How to Clean Xiaomi Redmi 4X Phone: The Complete Guide

The Redmi 4X, released a few years ago, is still a popular device due to its reliability, but over time, owners face a slowdown in the interface and lack of free space. It is a natural process for the Android operating system, which accumulates temporary files, application logs and remnants of remote programs, which is especially critical for models with a small amount of internal memory.

There are many ways to clean a Xiaomi Redmi 4X phone, from built-in system utilities to radical methods like a complete reset. In this article, we will detail safe and effective algorithms to help you keep your device in optimal condition without the risk of losing important data or damaging the operating system, learn how to distinguish system debris from important files and understand which folders can be deleted without fear.

Before you get into action, itโ€™s important to understand that cleaning is not a one-time procedure, but a regular maintenance process for a digital device. MIUI, Xiaomiโ€™s proprietary shell, provides powerful tools to monitor resources, but they require proper use. Ignoring maintenance recommendations can cause the phone to start operating unstable and apps to shut down spontaneously, so itโ€™s worthwhile to carefully study the steps below.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The very first and most secure tool that's already installed in your smartphone is the Security System App, which is designed specifically for the MIUI platform and has access to deep layers of the file system that third-party utilities often can't reach without root rights, and running a scan can detect not only viruses, but also remnants of deleted applications, as well as large files that take up space.

To get started, open the app and select Clean up. The system will automatically analyze the contents of the memory and suggest removing what is called "garbage." However, do not blindly trust the automation: after scanning, carefully review the list of found objects. The cache of some applications, such as messengers or navigators, can contain important data for quick operation, and removing them will force the programs to download information again.

โš ๏ธ Warning: When using the deep cleaning feature, always check to see if your personal photos or documents saved in the download folders are in the delete list. The system algorithm sometimes mistakes and flags rarely used files as unnecessary.

The app also includes the "Accelerator" feature, which forcibly closes the background processes, which temporarily frees up RAM, which can be useful before running heavy games or applications, but do not abuse this feature, since constantly rebooting services can, on the contrary, increase battery consumption.

๐Ÿ“Š How often do you clean your smartphone?
Once a week.
Once a month
Only when he starts to brake.
Never clean.

Regular use of built-in tools is the base, but for maximum effect, they need to be combined with manual storage check. Xiaomi Redmi 4X has a limited amount of internal memory, so every megabyte counts. Remember that removing system debris is only the first step in the comprehensive maintenance of your device.

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The built-in application "Security" is the most reliable method of basic cleaning, which does not require the installation of additional software and has minimal risks for the stability of the system.

Manual cleaning of cache and application data

The largest storage of temporary files in Android are social networks and instant messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and Instagram store thousands of viewed images, videos and voice messages that continue to occupy space even after you have viewed them. To clean the Xiaomi Redmi 4X phone effectively, you need to go to the settings of each such application separately.

Go to Settings โ†’ Apps โ†’ All apps. Find a โ€œheavyโ€ app like Telegram. Inside, youโ€™ll see two important buttons: Clear cache and Clear data. The first one deletes temporary files, which is safe. The second button resets the app to โ€œas after installation,โ€ which means deleting correspondence and logins if theyโ€™re not stored in the cloud.

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Open the settings of a particular application and find the Storage section for detailed analysis.
  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Use the โ€œClear Cacheโ€ button regularly to free up space without losing personal information.
  • ๐Ÿ’พ Before clearing the data, be sure to make a backup copy of correspondence in the cloud service.
  • ๐Ÿ“ธ Check the settings for auto-save media files and disable video download over the mobile network.

Special attention should be paid to the Chrome browser or MIUI Browser, which accumulate gigabytes of cache when actively surfing. Clearing the history and cache of browsers not only frees up space, but can also solve problems with the incorrect display of some web pages. In some cases, old cookies can conflict with new versions of sites, causing authorization errors.

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Use the Traffic Limit feature inside instant messengers to prevent automatic video downloads and GIFs, which are the fastest clogging your Redmi 4X memory.

After manually cleaning a few key applications, you'll notice a significant amount of space freeing up: Internal memory is the most valuable resource in budget smartphones, and its proper distribution directly affects the speed of the entire system. Don't ignore this stage, since automatic cleaners often don't touch the messenger cache, considering it as user data.

Storage analysis and removal of large files

It often happens that memory is occupied not by system debris, but by files forgotten by the user: downloaded movies, archives with documents or forgotten application installers (APK-To find them, use the built-in conductor or third-party disk space analyzer that visualizes the occupied volumes.

Open the Explorer app and go to Files category. Sort the content by size. You'll be surprised to find how much space old high-resolution videos take up, or game update packages that have been installed for a long time. Deleting such files is the fastest way to clean a Xiaomi Redmi 4X phone from excess weight.

File typeLocation.Security of removalRecommendation
APK installersDownload folderTall.Remove immediately after installation
tumbnailsDCIM/.thumbnailsMediumThey can be removed, but they will be created again.
Log filesMIUI/debug_logTall.Boldly delete, these are error reports
Cash cart.Android/data.../cacheLow.Only remove if you donโ€™t need offline cards

The DCIM folder, which stores your photos and videos, is worth special attention, often containing unsuccessful duplicates or screenshots taken a year ago, audit the gallery, delete blurry images and transfer valuable archives to a computer or cloud storage, such as Google Photos or Yandex.Disk.

What is a.thumbnails folder?
It's a hidden system folder where Android stores thumbnails of your photos for quick display in a gallery. It can grow to a few gigabytes. It can be deleted, but the system will recreate it the next time you open the gallery. To prevent sprawl, you can create an empty file in the DCIM folder called.thumbnails and prevent the system from writing data there, although this may not work on new versions of MIUI.

