Cleaning up the YouTube library on Xiaomi Redmi: from history to recommendations

The YouTube library on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones has become a mess over time, with hundreds of videos viewed, irrelevant recommendations and outdated playlists taking up space and interfering with search. Unlike the desktop version, the mobile app hides some of the cleaning functions behind layered menus, and the features of the MIUI shell add to the complexity. For example, on the Redmi Note 12 with Android 13, the path to story settings is different from the standard Android 14 on the Redmi 11 Pro.

To make matters worse, YouTube retains data even after the app is removed — it's tied to a Google account, not a device. This means that simply reinstalling the app won't help. In this article, we'll look at 5 working ways to clean the library, including hidden MIUI features that aren't dokumented in the official YouTube help, and we'll focus on Redmi models with Snapdragon chipsets and Mediatek, which use different caching algorithms.

Why YouTube Library is Clogged with Rubbish

The main reason is automatic saving of activity in the Google account. Every view, like, search query and even pause in the video are recorded by YouTube servers, even if you are not logged in to the application (data is linked to the device via Android Advertising ID).

• 🔄 Double caching: MIUI Creates local copies of thumbnails and metadata in a folder /Android/data/com.google.android.youtube, which are not removed when cleaning the cache through the settings.
• 📱 Battery Optimization: Lean Mode in MIUI It can interrupt the synchronization of history with Google servers, which causes data to be duplicated.
• 🔍 Personalized recommendations: YouTube’s algorithm analyzes not only views, but also the time spent on channels, which leads to the accumulation of “invisible garbage".

For example, if you watched the Redmi Note 13 Pro review 2 months ago, but are interested in cooking now, the algorithm will continue to offer technical videos because of the saved history. Xiaomi does not provide tools for deep cleaning of this data at the system level, so you have to use workarounds.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing history through your Google Account settings deletes data from all devices you are logged in to.If you use YouTube Premium, it can reset personalized "Mix for You" playlists".

Method 1: Clear browsing history through YouTube

The most obvious, but not the most effective method, is suitable for removing individual videos or clearing up the history of the last day. On Xiaomi Redmi with MIUI 14, the path to settings may be different from standard Android:

1. Open the YouTube app and tap on the profile avatar in the upper right corner.
2. Select your data on YouTube → View history.
3. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Remove.
4. Specify the period: Last hour, Today, All time or Customized range.
5. Confirm the deletion by clicking Delete in the dialog box.

On Redmi models with a 2400×1080 screen resolution (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+), menu items can be trimmed.

• 📱 Turn your phone in landscape orientation for full options display.
• 🔍 Use the search by settings (the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of the menu Your data).

Make sure you are logged in to the right Google account

Disable history synchronization in account settings (if you need to save data on other devices)

Check if your history data is used to run YouTube Premium

Take screenshots of important playlists (e.g., "See Later")

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This method does not remove:

• 🔍 Search queries (they need to be cleaned separately in Settings) → History of search).
• 📹 Recommendations formed on the basis of likes / dislikes.
• 📁 Local cache of thumbnails (remains in the memory of the device).

Method 2: Deep Cleaning through Google Account

If you want to delete all activity on all devices, use the Google Account web interface.This is the only way to erase the data that YouTube collects in the background (such as when ads are viewed or how you interact with comments).

1. Go to myactivity.google.com in Xiaomi browser (Chrome or Mi Browser is recommended).
2. Sign up with the same account as you do on YouTube.
3. In the left menu, select Other Google → YouTube activities.
4. Press three points (⋮) next to the search bar and select Remove activity by.
5. Set a period (for example, For all time) and confirm the deletion.

Xiaomi Redmi with MIUI may be alerted to "suspicious activity" in the event of mass deletion, due to the built-in Security Scanner, which blocks quick browser actions to avoid errors:

• 🔒 Temporarily disable phishing protection in Settings → Annexes → browser → Security settings.
• 📶 Use mobile internet instead of Wi-Fi if you see sync errors.

