Modern smartphones Xiaomi and POCO are famous for their performance, but even powerful hardware does not save from the inevitable accumulation of junk files in instant messengers. Viber is one of the leaders in the consumption of internal memory, as it stores every photo, video and voice message viewed in hidden directories of the system. Over time, this cache grows to gigabytes, which leads to slowdown of the interface, long downloads and lack of space for installing new updates.
Cleaning temporary files is not just a way to free up space, but also an effective solution to many software errors. If you stop downloading media files or send messages with a delay, then the first thing to check is the storage of the messenger. MIUI, the shell from Xiaomi, offers several levels of cleaning, from simple deletion of temporary files to a complete data reset, which requires a more careful approach.
In this guide, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to optimize Viber on Android devices. You will learn how to safely remove accumulated “garbage” without losing important correspondence, how to set up automatic cleaning and what hidden functions of the messenger will help prevent memory overflow in the future. Regular maintenance of the application is the key to its stable operation throughout the life of your smartphone.
Why the Viber cache grows and takes up memory
The main reason for fast memory filling is because of the way messengers work: Viber cabes content so that when you reopen the dialogue, images and videos are downloaded instantly from internal memory, rather than being downloaded from the network again. This speeds up the application, but creates a problem: files are not deleted automatically, even if you have deleted the chat itself or do not watch these media long ago.
The situation is especially critical for users in active group chats. Group conversations generate a huge stream of data that settles in the application folders. In addition, the statuses that you view at contacts are also stored in the cache. Over time, this temporary data can reach 5-10 GB, which is a significant part of the free space on Xiaomi budget models with 64 or 128 GB of memory.
Technical details of data storage
It is also worth considering that standard Android tools do not always correctly display the real size of the messenger folders. The system analyzer may show a smaller volume than it actually is, due to the features of indexing files in the ext4 or f2fs file system used in Xiaomi smartphones.
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Viber’s cache is not just “junk,” but a copy of all media files you’ve viewed that is stored to speed up access, but not automatically deleted.
Preparation for cleaning: backup and settings
Before embarking on radical cleanup measures, you need to secure your data. While deleting the cache is safe, accidentally pressing the Clear Data button or a failure in the process can lead to the loss of your correspondence history. Therefore, backup is a must-have. Viber has a built-in backup feature that allows you to save all chats to the Google Drive cloud or locally to the device.
To create a backup, go to the messenger settings menu, select Account and then Viber Backup. Make sure you have the right Google account and you have a stable Wi-Fi connection, as the process can take a long time with a lot of data, and it’s also worth checking if there’s free space in the cloud.
☑️ Checking before cleaning
Another important point is to check the relevance of the app version: Outdated versions of Viber can have bugs that lead to incorrect calculation of space or cleaning errors. Go to Google Play Market or GetApps (Xiaomi app store) and make sure you have the latest available version of the messenger installed.
Method 1: Clearing the cache through Android settings
The easiest and most secure method available on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is to use system settings, which allows you to delete temporary files without affecting your correspondence history, contacts and account settings.
Next, look for the Apps section (sometimes called All Apps or Application Management). In the installed program list, look for Viber. If the list is long, you can search at the top of the screen. Once you open the app page, you will see the Clear button (or the broom icon) and the location information.
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Click on "Picks up space" (or "Storage") to see a detailed breakdown of how much the app weighs, how much data and how much cache, which will help you understand the scale of the problem.
Click on the "Clean" button and select "Clear Cache" from the menu that appears. It is important not to confuse this with "Clear All" or "Reset" as the latter option will delete your account and message history. Once confirmed, the system will delete temporary files in a few seconds, and you will notice that the amount of memory occupied has decreased.
This method is recommended to be used regularly, for example, once a week or a month, depending on the intensity of the use of the messenger. It does not require the installation of third-party software and is a regular feature of the Android operating system.
Method 2: Internal cleaning with Viber
Viber has built-in memory management tools that are often even more powerful than Android, allowing not just blind people to clean everything, but selectively remove heavy files from specific chats. To take advantage of this feature, open the messenger and go to the "More" section (three dots in the lower right corner).
From the menu, select Settings, then look for Memory (or Data and Memory) and you will see detailed statistics on how much space photos, videos, audio and documents take up. The system will offer a "Clear Cache" button that will delete temporary files needed for fast work, but will not affect your personal correspondence.
But the main value of this section is that it can be manually cleaned, and if you click on Gallery or Chats, you can sort the dialogues by space, selectively clean up the heavy videos from the workgroups, while keeping important text messages and photos from loved ones, which is especially useful when you need to free up a couple hundred megabytes without deleting everything.
You can also set up automatic media file saving in this section, so if you turn off the gallery save, photos and videos will only be available inside Viber and will not be duplicated in the Xiaomi system gallery, which will save space.
Delete folders through File Explorer
For advanced users who need full control of the file system, manual cleaning through the file manager is available. Xiaomi smartphones pre-installed File Manager app, which is great for this task, this method allows you to see and delete files that may have been stuck after deleting chats or app crashes.
Open Explorer and go to Android, then data. You'll need to find the com.viber.voip directory. That's where all the messenger data is stored. Inside that folder, we're interested in the media subdirectory, where all the files you receive and send are, and be very careful: you delete files from here bypassing the application basket.
Hidden folders
To find the extra, sort the files by size or date. Often you can find old video files or log files of updates that are no longer needed. Manual deletion gives the best result, since you see the real weight of each file, not the averaged data of the system. However, this method requires care not to delete important documents.
After cleaning the folders, it is recommended to restart the smartphone, which will allow the MIUI system to re-index the files and correctly display the freed up space in the memory settings.
Comparison of cleaning methods: table
To make it easier for you to choose the right way, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you understand which method is best used in your situation, whether it is rapid prevention or deep space clearance.
| Cleaning method | Security of data | Efficiency | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android settings (Cash) | High (data retained) | Medium (Temporary Files Only) | Low. |
| Viber's built-in cleaning | High (flexible setting) | High (can be selectively cleaned) | Low. |
| Through the Conductor | Medium (risk of removing excess) | Maximum (full control) | Medium |
| Data resetting of the annex | Low (removes everything without backup) | Maximum (full cleaning) | Low. |
As you can see from the table, the best way to maintain regular service is to clean Viber itself, because it is the most informative. If the messenger is not working correctly and simple methods do not help, you can resort to more radical measures, but only after you create a backup.
Automation and overflow prevention
To keep the problem from coming back every week, you need to set up automatic cleaning. The Viber settings (Memory section) have a feature called "Media Autodelete"; you can set a time limit for example 3 days or 1 week, and files older than that period will be deleted automatically, freeing up space without you.
Xiaomi also has a built-in Security app on its smartphones, which has a Cleanup tool that can be set to automatically start. While it doesn’t always clean the messenger cache deeply, it effectively removes system debris and browser cache, which also affects overall performance.
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Set up autodelete media in Viber is the best way to forget about memory shortages. Set a 3-7 day storage period for group chats.
It is also recommended to disable autosave to the gallery for unnecessary chats. Go to the group or contact information, select Save to the gallery and put Never. This will prevent duplicate files: they will remain in Viber, but will not take up space in the shared photo storage.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use third-party software from Play Market with questionable reviews. Often they work worse than Xiaomi’s built-in tools and may contain ads or malicious code that only the deputy can use.