How to erase history on Xiaomi: A complete guide to clean up data

Smartphones remember everything from search queries to dialed numbers. Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco users often wonder how to effectively remove these traces to make room or protect personal data from prying eyes. With MIUI and the new HyperOS, the cleaning process can vary depending on the type of data being deleted.

Understanding where digital traces are stored is the first step to complete privacy. Deleting your browser history does not erase your call history or GPS position, so a comprehensive approach is needed. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the cleaning methods available to the user.

Consider both standard system tools and advanced methods of working with the application cache. You will learn to distinguish between temporary files and important logs, which will help to avoid accidental loss of necessary information when optimizing the work of the gadget.

Clear History in the Standard Mi Browser

Xiaomi’s built-in browser is one of the most popular surfing tools, but it also accumulates a huge amount of data about your movements around the network. To delete your browsing history, you need to open the app and go to the menu, which is usually indicated by three stripes or dots at the bottom of the screen.

Next, select the History section and find the cleaning button, often presented as a broomstick or basket icon, and the system will select a time range: you can delete data from the last hour, today, yesterday or for the entire lifetime of the device.

• 🧹 Click on the “Clear Data” icon to completely delete the list of visited pages.
• 🔒 Enable Incognito mode for future sessions so history doesn’t automatically save.
• ⚙️ In the browser settings, activate the “Automatic Cleaning on Exit” function for increased security.

It is important to understand that clearing your browser history does not affect saved passwords or form autocomplete data unless you tick the appropriate boxes in the menu for selecting deleted items, which allows you to maintain usability by removing only the list of links.

⚠️ Note: If you are synced with your Mi Account or Google account, the history can be saved in the cloud. For complete anonymity, go to your account settings and delete the sync data there.

After the procedure, it is recommended to restart the device so that Android system processes correctly recalculate the free space, which is especially true for models with a small amount of internal memory.

Delete History in Google Chrome and Other Browsers

Many users prefer to install alternative browsers like Google Chrome, Opera or Yandex, and they work in a similar way, but the paths to settings may differ. In Chrome, you need to click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select History.

In the list that opens, you will see the Clear History button, where you can flexibly configure settings: delete only browsing history, cookies, cached images or site data. Selective cleaning helps save logins on frequently visited resources.

Chromium browsers are deeply integrated with Google services, and even after local cleaning, data can remain accessible through the My Actions page in your Google account, so be sure to check your cloud settings.

• 🌐 Use the key combination Ctrl+H (with the keyboard connected) for quick access to history.
• 🗑️ Clean the cache regularly, as it can take up several gigabytes of space.
• 👁️ Check the Recent Tabs section to remove synchronized data from other devices.

If you use incognito mode, the story is not stored locally, but your ISP and the sites you visit can still see your activity. Incognito mode is not a tool for complete anonymity, but only a way to leave no trace on the device itself.

erasing the history of calls and SMS-message

Call logs and text messages contain extremely sensitive information. On MIUI and HyperOS shells, the standard Phone app allows you to delete records selectively or completely, opening the Journal tab, pinching your finger on the number and selecting Delete.

To erase the entire story at once, you often need to click three dots in the corner of the screen and select "Clear Call Log." The system will ask for confirmation, since this action is irreversible without prior backup, and similarly, messages in the Messages app are treated.

There is a nuance with blocking unwanted contacts.Before deleting your call history from spammers, make sure you blacklist them, otherwise they may remind you of themselves again.The lock feature in Xiaomi works effectively by filtering calls before they get to the log.

To remove SMS in bulk, you can use the Cleanup feature in the Security app, which is pre-installed on all smartphones of the brand, which allows you to filter messages from banks and services for quick liquidation.

Clearing Location History and Google Account

Xiaomi smartphones are constantly tracking geo-position to improve maps and services. This data is accumulated in the Google Maps chronology. To delete them, open the map app, click on the profile avatar and select “Chronology”.

There's a three-point button in the chronology menu where you can access Settings and Privacy, and you can select "Delete all Location History," which will erase all the navigation tracks associated with your Google account.

You should also check the settings of Xiaomi itself. Go to Settings → Privacy → Special Permits → Location Access. Here you can see which apps have requested your coordinates and revoke those rights or clear their history.

• 📍 Turn off Location History in Google Settings so tracks won’t be recorded in the future.
• 📡 Periodically reset the ad ID in Google’s settings to reset your ad profile.
• 🗺️ Remove specific points on the map if you only want to hide visiting certain places.

Remember that some system services, such as Device Search, require geolocation access for their work.Shutting all services down completely can make it difficult to find a phone in case it is lost.

History management in the Security application and system

Xiaomi’s proprietary Security app is the central memory and privacy management node, and it’s where the history of antivirus checks, garbage cleanups, and scans is stored, and while it’s not a direct threat, cleaning it is useful when you transfer your phone to another person.

Go to the app, click on the settings icon (cogs), and find the item “Clear History” that will delete the logs about when and what files were checked, and you can also manage permissions and auto-run applications.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t confuse cleaning up your scan history with Deep Cleaning.The second one deletes real files (cache, remnants of deleted apps) and the first one only reports antivirus activity.

In the Privacy section, the basic system settings (Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy) can generate a report on which apps used the microphone, camera or clipboard access and how often they used it.

The Logger system log can contain technical information about crashes. The average user does not need to clean it, but when selling a phone, it is better to perform a full reset, which will also affect this data.

Radical measures: full reset to factory settings

If your goal is to sell the device or get rid of all traces of activity guaranteed, only a full reset (Factory Reset) will help, which returns the phone to the “out of the box” state, removing all user data, accounts, photos and history.

Before starting the procedure, be sure to back up important data to the Mi Cloud cloud or your computer. Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset → Erase all data.

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Before selling the phone, remove it. SIM-microSD card and memory card, and once reset, it's impossible to recover data from them. SIM-The card may contain contacts.

The process takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on the memory capacity and processor model, and the device will rewrite the memory sectors by zero, making it extremely difficult and expensive to recover data, even for professionals.

• 🔋 Charge your phone to at least 60% before starting a reset so it doesn’t turn off during the process.
• 🔓 Make sure you know the password of the Mi Account, otherwise, after the reset, protection against theft will work (Activation Lock).
• ⏳ Do not interrupt the reset process, even if the phone seems to be getting stuck – this can damage the firmware.

Once the reset is complete, the phone will suggest you choose a language and connect to Wi-Fi, as when you first turn on, which is a sign that the story is completely destroyed and the device is ready for a new owner.

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A complete reset is the only way to guarantee 100% deletion of history, but it requires a mandatory backup of important data beforehand.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)