How to completely clean Xiaomi of unnecessary files and applications

Xiaomi smartphones are known for their functionality, but over time, even the most productive device begins to “brake” because of the accumulated digital garbage: app cache, residual files after uninstallation, duplicate photos, unnecessary APKs and system logs. If your Redmi, POCO or Mi began to work slower, and memory runs out after a couple of photos, it’s time to do a general cleaning.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to clean up, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features and manually delete system files (without the risk of “bricking”). You’ll learn how to safely get rid of Xiaomi’s built-in apps that can’t be removed in the usual way, how to clear the cache without losing data, and what programs really help free up space. And a unique method of resetting “soft” settings that returns the smartphone to factory speed without losing personal files.

Important: Procedures differ for MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS devices. We will point out differences where critical. If your model is older than 2019 (like the Redmi Note 7 or Mi 9), some methods may not work, and we will warn you about this in advance.

1. Standard MIUI Tools: What Can Be Removed Without Risk

Let's start with the safest one, the built-in utilities, and even if you've never cleaned your phone, these steps will free up 3 to 7 GB of storage in 10 minutes.

Open the Security app (the shield icon) and go to Cleanup, where the system automatically scans:

• 🗑️ Application cache — temporary files that can be deleted without consequences, accumulates up to 1-3 GB per month of active use.
• 📁 Unnecessary APK and OBB — Remnants of remote games (for example, PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact can take up to 500MB.
• 📷 Duplicate photos — MIUI Finds similar images with a difference of several pixels (useful after importing from Google Photos).
• 📄 Large files – videos, archives and documents over 50MB that you haven’t accessed in a long time.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from the Download section through this utility - it often marks as "unnecessary" fresh documents (such as tickets or scans.

Once cleaned, restart your phone, and if less than 1 GB of space is added, you've got a lot of debris going deeper, so move on to the next section.

2. Remove the built-in Xiaomi applications (including those that are not removed)

MIUI and HyperOS are sinning with pre-installed software that can't be removed in the standard way, and it's Mi Video, Mi Music, GetApps, Mi Pay, and a dozen other utilities that take up space and work in the background. Here's how to get rid of them:

Method 1: Disconnect via settings (without root)

This method does not delete application files, but stops them from working and hides from the menu:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show all apps.
3. Find an unnecessary app (such as Mi Browser) and open the page.
4. Click Disable → Disable the app (not “Delete Updates”!).

⚠️ Note: Do not disable system services called com.android., miui. or qualcomm. – this can lead to loss of functionality (for example, Bluetooth or mobile network will stop working.

Method 2: Complete removal via ADB (for advanced)

If the shutdown isn’t enough, you can permanently uninstall apps using Android Debug Bridge (ADB).This requires a PC connection, but guarantees a 200-500MB release on the system partition.

Instructions:

1. Download ADB Tools and unpack it into the C:\adb folder.
2. On the phone, activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings → About the phone).
3. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
4. Connect your phone to your PC, open the command line in the adb folder and type:

adb devices

If the device is identified, enter a command to delete (for example, for Mi Browser):

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser

💡 Useful tip: Before deleting, back up via adb backup or Mi Cloud. If you experience problems after deleting (for example, the camera stops working), restore the application with the command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.browser

Download ADB Tools on PC

Enable the developer mode on Xiaomi

Activate debugging over USB

Connect your phone to your PC with the original cable

Backup of important data-->

3. Cleaning the cache and application data manually

Auto-cleaning through Security doesn’t always remove deep cache — files that apps create to speed things up. For example, Instagram can take up 1GB of cache only, and Google Maps can take up to 500MB of cards. Here’s how to clean it manually:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management and select the most “gluttonous” (sorting by size). Open its page and click:

• 🧹 Clear cache – deletes temporary files (safe for all applications).
• 🗃️ Clear the data – resets the application to the factory settings (remove logins, settings, save games!).

⚠️ Note: Do not clear system application data (such as Settings, Phone, or Messages) – this may result in resetting network settings or loss of SMS. Google Play Services: its cache can be cleaned every 1-2 months (releases up to 300 MB).

