What files can be deleted on Xiaomi: a complete list of safe and dangerous data

Xiaomi smartphones are known for their functionality, but over time, even the most productive models - from budget Redmi to flagship Mi or Mi. POCO — They start to slow down because of overcrowded memory, and it's often not because of the lack of space, but because of the accumulated digital debris: temporary files, remnants of deleted applications, duplicate photos and cache of system processes. However, not all files can be deleted without risk – some are critical for stable operation. MIUI.

In this article, we’ll look at which files can be safely deleted on Xiaomi and which ones shouldn’t be touched, even if they take up gigabytes. You’ll learn how to distinguish system debris from important data, which folders are responsible for the app cache, and how to properly clean your device without using third-party “optimizers” that often make it worse. We’ll also look at hidden MIUI mechanisms that aren’t written about in standard instructions – for example, why extra gigabytes appear after a system update and how to return them.

Why Xiaomi is running out of memory fast (and what to do about it)

Xiaomi’s main problem with smartphones is its aggressive caching policy: MIUI actively saves temporary files to speed up applications, but often forgets to delete them. For example, after watching videos on YouTube or TikTok, fragments of videos up to 500 MB can remain in memory, and messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp download media files in the background, even if you did not ask.

Another common reason is duplicate photos and videos: The Gallery app in MIUI automatically creates thumbnails and backups, and the Mi Cloud service can sync the same files multiple times, resulting in identical images with different names appearing on the device, taking place in vain.

• 📱 Application cache: Temporary files that should be deleted automatically but often remain.
• 🗑️ Remnants of Remote Programs: Folders and Application Settings You Uninstalled Long Ago.
• 📁 Hidden system logs: debugging files (.log,.dump) that are created when crashes.
• 🔄 Duplicate media files: copies of photos and videos created MIUI or third-party services.

Before you start cleaning, check what exactly takes up space. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone → Memory (or Settings → Storage in newer versions of MIUI). Here you will see the allocation of memory into categories: System, Applications, Media and Other. If the Other section** takes up more than 5-10 GB, this is a sure sign of litter.

What files can be deleted on Xiaomi without risk

Now, to the most important, the list of files and folders that can be safely deleted, all fall into three categories: application cache, temporary system data, and user debris (duplicates, unused files), and we'll go into detail below.

1. Application cache and system cache

Cache is a temporary file that is created by apps to speed up work, like Google Chrome saves copies of the pages visited, and Instagram saves thumbnails of the stories viewed, and removing the cache will not harm the system, but it can slow down programs a little when they first start after cleaning.

How to delete:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 📌 Select an app (such as Facebook or YouTube).
• 🗑️ Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data button – this will delete all settings and accounts!).

To clean the cache of all applications at the same time:

1. Open Settings → Storage → Cache data.
2. Confirm the removal (the system will show the total amount of vacated space).

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If after cleaning the cache, the application began to work slower, just restart it - the system will create new temporary files.

2. Download folder (Download)

This folder is a real dumpster on most smartphones.

• 📄 PDF-files you opened once a year ago.
• 🎵 Audio files from messengers or social networks.
• 📦 Archives (.zip,.rar) that have already been unpacked.
• 📎 Investments from letters or work chats.

Generally, 90% of files in Download can be deleted. To avoid losing something important, sort files by date (from old to new) and check the last 1-2 months.

3. DCIM/.thumbnails folder

This folder stores thumbnails of all photos and videos from the Gallery, which are used for fast downloading previews, but often take up 1-3 GB of space. Deleting thumbnails will not hurt the original files, but after cleaning the gallery will load a little longer when you first open.

Path to the folder:

/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails

You can delete all files inside this folder manually (via any file manager, such as Mi File Manager) or use the cleanup function in Settings → Storage → Other → Miniatures (not available on all versions of MIUI).

4 Logs and dumps (.log,.dump,.tmp)

These files are created by the system when crashed or debugged, and are only needed by Xiaomi developers and technical support, and are useless for ordinary users, but can take up to 500 MB-1 GB of space.

Where to look:

• /storage/emulated/0/log/
• /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.xiaomi.market/files/log/ (Mi App Store logs)
• /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/debug_log/

All files with.log,.dump or.tmp extensions can be deleted without risk, and if problems arise after cleaning, the system will create new logs if necessary.

5 Remains of Remote Applications

When you delete an app through Play Market or Settings → Apps, its main files are erased, but often remain:

• 📁 Folders with settings in /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/.
• 🗃️ Cash and temporary files in /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/.
• 📎 Configuration files (.xml,.db).

