How to safely remove Thumbnails folder on Xiaomi Redmi: a step-by-step guide

The Thumbnails folder on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is one of those hidden directories that cover gigabytes of precious memory, and these thumbnails and videos are automatically created to speed up the gallery load, but over time they accumulate so many that they get in the way of slowing down the viewing of photos, the system issues warnings about memory shortages, and in some cases even errors when working with media files.

The problem is complicated by the fact that it's not easy to delete this folder: it's protected by the system, and when you delete it through the file manager, it quickly recovers. 5 We will provide proven methods of cleaning Thumbnails – from simple (for beginners) to advanced (for root-right users), as well as explain why the folder appears again and how to prevent its proliferation. 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10 and other popular devices with a shell MIUI 12-14.

What is Thumbnails folder and why it takes up so much space

Thumbnails folder (or.thumbnails in some versions) MIUI) — It's a system directory that stores downsized copies of all the images and videos on your smartphone, and it's created automatically when you first open the gallery, and it's updated every time you open it:

• 📷 View new photos in the Gallery or Google Photos app
• 🎥 Run the video through a standard player
• 🔍 Use the search functions for media files
• 📁 Connect the device to the PC in file transfer mode

The size of the folder may vary from 50 MB to 5-10 GB based on how many media files you see and how often you watch them. 11 Pro+ s 128 GB of memory users often encounter that Thumbnails takes up to 3-4 GB is equivalent to thousands of high-resolution photos!

The main problem is that the system doesn't clean the folder automatically, and even if you delete the original photos or videos, their thumbnails will stay in Thumbnails for years, and even more so, when you manually delete the folder, it is restored the next time you start the gallery.

Method 1: Clean through gallery settings (without root)

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in tools of the Gallery app, which is suitable for all Redmi models on the Internet. MIUI 12 and newer, including Redmi 10C, Redmi Note 12 Pro and others:

1. Open the Gallery app (a flower icon with petals).
2. Slip along three horizontal lines in the lower right corner (menu).
3. Select the Settings item → Cleaning the vault.
4. Click Clean thumbnails and confirm the action.

🔹 What happens is, the system deletes all the cached thumbnails, but the Thumbnails folder itself stays in place, and the next time you see the photo, it will start filling up again, but from scratch. 100-500 MB of memory, but does not solve the problem fundamentally.

Close all applications that work with media files

Connect the charger (in case of long-term processing)

Backup important photos (just in case)

Check the free space on your device (less than 10% can cause errors)-->

⚠️ Attention: If the gallery is slowing down after cleaning, it's normal. It will take time (minutes to an hour) for the system to regenerate thumbnails for commonly used files!

Method 2: Delete via file manager (with administrator rights)

If a standard cleaning didn’t work, you can try to remove the folder manually, and you’ll need a file manager with access to system directories, such as Mi File Manager (built-in) or Solid Explorer (from Google Play).

Step-by-step:

1. Open Mi File Manager (Blue folder icon)
2. Go to the Category section → Images.
3. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Show Hidden Files.
4. Go back to the root catalogue (/storage/emulated/0/) and find the folder. DCIM.
5. Inside. DCIM The.thumbnails folder (or just Thumbnails) will be the version MIUI).
6. Hold your finger on the folder, select Delete and confirm.

🔹 What if the folder doesn't get deleted? If the system says "failed to delete" error, you don't have the right to modify the system files:

• 🔧 Use of the ADB-Commands (section 4 of this article)
• 📱 Getting root rights (section 5)
• 🔄 Reboot your phone in Safe Mode (click the power button) → Restarting in Safe Mode)

💡

If the folder appears again after deleting, try turning off automatic thumbnail creation. → Additionally, find the "Create thumbnails" option and deactivate it. On some Redmi models, this option may be called "Cache previews".

Method 3: Cleaning with Recovery Mode (for advanced users)

If standard methods fail, you can use Recovery Mode, which is suitable for non-root devices, but requires care - incorrect actions can lead to resetting.

