Smartphone Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, released in 2019, is still a popular device due to the excellent ratio of price and quality, as well as a powerful processor Helio G90T. However, over time, like any Android device, it begins to accumulate software “garbage”, which leads to slowdown of the interface, long downloads of applications and lack of free space. Owners often notice that the phone, which used to “fly”, now conceived even when opening a gallery or messengers.
The main reason for the performance decline is not hardware wear, but rather the accumulation of temporary files by the MIUI operating system. Applications create a cache to quickly load content, but rarely delete it on their own, taking up gigabytes of usable memory. Regular and proper cleaning allows the device to return its previous sharpness of response and make room for new photos and applications without the need to buy a new gadget.
In this article, we will discuss safe and effective methods of cleaning the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro from unnecessary data. We will look at the built-in system tools, manual cleaning of system folders, working with multimedia and using specialized software. Following these recommendations will help to extend the life of your smartphone and ensure comfortable use in daily tasks.
Use of the built-in "Security" application
The easiest and safest way to start cleaning is to use the standard Security app, which is preinstalled in the MIUI shell.This tool is designed specifically for Xiaomi devices and knows which files can be deleted without risking system stability. Launch the application through the home screen or Tools folder and click on the large green Cleanup button.
The system will automatically scan the device for temporary files, residual debris after deleting applications and large files that occupy space. It's important to understand that the algorithm is quite aggressive in terms of finding candidates for deletion, but it rarely affects personal data of the user, such as contacts or correspondence. After scanning, you will see a list of categories that can be cleared.
⚠️ Note: Before clicking the Clear button, carefully review the list of found files, especially in the Large Files section, so as not to accidentally delete important documents or uploaded videos.
To get a deeper setup, go to the app menu by clicking on the three dots in the top right corner, and select "Clean Up." Here you can configure scan settings, such as enabling search for similar photos or clearing a video cache. Regular use of this tool, at least once a week, will prevent critical memory filling.
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Set up automatic cleaning in the Security app so that the phone will self-delete temporary files when the amount of garbage exceeds a predetermined limit.
Don't just rely on automatic mode. Go to Deep Cleaning from time to time inside the app, where you'll be prompted to remove old APK installation packages that often remain after software updates, and unused applications, which allows you to free up an additional 500MB to 2GB of space, which is essential for a model with a basic version of memory.
Manual cleaning of cache and application data
The built-in cleaner doesn't always reach the deep cache layers of heavy applications like Telegram, Viber or YouTube, and these programs store photos, videos and documents they've viewed in local memory, creating huge archives. To get to them, you need to go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Here's a complete list of installed software.
Select the most voracious app from the list. Inside the program menu, look for Memory. You will see two buttons: Clear and Delete. The Clear button usually only removes the cache without affecting your logins and settings. The Delete button (or Delete in some versions of MIUI) will completely reset the app to the post-installing state, requiring reauthorization.
- 🗑️ Cash: Temporary files that speed up work but take up space; secure to delete.
- 🔑 Data: Logins, passwords, settings and saves; deletion requires re-entry into your account.
- 📦 Application size: The weight of the program itself without user data and cache.
Pay special attention to messengers. In Telegram, for example, cache can grow to 10-15 GB. It is best to clean it through the settings of the application: Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use → Clear cache. There you can set up automatic deletion of the cache, for example, 3 days or a week after viewing.
☑️ Checking messengers
System applications such as the Google Play Store or Google Play Services can also accumulate errors and cache, causing problems with page loading or updating. These can be cleaned safely through the app menu. If problems persist after cleaning the Google Play cache, try also clicking “Erase data”, which will reset the store settings, but will not delete the purchased applications.
Analysis and removal of large files and duplicates
Multimedia content is the main memory consumer on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro. The smartphone camera takes high-quality pictures that take up a lot of space, and high-resolution videos can “eat” gigabytes in minutes.
