How to Delete Messages on Xiaomi Smartphones: A Complete 2026 Guide

Delete messages on Xiaomi, Redmi or smartphones POCO It seems like a simple task, until you're exposed to nuances. MIUI And the process of the messenger that you use can be very different, for example, the standard Messages app from Xiaomi has hidden mass removal features, and WhatsApp or Telegram has its own features of archiving and cleaning. SMS It can be restored for a limited time, and some cleanup methods lead to permanent loss of data.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to delete messages on Xiaomi devices in the future. 2026 From basic actions in a standard application to advanced methods for messengers and cleaning the system cache. MIUI 14/15, You can delete messages in bundles without manually selecting each dialog, and you can also learn how to avoid common mistakes, like why you delete them after you delete them. SMS They continue to take up space in the phone’s memory, and what to do if the messages “disappeared” on their own.

1. Deletion of messages in the standard appendix “Messages”

The standard Messages app (or Messages in global firmware) on Xiaomi supports several ways to remove the message. SMS/MMS. The main difference from instant messengers is that there is no cloud backup, so it is more difficult to restore deleted data.

To delete a separate message:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Choose a dialogue with the right contact.
3. Press and hold the message you want to delete.
4. In the upper panel will appear the icon of the basket – tap it.
5. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

For mass removal:

• 📱 Go to All Messages (three-strip icon in the top left corner).
• 🔍 Click on the search icon (magnifying glass) and enter the contact name or keyword.
• ✅ Check the dialogs that need to be cleaned.
• 🗑️ Click on the basket icon in the top panel.

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If you need to delete all messages from one contact, open a dialog with it, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Delete all messages.

V MIUI 14/15 Autoclean feature appears that automatically deletes old messages (configured in Settings) → Communications → However, it does not work smoothly on some Redmi Note models. 12 and POCO X5 — messages may disappear before the deadline.

2. Hidden functions MIUI deletion

Many users do not know that the MIUI You have hidden tools to manage messages that you can't see in the main interface, like you can delete everything. SMS over a certain period or clear messages from non-existent contacts.

How to Enable Developer Mode for SMS:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the Restrictions item SMS and turn it on.

Now in the application Messages will appear additional menu:

• 🗂️ Remove duplicates – Finds and removes repeating ones SMS (useful after importing messages).
• 🧹 Cleaning Old – Deleting Older Messages 30/60/90 days (choices).
• 👥 Remove from the unknown - cleansing SMS Numbers not stored in contacts.

On Xiaomi models 13/14 redmi K60 The developer menu also has the Log option. SMS, which keeps a log of all deleted messages (stored) 7 This helps to recover data that has been accidentally erased.

3. Deletion of messages in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)

Unlike the standard ones. SMS, Messengers store messages in the cloud and on the device, and deletion works according to different rules — for example, in Telegram you can delete a message from all participants in a chat, and in WhatsApp you can only have your own message.

WhatsApp:

• 💬 To delete a message for everyone, hold it, click on the cart and select "Delete for all." only works for 2 days after sending it!
• 🗑️ To clean up the entire chat: open the dialogue → three-point → «More» → «Clear the chat room».
• ☁️ To delete backup: Settings → chat → Backup copy → Delete.

Telegram:

• 🕒 You can delete a message from everyone within 48 hours (for premium accounts – unlimited).
• 🧹 Clearing history: swipe left via chat → «Clear history» → period.
• 🔄 In Secret Chats, messages are deleted without a trace and are not synced with the cloud.

Viber:

• 🚫 Removal of “for all” only works 10 minutes after sending.
• 📂 To erase the entire chat: Open the dialogue → three-point → «Delete chat (there is an option to save media files).

Important: on Telegram and Viber, deleted messages can remain in the phone's cache. To completely erase them, clear the application data in Settings → Annexes → [Name of messenger] → Memory. → Clear the cache.

4. How to delete messages if they are not deleted

Sometimes, Xiaomi posts get stuck and aren’t deleted in the standard way, which can be due to a database failure. SMS, conflicts with Dual Apps (app cloning function) or errors in the work MIUI.

Solutions:

1. Phone reboot: Sometimes a banal reboot helps, especially if messages "hang" after the update MIUI.
2. Cleaning the Messages app cache. Settings → Annexes → Application management → Communications → Memory. → Clear the cache
3. Reset the app settings. In the same menu (Memory), select Reset, which will return the app to the factory settings without removing the SMS.
4. Removal through ADB (If messages are not deleted due to a system failure, you can use the command: adb shell content delete --uri content://sms/ --where "_id=?" (where? — ID messages that can be recognized through applications such as SMS Backup & Restore).