Remember to check the Download folder, and that's where everything from the Internet is saved by default: presentations, PDF-Often, users forget about downloaded materials, and they lie dead for years, taking up precious gigabytes on Redmi. 4X.

Cleaning through Recovery Mode and Safe Mode

If the phone is unstable, freezes or you suspect viruses that do not get removed in normal mode, you should use Recovery. In Xiaomi smartphones, this menu allows you to reset to factory settings (Wipe Data), which is a radical but most effective way to clean the Xiaomi Redmi 4X phone completely.

To enter Recovery mode, you need to turn off your smartphone, then press the up volume button and the power button simultaneously. Hold them until the Mi logo appears. In the menu that appears, the navigation is done with volume buttons, and the power button selects. Select Wipe Data, then Wipe All Data and confirm the action.

โš ๏ธ Note: Wipe Data completely destroys all user data, including contacts, SMS, Before performing these actions, make sure to make a full backup to your computer or to the Mi Cloud cloud.

There is also Safe Mode, which runs Android without third-party apps, and if it's fast, it's a problem with one of the apps you've installed, and to log in, you usually need to press the desktop shutdown button and select the appropriate option, or use button combinations when booting (depending on the MIUI version).

โ˜‘๏ธ Checklist before reset (Wipe Data)

Done: 0 / 5

Using Recovery is "heavy artillery." If your smartphone just slowed down a little, it's best to start with software-based cleaning techniques.However, if the device has turned into a "brick" or slows down to an impossibility, a complete reset is often the only way to bring it back to life without flashing it back.

Removal of system debris and residual files

When applications are removed, they often have their tails left in the system โ€” empty folders, configuration files, and libraries โ€” and advanced file managers like Total Commander or FX File Explorer can be used to find and delete them, allowing you to see hidden folders that start from dots that are usually hidden from the user.

At the root of internal memory, there are often folders with the names of remote games or programs. If you are sure that the application is removed, you can safely delete this folder. Android/obb and Android/data. It stores game caches and application data. If you delete a game but its folder is still in obb, you have to manually delete it, because it can take up a game. 1-2 Gbpst.

  • ๐Ÿ” Look for folders with remote app names at the root of internal memory.
  • ๐Ÿ“‚ Check the folder. Android/obb presence of remnants of heavy play.
  • ๐Ÿงน Delete files with the.log and.tmp extensions if they are in open directories.
  • ๐Ÿšซ Do not delete files that you do not know the purpose of, especially in system folders.

There is a myth that you need to clean the registry or system files manually through a computer. For Android, this is irrelevant and dangerous. The operating system manages its own databases. Interfering with the structure of system files through ADB or root rights without proper qualification can lead to a cyclical restart (bootloop).

Can I delete the.cache folder?
Yes, the.cache folder at the root of the system can be cleaned, it's safe. However, on modern Android versions, access to it is often restricted without root permissions. If you have access, cleaning this folder can make room, but the system will create it again.

Regular file system auditing helps keep things in order. On Redmi 4X, with its modest 16 or 32 GB of storage, it's important to keep the storage from filling up. When less than 10% of the memory is free, the file system speed drops dramatically, and the phone starts to slow down even on simple operations.

Prevention and optimization of MIUI

To keep the question of โ€œhow to clean a Xiaomi Redmi 4X phoneโ€ from getting too often, itโ€™s important to implement digital hygiene habits: Donโ€™t install questionable apps from unknown sources, disable automatic app updates over your mobile network, and check the installed list regularly.

In the MIUI settings, there's a feature called "Memory Extension," which uses some of the internal memory as virtual RAM. On older models with slow eMMC memory, this feature can, on the contrary, reduce performance. Try turning it off in the About or Additional settings if you notice jerks in the interface.

โš ๏ธ Warning: Avoid installing accelerators and antiviruses from unknown Play Market developers who consume resources, display ads, and often contain malicious code that only exacerbates memory shortages.

Also, you should limit the background activity of applications. In the battery settings, you can prevent programs from running in the background if you don't need them all the time. This will save battery power and reduce the load on the processor. For the Redmi 4X with its Snapdragon 435 processor, this is critical for smooth operation.

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The best brake prevention is control over the autoload of applications and no overflow of internal memory by more than 85%.

Compliance with these simple rules will allow your smartphone to serve faithfully for many years. Xiaomi Redmi 4X is a legendary model, and with proper care, it can surprise the speed of work even in 2026-2026.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is it safe to use third-party clean-master software?
They often contain aggressive advertising, consume a lot of battery and RAM resources themselves, and have built-in MIUI facilities that are good enough to clean efficiently, and third-party cleaners can delete files or create unnecessary garbage.
Why does the phone fill up quickly after cleaning?
Chances are you have enabled automatic download of media files in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) or apps create new cache files immediately after launch. Check the autoload settings in the apps themselves and turn off saving to the gallery for unnecessary chats.
Can I transfer all the applications to SD-map 4X?
App2SD on modern versions of Android and MIUI is unstable or not supported by app developers. You can only transfer photos, videos and documents. Some applications allow you to choose the way to save data in their settings, but system files will remain in internal memory.
How to clean the โ€œOtherโ€ folder in the storage?
The Other folder often contains app cache, system update files, and instant messenger data, and the most effective way to reduce it is to clear the cache of specific heavy apps (Telegram, YouTube, browsers) through settings or reinstall them, and clean up downloads and delete old correspondence.
Do I need to reset to factory settings after the MIUI update?
This is not necessary, but it is desirable when switching between major versions of Android (for example, from Android 6 to 7). With regular updates inside one version of Android, a conventional cache cleaning is enough. Reset is required if after the upgrade the phone began to work unstable or quickly discharge.