Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which are based on the shell MIUI or HyperOS, accumulate huge amounts of data during active use. One of the most invisible to the user, but the bulk storage of information is the section of multimedia messages and text notifications. Many device owners face a situation where free space is running out, and standard methods of cleaning the cache do not give the desired result. It is at this point that the question arises about how to effectively delete messages in the Xiaomi smartphone, freeing valuable megabytes of internal memory.
The process of deleting correspondence may seem trivial, but in the Xiaomi ecosystem there are different types of messages, each of which requires a personal approach. SMS-messages, multimedia MMS, Service notifications from banks or messages via the proprietary Mi Talk service. Understanding the differences between these formats is critical, as deleting one type of data does not always affect the others, and the methods of cleaning them can vary significantly depending on the version of the operating system.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways that message logs can be cleaned, and we will look not only at standard methods through the message menu, but also at deeper ways to clean them through application storage settings. You'll learn how to delete dialogs, how to clean attachments, and what to do if a standard application doesn't work properly. SMS-databases without backup can lead to irretrievable loss of confirmation codes and important correspondence.
Basic removal of dialogs in the Messages annex
The easiest and most obvious way to get rid of unnecessary correspondence is to use the standard application interface. Xiaomi smartphones default Messages app, which is often based on the Google Messages engine or MIUI's own solution. To delete a particular dialog, you just open the application, find the right person in the list and click on it, holding your finger for one to two seconds. This action activates the selection mode, allowing you to mark one or more dialogs for subsequent removal.
Once the dialogs are highlighted, the toolbar will appear on the screen, usually located at the top or bottom of the display, and you need to find a basket icon or a button that says "Delete." Pressing this element will trigger the process of erasing selected correspondence from the device's memory. The system may request confirmation of action to prevent accidental data loss, especially if you delete a large amount of information.
It is important to note that removing the dialog from the list does not always mean instantaneously freeing up disk space if the correspondence contained heavy media files. In some versions of the MIUI shell, files can remain in hidden cache folders until full cleaning is done.
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Use Archiving before deleting if you doubt the importance of correspondence, which will hide the dialogue from the shared list, but keep it available in a separate folder if necessary.
If you want to delete individual messages within a dialogue, rather than the entire conversation, the algorithm changes a little. Open a particular chat, press and hold your finger on a particular message that needs to be removed. In the menu that opens, select the delete option. In newer versions of the interface, a multiple choice feature is also available, allowing you to highlight several disparate messages within a single correspondence thread.
Massive removal and cleanup of history
When hundreds of dialogs have accumulated, deleting them one at a time becomes inefficient. In such situations, the mass deletion features built into the Messages app come to the rescue. To take advantage of this opportunity, go to the main menu of the application, which is usually called by clicking three dots in the corner of the screen or a special menu button. In the open list of options, you need to find the option “Settings” or immediately “Dele posts”.
In the cleaning menu, the system will offer you several scenarios, so you can choose to delete all messages, messages from unknown numbers or correspondence over a certain period, which is especially convenient for maintaining order in the smartphone without the need to manually analyze each contact, select the desired criterion, and the system will automatically mark all suitable dialogs to delete.
- 📲 Delete Everything: Completely clean the messaging database, including incoming and outgoing messages.
- 📅 By date: deletion of correspondence older than 3 months, six months or a year.
- 👤 Sending: Selectively removing messages from specific numbers or services.
- 🛡️ Spam: Cleaning up the folder of blocked and spam messages, which often grows to huge sizes.
Once you have selected the criteria, the system will show you the number of messages that will be deleted and request final confirmation. Be careful when using the Delete All function, as it will not be possible to recover data after this action by standard means. This is a powerful tool that should be used consciously, especially if you expect important confirmation codes or notifications from service providers.
⚠️ Note: Mass deletion does not apply to messages stored on SIM-They require a separate procedure through the settings. SIM-menu.
