Xiaomi’s Hand-cleaning of garbage: a complete guide for Android without software

Xiaomi Android-based smartphones inevitably accumulate digital debris over time: remnants of deleted apps, temporary files, cache cache and duplicate media. Even if you regularly delete unnecessary photos, system debris continues to take up precious space, slowing down the device. Unlike automated “cleaners” who often delete data at random, manual cleaning allows you to spot rid of unnecessary files without risking losing important information.

Many users mistakenly believe that to free up memory, clicking “Clean” in the storage settings removes only the tip of the iceberg, the app cache, while the main garbage is hidden in system folders, logs and update remnants. This article will help you understand how to clean your Xiaomi phone from garbage manually without using third-party programs, saving space and prolonging the life of the gadget.

We will look at safe methods that are suitable even for inexperienced users, and also reveal little-known tricks that the manufacturer does not advertise. All actions are tested on the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5 and Xiaomi 11T/12/13 with MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS shells.

1. Storage analysis: what exactly is taking up space?

Before you start cleaning, you need to understand which files are clogging your Xiaomi memory. To do this, the system has a built-in tool – a storage analyzer that shows the distribution of data by category.

Go to: Settings → Storage → Internal Memory → Analyze

The system will automatically scan the device and display a diagram broken down by:

• 📱 Applications and data – the weight of installed programs and their cache
• 📷 Images and Videos – Media files, including screenshots and downloads
• 📄 Documents — PDF, Excel, Word and other files
• 🎵 Audio – music, podcasts, sound messages
• 🗑️ Other - system debris, logs, temporary files

Pay special attention to the "Other" section, which is where up to 30% of the data is hidden. If it is more than 1-2 GB, it is a signal for deep cleaning. Also check the "Apps" category: often the cache of instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) or social networks (TikTok, Instagram) takes several gigabytes.

2.Cache cleaning applications: what can be removed without risk

Application caches are temporary files that are created to speed up programs, which accumulate over time and can take up to 5-10 GB of memory. Unlike these applications, the cache can be deleted without consequences - the programs will simply create it again the next time they run.

How to clean the cache of individual applications:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select an app (such as YouTube or Facebook)
3. Click "Storage" → "Clear the cache"

For mass cleaning:

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Cleanup
2. Select the "Cash" tab.
3. Click "Clean" (the system will show how much space will be freed)

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse "Clear cache" with "Clean data"! The second action will delete all the settings of the application, including logins and saved files. The cache can be cleaned even daily - it is absolutely safe.

3. System garbage disposal: hidden folders and logs

System debris is update remnants, error dumps, temporary installer files, and other technical data that Android doesn't automatically delete, and can be found in hidden folders that are accessed through the file manager.

Where to look for garbage:

To access hidden folders:

1. Open the file manager (e.g., embedded Files or Mi File Manager)
2. Click on three dots in the upper right corner → “Show hidden files”
3. Manually check the folders from the table above

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files in folders: /sdcard/Android/obb/ — This is where game data is stored (delete – the games will stop working) /sdcard/MIUI/ — System shell files (risk of failure)

4. Cleaning up the residues of remote applications

When you delete an application through Settings → Applications, the system often leaves behind tails — folders with data, cache, and settings — that continue to take up space and may conflict with new versions of the programs.

How to find and remove residues:

1. Open the file manager and go to /sdcard/Android/data/
2. View the folder list – their names correspond to the application packages (for example, com.whatsapp for WhatsApp)
3. Remove the folders of programs that you have deleted long ago.

For convenience, you can sort folders by date of change: old files that have not been accessed for a long time are likely to be garbage.

⚠️ Warning: Do not delete the folders of the current applications! This will cause malfunctions in their work. Before cleaning, check if the program is installed through Settings. → Annexes.

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Use the App Inspector app (available on Google Play) to see the full list of packages installed and compare them to folders in /sdcard/Android/data/.

5. Optimization of media files: duplicates, screenshots, messenger cache

Photos and videos often take up the lion's share of memory, and up to 40 percent of them can be duplicates, unnecessary screenshots, or cached media from instant messengers.

1. Removal of duplicate photos

• 🔍 Use the built-in feature in the Xiaomi Gallery: open the album → three-point → "Search for duplicates"
• 📊 Apps like Files by Google (free in Play Market) automatically find repetitive images

2. Screenshot cleaning

• 📱 Screenshot folder: /sdcard/Pictures/Screenshots/
• 🗑️ Remove screens older than 30 days – they are rarely needed

3. messenger cache (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber)

• 💬 In Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Warehouse → Clear the cache
• 📱 On WhatsApp: Settings → Memory. → Memory management (heavy media can be removed)

Critical information: Messengers save all received media files to /sdcard/Telegram/ or /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media/ by default. Even if you delete the chat, the files remain on the device!

6.Deep cleaning: system cache reset and Dalvik

If the phone is slowing down and standard methods have not helped, you should use the hidden cache reset function, which removes temporary Android files that are not cleaned by the usual methods.

Instructions for Xiaomi with unlocked bootloader:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up before the Mi logo appears
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache
4. Confirm the action and restart the device

For models with a locked bootloader (Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13 and later), this method is not available.

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times to activate the developer mode)
• 🛠️ Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Clear Dalvik's cache

⚠️ Note: Resetting the cache of the system does not delete personal data, but can reset some settings (for example, permissions for applications). After the procedure, the phone will load longer than usual - this is normal.

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Dalvik cache reset is especially useful after major MIUI or HyperOS updates, when the system starts to "glutch" for no apparent reason.

7. Cleaning automation: MIUI settings for prevention

To prevent the garbage from accumulating again, set up automatic cleaning mechanisms in Xiaomi:

1. Autocleaning the cache

• ⚙️ Settings → Warehouse → Cleanup → Automatic cleaning
• 🔄 Turn on the option and select the frequency (weekly/monthly)

2. Background Limitation for Applications

• 📱 Settings → Battery → Choice of applications
• 🚫 For unnecessary programs, set “Limit background activity” – this will reduce the volume of their cache

Control of loadings

• 📥 In Google Chrome or Mi Browser, turn off automatic file downloads:
• Browser settings → Downloads → Ask where to save

These measures will reduce the rate of memory clogging by 30-50%, but will not replace regular manual cleaning.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)