Open Explorer and select size or date sorting. Often users forget about downloaded movies that they've watched once, or about update packages for games that aren't already installed. Deleting such files is the fastest way to get free space. It's also worth checking the Download folder, which accumulates everything you've ever saved from your browser.
| File type | Location (path) | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Photos and videos | DCIM/Camera | Move to PC or cloud, remove failed footage |
| Documents | Download | Check the relevance, remove old versions |
| Cash social media | Android/data/com... | Clean through application settings |
| Audio. | MIUI/sound_recorder | Check the tapes. |
A separate problem is duplicate photos. When synchronized with different services or gallery failures, copies of the same images can be created. There are special applications for finding duplicates, but you can use the built-in MIUI tools in the Cleanup → Similar photos section. The system will suggest removing blurred or identical photos, leaving the best option.
What to do if the Android/data folder is not available?
Remember the Bluetooth folder if you're actively streaming files through the air, often with old presentations, videos, or music from friends years ago, and checking that directory can suddenly release a few hundred megabytes.
Cleaning the system through Recovery Mode
If the phone is slow even after a standard cleaning, you can use Recovery Mode, a more advanced method that allows you to clear the system cache at a deeper level without affecting the user's personal data, which is effective when the system is full of temporary update files.
To enter Recovery mode, you need to turn off your smartphone completely. Then simultaneously press the Volume Up button and the Power button. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power button, keep the volume high. In a few seconds, a menu with a choice of language (usually Chinese and English) will appear.
Choose English (if available) or navigate by icons. Find Wipe Cache. Confirm. It's important not to confuse this with Wipe Data or Factory Reset, as it will completely delete all your data, returning the phone to factory settings.
⚠️ Attention: Recovery mode is controlled by volume buttons (up/down) and power button (select). Be extremely careful when choosing menu items so as not to lose personal data.
Once the cache is cleared, the system will prompt a reboot (Reboot → Reboot to System) first boot after this procedure may take longer than usual — that's OK, as the system reassembles the app caches again, and once you fully boot, you'll notice that the phone is responding to commands more lively.
Removal of unused applications and services
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro has a lot of pre-installed applications installed from the factory, some of which you may never use, called bloatware. Even if you don't use them, they can hang in the background, consume RAM and receive updates, and removing or disabling such programs is an important step in optimization.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Go through the list and find programs you don’t use (e.g., unnecessary games, alternative browsers, social media services if you only use them on the web). If the Remove button is active, uninstall.
If you can't delete an application (button is inactive), you can turn it off. The application that's disabled disappears from the list of running applications, stops updating and consumes resources, even though it physically remains in the system's memory. This is a good compromise for system components that you're afraid to delete.
- 📉 Lower load: Less background processes mean more free RAM.
- 🔋 Battery savings: Remote application backup services won't wake up the processor.
- 🚀 Speed up: the system spends less resources on indexing and maintenance of excess software.
For advanced users, there is the option of removing system debris via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) from a computer, but this requires caution. Standard removal through settings is usually enough for the average user to noticeably speed up the Redmi Note 8 Pro.
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Regularly removing unused apps is the easiest way to reduce the load on the processor and RAM of an old smartphone.
Cardinal measures: Reset to factory settings
If neither cache cleaning nor file deletion helps, and the phone continues to run unstablely, the last and most radical method is Factory Reset, which completely erases all information from the internal drive, returning the software to the “out of the box” state.
Before starting the procedure, make sure to back up all important data to the Mi Cloud, Google Drive or your computer. After resetting, it will be impossible to recover deleted files without a backup. Make sure that the battery is at least 50-60%.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select “Erase All Data.” The system will warn you several times about the consequences. Once confirmed, the phone will restart and begin the cleanup process, which can take 5 to 15 minutes.
Once the reset is complete, you’ll have to reconfigure your Wi-Fi, accounts, and apps, but you’ll get a clean system without the accumulated registry bugs and software conflicts that have been built up over the years. For the Redmi Note 8 Pro, this often becomes a “second birth,” bringing back the speed of the first days of use.