How to Clean Xiaomi of Unnecessary Files: The Complete 2026 Guide

Your Xiaomi smartphone is slowing down and your disk space is melting away? Most often it's caused by the accumulated unnecessary files: remnants of deleted applications, cache, duplicate photos and system debris. Even new models like the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Xiaomi 14 Ultra is facing this problem.

Unlike iOS, where the system strictly controls the storage of data, MIUI (Xiaomi firmware is more loyal to user files — and it's both a plus and a minus. On the one hand, you can flexibly manage memory, on the other hand, you have to regularly do "general cleaning." In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods of cleaning, including hidden functions. MIUI, who know.

Important: Before cleaning, check how much space is actually occupied by garbage. → The phone. → Memory and pay attention to the "System Data" and "Other" sections - this is where up to 30% of unnecessary files are most often hidden.

1. Built-in cleaning MIUI: What is missing and what is missing

The most obvious way is to use Xiaomi’s built-in Cleanup tool, which is available from the Settings menu. → Memory. → Cleaning or using a desktop widget, but many users are unhappy with it: why?

The fact is that standard cleaning removes only:

• 🗑️ Application cache (temporary files that are created to speed up the operation of programs)
• 📁 Downloads (files from the Download folder if they haven’t opened for more than 30 days)
• 📥 Residues APK (installation files of remote applications)

She's not touching it.

• 🔄 Duplicate photos (especially relevant for users of Google Photos)
• 📂.thumbnails folders (miniatures of images that occupy up to the top of the folder) 1-2 GB)
• 🗃️ System application logs (e.g. from Mi Fit or Mi Home)

To start a deep cleaning manually:

1. Open the Settings → Memory
2. Press "Cleaning up" → "Deep cleaning"
3. Select file categories (we recommend marking all boxes)
4. Confirm the action and wait until the completion (may take a while) 5-15 minute)

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If there is no space added after cleaning, restart your phone – sometimes MIUI Not immediately update the memory data.

2. Manual cache cleanup: which files can be deleted without risk

Cache is a temporary file that creates applications that work quickly, and over time, it accumulates and can take up up to a few hours. 5-10 GB (especially social networks, instant messengers and games) It is safe to remove cache, but there are nuances.

How to clean the cache correctly:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select an app (such as Telegram or TikTok)
3. Click "Storage" → "Clear the cache"

What applications most often "clutter" memory:

The important point is that you don't confuse "Clear Cache" and "Clear Data." The second step will delete all the settings of the app (like WhatsApp chats or saved passwords in your browser). The cache can be cleaned every day, and the data can only be cleaned if you're ready to reconfigure the app.

3. Removing duplicate photos and videos: hidden folders MIUI

One of the most common problems with Xiaomi is duplicate photos.

• 🔄 Automatic backup in Google Photos and Mi Cloud
• 📸 Simultaneous shooting on the main and front camera (in some models)
• 📁 Creating miniatures (.thumbnails) for the gallery

How to find and remove duplicates:

Method 1: Through the built-in gallery MIUI

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Click on three dots in the upper right corner → "Management" → "Duplicate"
3. MIUI automatically find the duplicate files and prompt them to be deleted

Method 2: Manually search for hidden folders

Use any file manager (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer) and check the following folders:

• 📂 DCIM/.thumbnails — Image miniatures (can be completely removed)
• 📂 Pictures/Screenshots — Screenshots (often duplicated in Google Photos)
• 📂 MIUI/Extra — time-file

4. Cleaning up the remnants of remote applications: where the garbage is hiding

When you delete an app through Play Market or Settings, it disappears from the menu, but often leaves behind:

• 📦 Folders with data in /Android/data/ and /Android/obb/
• 🗃️ Cash and settings in system partitions
• 📄 Configuration files (for example, shared_prefs)

How to completely remove the traces of applications:

Step. 1: File check. /Android/data/

1. Open a file manager with access to root folders (e.g. MiXplorer)
2. Move to the /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/
3. Find folders with names of remote applications (for example, com.whatsapp) and delete them

Step 2: Cleaning through ADB (for advanced users)

If you know me, ADB (Android Debug Bridge, you can run a command to clean up completely:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 title.packet


adb shell pm clear name.packet

To find out the name of the package, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "part of the name"

✅ Backup of important data

✅ Check the name of the remote application package

✅ Use a file manager with root rights (if necessary)

✅ Restart the phone after cleaning-->

5. System File Optimization: What You Can Delete Without Root

MIUI It creates a lot of system files that grow over time, and fortunately, some of them can be safely deleted even without the permission of a super-user:

1. Logs of system applications

folder /sdcard/MIUI/debug_log It contains error logs and debugging information, and you can delete them completely, and they're only used to diagnose problems by developers.

2. Update files

After installing updates MIUI file /sdcard/DownloadedRom Installation files remain weighted 1-3 GB: They can be removed, but only if you don’t plan to roll back on the previous firmware version.

3. MIUI

In a file. /sdcard/MIUI/cache Temporary theme and system components files are stored, and cleaning up this folder can speed up the interface.

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Do not delete files in folders /system or /vendor without root rights, this can cause the system to fail.

4. Cleaning Dalvik cache (for power users only)

Dalvik cache is an optimized version of the application for fast download, and cleaning it can help if the phone is slowing down.

1. Start Recovery Mode (turn off the phone, then pinch the power) + Loudness up)
2. Select "Wipe & Reset" → "Wipe Cache"
3. Confirm the action and restart the device

⚠️ Warning: Cleaning up the Dalvik cache will result in a longer first system boot after restarting (before the restart) 5-10 Don't interrupt the process!

6. Use of third-party utilities: top-5 cleaning-up

If embedded tools MIUI They can't do it, you can use third-party apps, and we tested 15 programs and we selected the best ones:

Our choice: for most Xiaomi users, the best solution is a combination of Files by Google (for duplicates) and built-in cleaning. MIUI (If you need something more powerful — SD Maid, but only if you are ready to understand its settings.

⚠️ Note: Some "cleaners" (e.g., Clean Master or Clean Master) DU Speed Boosters may display false virus alerts or suggest that you delete important system files.

7. Prevention: how to prevent the accumulation of garbage

Regular cleaning is good, but it’s even better to keep your memory cluttered, here are 5 rules to keep Xiaomi clean without constant “cleanup”:

• 🔄 Set up automatic cache cleanup: in Settings → Memory. → Autoclean: Enable the option and set a schedule (e.g. once a week)
• 📸 Turn off duplicate photos: in Google Photos go to Settings → Backup and sync and disable "Create copies when editing"
• 📥 Delete. APK After installation: Use the file manager to immediately clear the Download folder of installation files
• 📦 Use the “Light” versions of apps: for example, Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite or Twitter Lite are occupied in the Internet. 2-3 lesser
• 🔍 Check “Other” files regularly: in Settings → Click on the “Other” section and delete unnecessary files manually.

Another useful tip: if you install and delete games often, use the Game Booster feature in the game. MIUI (Settings → Special facilities → It creates a sandbox for games, and when you delete it, you don't have any files left.

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If you take pictures often, set up an automatic upload of photos to the cloud (Google Photos or Mi Cloud) and turn on the option “Delete from the device after download” to free up space, saving access to files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cleanup