How to completely remove the memory of your phone from another Xiaomi device

Have you bought a used Xiaomi smartphone, received a device from a friend, or found files from another device in your phone’s memory? Xiaomi smartphones can still have traces of previous devices: backups, app cache, account data, or even hidden folders with files, a situation that not only takes up precious space, but also poses privacy risks.

Unlike standard file removal through a conductor, complete cleaning requires a comprehensive approach. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to remove from the phone data of another Xiaomi - from manual cleaning to reset to factory settings. You will also learn which files can be safely deleted and which should not be touched so as not to disrupt the system.

Special attention will be paid to hidden folders MIUI, cache Mi Account and backups, which often go unnoticed. All instructions are relevant for devices on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS, including the Redmi models, POCO and flagship Xiaomi 13/14 series.

1. Search and delete files of the previous device manually

Start by checking the obvious storage locations, and even after resetting, files from Download, DCIM, or MIUI folders can still be in memory.

• 📁 Open the File Manager (File Manager) application) → Go to the Device section.
• 🔍 In the search bar, enter the folder names: Backup, MIUI, Xiaomi or the name of the previous owner, if known).
• 🗑️ Delete the folders you find with backups (.bak,.mbk) and temporary files (.tmp).
• 📸 Check the folder. DCIM/.thumbnails — Here you can store miniatures of photos from another device.

Note the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder, where MIUI automatically backs up applications and settings, which can weigh several gigabytes, but you need to delete them carefully:

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder MIUI/system — It contains critical files for the firmware to work. MIUI/extra, unless they are sure of their appointment.

For convenience, use file sorting by date of creation. Files created before your first phone setup are likely to belong to the previous device. To see hidden folders, turn on the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings (Settings → Show hidden files).

💡

If you have photos or videos with geotags in your phone's memory, check them through the Gallery app. Click on the file → Details → see the date of the shooting and location. This will help identify other people's media files.

2. Clearing the cache and data of applications associated with the Mi Account

Even after deleting files, the memory may still be the data of the Mi Account account linked to another device, such as the cache of system applications such as Mi Cloud, Mi Share or Security, to clear them:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type Mi Cloud (or Xiaomi Cloud).
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the cache and Clear the data.
4. Repeat the steps for applications: Security, Mi Share, Backup.

If you see com.xiaomi.account or com.miui.cloudservice in the list of applications, these are Mi Account system services. They can't be deleted, but you can reset:

Critical: If the phone was linked to someone else’s Mi Account, make sure to log out of the account before clearing these apps (Settings → Xiaomi Account → Sign out). Otherwise, the device may be blocked due to the protection of Mi Cloud.

3. Resetting to factory settings: complete memory cleanup

If manual methods don't work, the most reliable way to remove any traces of another device is hard reset, which erases all data, including:

• 📱 System and application settings
• 👤 Accounts (except Mi Accounts if no exit is made)
• 📁 Files in internal memory (except memory card)
• 🔄 Backup data MIUI

Instructions for MIUI and HyperOS:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version line to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
4. Select Resetting → Erase all data.
5. Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices, the path may be different: Settings → Memory. → Data reset. Once reset, the phone will reboot and require initial setup, like after purchase.

If your phone is locked or does not respond to touch, use Recovery mode:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.

Make a backup copy of your data|Remember passwords from accounts|Make sure the battery is charged >50%|Sign out of your Mi Account (if your phone is not yours)|Delete the memory card (if any)-->

4.Data deletion via ADB: for power users

If standard methods don't work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) for deep cleaning, which is a good way to remove system files that aren't visible in Explorer.

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Drivers and Platform Tools.
• 📱 Initiated debugging mode USB phone-on.
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original or quality).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and allow debugging over USB.
2. Open the command line (cmd) in the folder with the platform-tools.
3. Enter the command to view the list of devices: Adb devices Make sure your phone appears in the list.
4. To delete all data of another user, perform: adb shell pm clear com.xiaomi.account adb shell pm clear com.miui.cloudservice adb shell rm -rf /sdcard/MIUI/backup/* adb shell rm -rf /sdcard/Download/*

These teams will clear:

• 🔑 Mi Account Information (if not linked to current account).
• ☁️ Local copies of cloud files.
• 📁 Backup copies MIUI loading.

⚠️ Attention: Rm teams -rf They delete files permanently. Don't use them for folders. /system or /data, If you don't understand the consequences, an error can lead to a device blinking!

5. Verification and deletion of data through Mi Cloud

If the previous owner synced the data to Mi Cloud, they could stay in cloud storage tied to the device to delete them:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Check the Photos, Notes, Contacts and Backups sections.
3. Delete unnecessary files or turn off sync for specific types of data.

If you see other people's backups:

• 📱 Go to Mi Cloud. → Backup copies.
• 🗑️ Find copies with the name of another device (e.g. Redmi Note 10 if you have Xiaomi 13).
• 🚫 Remove them by clicking on three dots next to the copy → Delete.

If the cloud requires a password from a previous account, reset your phone (Section 3) and create a new Mi Account.This is the only way to untie your device from someone else's cloud.

💡

Even after a phone is reset, data in Mi Cloud can be stored for up to 30 days. To delete it permanently, link the phone to a new account and manually clear the cloud.

6. How to avoid the reappearance of other people’s data

To prevent files from other Xiaomi devices from appearing in your phone’s memory in the future, follow these rules:

• 🔄 Turn off automatic backup in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
• 🚫 Do not connect to other people’s Wi-Fi hotspots with a name Xiaomi_XXXX or MiWiFi_XXXX — This can trigger data exchange between devices.
• 📴 Use a separate Mi Account for each device if you have multiple Xiaomi smartphones in your family.
• 🔍 Check the folder regularly MIUI/backup availability of new files.

If you frequently transfer files between Xiaomi devices via Mi Share or Quick Share, clear the cache of these apps after each use.

1. Open the Settings → Applications → Mi Share.
2. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
3. Repeat for Quick Share (if any).

We also recommend that you disable Automatic File Download to Mi Cloud if you are not actively using the cloud, which will prevent you from downloading backups from other devices linked to the same account to your phone.

Frequently asked questions