You get dozens of unnecessary SMS messages from banks, stores or scammers, but canโt find where the Xiaomi Redmi folder is stored Spam? Or suddenly an important message disappeared and you suspect it was in the garbage? In this article, we will analyze all possible spam locations in the MIUI firmware โ from the standard Messages app to email clients and system notifications.
The concept of spam on Redmi is broader than it seems: itโs not just SMS, but also mail garbage in Mi Mail, filters in Google Messages (if installed), and hidden notifications from apps. Weโll show you exactly where to look for each type of junk, how to set up automatic filtering, and what to do if the folder suddenly disappears after the MIUI update.
Important: the folder location depends on the firmware version and the Redmi model. For example, in Redmi Note 10 Pro (MIUI 14), the interface is different from Redmi 9A (MIUI 12.5).
1. Where is the Spam folder in the standard Messages app
By default, all SMS and MMS in Xiaomi Redmi are handled by the Messages app (an envelope icon) and that's where the spam folder is hidden -- but it's not always visible at first glance. Here's how to get there:
- Open the Messages app (if you donโt find it, check the Tools folder or swipe up on the home screen and type the title in the search).
- In the upper right corner, press three dots (โฎ) โ Choose Spam.
- If there is no spam item, tap on the icon ๐ Search at the top and type in the word โspamโ โ the system will show a hidden folder.
On some models (e.g. Redmi A1+), the folder may be called Unwanted or Spam Filter. If that is not the case, check the app settings:
- ๐ฑ Go to Messages. โ โฎ โ Settings โ Spam filter.
- ๐ Make sure the Spam Filter switch is on (should be blue).
- ๐ If the filter is turned off, the Spam folder will not show up โ turn it on and restart the application.
โ ๏ธ Attention: B MIUI 14 for European firmware (EEA) Spam folder may not be available due to restrictions GDPR. In this case, use alternative methods (see section 3).
2.Why the Spam folder disappeared and how to get it back
A common problem with MIUI updates is that the spam folder is missing, and there are three reasons why:
- Reset the Messages app settings โ for example, after clearing the cache through Settings โ Apps.
- The firmware rollback to an older version where the spam filter worked differently.
- Regional restrictions โ in firmware for China (China ROM) or Europe (EEA) functionality may differ.
To get the folder back:
Clear the Messages app cache (Settings โ Applications โ Messages โ Clear the cache)
Reboot the phone.
Check for updates for the Messages app in Google Play
Set up an alternative. SMS-Customer (e.g. Google Messages)
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If nothing helps, try resetting the app settings:
Settings โ Applications โ Application Management โ Messages โ Storage โ Resetting settingsโ ๏ธ Warning: Resetting will remove all yours SMS-drafts and personal filter settings, we recommend you to make a backup copy in advance through the Settings โ System and device โ Backup.
3. Alternative spam storage locations in Xiaomi Redmi
The Spam folder in the standard app isn't the only place where unnecessary messages can accumulate.
| Type of spam | Where to find | How to open |
|---|---|---|
| SMS-spam | Application Messages โ Spam | Three dots up there. โ spamming |
| Email spam (Gmail/Yandex) | The Mail or Gmail app | Side menu โ spamming |
| Notifications from annexes | Settings โ Notifications โ Notification history | Enable Notification History in Settings |
| Spam in Mi Video/Mi Browser | Inside the relevant annex | Profile โ My data. โ spamming |
Pay special attention to app notifications, and many users are unaware that Xiaomi has a notification history where junk alerts from games or stores can be stored, to enable:
Settings โ Notifications โ Notification history โ IncludeAfter activation, all notifications (including spam) will be saved here for 7 days, which is useful if you missed an important message, but it did not appear in the main list.
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If you often receive spam from one number, blacklist it directly from the Spam folder: click on the message. โ โฎ โ Put it on a blacklist. It's not just blocking it. SMS, But calls from that number.
4. How to set up automatic spam filtering
MIUI has a built-in spam filtering mechanism, but by default it doesn't work perfectly, to improve its efficiency:
- ๐ฒ Go to Messages. โ โฎ โ Settings โ Spam filter.
- ๐ง Enable options: Filter messages from unknowns (blocks) SMS without contact name) Filter advertising messages (works on keywords) Block messages with links (useful against phishing)
- ๐ Add your keywords to filter under User Rules (e.g., โwinningโ, โcreditโ, โfreeยป).
For advanced users, there is a hidden feature called manual blacklist import, and if you have a text file with spammer numbers (one per line), you can download it to the system:
Settings โ System and device โ Additional โ Import / export of the blacklistโ ๏ธ Note: Blacklist import function is only available in global firmware MIUI (not EEA). In the European versions, this item may not be available.
How to export a blacklist for backup?
5. Spam folder in email clients (Mi Mail, Gmail)
If you use email on Redmi, spam can accumulate in two places:
- Standard Mail app: Open the app โ swipe left for side menu โ select Spam. To clear the folder, click Control โ Select All โ Delete.
Gmail
- Open Gmail. โ tap on three lines (โฐ) โ scroll to spam.
- For automatic filtering, set the rules in Settings โ Filters and blocked addresses.
Mi Mail has a unique feature: training a spam filter, if a message is misplaced:
Open the letter โ Click on three points โ Select Not spamThis will help the algorithm better recognize useful emails in the future, similarly, if spam is inbox, mark it as unwanted in the same way.
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In Mi Mail, spam is automatically deleted after 30 days. To change this deadline, go to Settings โ Spam Removal โ Select a period (not available in all firmware versions).
6. Spam in Notifications and System Applications
Few people know, but Xiaomi Redmi filters not only SMS and email, but also notifications from apps, such as games or stores can send junk alerts that the system automatically hides to see them:
Settings โ Notifications โ Notification History โ Include HistoryOnce activated, all notifications from the last 7 days, including those that have been blocked as spam, will be displayed here to permanently disable notifications from the annoying app:
Settings โ Notifications โ Click on the application โ Turn off the switch Allow notificationsRedmi also has a hidden folder with system logs that filtered notifications, which can be accessed through the Engineering Menu (but this requires activation of the developer mode):
Settings โ About Phone โ MIUI version (click 7 times)
Return to Settings โ Additional โ For Developers โ Notification Logsโ ๏ธ Attention: Deleting logs through the engineering menu can cause notifications to malfunction. Do not change settings unless you are sure of their purpose.
7 What to do if an important message gets into spam
Sometimes useful SMS or emails are mistakenly labeled as spam, and here's how to recover them:
- ๐ฉ For SMS: Open the messages. โ Spam, find the message you want. โ press it โ Select Not Spam. The message will move to Inbox and the sender will be added to the Whitelist.
- ๐ง For the post office (Mi) Mail/Gmail): Go to the Spam folder. โ Open the letter โ Click on Not Spam (Gmail - Report an Error) Add the sender's address to your contacts to avoid re-filtering.
If the problem recurs, check the blacklist:
Settings โ Blocking โ BlacklistRemove the number or email if it was added incorrectly, and check the user filtering rules in the SMS settings, which may indicate the keyword that is present in important messages.
Communications โ โฎ โ Settings โ Backup and restoration