⚠️ Note: After the mass deletion of data, YouTube may temporarily block the ability to view monetization videos (ads) for 24-48 hours, this is due to Google’s anti-fraud system, which considers such actions as suspicious.

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when memory is clogged.

Never cleaned.

Another option-->

Method 3: Clearing the cache and data of the YouTube app

Local YouTube files on Xiaomi Redmi can take up to 1-2 GB of storage, even if you rarely use the app.

• 🎵 Caching audio tracks to save traffic (Autoplay function).
• 📸 Preserve miniatures in high resolution (on Redmi with a AMOLED-screens are on by default).
• 📊 Logs of errors that MIUI not automatically removed.

To clean this up:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find YouTube on the list and tap it.
3. Choose Warehouse.
4. Click Clear cache (this is secure) and Clear data (this will reset the app settings, including authorization).

On Redmi with Android 13 and below, after the data has been cleared, there may be a "YouTube Stopped" error to fix.

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
3. Turn off and back on YouTube sync.

💡

If YouTube has been loading thumbnails for a long time after clearing the cache, switch to the mobile version of the site via the browser (m.youtube.com). This will reset the CDN cache for your IP.

Method 4: Use of Incognito and Second Account

If you need to temporarily hide your activity from your main account (for example, to view videos without influencing recommendations), use:

• 🕵️ Incognito mode on YouTube: Tap on the profile avatar. Select Incognito mode. In this mode, the story is not saved, but recommendations are still formed based on the current session.

Second Google account

1. Add a new account to Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. On YouTube, switch to it through your profile avatar.
3. This completely isolates the story and the recommendations.

There's a caveat on Xiaomi Redmi with MIUI: when you use incognito mode, the system can show a notification, "App uses data in the background," which is related to battery optimization.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → Autorun.
2. Find YouTube and allow autoplay.

Method 5: Reset recommendations via YouTube settings

If your Recommendations tape is full of unnecessary rollers, it can be reset without completely clearing the story. This method works even on Xiaomi Redmi with outdated versions of MIUI (for example, MIUI 12.5 on the Redmi Note 9):

1. Open YouTube and go to the Library tab.
2. Put three points on it (⋮) near the History section.
3. Choose the Manage the entire story.
4. Scroll down and click the Pause of your browsing history (this will stop recording new activity).
5. Return to the homepage and tap the three dots next to any recommended video.
6. Choose Not Interesting or Remove from Recommendations.

To speed up the process on Redmi with Android 12+, you can use voice commands:

1. Activate Google Assistant by holding the Home button for a long time.
2. Say, "OK Google, show you the YouTube history settings."
3. Then: “Delete recommendations on [theme]” (e.g., “Delete policy recommendations”).

⚠️ Note: After resetting the recommendations, YouTube can show content in English for 1-2 days.This is due to resetting regional settings. To return Russian content, go to YouTube Settings → General. → Language and select Russian (Russia).

Additional tips for Xiaomi Redmi

Xiaomi smartphones have specific features that help monitor YouTube activity:

• 🔋 Background activity restriction: Go to Settings → Battery and performance → Select battery mode and select YouTube mode "Limit background activity" to reduce traffic consumption and data caching.
• 📡 Blocking traffic for YouTube: In Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data → Data usage apps disable mobile traffic for YouTube. app will only work over Wi-Fi, which will reduce storage load.
• 🛡️ Second Space: The Second Space Function MIUI It allows you to create an isolated profile with separate YouTube settings, which is useful if you want to separate personal and work activities. → Special facilities → Second Space.

For Redmi models with IR-With a blaster (such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro) you can use the remote control to control YouTube on Android. TV, This will allow you to clear the story on the big screen without losing data on your phone.

💡

Xiaomi Redmi with MIUI 14+ has a hidden “Waste Cleanup” feature in the Security App that removes temporary YouTube files that are not available through standard settings. Launches via Security → Cleanup → Deep Cleanup.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up YouTube library