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the power buttons simultaneously + Increase the volume and hold them down. 10-15 A few seconds before the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset (use volume buttons for navigation and power button for confirmation).
4. Next, select Wipe Cache Partition (this won’t delete your data, just cache).
5. After cleaning, restart the device (Reboot System).

🔹 Method Efficiency: Cleaning the cache through Recovery deletes all temporary files, including thumbnails, but does not guarantee complete deletion of the Thumbnails folder:

• 📱 Gallery brakes when scrolling photos
• 🚫 The system emits a "lack of memory" error despite the space available
• 🔄 Thumbnails folder recovers immediately after manual deletion

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse Wipe Cache Partition with Wipe Data/Factory Reset – the second item will completely reset your smartphone to factory settings, removing all data!

Method 4: Removal through ADB (PC-only)

If the previous methods did not work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) — It's a tool for debugging Android devices through a computer, and it requires minimal technical skills, but it allows you to delete the Thumbnails folder without root rights:

🔹 Preparation:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. On your smartphone, activate Developer Mode: go to Settings → About the phone and tap on the version MIUI 7 times.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).

🔹 Execution of commands:

1. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
3. Grant permission to delete system files: adb shell Then: su (if it requests root, allow it on the phone).
4. Delete Thumbnails folder: rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails Or for new versions. MIUI: rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Thumbnails

🔹 What if the command doesn't work? If you type su, you get a "Permission denied" error, you don't have root rights on your device:

adb shell rm -rf /sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails

💡

Use of the ADB — One of the most effective ways to remove Thumbnails without root, but requires a connection to a PC. If you are not sure about your actions, you should use simpler methods (sections). 1-2).

Method 5: Complete removal with root rights (for power users)

If you are willing to take drastic measures, getting root rights will give you full control over system files, including the Thumbnails folder.

• 🔧 Can work with Magisk or SuperSU
• 📱 Ready to lose warranty (root deprives it on most devices)
• 🔄 Understand the risks (wrong actions can make your phone tick)

🔹 Instructions:

1. Get root rights with Magisk (see the XDA Developers forum for instructions for your model).
2. Install a root-enabled file manager, such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer.
3. Open the manager, provide root access and go along the way: /data/media/0/DCIM/
4. Delete the.thumbnails and Thumbnails folders (if you have both).
5. To prevent re-creation of the folder, change the directory rights DCIM: chmod 755 /data/media/0/DCIM/

🔹 How do you prevent Thumbnails from reappearing? You can make sure that the folder doesn't regenerate:

⚠️ Note: After obtaining root rights, some Xiaomi features may stop working, including:

• 🔒 Mi Pay (mobile payments)
• 📡 Wi-Fi Direct and Mi Share
• 🔄 Automatic updates MIUI through OTA

Why Thumbnails folder reappears and how to prevent it

Even after the successful removal of the Thumbnails folder, it will eventually recover. MIUI (And Android in general, is programmed to create thumbnails to make it faster, but there are ways to slow down the growth of media files or redirect the cache to another location.

🔹 The main reasons for the reappearance:

• 📷 Any action with a photo/video in a standard gallery
• 🔍 Search for media files via Mi Search or Google
• 📁 Connecting the phone to the PC in the file transfer mode (MTP)
• 🔄 Update Gallery app via Google Play

🔹 How to minimize folder growth:

1. Use alternative galleries (Google Photos, Simple Gallery) that store cache in their folders.
2. Turn off the automatic download of media files in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).
3. Clean gallery cache regularly through Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
4. Transfer frequently viewed photos to SD-The miniatures for files on the memory card are stored separately and do not clog internal memory.

Important: On devices with MIUI 14 The new Thumbnails folder can be stored not only in the DCIM, but /data/media/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/ — Check this path if standard methods don’t work.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to delete the Thumbnails folder, users often encounter typical problems, and here are the most common errors and their solutions:

🔹 Advice for owners of Redmi with MIUI 13+: If after all the manipulations the folder continues to recover, try rolling back the version of the Gallery app to an earlier one:

1. Remove Gallery Updates via Settings → Annexes → gallery → Three points. → Remove updates.
2. Turn off automatic updates to the app in Google Play.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions