Why WhatsApp on Xiaomi is clogged faster than on other smartphones
Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face a problem: WhatsApp takes up gigabytes of memory, although there are only a few active chats, the reason for this is the features of MIUI and the Android storage architecture. Unlike “pure” Android, Xiaomi firmware aggressively caches media files, duplicates backups and saves service logs even after deleting messages.
For example, on Xiaomi 12T Pro or Redmi Note 11, the WhatsApp/Media folder can inflate to 5-8 GB in six months of use, even if you have never saved a photo to the gallery. And on older models (for example, the Mi 9 with MIUI 12), the problem is exacerbated by memory fragmentation – the system creates hundreds of small files that are not deleted by standard methods.
In this article, 7 proven ways to clean WhatsApp on Xiaomi, including hidden folders, MIUI cache and autoboot optimization, all methods tested on Android 10–14 and MIUI 12–14 devices.
1. Delete WhatsApp cache via Android settings
The fastest way to free up 100-500MB is to clear the app’s cache, which Xiaomi does not do like other Android smartphones, because of the modified MIUI menu.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- In the search bar, type "WhatsApp" (without quotes).
- Slip on the messenger icon, then select Warehouse.
- Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – it will delete your account!).
Check the available space on the device (minimum 500 MB)
Close WhatsApp in Multitasking
Connect to Wi-Fi (if you plan to sync after cleaning)
Make a backup of chats (Settings) → chat → Backup copy)-->
⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO X3 Pro, Redmi 10) may be missing the status download history after cleaning the cache.
2. Cleaning media files: photos, videos and voice messages
The WhatsApp/Media folder is the main memory eater, and even if you turn off auto-save in the gallery, the files remain in hidden directories, and on Xiaomi, you can find them in two ways:
- 📁 Through File Manager: Open MI File Manager → Internal memory. → WhatsApp → Media. Here are the WhatsApp Images, WhatsApp Video folders, etc. Delete unnecessary files manually.
- 🤖 Through WhatsApp Settings: Go to Settings → Warehouse → Storage management. Sort files by size and delete the heaviest ones».
| Type of file | Average size | Can I safely remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| Voice communications | 2–5 MB each | Yeah, unless you have to. |
| Video from chat rooms | 10–100 MB each | Yeah, but check out the important videos. |
| Status photo | 1-3 MB each | Yes, they are automatically deleted after 24 hours. |
| Animations (GIF) | 0.5–2 MB each | Yeah, but they can jump again. |
💡 Useful advice: On Xiaomi with MIUI 13+ There's a hidden media compression function. To activate it, send a command to any chat room. /storage_compress (The system will offer to archive old files.
3. Deletion of backup copies and databases
WhatsApp creates local backups (msgstore.db.crypt14) every night, even if you have turned off cloud storage. On Xiaomi, these files can take up to 1-2 GB and not be deleted automatically.
How to clean:
- Connect your phone to your PC or use MI File Manager.
- Go to the Inner Memory → WhatsApp → Databases.
- Delete all files with the.crypt* extension except the latest one (required for recovery).
- Check the WhatsApp/Backups folder too, as there may be old copies of Google Drive.
What happens if you delete all.crypt files?
⚠️ Attention: POCO F3 Xiaomi 11 Lite and after deleting databases sometimes get lost notification settings. To return them, go to WhatsApp Settings → Notifications → Reset the settings.
4. Cleaning up MIUI cache and system logs
MIUI creates additional logs for WhatsApp that are not visible in the standard file manager, which can take up to 300-800 MB and slow down the messenger.
How to delete:
- 🛠️ Using Safe Mode: Press the power button, hold off "Switch off" until "Safe Mode" appears. In Safe Mode, open Settings → Warehouse → Cleanup. Select Deep Cleanup and select WhatsApp.
Through Engineer Mode (for advanced):
##4636## → Usage statistics → WhatsApp → Clear cacheIt only works on Xiaomi with an unlocked bootloader.
Once a week.
Once a month
Only when memory ends
Never cleaned.-->
5. disable autoload media (saving up to 70% of memory)
By default, WhatsApp on Xiaomi downloads all photos and videos automatically, even in mobile data.
Instructions:
- Open WhatsApp. → ⋮ → Settings → Data and storage.
- In the section "Automatic Media Download" select: 📶 Mobile data: Turn everything off (or leave only "Photos»). 📡 Wi-Fi: Leave Photos and Audio, turn off Video and Documents». 🔄 Roaming: Turn everything off.
Use of the storage facility
Management
💡 Useful advice: On MIUI 14 there's a bug: once you turn off the autoload, the videos still download in the background. To fix this, turn off background activity for WhatsApp in Settings. → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start.
6.Reset WhatsApp to factory settings (last resort)
If the messenger is slowing down, does not open chats or takes >10 GB, a complete reset will help. Importantly, this method will delete ALL data, including chats and settings.
Step-by-step:
- Make a backup in Settings → Chat → Backup (be sure to wait for completion!).
- Go to Android Settings → Apps → WhatsApp.
- Click Warehouse → Clear Data (Do NOT “Clear Cache”!).
- Reinstall WhatsApp from Google Play and restore chats from backup.
💡
After resetting WhatsApp on Xiaomi, you may need to reactivate via SMS. If the code does not arrive, check the permissions for the Google Play Services app in the MIUI settings.
⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 9A and POCO M3 When you reset, sometimes you can't call WhatsApp. To return it, go to Settings. → Annexes → Permits → Microphone and enable access for messenger.
7. Optimizing WhatsApp for long-term performance
To ensure that the messenger does not “clog” again, configure it according to these rules:
- 🔄 Auto Cleanup: Include in Settings → Warehouse → Autocleaning (available on MIUI 13+).
- 📥 Download limits: In Settings → Data and storage set a limit on mobile traffic (e.g. 500MB/month).
- 🗑️ Regular check: Open Settings once a month → Warehouse → Storage management and deletion of files >50MB.
- 🔒 Protection against duplicates: B MI File Manager enable the function "Duplicate Search" (Tools) → Duplicate files).
📌 Key conclusion: Xiaomi WhatsApp requires cleaning 2-3 times more often than other Android smartphones, due to the features MIUI. Optimal schedule: cache - once a week, media files - once a month, backups - once a quarter.