To completely remove the traces of unnecessary programs:

1. Open a file manager with root permissions (such as Root Explorer) or use the standard Mi File Manager.
2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ and find folders with names of remote applications (e.g. com.facebook.katana for Facebook).
3. Delete these folders manually.

Clear the cache of all applications|Remove old files from the Download folder|Erase miniatures (.thumbnails)|Remove logs and dumps (.log,.dump)|Remove the Remnants of Remote Applications in /Android/data-->

What files cannot be deleted (risk of damage to the system)

Not all files on Xiaomi are as harmless as cache or thumbnails. Some folders and extensions are critical to MIUI and Android. Deleting them can lead to looping the boot, loss of functionality, or even “bricking” the device (turning into a “brick”). Below is a list of things that you absolutely can’t touch.

It is especially dangerous to delete files in /system/ or /vendor/ folders, which will cause the device to fail and require flashing through Fastboot. If you are not sure about the purpose of the file, it is better not to risk it. In extreme cases, make a backup using Mi PC Suite or adb backup.

⚠️ Note: Never delete files with build.prop names, boot.img, recovery.img or any items in folders /dev/, /proc/. This is the core of the system, and damaging them will make the phone unusable.

How to find and remove duplicate photos and videos

One of the main memory eaters on Xiaomi is duplicate media files, which appear for several reasons:

• 📸 MIUI Gallery automatically creates backup copies when editing photos.
• ☁️ Cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Photos) sync files several times.
• 🤖 Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) save the sent/received media to separate folders.

To find and remove duplicates:

Method 1: Built-in MIUI function

1. Open the gallery. → press three points (⋮) → «Management».
2. Select "Dublicates"** → the system will show all similar files.
3. Mark unnecessary copies and click "Delete"**.

Method 2: Third-party applications

If you don’t have a built-in tool (on older versions of MIUI), use:

• 📱 Files by Google (there is a function of searching duplicates).
• 🔍 Duplicate Files Fixer (Scans by Content, Not Names).
• 🖼️ Remo Duplicate Photos Remover (specialized in images).

When you delete duplicates, pay attention to the size and date of creation. Often the original and the copy differ by only a few bytes (because of metadata).

Clean Memory with Recovery and Fastboot Modes

If the phone is heavily littered or "brakes" even after manual cleaning, you can use hardware recovery modes, which allow you to reset the cache of the system or perform a full reset to factory settings. Importantly, these methods are more radical than conventional cleaning, and require caution.

1.Cache clearing through Recovery

This method only deletes temporary system files without affecting user data, which is suitable if the phone started to glitches after the MIUI update.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select “Wipe & Reset” → “Wipe Cache”.

2. reset to factory settings (Hard Reset)

This method deletes all data, including apps, photos and settings, and only use it as a last resort if other methods have not worked.

⚠️ Warning: Before reset, make sure to back up via Mi Cloud or adb backup. After Hard Reset, it will be impossible to recover data!

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select “Erase all data”**.
3. Confirm the action (you will need to enter a password if it is set).

Alternative methods through Recovery:

1. Go to Recovery Mode (as described above).
2. Select "Wipe & Reset» → «Wipe All Data».

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Cache cleaning via Recovery is a safe way to fix lags after a MIUI update. Reset to factory settings should only be used if the phone is not working at all or infected with a virus.

Automatic cleaning: MIUI settings to maintain order

To avoid manually cleaning your memory, set up MIUI to automatically remove garbage.

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Cleaning.
2. Activate the "Autoclean" option**.
3. Set up a schedule (e.g., “Every week”).

It is also useful to include:

• 🗑️ «Cleaning when locking** – removes the cache when the screen is turned off.
• 📂 «Smart Cleanup** – Analyzes unused files and suggests removing them.
• ☁️ «Cloud Storage Optimization* – Replaces local files with cloud links (saves space).

If your Xiaomi model supports Mi Cloud, enable photo sync in original quality, but with the option “Optimize device storage”**.This will remove local copies, leaving files in the cloud.

What to do if the place is not freed after cleaning

Sometimes, even after deleting gigabytes of files, the space doesn't increase, and the reasons may be:

1. Files are busy with processes: some apps (like Telegram or Google Drive) lock files while you're working.Reboot your phone and re-clean.
2. Hidden system files: folders like /data/log/ or /cache/ may not be available without root rights. Use ADB to delete them: adb shell su rm -rf /data/log/* rm -rf /cache/*

If the problem persists, try transferring apps to a memory card (if supported):

1. Go to Settings → Applications.
2. Select the application → “Storage” → “Change”.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleanup on Xiaomi