Try to remove via the web version of the messenger (for WhatsApp/Telegram)|Clear the cache of the application “Messages"|Restart your phone in safe mode|Use a third-party application (for example, "SMS Organizer")-->

On models POCO F5 Xiaomi 12T Sometimes it helps to disable the Dual Apps feature (if it was activated for the Messages application). → Annexes → Dual Apps and Remove the Clone.

5. How to Recover Deleted Messages on Xiaomi

If you accidentally delete important SMS Or messaging, you can try to restore it, and success depends on how long it's been since you deleted it, and whether you've used backup features.

Recovery methods SMS:

To recover messages from WhatsApp or Telegram:

• 🔄 On WhatsApp, deleted messages can be restored from a backup (if any). To do this, delete and reinstall the application, then log in to your account, the system will prompt you to restore chats.
• 📥 In Telegram, deleted messages are stored in the cloud, but only available if you haven't cleared history on all devices.

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The most reliable way to avoid losing messages is to regularly back up your data via Xiaomi Cloud or third-party apps, and you can only recover deleted data without a backup for 1-7 days (depending on the phone model).

6. Cleaning up system messages and notifications

Except for the usual SMS, Xiaomi accumulates system messages (from the operator, banks, services) and notifications from applications, which can and should be cleaned, as they take up space in memory and can slow down the phone.

How to delete system messages:

• 📶 Open the Messages app → Go to the Systems tab (if any).
• 🔍 Sort by date and delete old messages from the operator (for example, about traffic residue).
• 🚫 To turn off unnecessary reception SMS: Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Settings SIM-map → Operator services and disable mailings.

Clearing notifications:

• 🔔 Swipe down the screen to open the notification bar.
• 🗑️ Click on the basket icon or “Clean Everything” (depending on version) MIUI).
• ⚙️ To disable notifications from a particular application: hold the notification → «Disable notifications».

In the models with MIUI 15 (like Xiaomi 14 Ultra) has a feature called Smart Cleanup, which automatically removes old notifications and system messages:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
2. Enable the option of Autoclean notifications.
3. Select a storage period (from 1 day to 1 month).

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If you come often SMS From banks or services, create a separate folder in the Messages app and set up automatic sorting. → three-point → "Move it to the folder".

7.Security: How to delete messages without a trace

If you need to completely erase messages so that they can not be restored (for example, before selling a phone), standard deletion is not enough.

How to delete messages without the possibility of recovery:

1. Encryption and reset. Before resetting to factory settings, turn on phone encryption (Settings) → Lockdown and protection → Encryption. Once reset, the data will be unrecoverable.
2. Use Safe Mode. Restart your phone in Safe Mode (hold the power button) → «Safe Mode), then delete messages. This will prevent third-party apps from interfering.
3. Special applications: Software like Secure Delete or Shreddit allows you to delete data with a rewrite (DoD method). 5220.22-M).

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Even after "complete" deletion, messages can remain in Google Drive or Xiaomi Cloud backups.Be sure to turn off sync and delete accounts before selling your phone!

On devices with Snapdragon chip 8 Gen 2/3 (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K70 Pro) there is hardware encryption that makes it difficult to recover data. 100% Protection – for complete cleaning it is better to combine several methods.

8. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When deleting messages on Xiaomi, users often make mistakes that lead to data loss or incomplete cleanup, and here are the most common ones:

Error 1: Delete without backup.

⚠️ Attention: If you delete SMS Without a backup, it will be extremely difficult to recover them, especially when it comes to messages from banks or services (such as confirmation codes). SMS Backup & Restore before mass cleanup.

Mistake 2: Using third-party cleaners.

Applications like Clean Master or CCleaner often delete not only cache, but also important data. SMS. They may also be in conflict with MIUI Optimizer, which leads to lags.

Error 3: Incomplete cleaning of messengers.

Many users delete messages on WhatsApp or Telegram, but forget to clear the cache and media files, which causes the photos and videos to continue to take up space, to completely clear the messenger:

• 📂 Go to Settings. → Memory. → [Name of messenger] → Clear the data.
• 🗑️ In the app itself, open Settings. → Warehouse → Manage storage and remove unnecessary media.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Dual Apps

If you use Dual Apps to clone messengers, messages can be duplicated. If you delete them in one instance of the app, they will remain in the other. Check both accounts!

Mistake 5: Removing System Systems SMS.

⚠️ Note: Some messages from the operator (e.g. with settings) APN) They are critical to the operation of the network, and their removal can lead to the loss of the Internet or SMS. Before cleaning, check the contents!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions