How to completely remove unnecessary files on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro: from cache to hidden data

Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro is a popular smartphone with 64 or 128 GB of memory, but even this amount becomes scarce over time. High-resolution photos, app cache, duplicate documents and hidden system files take up precious space, slowing down the device. Unlike the new Redmi models with MIUI 14+, there is no automatic deep cleaning, so users have to manually deal with garbage.

This article is not about removing photos from the gallery, but how to find and safely delete hidden files (including the remnants of deleted applications), clean the cache of system services without resetting, and which tools are better to use – built-in MIUI 11/12 or third-party utilities like Files by Google or SD Maid.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly is the memory?

Before you delete something, you need to understand what types of files are clogging up memory. On the Redmi 8 Pro, you can do this in three ways:

• 📊 Built-in utility MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Memory: This shows the categorization (applications, multimedia, systems, etc.) but without detail.
• 🔍 Files by Google: Google app shows not only the size, but also the date of last use of files – this helps to find forgotten duplicates.
• 🛠️ DiskUsage (from Play Market): visualizes occupied space as an interactive map where large blocks are located. = file.

Typical memory allocation on the Redmi 8 Pro after a year of use:

Important: if the System Files section is occupied more than 15 GB, this is an occasion to check the phone for viruses or remnants of old firmware. Normally, system data should not exceed 10-12 GB.

2. Delete the application cache: safe or not?

Cache is a temporary file that apps create to speed up work. On Redmi 8 Pro, the cache can take up to 5-8 GB, but not everything can be deleted without consequences. For example, cleaning the cache of Google Play Services will lead to re-uploading data the next time you run, and the WhatsApp cache contains media files from chats.

How to clean the cache correctly:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or Instagram).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. For mass cleaning, use Settings → Memory → Clean (remove the cache of all applications).

Do not touch the cache of system applications (for example, MIUI System or Security)

Don’t clean the cache of Google Play Market – it can break app updates

Do not delete the application data (the "Clear Data" button) if you do not want to lose the settings-->

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 8 Pro MIUI 11/12 There's a bug: after mass cache clearing, some widgets (like weather) may disappear from the home screen.

You can use SD Maid (paid version) or CCleaner to automate the process. These utilities are able to find junk files (empty folders, temporary files with the.tmp extension, remnants of uninstalled programs), but they require root rights for deep cleaning, which on Redmi 8 Pro is fraught with loss of warranty.

3. Cleaning up media: photos, videos and hidden duplicates

The gallery on Redmi 8 Pro automatically creates thumbnails (.thumbnail) and cache to speed up viewing, which can take up to 1-2 GB, but manually delete them is inconvenient — they are scattered across DCIM/.thumbnails and Pictures/.cache folders.

Effective methods of cleaning:

• 📷 Google Photos: Turn on Free Space in Settings – it will delete local copies of photos already uploaded to the cloud (but check that sync is complete!).
• 🔄 Files by Google: Clean up has a tool to find duplicates and blurry images, and it even finds similar screenshots a few pixels apart.
• 🗑️ Manual cleaning: delete folders: /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/ (Screenshots can be transferred to the cloud or PC before deleting).

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If you take screenshots often, set up automatic saving to Google Drive through the Screenshot Easy (Play Market) app, which can send pictures to the cloud immediately after creation.

Pay special attention to the WhatsApp/Media folder, which stores all the media files from the chats. Even if you delete a message, the files remain!

1. Open WhatsApp. → ⋮ → Settings → Memory.
2. Sort files by size and remove unnecessary ones.
3. For a complete cleanup, use the Clean Media option (delete files older than 30 days).

4. Delete system files: what can and cannot be touched

The /system and /data folders store critical files, but there is also debris that can be safely removed.On Redmi 8 Pro, only some directories are available without root rights:

To remove system debris without root, use MIUI Hidden Settings (available from Play Market):

1. Install the application and give access to the memory.
2. Go to the Storage Analyzer section.
3. Select System Junk category and delete: Update residues (.zip in /cache) Memory dumps (.dmp files) Old APK packages (/data/app-lib)

⚠️ Warning: If after cleaning system files, the phone started to slow down or restart, check the folder /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb. Deleting files from here can break games (e.g, PUBG You can only restore them by reinstalling the game.

5 Hidden Files and Folders: How to Find and Delete

By default, MIUI hides many system folders, but you can see them through the root-enabled file manager or special applications. On Redmi 8 Pro, the most "heavy" hidden data is:

• 📁.data folder: This is where application data (e.g. game saves) is stored. You can only delete if you are sure that files are not needed.
• 🔄.cache folder: cache of system processes. Cleanup will speed up work, but temporarily (cache will recover in a few days).
• 📱 The folder miad: advertising data MIUI. You can delete it completely, it will not disrupt the system.

How to enable the display of hidden files:

1. Install Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer.
2. In the manager settings, activate the option to Show hidden files.
3. Go to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/) and find the folders with the dot at the beginning (e.g..thumbnails).

To safely delete hidden files, use SD Maid in CorpseFinder mode, which finds “orphaned” files (remnants of deleted applications) and suggests that they be deleted. On Redmi 8 Pro, this will free up to 1-3 GB of memory.

6. Cleaning automation: MIUI settings and third-party utilities

MIUI 11/12 on the Redmi 8 Pro has built-in tools for automatic cleaning, but they don't work perfectly.

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Autoclean.
2. Enable options: Clear cache when screen lock Delete unused files (over 30 days)

Google Maps

For more flexible automation, use:

• 🤖 Tasker: Create a task that clears the cache of selected applications once a week (setup required).
• 📱 MacroDroid: a simplified analogue of Tasker with ready-made templates for cleaning memory.
• ☁️ Google Files: In settings, turn on Unused File Alerts – the app will remind you to clean up.

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Built-in MIUI autocleaning does not remove the cache of system applications (such as MIUI Security or Theme Manager).

If you install/remove apps frequently, install App Cache Cleaner (Play Market) which monitors new cache files and suggests that they be deleted immediately after the program is uninstalled.

7.Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If you've got less than 10 percent left after all the manipulations, and your phone is slowing down, you should consider a hard reset. On the Redmi 8 Pro, this is how you do it:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup (or use Mi Cloud).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm.
4. After reset, restore the data from the backup (but don’t restore the system applications – it will bring back the garbage!).

⚠️ Attention: Redmi 8 Pro with MIUI 11 there is a bug: after reset, you may lose access to memory partitions (folders do not appear in the file manager). → Memory. → Settings → Reset the memory settings.

The alternative to dumping is firmware through Fastboot, which is a radical method that will completely reinstall the system, removing all the debris.

Firmware is recommended only if:

• The phone is very slow even after resetting.
• There are unknown files (possibly viruses) in the memory.
• You want to upgrade to the latest version of MIUI (e.g. 11 to 12).

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the Redmi 8 Pro