How to delete all SMS on Xiaomi: Deep Message Cleanup

Overflowing message memory can be a major problem for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones. When the drive is full, the device starts to work slower, and new notifications from banks or delivery services may simply not come.

Android and MIUI or HyperOS have mechanisms for quick cleaning, but they are not always obvious to the average user. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to remove all text messages on shaomi using standard tools and specialized utilities. We will look at the nuances of working with different versions of firmware and prevent the loss of important information.

The cleaning process requires care, as it is almost impossible to recover deleted messages without a prior copy. Below are proven methods to help free up space and speed up your gadget. It is important to understand the difference between removing from the bin and completely cleaning the database.

Standard cleaning through the Messages app

The easiest way to get rid of the accumulated garbage is to use the built-in functionality of the Messages application (Mi SMS), which requires no third-party software installation and is available on any Xiaomi device, but to remove thousands of messages, you need to know the correct sequence of actions.

Open the app and click on the menu button, which is usually represented by three dots or a basket icon in the top corner. In the list that appears, select the option "Delete." The system will prompt you to select specific dialogs or clear everything at once. If you want to delete all text messages on shaomi completely, select the corresponding checkbox.

• 📱 Press and hold your finger on one of the dialogs to activate the highlight mode.
• ✅ In the top menu, select "Select All" to instantly cover all correspondence.
• 🗑️ Click the red basket icon and confirm the action in the pop-up window.
• 🔄 If necessary, repeat the procedure for the Spam or Blocked folder".

It's worth noting that some versions of MIUI may have a "Clear All" feature, and if there's no such button, manually allocating all dialogs is the only standard option, and once deletion is confirmed, the data is moved to a basket where it's stored for 30 days.

For users who appreciate speed, there is a more radical method through app settings. Go to Settings → Apps → Messages. You can find the Clear or Reset button here, but beware: this method can remove not only text, but also notification settings.

⚠️ Before a mass clearing, make sure that there are no confirmation codes from banks or important passwords among the messages that you did not save elsewhere.

If the standard interface freezes when trying to highlight thousands of messages, try clearing the app's cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Messages → Clear the cache. This won't delete correspondence, but it can speed up the selection menu.

Remember that deleting messages frees up space in the system partition, but it doesn’t always immediately show up in the shared storage. Rebooting the device will help the system recalculate the amount of memory used.

Use of the "Basket" function and its cleaning

Modern versions of the HyperOS shell and the latest MIUI have a messaging cart feature, which is a useful option that prevents accidental data loss, but it also prevents the device from completely clearing its memory.

To get to this hidden storage, open the messaging app and find the Recycle Bin or Recently Deleted tab, which is usually hidden in the settings menu of the app itself or is available via a swipe in the dialog list, and stores all the texts you deleted for a set period.

For complete cleaning, follow the following steps:

• 💾 Open the Message Application Settings (three dots in the corner).
• 🗑️ Find the "Recently Deleted" or "Recently Deleted" section".
• 🧹 Select the “Clean the Cart” option or select all items manually.
• 🔒 Confirm irreversible deletion of data.

It is important to understand that once the shopping cart is cleaned, it becomes impossible to restore data using standard means. The SMS database is marked as free space that can be overwritten with new files at any time.

Some users complain that even after cleaning the basket, the space is not vacated, which may be due to caching of the system, in which case it is recommended to use the built-in tool "Security" from Xiaomi, which will conduct a deep cleaning of the system.

Mass removal via computer (ADB)

For advanced users who need to delete all text messages on shaomi as quickly and efficiently as possible, the method using a computer and an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging bridge is ideal, which allows you to manage the database of messages directly, bypassing the phone’s graphical interface.

Before you start, you need to turn on the developer mode on your smartphone. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version seven times. Then activate USB Debugging in advanced settings. Connect the phone to your PC with a cable.

adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.telephony

This command will completely clear the telecommunications service provider, which will result in the removal of all SMS and MMS. Be extremely careful: this method does not require confirmation and acts instantly. Alternatively, you can use the command to delete specific dialogs if you know their ID.

If you don’t want to use commands, there are graphical shells for ADB, such as Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools.They let you manage messages through a user-friendly interface on Windows or macOS. This is especially handy if you need to save logs or do selective keyword cleaning.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-A syntax error can lead to the deletion of the wrong data or unstable operation of system applications.