Removing multimedia attachments and cleaning the cache
Text messages take up negligible space, but things change dramatically when it comes to MMS and attachments. Photos, videos and voice recordings received or sent through the message app are stored in the device's memory and can take up gigabytes of space. Just by deleting the dialogue, you don't always delete the files themselves, which can be duplicated in the gallery or system folders.
For deep cleaning, you need to go to the app storage settings. On Xiaomi smartphones, you can do this through the Settings menu → Apps → All Apps → Messages. Here you are interested in Storage or Memory. In this section, you will see a detailed breakdown of memory: how much text weighs, and how much cache and media files.
Clicking on the Clear or Delete button will reset the application to factory status. Importantly, the Clear Cache button is secure and will only delete temporary files, whereas Delete Data can erase the entire message base if it is not synced to the cloud. Use this feature with caution by backing up important information beforehand.
Where are the MMSs physically stored on Xiaomi?
It's also worth checking the Downloads folder and the gallery. Often, images from messages are automatically saved there. Go through the Messages or MMS album in the gallery and delete unnecessary files manually, which ensures that you free up space that wasn't affected when you deleted the text part of the correspondence.
Working with Mi Talk and RCS Messages
Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter the message “Mi Talk” or the function of RCS (Rich Communication Services), which is an improved standard of messages that allows you to send messages over the Internet, similar to instant messengers, Deleting such messages has its nuances, as they can sync with a cloud account Mi Account or Google account.
If you use Mi Talk, your messages may be available on other devices associated with your account. Deleting your phone correspondence can (depending on your sync settings) delete it on your tablet or web version. To manage this, go to your Mi Account settings and check the sync section.
- ☁️ Sync: Check if Message Sync with Mi Cloud is enabled.
- 🌐 RCS-Chats: To disable the function, go to message settings and select “Chat Functions”, then turn off the service.
- 🗑️ Local Deletion: Make sure you delete messages from your local database, rather than just hiding them.
For users who do not use Mi Talk services, these messages can be just information noise. They can be deleted in a standard way, like regular SMS. However, if you plan to completely abandon the service, it is better to turn it off in the settings so that messages do not accumulate in a separate tab or interfere with the normal operation of SMS.
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RCS and Mi Talk messages take up more space due to the high quality of the media files being transmitted, so cleaning them regularly is critical for owners of low-cost models with low storage capacity.
Comparison of methods of message cleanup
The choice of removal method depends on your ultimate goal: whether you need to make room, hide information from outsiders or just clean up. Below is a table that will help you choose the best way to solve your situation. Each method has its advantages and risks that must be considered before starting surgery.
| Method | What's removed | Recovery | Risk of data loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deletion of dialogue | Text and dialogue attachments | Only from the backup. | High-pitched |
| Clearing the cache | Temporary files | Not required | Low. |
| Deletion of annex data | The entire messaging database | Only from the backup. | critical |
| Removal from the basket | Gallery files | Impossible. | High-pitched |
As you can see from the table, the most radical method is to clean the application data, which should only be used in extreme cases, such as when an application crashes or before selling a device, and for daily use, standard deleting of dialogs and periodic cleaning of media files is enough.
Remember, deleting messages from your device doesn't delete them from the recipient. If you send an error message, deleting it from your phone won't fix the situation. For these cases, there are "cancel sending" features in some instant messengers, but in classic SMS, this is not possible.
Recovery of deleted messages and backup
Before you permanently delete important messages, you should consider backing up. Xiaomi smartphones have a powerful backup tool built in. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Restore. Here you can select Messages and create a copy on your internal drive or in the Mi Cloud.
If you accidentally delete important messages, you can try to restore them from this backup. The recovery process will take a few minutes and return not only text, but also call history if you select the appropriate items. This is the only reliable way to return data without using specialized and often paid PC software.
⚠️ Warning: Regular backups are the only guaranteed way to protect against accidental data loss.Don't rely on "maybe" when cleaning up memory.
There are also third-party applications for data recovery, but their effectiveness is not guaranteed, especially if it has been a long time since deletion or memory sectors have been rewritten. So backup prevention is always more effective than treatment. Set up automatic backup once a week to always have a rollback point.