How to Clean Messages on Xiaomi: A Step-by-Step Guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones accumulate huge amounts of data in a short time, and text dialogues are often one of the most “heavy” categories. Device owners regularly face a lack of internal memory, and old correspondence are the first candidates for deletion. However, standard deletion in the Messages application does not always effectively free up space or hide confidential information from prying eyes.

The process of complete cleaning depends on which type of messages you use: classic SMS, multimedia MMS or Internet messengers such as Viber, Telegram or WhatsApp. In the operating shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS, tools are hidden that allow you to manage archives more flexibly than in the stock Android. Understanding these mechanisms will help not only free up gigabytes, but also restore order in the digital space.

In this guide, we will examine all available methods, from the banal deletion of individual dialogues to deep cleaning of the application cache and the use of engineering codes. You will learn to distinguish between temporary files and important data so as not to lose the necessary information by negligence.

Removal of standard SMS and MMS in the Messages app

The basic level of cleaning starts with an embedded application, which on Xiaomi devices is often called “Messages” (Mi SMS) or uses standard Google Messages. Simply clicking on the dialogue and selecting the removal option allows you to get rid of correspondence with a particular subscriber, but this is only a superficial method.

To delete all incoming and outgoing SMS, you need to pinch your finger on one of the dialogs in the list, after which checkboxes will appear to select. At the top of the screen, Xiaomi offers the option “Select all”, which instantly tags the entire database to delete, after which you just click on the basket icon and confirm the action.

• 📱 Click any dialog in the message list to activate the selection mode.
• 🗑️ Click “Select All” in the top menu or manually mark the desired chats.
• ✅ Confirm the removal by touching the basket icon.
• 🔍 Check the Recycle Bin folder in the app settings if it’s enabled, as messages can be stored there for up to 30 days.

It is important to understand that delisting dialogs does not always mean completely erasing data from the physical storage medium. The system marks the sector as free, but the data can remain available for recovery until it is overwritten with new files. This is enough for normal user cleaning, but additional steps are required for complete confidentiality.

Clearing cache and data messengers (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram)

The bulk of memory on Xiaomi smartphones is not text SMS, and multimedia files accumulated in popular messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store copies of photos and videos in the gallery, even if you have viewed them once.

The most effective way is to use the built-in Cleanup tool in the Xiaomi Security app, which scans messenger folders and suggests removing cache, advertising files and temporary data, but for deep cleaning, you better go to the settings of the application itself through the phone menu.

Go to Settings → Applications → All apps, find the right messenger (like Viber) and select Memory. Here you will see the separation into Data and Cache. Clearing the cache is secure and only deletes temporary files, whereas clearing the data will reset the application to the state of the first installation, deleting all history and accounts.

⚠️ Attention: Clear Data in messengers will result in complete logging out of your account and deleting your local chat history!

For users who want to delete only media files but leave text, it is better to use built-in cleaning tools inside the messengers themselves. For example, Telegram has a section called Data and Memory → Memory Use, where you can clear the cache of all chats. WhatsApp has a similar feature in Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management.

Using the “Security” application for deep cleaning

In Xiaomi’s ecosystem, the pre-installed Security app is a powerful tool not only for antivirus protection but also for file management. The built-in analyzer is able to find “large files,” duplicates, and remnants of remote applications that take up space in the system.

Launch the app and select Clean up. The system will scan and suggest removing debris. However, to work with messages, go to Deep Cleaning. Here, Xiaomi algorithms scan DCIM, MIUI and messenger directories, identifying files that can be safely deleted.

The “Big Files” and “Recent Deletions” tabs are a big concern, and users often forget that deleted photos and videos from the gallery can be duplicated in the messenger cache folders, and the tool allows you to selectively delete those copies without affecting the originals if you still need them.

• 🧹 Open the Security app and click Cleanup».
• 🔍 Select “Deep Cleaning” for detailed analysis.
• 📂 Check the categories “App Cache” and “Large Files».
• 🗑️ Select files related to media messages and delete them.

Regular use of this tool helps keep the system on track. MIUI tends to accumulate logs and temporary error reports, which can also inflate the amount of memory it takes. Auto-cleaning in the Security settings allows you to start this process on a schedule, for example, once a week.

Erase of call history and contact logs

While the call log is minimal in memory, cleaning it is important from a privacy perspective: On Xiaomi’s MIUI-shelled smartphone, the call log syncs with Mi Cloud and Google’s account, so simply deleting entries from your phone may not remove them from cloud storage.

To clean it completely, open the Phone app (green handset) and go to the Journal tab. Click and hold any entry, then select "Select All" or select specific numbers. After selecting, click on the basket icon. To clear your favorite contacts list, go to the appropriate tab, select a number and delete it from your favorites.

There is also the option to clear dialing and contact locating data, and go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Phone → Memory and select Clear Data, which will reset your call settings, but will not delete contacts from the phone book if they are saved in your account.

Working with the Recycle Bin folder and cloud reserves

Many Xiaomi users don't know that when you delete SMS and photos, they often end up in a special Recycle Bin folder that stores 30 to 60 days, which is a security mechanism, but it continues to take up space on the internal drive or in the cloud quota.

In the Gallery app, go to Albums and scroll down to Recently Deleted, where you can select all items and delete them permanently. A similar feature is found in the Messages app (if cloud sync is enabled with SMS), go to your message settings and find the Recycle Bin or Recently Deleted section.

It’s also worth checking the status of the Mi Cloud. If you have message synchronization enabled, they can take up space in cloud storage, which is especially true when using a free 5GB tariff. Clearing messages on your phone automatically syncs and removes them from the cloud, but it’s better to double-check the status through the browser.

⚠️ Note: After cleaning the Recycle Bin folder, it becomes impossible to restore data using standard methods. Make sure that there are no critical screenshots or confirmation codes among the deleted files.

For those who use Google Photos for backup, remember that cleaning a gallery on Xiaomi can affect cloud copies if the function “Sync and Autoupload” is enabled. Be careful when choosing the option “Free space”, which removes from the device only those photos that are already stored in the cloud.

Special codes and hidden cleaning functions

For advanced users, Xiaomi offers access to hidden menus through engineering codes. Entering special combinations in the Phone app allows you to go to testing mode, where you can reset certain communication settings and clear specific logs.

One useful code for resetting network settings and associated temporary files is ##4636##. Going to the Phone Information menu allows you to reset the connection, which sometimes helps if the messaging app is getting stuck or malfunctioning due to buffer overflow.

Another method is to use the "Second Space" or "Guest Mode" function, so if you need to transfer your phone to another person, but you don't want to show your messages, creating a second space is ideal. It's an isolated environment with its own applications and a clear SMS history. Once you use the second space, you can delete it with all the data.

To clean (completely reset) before selling a phone, it is not enough to simply delete messages. You need to perform a full reset to the factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Resetting), only this operation ensures that the recovered data does not fall into the hands of new owners.

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Use the Second Space feature to temporarily transfer your phone, which is faster than deleting personal chats, and safer than giving access to your main profile.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Regular manual cleaning of garbage is more effective than waiting for memory to fill up. Once a month, take 5 minutes to check the Downloads and Recycle Bin folders.