The advantage of this method is that it's faster, even tens of thousands of messages will be deleted in a split second, and it also allows you to bypass possible interface bugs when the phone freezes when you try to highlight many objects.

After the procedure is performed through the computer, it is recommended to restart the device, which will start the optimization of the SQLite database, which will positively affect the performance of the system as a whole.

Third-party applications for managing SMS

If the built-in tools don't seem functional enough, Google Play offers a variety of messaging apps, led by Google's Backup & Restore SMS and Messages, which not only allow you to delete, but also sort and archive your emails.

Annex SMS Backup & Restore is especially useful if you want to save important messages first and then delete everything else. XML-A copy of your correspondence that you can open on your computer, and once you have built-in backups, you can clean up the entire database.

• 📲 Install the application from a reliable source (Google Play).
• 📂 Give the necessary permissions to access SMS and contacts.
• 💾 Backup important data (optional).
• 🧹 Use the "Delete All" or "Clean" function in the app menu.

Another popular option is Google Messages. If you use it as your primary application, the cleaning process is similar to the standard one, but the interface can be more responsive. Google Messages also has a Clean Old Messages feature that deletes messages older than 30 days automatically.

Using third-party software gives you flexibility, but requires caution with permissions. Giving access to SMS to a third-party application potentially reduces the security of your data, as the application gains full control over incoming correspondence, including 2FA codes.

Some cleaners promise to speed up the phone by removing SMS. Often this is a marketing ploy. The real performance gains will only be noticeable if the messaging database has grown to a giant size (hundreds of megabytes).

Automation of cleaning with scenarios

Xiaomi smartphone owners can use the built-in Scenarios app (formerly Mi Automation) or third-party counterparts like MacroDroid, which allows you to automatically delete messages according to certain criteria, such as from specific senders or older than a certain date.

Creating a script doesn't require programming skills. → Action. For example, you can set up automatic deletion of all messages from service numbers (Short Codes) immediately after reading them.

Example of script settings in MacroDroid:

• 🔔 Trigger: Receiving SMS (contains text "code" or from number 5 digits).
• ⏱️ Waiting: 1 minute (for you to read).
• 🗑️ Action: Delete the last SMS.

This approach allows you to keep inbox clean without your involvement, but be careful with setting up automatic deletion: if you set the rule too aggressively, you may miss important notifications from delivery services or two-factor authorization.

The Message Filter is also available for MIUI users, and by enabling it in your message settings, you can send all your ad spam to a separate folder, which can then be easily cleared with a single touch without touching your personal emails.

Recovery of deleted messages

Often the question of how to delete all texts on shaomi arises after the user accidentally erased important information. Unfortunately, Android does not have a global shopping cart for all applications, and recovery is not always possible.

The first place to look for lost data is Google Drive or Mi Cloud, and if you have SMS sync enabled, you can recover it when you reset your phone or, in some cases, through the cloud web interface. Go to your Google account settings and check the App Data section.

If synchronization was not enabled, you can try specialized data recovery software such as Dr.Fone or DiskDigger, which scans the internal memory for residual records in the SQLite database. The effectiveness depends on how long it has been since the deletion.

There is a myth that messages can be recovered through a carrier. It's not true. Operators only store metadata (who sent it to whom and when) for billing, but not text messages, as this violates privacy laws in many countries.

For the best chance of success, immediately after accidentally deleting, turn on aeronautical mode, which prevents new data from being written over remote memory sectors, then connect the phone to your PC and start scanning.

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Tip: Set up automatic SMS sync with Google Drive right now. It will take a minute, but it will save your nerves in the future if you accidentally delete important correspondence.

Table of comparison of removal methods

To make it easier for you to choose the right method, we have prepared a comparative table that will help you assess the risks and labor costs of each method.

As you can see from the table, for most users, the optimal balance of speed and security is to use a regular menu with all the dialogues pre-selected. Methods with ADB are suitable only for advanced users who understand the consequences of their actions.

Cleaning messages regularly is a good habit that prolongs the life of a smartphone: Don’t wait until your memory is full, do a prophylaxis every few months, and this is especially true for low-end Redmi models with little built-in storage.

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The safest way to clean bulk is to use the built-in “Select All” function in the Messages app, followed by cleaning the cart.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)