To speed up the process, use batch cleaning:

1. In Application Management, tap three points → Sort → By size.
2. Choose the first 10-15 apps (usually messengers, social networks and games).
3. For each, click Clear Cache.

🔹 Key takeaway: Regularly cleaning the cache (every 2-3 weeks) prevents “brakes” and saves up to 2-3 GB of memory. But don’t get carried away: some applications (such as Spotify) after cleaning the cache will take longer to load music.

4. Delete system logs and dumps (hidden files)

Xiaomi smartphones keep logcats, memory dumps (.dmp) and other utility files that rarely exceed 100MB but can accumulate for years. They are not visible in the standard conductor, but they take up space on the system partition.

To remove them:

1. Install Files by Google or Solid Explorer.
2. Enable the display of hidden files (in the Explorer settings).
3. Go to the folders: /data/log – system logs; /data/tombstones – error dumps; /data/anr – reports on “hangs” of applications.

Delete all files in these folders (they will be recreated if necessary).

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files in folders /system or /vendor — It will cause your phone to crash, and don't touch files with the.odex or.vdex extension, because they're needed to run your apps.

📌 Useful Lifehack: If you test beta versions often MIUI, file /data/log They can accumulate files of size 50–200 MBs are all there. They can be removed without risk -- they're just for debugging.

5. Resetting "soft" settings: return speed without data loss

If your phone is lagging, but you don't want to do a full reset (with loss of photos and apps), use a partial reset.

• 🔄 Network settings (Wi-Fi, mobile Internet);
• 🔊 Sound profiles and notifications;
• 🎯 Screen settings (brightness, color temperature);
• 🔧 Performance parameters (animation, background processes).

The following are retained:

• 📸 Photos, videos and documents;
• 📱 Installed applications and their data;
• 🔑 Google and Xiaomi accounts.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Reset all settings (not “Reset to factory”!).
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 2-5 minutes).

🔹 Key takeaway: This method helps 80% of the time the phone starts to “brake” after an update MIUI If the lags are left, proceed to a complete reset (section 6).

6. Full reset to factory settings: when and how to do

If none of the above works, then you have to put the hard reset, which is going to be a "out of the box" reset, and it will delete all the data, including:

• 📸 Photos and videos (unless saved in Google Photos or on PC);
• 📱 Applications and their settings;
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords and account details (except Google if your phone is linked to your account).

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) Reset can take up to 15 minutes - do not interrupt the process, even if the screen is out. On older models (Redmi Note 8 and earlier) after reset, you may need to re-activate the Mi Account after reset.

Step-by-step:

1. Backup through Settings → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
3. Enter. PIN-code (if installed) and confirm the reset.
4. After the reboot, perform the initial setup (select language, connect to Wi-Fi).
5. Restore data from the backup (but don’t restore your app settings – they may contain errors that caused your phone to slow down).

💡 Tip: If after resetting the phone still works slowly, check the status of the battery in Settings → Battery → Battery condition: Battery worn out (capacity) <80%) It can cause artificial productivity restriction.

7.Optimization after cleaning: how to prevent memory clogging

To prevent the phone from getting clogged with garbage again, follow these rules:

• 📵 Limit background activity: In Settings → Battery → Select Battery Mode Balanced or Charge Saving – This will reduce the amount of cache created by apps.
• 🚫 Block Ads: Install AdGuard or Blokada – they will prevent unnecessary banners that take up cache from loading.
• 🔄 Set up automatic cleaning: In safety → Cleanup → Settings enable Auto Cleanup and select a schedule (e.g. every Saturday at 3:00 am).
• 📥 Control Downloads: In Google Chrome or Mi Browser, turn off automatic file downloads in Settings → Downloads.

It is also useful to disable auto-update apps in Google Play:

1. Open Play Store → tap on the avatar → Settings → Network preferences → Auto-update applications.
2. Choose Not to Update Automatically.

📊 Optimization results: If these rules are followed, the smartphone will lose no more than 100-200 MB of “garbage” per month (vs. 1-3 GB without control).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cleanup