Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones sooner or later face a shortage of free space. The MIUI system or the new HyperOS actively create various directories for applications to work, which leads to the accumulation of digital garbage. Deleting unnecessary folders is not just a way to free up space, but also the ability to structure data.
However, the cleaning process requires care, as deleting system directories can disrupt the operating system. In this article, we will discuss safe methods for cleaning storage, using built-in conductor and working with files on a computer.
You will learn to distinguish user data from mission-critical system files, and this knowledge will help keep your smartphone running at a high level without the risk of damaging the software.
Analysis of storage occupancy before removal
Before you start taking drastic measures and removing directories, you need to understand what exactly occupies space. Xiaomi's built-in tools provide detailed statistics, but it's better to use specialized utilities for deep analysis.
The standard memory analyzer only shows general categories, hiding the real size of hidden folders, and using third-party applications allows you to see the full picture of the internal storage.
- 📊 Data visualization helps you quickly find the heaviest files.
- 🗑️ Removing messenger cache often frees up gigabytes of space.
- 📁 Hidden folders can take up to 30% of the useful volume.
Special attention should be paid to the folders of messengers, such as Telegram or WhatsApp, which tend to grow to giant sizes, storing media files in separate directories, which are often duplicated.
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Before removing large amounts of data, it is recommended to back up important contacts and photos to the Mi Cloud or Google Photos cloud service.
Using a built-in conductor for cleaning
The safest way to manage files is to use Xiaomi’s standard Explorer app, which has a user-friendly interface and automatically sorts files into categories, making navigation easier.
To access hidden folders, you need to activate the appropriate option in the Explorer settings, which will allow you to see all directories, including those created by systems or applications without explicit notice.
When you delete folders through this interface, the system can request permission confirmation, which is a normal Android security response to prevent the accidental deletion of important data.
☑️ Check before deleting the folder
Navigation is done through the top menu, where you can switch to displaying internal memory, and here are the main directories such as DCIM, Download and Android.
Removing user folders and downloads
The largest amount of garbage is usually accumulated in the download folder.Browsers and social networks save all open files here, creating chaos from documents and images.
To clear this partition, go to the root directory and find the Download folder, and you can safely delete APK installation files, old documents, and temporary images inside.
⚠️ Note: Deleting the entire Download folder is secure, the system will create it again, but you will lose all files that you did not have time to move or save.
It's also worth checking the folders of social networks like Viber or Instagram, which often create their own directories at the root of memory, where they store avatars, stickers and cache.
Regularly cleaning these directories prevents the interface from slowing down.The Xiaomi file system works faster when indexing is not overloaded with thousands of small, unnecessary files.
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Custom folders at the root of memory can be deleted without fear, if you are sure that they are not related to system processes or games.
Working with Android and OBB system folders
The Android directory is one of the most important in the file system structure, and it houses the data and obb subfolders that store app data and game cache.
Deleting the contents of the obb folder will cause heavy games to stop running and require re-loading resources.This can take a lot of time and traffic.
The data folder stores the settings and application logs, and cleaning up that directory is like completely resetting all installed programs to "as after installation."
| folder | Appointment | Can I remove it? | Effects of removal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android/obb | Cash hard games. | No (unnecessarily) | Games will stop working |
| Android/data | Application data | Careful. | Resetting application settings |
| MIUI | System Logs | No. | There may be a failure of MIUI. |
| Temp | Temporary files | Yes. | Safe, free up space. |
Modern versions of Android (11 and above) restrict access to the Android/data folder for third-party applications, which may require special permission or a PC connection.
How to access the Android/data newer?
Delete folders through connection to the computer
Connecting a smartphone to a computer through USB-The cable gives you the most complete control over the file system, and this mode displays all the hidden and system folders that are available for modification.
After you connect, select the USB mode "File Transfer" in the notification curtain. On your computer, open the device in "My Computer" and go to the internal drive.
It's convenient to do mass removal. Highlight unnecessary directories and press Shift + Delete for irrevocable removal, bypassing the basket, which will speed up the cleaning process.
Use this method to transfer large archives of photos and videos to your hard drive, which will free up precious space on your phone’s flash memory that can’t be expanded with a memory card.
- 💻 The data transfer speed over cable is much higher than over Wi-Fi.
- 🔍 On a large screen, it is easier to sort files by date.
- 🛡️ Computer Antiviruses can check files before deleting them.
⚠️ Warning: Do not turn off the cable during the process of deleting or copying large files.This can cause file system damage and read errors.
Cleaning cache and temporary application files
Many users confuse deleting folders with clearing cache.Cache is temporary data that speeds up the launch of applications, but can take up a significant amount of volume over time.
Xiaomi has a built-in Cleanup tool that automatically finds and deletes temporary files, but it doesn’t always reach deep residual files.
To clean it more thoroughly, you can use the Apps section in your settings. Select a heavy app, click Memory, and then Clear Cache, which is safer than manually deleting entire folders.
Regular cache cleaning is especially useful for browsers and video services like YouTube or Netflix, which accumulate gigabytes of temporary data to quickly buffer video.
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Cache clearing doesn’t delete your logins, passwords, and game progress, unlike cleaning up app data.
Frequent questions and problem-solving
Even if all instructions are followed, users are often afraid to delete something extra or face a system ban on deleting.
Below are the answers to the most popular questions that will help you understand the nuances of the Xiaomi and HyperOS file system.