How to completely clean Xiaomi phone from garbage: 7 proven ways

Your Xiaomi has slowed down, discharged quickly, or sent messages about memory shortages? The reason most often lies in accumulated system debris: remnants of deleted applications, cache, duplicate photos and temporary files. Even new models like the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or POCO F6 after 3-6 months of active use begin to “clog” if not regularly clean.

Unlike the iPhone, where iOS automatically manages memory, Android on Xiaomi smartphones requires manual control. The manufacturer builds its own cleaning tools (like Security or Cleaner), but they only remove some of the garbage. In this article, a complete cleaning algorithm, including hidden folders and system files that standard utilities do not touch.

1. Xiaomi's built-in cleaning tools: what they're actually removing

Security (or Security in Russian) is the first thing you're advised to use for cleaning. It actually removes:

• 🗑️ Application cache – temporary files that programs create to speed up work (for example, miniature videos on YouTube or map data in Google Maps).
• 📁 Residual files – “tails” from remote applications (folders) /data/data/ or /obb/).
• 🔍 Unnecessary APK — Installation files left over after program updates.
• 📊 Photo duplicates – copies of images created by messengers or editors.

However, the built-in Cleaner does not concern:

• 🔒 System cache (folder) /cache/), which accumulates after updates MIUI.
• 📂 Hidden folders such as.thumbnails (image miniatures) or.estrongs (remains from the file manager).
• 🤖 Dalvik-cache files – optimized code for Android virtual machine.

To open the built-in utility, go to Settings → Apps → Clean up or run the Security app from your desktop. Press Deep Clean and wait for analysis. Important: Don't manually delete files from System Data or Other Files sections - this could disrupt MIUI.

⚠️ Warning: If your phone is slower after cleaning through Security, check the AutoRun section in the same settings).

2 Manual cleaning of cache: when and how to do it

Cache speeds up applications, but it grows to giant sizes over time, such as TikTok, which can accumulate up to 1-2 GB of cache, and Telegram, up to 500 MB per month of active use.

• 🔄 If the application began to “glutch” (fly out, hang out).
• 📉 If there is less than 10% of the total memory.
• 🔋 If the battery is discharged 20-30% faster than usual.

For manual cleaning:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select a program (such as Instagram) and click Storage.
3. Tap Clear cache. Don't click Clear data, it will delete all settings and inputs!

Cash TikTok.|Temporary Telegram files|Google Chrome data|Remnants of Remote Games (Call of Duty, PUBG)|Update files MIUI-->

For mass cleaning of the cache of all applications use ADB-command (requires a connection to the PC):

adb shell pm trim-caches -f 100

This command compulsorily clears the cache of all user programs except system ones.

3. System garbage removal: hidden folders and files

Even after using Security, there are gigabytes of unnecessary data left in memory, which can be found manually through a file manager (for example, Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

To access hidden folders in Mi File Manager:

1. Open the menu (three lines at the top left).
2. Go to Settings. → Show hidden files.
3. Return to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/).

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders Android/data/ For installed games, this will lead to a loss of progress. If you want to make room, first uninstall the game through Settings. → Annexes.

4. Cleaning up duplicates and unnecessary media files

Photos and videos take up 60-70% of the memory on modern Xiaomi, and the problem is not only in the large volume, but also in duplicates that create:

• 📸 Messengers (WhatsApp, Viber) while saving incoming media.
• 🎨 Editors (Snapseed, Lightroom) when exporting processed photos.
• 🤖 System for creating miniatures (.thumbnails).
• ☁️ Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) with synchronization.

To search for duplicates:

1. Install Files by Google from the Play Market.
2. Open the Cleanup section → Duplicate files.
3. Select unnecessary copies and click Delete.

An alternative is the Duplicate Files Fixer app, which looks for duplicates by content rather than by name.

1. Open Google Photos → Profile → Settings → Free up a place.
2. Confirm the deletion of files already uploaded to the cloud.

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Before mass deletion of the photo, turn on the display of hidden files - sometimes duplicates are hidden in folders like.picasso or.nomedia.

5. Optimization of autoboot and background processes

Garbage is not just files, but background processes that consume RAM and battery power. MIUI has a built-in startup manager:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun.
2. Turn off auto-run for unnecessary programs (such as games or underused instant messengers).

For deep optimization:

• 🛑 Disable notifications from unnecessary apps in Settings → Notifications.
• 🔄 Limit background activity in Settings → Battery → Battery mode (select Charge Savings for individual applications).
• 🗑️ Remove pre-installed programs (bloatware) through Settings → Annexes → Delete (if there is a button).

If the autoload list doesn’t have the right app, use ADB:

adb shell cmd appops set < application package > RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND ignore

To find the application package, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep -i "appendix name"

6.Reset to factory settings: when it's the only way out

If Xiaomi's phone is slowing down even after all the cleaning, it's hard reset, which is factory reset.

• 📱 All user data (photos, videos, contacts).
• 🎮 Installed applications and their settings.
• 🔧 Personal parameters of the system (wallpaper, sounds, accounts).

Before discharge, it is mandatory:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Copy photos and videos to your PC or cloud.
3. Write down usernames/passwords from your accounts (especially Mi Account).

For discharge:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data and confirm.
3. After restarting, set your phone as new.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi Note 10, POCO X3) After reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account to unlock.Make sure you remember the password!

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Factory reset is a last resort, and 80% of the time, it is enough to clean the cache, delete unnecessary files, and optimize the autoload.

7.Prevention: How to Prevent Xiaomi Clogging

To avoid cleaning your phone every week, follow these simple rules:

• 📥 Turn off auto download media in instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).
• 🗑️ Delete. APK after installing applications.
• 🔄 Clear the browser cache (Chrome, Mi Browser) once every 2 weeks.
• ☁️ Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to automatically upload photos.
• 🛡️ Update. MIUI — In new versions optimized work with memory.

To clean automatically, install SD Maid (requires root) or CCleaner (works without superuser rights).

• 🧹 Delete empty folders.
• 🗃️ Clean application databases.
• 🔍 Find the remaining files after uninstallation.

On models with 128 GB of memory and more, garbage has less impact on performance, but even on Xiaomi 14 Ultra, gigabytes of unnecessary data accumulate over time. Regular cleaning extends battery life and speeds up the system by 15-30%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cleanup