How to completely delete files on Xiaomi: from photo to system garbage

Deleting files on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones only seems like a simple task. In practice, users are faced with “undeleteable” folders, hidden application data and system debris that takes up gigabytes of memory. In this article, we will analyze all working methods of cleaning, from basic to advanced, including deletion through ADB, cloud services and even recovery of accidentally erased data.

Feature of firmware MIUI It's actively cache files to make things faster, but it rarely cleans them automatically. For example, when apps are updated, older versions remain in memory. APK-files, and photos from messengers are duplicated in the folder DCIM/.thumbnails. We will show you how to find and remove this invisible junk without risking the system.

Important: If you use Xiaomi with an unlocked bootloader or custom firmware, some methods (such as resetting via Recovery) may work differently.

1. Delete files through standard MIUI Explorer

The built-in Explorer in MIUI is the most obvious, but not always effective way: it doesn’t show all folders (for example, hides system directories without root rights), but it is suitable for basic cleaning of photos, videos and documents.

To open the Conductor:

1. Slip the Files icon** on the home screen (usually a blue folder).
2. Select the category: Images, Videos, Audio or Documents.
3. Press your finger on the file to highlight, then mark the rest.
4. Click “Delete”** (basket icon) and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: Files deleted through Explorer first enter the basket (folder) MIUI/RecycleBin) And they still take up space. 30 To clear the basket:

1. Open the Conductor. → Categories → Basket.
2. Put "Clean" in the upper right corner.

Downloaded files from Telegram/WhastApp (Download folder)

Screenshots (Screenshots folder)

Cash card (Daddy Maps)

Duplicate photos (DCIM/.thumbnails folder)

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If the file you want is not in categories, try manual search:

1. In the guide, go to the device (tab below).
2. Open Download, DCIM or Pictures folders.
3. Use a name search (a magnifier at the top) if you don’t know the exact location.

2. Cleaning through “Storage” in the MIUI settings

The MIUI’s Storage System Menu not only shows occupied space, but also offers automatic cache, duplicates and unnecessary files, a method safer than manual deletion because it doesn’t affect critical data.

How to open it:

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Wait for the analysis (it can take up to 1 minute).
3. Tap by category (e.g., “App Cache” or “Duplicates of Files”).
4. Select unnecessary files and click “Clear”**.

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the place ends.

Never clean.

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There is a hidden function in this menu – cleaning up junk files that are not visible in Explorer:

1. In the Warehouse section, scroll down to the Other Files block**.
2. Click "Clean"** next to the items: 📁 Temporary files (system process cache). 🗑️ Residual files (residues after uninstallation of applications). 🔄 Update files (old versions) MIUI).

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder MIUI manually, it contains the system data for the shell to work, and if you lose wallpaper or themes after cleaning, restart the device.

3. Delete hidden and system files (without root)

Many files in MIUI They're hidden from the user, but they can be seen and removed without root permission. Android/data It contains a cache of games and applications, and Android/obb — Additional data (up to several gigabytes).

How to access:

1. Open the Conductor → Device.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner → “Settings”**.
3. Enable the option to “Show hidden files”**.

To delete system files (such as the Google Play Services cache), it is better to use the built-in cleanup function:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (e.g. Google Play Store).
3. Tap Storage → Clear cache and Clear data** (Warning: this will reset the app settings!).

4. Delete files via computer (USB/MTP)

If the smartphone does not have enough space for operations or you need to delete a large number of files, it is more convenient to connect to the PC. USB-cable (preferably original) and enabled data mode.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB.
2. On the phone in the notification curtain, select File Transfer* (MTP) mode.
3. On a PC, open “This Computer”** and the device will appear as a removable disk.
4. Go to the Internal Storage (Internal Memory) or SD Card (if you have a card).
5. Delete unnecessary files with standard Windows/macOS tools (Delete key or drag and drop to the cart).

Advantages of this method:

• 🖥️ You can use a search by name (e.g. *.apk to find installers).
• 📊 It is convenient to sort files by date of change or size.
• 🔄 You can copy files to your PC before deleting (backup copy).

⚠️ Warning: If your phone is not detected when connecting to your PC, check: Cable (try another) Mode USB (must have MTP, Drivers (on PCs you may need to install Mi) PC Suite).

del /s /q "D:\Internal Storage\Android\data\\.cache\"

Where D: is the letter of your device. Be careful: this command will delete ALL from the specified folder without confirmation!

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5. Removal via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t help (e.g., you need to delete system application files), you can use ADB, the Android debugging tool, which requires you to turn on the developer mode and is only suitable for confident users.

Preparation:

1. Turn on USB debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version to unlock the developer menu. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers. Activate USB Debugging.

Platform Tools

Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in the device.

Commands for removal:

⚠️ Attention: Rm teams -rf A path error (such as an extra space) can result in the deletion of important data. Before completing the task, check the path with the command: adb shell ls /sdcard/<folder>

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6. How to recover accidentally deleted files

If you delete important data (photos, documents, or videos), you can try to restore it, and success depends on how long it took and whether new files were written to the device (they can overwrite deleted data).

Recovery methods:

• 🔍 Through the basket MIUI: Open the Conductor. → Categories → Recycle Bin. Select files and click "Restore»**.
• 💾 Through backup. MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup. Select the date of the copy and restore the data you want.
• 🖥️ Through PC (recovery programs): Connect your phone to your PC in mode MTP. Use Recuva, DiskDigger or EaseUS MobiSaver. Select the Internal Storage section and run the scan.

Important: the faster you start recovering, the better the chances of returning files. DO NOT install new apps or copy data to your phone after deleting them!

To recover photos from Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Go to the Library. → Basket.
3. Select a photo and click "Restore"**.

7 Automatic cleaning: how to set up

To avoid manually cleaning the memory, set up automatic cleaning in MIUI. The system can delete cache, duplicates and unnecessary files on a schedule.

How to turn on:

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Cleaning.
2. Activate the "Autoclean" option**.
3. Set up the parameters: 🗓️ Schedule: daily/weekly/manual. 🧹 File types: cache, duplicates, temporary files. 🔄 Exceptions: you can add applications that will not be cleaned.

It is also useful to include storage optimization:

1. Go to Settings → Special features → Storage optimization.
2. Enable the option to “Delete unused files”**.

If the folder takes up a lot of space, clean only the nested directories (for example, MIUI/Backup or MIUI/RecycleBin).