How to delete videos from Mi Video on Xiaomi: all ways (including hidden files)

The Mi Video app on Xiaomi smartphones automatically scans all video files on the device, creating a convenient gallery for viewing. However, deleting videos through the app itself often raises questions: files disappear from the Mi Video interface, but remain in the phone’s memory, taking up precious space. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to completely delete video — from standard to hidden MIUI functions, and also explain how to restore accidentally erased videos.

The problem is compounded by the fact that Xiaomi regularly updates the logic of com.miui.videoplayer (the internal name of the application). For example, MIUI 14 introduced a feature called “Smart Cleanup”, which can automatically archive old videos, and MIUI 15 – integration with Xiaomi Cloud, where files are duplicated without notifying the user. We tested all methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO X5 Pro models – instructions are relevant for all devices based on MIUI 2023-2026.

1. Standard Deletion via Mi Video: Why Files Stay in Memory

The most obvious way to remove it from the app interface is not as users expect it to work. When you click "Delete" in Mi Video, the file is:

• ✅ Disappears from the app gallery
• ❌ not removed from the internal storage device or SD-map
• 🔄 Moves to the.trash folder (if the basket is included in the box) MIUI)
• 📁 It is in the original directory (for example, DCIM/Camera or downloads)

To completely erase the video, after deleting it in Mi Video, you must:

1. Open Files → Categories → Video (standard file manager Xiaomi).
2. Find the folder where the file was stored (usually DCIM, Movies, or WhatsApp/Media).
3. Delete the video from there manually (long press → "Delete").

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If the video is not displayed in the file manager, turn on the display of hidden files: Files →... → Settings → Show hidden files.

On models with MIUI 15 (e.g. Xiaomi 14), a notification may appear after the video is deleted: "File moved to the Recycle Bin" meaning that it is in the MIUI/.trash folder and will be permanently deleted in 30 days, to clear the Recycle Bin immediately:

Files → Recycle Bin → Allocate Everything → Delete Forever

2. Delete via File Manager: Where to look for video

Files displayed in Mi Video can be stored in different folders depending on the source:

To find all the videos on the device:

1. Open the Files app (Blue folder icon).
2. Go to the Category section → Video.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right → Sort → By size to see the heaviest files.
4. Select unnecessary videos with a long press → Delete.

⚠️ Note: If the video is stored on SD-Before you delete the card, remove it from your phone and check it on your PC. Some files may be hidden due to file system errors. exFAT/FAT32.

3.Cache cleaning Mi Video: why the app "weighs" gigabytes

The Mi Video app actively caches videos you've watched, especially if you're watching high-resolution (1080p/4K) videos. The cache can take anywhere from 500MB to 3-5GB, even if the original files have already been deleted.

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management

Find "Video" (com.miui.videoplayer) in the list

Press the Warehouse → Clear the cache

Reboot the phone (optional)

Check the vacant space in the settings → The phone. → Memory.-->

On MIUI 14/15, cache can be stored in two places:

• 📂 Android/data/com.miui.videoplayer/cache — flash-file.
• 📂 Android/data/com.miui.videoplayer/files — thumbnails and metadata.
• 📂 MIUI/video/thumb — Video sketches (hidden folder).

If after cleaning the cache the place is not freed, check the folder MIUI/video/thumb. There may be thousands of miniatures in it. 10–50 CB each, which is totaled 100–300 MB: You can only remove them through root access or ADB-team:

adb shell rm -rf /sdcard/MIUI/video/thumb/*

⚠️ Note: Deleting the thumb folder will cause all videos in Mi Video to temporarily appear without previews.

4.Remove video via Xiaomi Cloud: how to erase duplicates

If your Xiaomi has sync enabled with Xiaomi Cloud, videos can automatically upload to the cloud, even if you have deleted them locally.

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select Gallery or Files (depending on the version of MIUI).
3. Find the video section and highlight unnecessary files.
4. Click Remove → Confirm the action.

Important nuances:

• 🔄 Files deleted from the cloud are not automatically deleted from your phone (and vice versa).
• 📥 If the video was uploaded to the cloud in its original quality, the copy can weigh 2-3 times more than the optimized version on the phone.
• ⏳ Files in the cloud bin are stored for 10 days (as opposed to 30 days in the local basket). MIUI).

5. Recovery of accidentally deleted videos

If you deleted the video by mistake, there are several ways to return it:

Method 1: MIUI basket

As mentioned earlier, MIUI has a built-in recycle bin where files are stored for 30 days.

1. Open the Files → Recycle Bin.
2. Find the desired video (you can sort by date of deletion).
3. Press the file. → Restore.

Method 2: Recovery programs

If the cart is cleaned, try utilities like DiskDigger or Recuva (for PC).

• 🛑 Do not write new files to your phone after deleting them – they can overwrite deleted data.
• 📱 Root rights will be required to scan internal memory.
• 💾 Nana SD-The chances of recovery are higher (up to 70%) than in internal memory (20–30%).

Method 3: Backups of Google Photos

If you have synced with Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Go to the Recycle Bin (files are stored there for 60 days).
3. Restore the video → it will reappear in Mi Video after sync.

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The most reliable way to avoid video loss is to enable backup in Google Photos or Xiaomi Cloud before deleting files.

6. Reset Mi Video settings: if the application "gluts"

If after deleting the video continues to appear in Mi Video or the application does not update the gallery, reset its settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the video (com.miui.videoplayer) and open its page.
3. Click Storage → Reset settings (not to be confused with Clear Data!).
4. Reboot the phone.

It's an action:

• ✅ Resets sorting and player settings.
• ✅ Forced to update the media base MIUI.
• ❌ It won't delete the video files.

⚠️ Warning: If you click Clear Data instead of Reset, Mi Video will return to factory settings, but the video files will remain in place.

7.Alternative Players: Why They Are Better at Showing Video

If Mi Video is constantly "seeing" deleted files or slowing down, consider alternative players:

To completely abandon Mi Video:

1. Install an alternative player (e.g., VLC from Google Play).
2. Open Settings → Applications → Default → Video Player.
3. Select the new application by default.
4. Turn off notifications for Mi Video: Settings → Notifications → Video → Disable.

FAQ: Frequent questions about video removal on Xiaomi