How to remove excess with Xiaomi: complete memory cleanup without harming the phone

Xiaomi smartphones are known for their performance, but over time, even they start to slow down due to clogged memory. High-resolution photos, app cache, duplicate files and pre-installed MIUI services take up gigabytes of space you don’t even know you have. In this article, we’ll break down safe cleaning methods, from manual garbage removal to hidden system features that are rarely mentioned in standard instructions.

It's important to understand that not everything that's "extra" can be deleted without consequences, for example, cleaning the cache of some system applications (like com.miui.home) can cause the shell to malfunction, we'll show you which files you can touch and which ones you can only use as a last resort, and you'll also learn how to automate the process so you don't go back to cleaning every week.

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

Before you delete something, you need to understand what kind of data is eating away at memory. MIUI has a built-in analyzer, but it often hides some of the information. Here's how to get the whole picture:

Open Settings → About Phone → Memory. Here you will see a diagram of categories: Apps, Images, Video, etc. But this tool doesn't show you:

• 📁 Hidden folders (e.g.,.thumbnails with thumbnails or thumbnails) Android/data game-cache)
• 🔄 Duplicate files that are created when backing up
• 📱 Residual files after deleting applications (sometimes up to 500 MB)

For deep analysis, use third-party tools like Files by Google or SD Maid, which scan the memory at the file system level and find what MIUI misses. For example, SD Maid detects:

• 🗑️ Empty folders (remain after uninstallation of programs)
• 🔍 Zero size files (junk tags)
• 📂 Folders with the same content (duplicates of documents)

Notice the category "Other" in the MIUI analyzer, which is often hidden here:

• 📄 Logs of the system (/data/log)
• 🎵 Offline cache of music services (for example, Spotify or Yandex Music)
• 📡 Geolocation data (cache of Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator maps)

2.Cache cleaning: what can be removed and what can not

Cache speeds up applications, but eventually becomes the main source of garbage. There are two types of cache in MIUI:

1. Custom cache – temporary application files (can be deleted without risk)
2. System cache – shell and service data (cleanup may cause failures)

To safely clear the cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Instagram or Telegram).
3. Click Clear Cache (NOT Clear Data – this will delete accounts and settings!).

For mass cleaning, use the built-in tool:

1. Open Security. → Cleanup.
2. Select “Deep Clean” and tick off unnecessary files.
3. Click “Clean” (the system will automatically miss critical data).

Clear the cache only for custom applications

Don’t touch system processes (start with com.android or com.miui)

Close all active programs before cleaning.

After cleaning, restart the phone.-->

⚠️ Warning: Never clear the cache for com.miui.gallery and com.android.providers.media, which can cause photos to disappear and media to crash.

If you want to remove the cache completely (including system), do so through the Recovery mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
3. Select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (not to be confused with Wipe Data!).

3. Removal of pre-installed applications (bloatware)

Xiaomi is known for stuffing its smartphones with unnecessary apps, from Mi Browser to Mi Pay. Many of them can’t be removed by standard methods, but there are workarounds.

Method 1: Disconnect via settings (without root)

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find an unneeded app (such as Mi Music or Mi Video).
3. Click “Disable” (this hides it from the menu and stops background processes).

Method 2: Remove via ADB (for power users)

If the shutdown is not enough, you can completely remove system applications using ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

1. Turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on Version) MIUI» In Settings → The phone).
2. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.videoplayer (replace com.miui.videoplayer with the desired application package).

List of safe to remove MIUI packets:

⚠️ Note: Removing com.miui.home or com.android.settings will cause your phone to fail and can only be restored through a full reset or flashing.

4. Cleaning up multimedia: photos, videos and duplicates

Photos and videos are the main memory eaters, and even if you regularly transfer them to your PC, you still have:

• 📸 Miniatures (folder.thumbnails)
• 🎥 Cache of editors (for example, from CapCut or InShot)
• 🔄 Duplicates (created when imported from messengers)

To clean this up:

1. Use Google Photos to search for duplicates: open the app → click on the avatar → Free Place → Clear duplicates.
2. Delete the.thumbnails folder through the file manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
3. Clear the video editor cache in Settings → Apps → [Editor’s Name] → Clear the cache.

To automatically clean up your garbage from the gallery, install Files by Google:

1. Open the app and go to the “Cleanup” tab.
2. Select “Large Files” or “Dublicates”.
3. Review the files proposed for deletion and confirm the action.

💡

Before mass deleting photos, turn on the display of hidden files in the file manager settings, so you do not miss folders like.nomedia, which can take up to 1-2 GB.

5.Storage optimization: data portability and cloud services

If you're running out of memory and you don't want to delete anything, you can transfer it to an external drive or to the cloud. Here's how to do it effectively.

Transfer to microSD:

• 📁 Use the class memory card A2 (It works faster with applications).
• 🔄 V MIUI You can only transfer part of the application: → Annexes → [Choose] → Warehouse → Change. → Memory map.
• 📷 Port photos and videos manually through the file manager.

Cloud services:

• ☁️ Google Photos – automatically uploads photos and videos (you can turn on compression to save traffic).
• 📦 Mi Cloud – gives 5 GB for free, but only syncs contacts and notes (for media files is not suitable).
• 🔗 Yandex Drive or Mega – Allows you to download files of any type (up to 20 GB free).

To automatically upload photos to the cloud:

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Click on the avatar → “Photo settings” → “Backup and sync”.
3. Select “High Quality” (unlimited storage) or “Source” (place counter).

⚠️ Note: When you migrate applications to microSD, they may be slower. Do not transfer messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) to them - this will cause delays in notifications.

6. Hidden MIUI functions for memory release

Xiaomi hides a few useful cleaning tools that aren’t visible in the basic settings.

1. Light Mode (Light Mode)

Reduces background processes and frees up RAM:

1. Enable Developer Mode (as described above).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers → Easy mode.
3. Activate the option and restart the phone.

2. Cleaning through the engineering menu

Allows you to remove debris that is not visible in standard settings:

1. Dial in the dialer: ##4636##.
2. Select "Storage."
3. Click on Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data!).

3. Disconnecting automatic diagnostics

MIUI constantly collects data about phone usage, which takes place:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reviews and analytics.
2. Turn off Automatic Reporting.
3. Delete /data/data/com.miui.analytics folder via Root Explorer (superuser rights required).

7. Cleanup automation: setting up regular garbage disposal

To avoid manually cleaning your phone, set up automatic deletion of unnecessary files:

1. Cleaning Planner in MIUI

1. Open Security → Cleaning → Settings (cogs).
2. Turn on "Car Cleaner."
3. Select frequency (weekly or monthly) and file types (cache, temporary data).

2. Tasker for advanced users

With Tasker, you can create a task that will:

• 🗓️ Clean the cache every Saturday at 3:00.
• 📂 Remove files older than 30 days from the Download folder.
• 🔄 Notify about memory filling at 90%.

Example of Tasker's task:

1. Create a new task.
2. Add the Code → Run Shell action.
3. Type in the command: pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster (this will reset the cache of a standard cleaner).
4. Set the trigger for time (for example, once a week).

💡

Automated cleaning saves time, but does not replace manual checking. Regularly (every 1-2 months) analyze the memory manually to remove accumulated duplicates and unnecessary files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi memory cleanup