Cleaning Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro from unnecessary files: 7 proven ways

Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is slowing down and the space on your internal drive is melting away? The reason most often lies in the accumulation of temporary files, the remains of deleted applications and clogged cache. Even with careful use, the smartphone accumulates up to 5-15 GB of garbage in a year or two, which slows down the system and reduces the life of flash memory.

In this article, you will find 7 working cleaning methods – from standard tools MIUI We'll look at which files can be deleted without risk and which ones should not be touched, even if they take up a lot of space. + UFS 2.1) which requires a special approach to defragmentation.

1. Built-in utility "Cleaning" in MIUI: fast and safe

The easiest way to free up space is to use the regular Safety → Cleanup tool, which analyzes the system and suggests removing:

• 🗑️ Application cache (temporary files that can be restored on the next run)
• 📁 Unnecessary APK (Remains after installation or updating of programs)
• 📄 Logs and dumps (system error reports that are rarely needed by the user)
• 🔍 Duplicate files (photos, videos or documents with the same content)

How to start:

1. Open Settings → Security → Cleaning.
2. Click Scan and wait until the analysis is completed (usually 10–30 seconds).
3. Select file categories to delete (we recommend ticking all items except Download – there may be important files).
4. Click Clean and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: The built-in utility does not remove Dalvik-cache (Android virtual machine cache), which can take up to 1-2 GB. To clean it, you will need to reboot in Recovery Mode - read about this in section 5.

2. Manual cleaning of the application cache: what can be removed

Not all apps are properly cleaned through the built-in utility, such as Facebook, Instagram or Tinkoff Bank, which can store gigabytes of cache in their folders, to manually delete it:

Go to Settings → Applications → App Management, select and click Storage → Clear Cache. For some programs (for example, Google Play Store) also available option Clear data, but it will reset all the settings of the application to factory.

💡 Tip: After clearing the cache of Google Play Services or Google Services Framework, the smartphone can temporarily slow down – this is normal.

Close all background applications

Make a backup copy of important data

Check the vacant space before and after cleaning

Reboot your smartphone to apply changes-->

3. Delete duplicates and similar files

Photos, screenshots and downloads are often duplicated, taking up too much space. MIUI 12/13/14 has a built-in tool for finding duplicates:

1. Open the gallery → Albums → Duplicates.
2. The system automatically groupes the same or similar files.
3. Select unnecessary copies and click Delete.

For deeper cleaning, use third-party utilities:

• 📱 Files by Google – Finds duplicates, large files and offers to archive rarely used data.
• 🔍 CCleaner – analyzes garbage in folders and cache (caution: aggressive settings can delete the desired files).
• 📁 SD Maid is an advanced tool for cleaning system folders (requires root rights for full functionality).

⚠️ Note: When removing duplicates through third-party programs, make sure that the originals remain in folders. DCIM/Camera Some utilities may mistakenly label as duplicate files with similar names but different content (for example, IMG_20230501_123456.jpg and IMG_20230501_123456(1).jpg).

4. Clean Download folder and temporary files

Download folder is the main garbage storage.

• 📄 Outdated. APK-Files (remains from manual application installation).
• 📊 Exported documents (PDF, Excel, Word) after one viewing.
• 🎵 Music and video downloaded through a browser or messengers.
• 📦 Archives (ZIP, RAR), which have already been unpacked.

How to clean:

1. Open Files → Categories → Downloads.
2. Sort files by date (Last → Old) and delete anything older than 3-6 months.
3. For convenience, use the filter by file type (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).

🔹 Hidden temporary files: Folders with names.temp,.tmp or com.android.providers.downloads.cache can be deleted completely – they contain under-quality or corrupted files.

5. Clean up Dalvik-cache and system debris through Recovery

Dalvik-cache is an optimized version of the application created by the Android virtual machine. When updating MIUI or removing programs, these files can remain in the system, taking up to 1-2 GB.

Instructions:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and wait until the process is completed (the process will take 1-3 minutes).
5. Reboot the device (Reboot → System)

⚠️ Warning: Do not confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will completely reset the smartphone to factory settings, removing all data. Also, it is not recommended to use Advanced Wipe without understanding - this can damage the partition. /data, which will require re-flashing the device.

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Cleaning Dalvik-cache speeds up the first download of applications after restarting, but does not affect performance in the long term.

6.Storage optimization: what else can be removed

Besides the obvious debris, there are hidden reserves on the Redmi Note 8 Pro:

💡 Advice for gamers: If you play in PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty or Genshin Impact, check the folder /sdcard/Android/obb. Additional game data is stored here (up to) 5–10 GB for one game. You can delete them, but after the next launch, the game will download the files again.

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To prevent the accumulation of garbage in the future, turn off the automatic download of media files in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) and set up the cleaning of the cache on schedule in Settings → Security → Autocleaning

7.Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If the space is critically small (less than 1 GB) and standard methods don’t work, then Hard Reset is left, which deletes all data, including:

• 📱 Installed applications and their settings.
• 📂 Photos, videos and music (if not on the screen) SD-map).
• 📋 Accounts and passwords (including Google and Mi Account).
• 📡 Network settings (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile Internet).

How to perform the reset:

1. Back up important data (via Settings → About Phone → Backup or manually on PC).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, set up your smartphone as new.

⚠️ Attention: On the Redmi Note 8 The reset to the factory settings may take up to 10–15 Do not interrupt the process, even if the screen is stuck on the Mi logo for a long time. /data and the need for firmware through Fastboot.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the Redmi Note 8 Pro