused apps.
⚠️ Attention: In the Deep Cleanup section, look closely at photo and video folders. The automatic algorithm can mark important screenshots or uploaded documents as junk, although you may need them.
Don't blindly trust automation, especially when it comes to media files. The built-in analyzer sometimes misclassifies rare document formats as unnecessary. The Android system partition (the /Android/data path) contains application data, and cleaning it completely can reset your software settings to factory ones, including saves in games. Use this tool carefully, selectively confirming deletion.
Manual cleaning of app cache and messengers
The most active users of memory are social networks and instant messengers such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and TikTok. These applications store every photo, video and voice message viewed into a cache that over time inflates to incredible sizes. For manual cleaning, you need to go to Settings → Apps → All applications.
Find a heavy app like Telegram on the list. Click on it and select Memory. You'll see two buttons: Clear and Clear All. It's important to understand the difference: Clear will only delete the temporary cache (no loss of correspondence), and Clear All will reset the app to just installed, removing the account login and all data.
- 📱 Telegram: Better to clean through the settings of the application: Settings → Data and memory → Use of memory → Clear the cache. You can set up auto-deleting media there.
- 📸 Instagram/TikTok: These apps don’t give you smart cache management inside, so it’s safer for them to use the Android system menu through Settings. → Annexes.
- 💬 WhatsApp: Built-in memory management feature is in Settings → Data and storage → Storage management where you can delete large files individually.
Regularly checking your browser cache will also give you tangible results: If you are actively using Google Chrome or the built-in Mi browser, they accumulate gigabytes of these sites. Go to your browser history and select Clear History, making sure that the tick is next to the item "Images and other files saved in the cache."
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In Telegram settings, enable Autodelete Media. Set a timer for 3 days or a week, which will automatically free up space from old photos and videos viewed.
Storage analysis through file manager
The MIUI File Manager can not only copy files, but also analyze the space you occupy. Open the application, click on the folder icon at the top or select the Folder, then go to the file size view mode, which will allow you to find the forgotten downloads that take up the most space.
Often users forget about downloaded files from mail or attached documents from work chats. sort files by size (from large to small) and carefully review the first ones. 20-30 You might be surprised to find old movies, game archives, or installations. APK-files that are not needed for a long time.
| Type of folder | Location. | What can be removed |
|---|---|---|
| Download | Internal Memory / Download | All old files, if you don't need them |
| DCIM / .thumbnails | Internal Memory / DCIM | Miniatures (restored by themselves) |
| MIUI / debug_log | Internal Memory / MIUI | Debugging logs (technical debris) |
| Tencent / MicroMsg | Internal Memory / Tencent | WeChat cache (only through app settings) |
The DCIM folder is often hidden inside the.thumbnails folder, which stores sketches of your photos for quick display in the gallery, and can weigh up to 5-10 GB. It can be safely deleted, but remember that the next time you open the gallery, the system will recreate these files, and the phone may hang a little in the process.
☑️ Checking the vault
Removal of residual files after uninstallation
When you delete an application in the standard way, there are often tails left on your phone — empty folders or configuration files that the system no longer needs. To find them, go to the root of internal memory through the file manager. Look for folders with the names of remote games or programs.
And Android also has an Android/obb and Android/data system folder, and the first one contains heavy game cache files (graphics resources), the second one stores app data. If you delete a game but the folder with its name is still in obb, you can wash it by hand, and that will free up space that the system doesn't consider "junk" in a normal cleanup.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with the.obb extension if the corresponding game is still installed on the phone.This will cause the game to stop running and require re-uploading data.
To find these files, it is convenient to use the keyword search function. Type the name of the remote program in the search for Explorer. If the system finds files or folders with that name, check their contents. If there is nothing important there (for example, saves), feel free to send to the basket. This is a safe way to keep order in the Xiaomi file system.
Cleaning up system debris and logs
Android System and Shell MIUI They keep logs of errors and events (logs) all the time, and over time, these text files can take up a lot of space, and you don't have to be a programmer to clean them up, you just have to know where to look. MIUI → debug_log.
Inside, you'll see files with the.log or.txt extension. They contain technical information about how the system works. If your phone is working properly and you haven't sent the bug report to the developers, you don't need those files. Select all the contents of the folder and delete. The system automatically creates new logs when needed, but the old, bloated files disappear.
- 🗑️ Tombstones folder: Is on the way data/tombstones (It requires access to system folders. It contains application crash reports. It can be deleted.
- 📄 Log folder: Frequently found at the root of some models, stores a history of calls or events, and is safely removed.
- 🔄 Temporary update files: After the update MIUI file downloaded_rom If the update is successful, the file can be deleted.
It's also worth checking the Bluetooth folder at the root of the memory. Many users forget that all the files received by the blue tooth are stored there, even if the transfer is interrupted or the file is a virus. Regularly inspecting this directory is a good habit for maintaining cleanliness.
Should I use Root rights to clean up?
Working with the basket and cloud services
Many people forget that deleted files often don't disappear forever, but move to the Recycle Bin. Xiaomi Gallery, file manager and Google Photos have their own separate baskets that store data for usually 30 days. To really make room right now, you need to clean them up.
Go to the Gallery app, go to the Albums section and scroll to the bottom of Deleted. Click Clear. Repeat the same operation in the Explorer app (basket icon on the menu) and in the Google Photos app (Bibliography → Recycle Bin).
If you have Google Photos or Mi Cloud sync enabled, check your download quality settings. Photos take up a lot of space. Switching to Save Space mode (compressed photos) in the cloud settings will allow you to store more pictures without taking up your phone's memory, provided you're willing to sacrifice some quality.
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Full free space only occurs after double deletion: first you delete the file, then clear the basket in a particular application.