How to Clean Xiaomi Phone From Garbage: 7 Proven Ways

Xiaomi smartphones are known for their performance, but even they eventually begin to “slow down” due to accumulated digital garbage. APK-The files take up precious space and slow down the system, according to a study. AVG The average user loses up to 15% of free space on the device due to an uncleaned cache after 6 months of active use.

In this article you will find 7 Xiaomi’s working cleaning methods – from built-in tools MIUI We're going to take a 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. Special attention will be paid to cleaning the system partition without root rights - a method that is rarely mentioned in standard instructions, but it is able to free up the system partition. 1-2 GB of space on clogged devices.

Why Xiaomi is “clogged” faster than other smartphones

MIUI firmware has features that speed up the accumulation of garbage: first, it is aggressive data caching to speed up the launch of applications; second, duplicate media files due to the built-in photo and video editor; third, Xiaomi actively uses log files for diagnostics, which are rarely cleaned automatically.

Compare the speed of “clogging” Xiaomi with other brands:

64GB models are particularly affected, with Redmi Note 8/9 and Poco X3 users often facing space shortages after a year of use, because MIUI reserves up to 6-8GB for system needs, and the rest of the space is quickly clogged with user data.

Method 1: Built-in MIUI cleaning (without software)

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has added an advanced cleaning tool that can remove not only cache, but also residual files after uninstalling applications.

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory
2. Click "Clean" in the "Junk Files" section
3. Select “Deep Clean” (will appear after the first scan)
4. Confirm deletion, uncheck the “Logs” and “Downloads” if there are important files.

Hidden feature: If you pin your finger on the memory usage graphic in this menu, the option “Clean up System” will appear. It deletes temporary MIUI update files, which can take up to 500 MB.

Application cache (does not affect data)

Residual files of remote programs

Temporary download files (don’t touch the Download folder if there’s something important in it!)

Log files of the system (except those created in the last 3 days)-->

⚠️ Warning: Do not use the "Clean Up Acceleration" option in this menu - it forcibly closes the background processes, which can disrupt the work of messengers and notifications.

Method 2: Manually cleansing cache for individual applications

Some programs (especially social networks and instant messengers) accumulate a cache of several gigabytes, for example, TikTok can take up to 1.5 GB of cache, and Telegram can take up to 3 GB when you use channels actively, to clear the cache of a particular application:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select the desired application (sort by size)
3. Click on “Storage” → “Clear Cache”
4. For a complete cleanup, click Delete Data, but note that this will reset the program settings.

Top.-5 «Apps on Xiaomi according to Clean Master:

• 📱 Facebook - up to 2GB of cache
• 🎵 Spotify – up to 1 GB (cache music)
• 📷 Google Photos – up to 800 MB (miniatures)
• 💬 Viber – up to 1.2 GB (chat media files)
• 🎮 PUBG Mobile - up to 1.5 GB (cash cards)

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After clearing the messenger cache (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram), go to their settings and turn off autoloading media files. This will prevent fast memory filling in in the future.

Method 3: Removing duplicate photos and videos

Xiaomi automatically creates thumbnails and copies of media files when editing in the standard Gallery app, which can take up to 30% of the total photo volume.

1. Open the Gallery → Albums → Duplicates (tub at the top)
2. Click “Select” and mark unnecessary copies
3. Use the “Smart Deletion” option – it leaves the best quality photo in the series

For deep cleaning, use the Files by Google app (available from the Play Market):

• 🔍 Go to the "Cleaning" section» → «Duplicate files»
• 📁 Check the folders. DCIM/.thumbnails and Pictures/Screenshots — There are often unnecessary miniatures.
• 🗑️ Delete files with the.nomedia extension – they are not visible in the gallery, but take up space

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder MIUI In the root directory, it contains system wallpapers and themes, and don't touch the.db file in the folder. Android/data — It's an application database.

Method 4: Cleaning the system partition (without root)

Even without superuser rights, you can remove up to 1-2 GB of system debris.

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then return to Additional → For Developers)
2. Download ADB Tools to your computer and execute the command: adb shell pm trim-caches 1000G This command forcibly clears the cache of all system applications.
3. To remove update residues, run adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*

Through ADB You can also remove pre-installed applications (bloatware) that cannot be uninstalled by standard methods. MIUI 14:

To remove, execute the command:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet

The --user 0 flag means deletion only for the current user, which is safer than a complete uninstallation.

Method 5: Optimizing Autoboot and Background Processes

Many applications are launched at the start of the system and run in the background, consuming memory.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun
2. Turn off auto-run for all applications except instant messengers and system services
3. In the same menu, go to Permissions and turn off Background Work for underused programs.

For models with MIUI 13+, a hidden setting for limiting background processes is available:

• 🔧 Enable Developer Mode (as in Method 4)
• 📱 Go to For Developers → Process limit
• 🔄 Set a “Standard Limit” or “No Background Processes” value (the latter option aggressively saves battery, but may interfere with notifications)

These actions will not release memory directly, but will prevent it from filling up quickly in the future. According to XDA Developers, setting up autoboot correctly reduces memory consumption for background processes by 40-60%.

Method 6: Use of third-party cleaners (with caution!)

Applications like CCleaner or SD Maid promise deep cleanup, but on MIUI they often delete important files.

• 🧹 Files by Google – Google’s official app with smart cleaning
• 📁 X-plore File Manager – Shows hidden system files (requires caution)
• 🔍 DiskUsage – visualizes occupied space by folders

How to use Files by Google correctly:

1. Start the analysis in the “Cleaning” section
2. Ignore suggestions to clear "Recommendations" - this is advertising
3. Manually check the categories “Large Files” and “Unused Applications” before deleting

⚠️ Note: Never use the “Optimization” function RAM» Or "acceleration" in third-party cleaners. MIUI This often leads to forced shutdown of system processes and errors in the shell.

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The best cleaner for Xiaomi is a combination of built-in MIUI tools and manual verification through Files by Google. Third-party programs should only be used to visualize occupied space, not to automatically clean.

Method 7: Reset partition cache (last chance)

If the phone is slowing down a lot and standard methods don't work, reset the partition cache (wipe cache partition). This won't delete your data, but will clear all temporary system files.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up before the Mi logo appears
3. From the recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Confirm the action and restart the device

This procedure is especially effective after major MIUI updates, when the residual files of the old version conflict with the new one. According to users of Xiaomi Community, resetting the partition cache eliminates the lags in 70% of cases without data loss.

If that doesn’t work, the last option is a hard reset (Wipe All Data in the same menu). But before you do, make sure to back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cleanup