Managing correspondence on smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco has its own features, depending on the version of the firmware MIUI or the new HyperOS. Users often face the need to free up space in memory or simply clean up the list of dialogs, removing old or unnecessary SMS. The process may seem trivial, but in the shell of the Chinese manufacturer there are nuances that should be considered for the effective operation of the system.
In this article, we will discuss all the ways to delete messages, from standard actions in the Messages app to deep deletion through the file manager. You will learn how to erase all dialogues at once, how to remove a specific SMS inside the correspondence and what to do if the system does not allow you to clean.
It's worth noting that deleting data correctly isn't just a matter of interface aesthetics: accumulating junk media files in messages can significantly slow down your smartphone, and understanding where that data is physically stored will help you manage the free space on your device's internal drive more competently.
Basic removal of SMS in the standard application
The easiest and most obvious way to get rid of unnecessary correspondence is to use the standard functionality of the Messages application. Depending on the version of the MIUI shell, the interface may differ slightly, but the logic of actions remains the same, usually, it is enough to delete one dialog long enough to click on it in the common list.
Once you pinch your finger on the contact you want, it's highlighted, and a toolbar will appear at the bottom or top of the screen, and you'll see a basket icon or a Remove button, and clicking on that will start the process of erasing all of your correspondence history with the subscriber you've chosen, and the system will ask for confirmation of action to prevent accidental loss of important data.
- 🗑️ Press and hold your finger on the dialogue in the shared list before the highlight appears.
- ✅ Choose multiple contacts for group removal if you need to clear history en masse.
- 📂 Click on the basket icon and confirm the removal in the pop-up window.
- 🔄 To cancel the action, immediately use the "Cancel" button, if it appears.
If you don't want to delete the entire dialog, but a specific message inside it, the algorithm changes. Open the correspondence, find the desired SMS, and also make a long-term click on the text of the message. In the menu that appears, select the option to delete. In some versions of Xiaomi-based Android, you can select several messages with checkboxes for batch removal.
⚠️ Note: Messages deleted in this way do not enter the shopping cart and cannot be recovered by standard system tools.
Mass cleansing and dialogue management
When the inbox list is hundreds or thousands of contacts, it's inefficient to delete them one at a time. The MIUI shell offers convenient tools for mass cleaning, and most often they're hidden in an extra menu, which is called by a long tap on any message in the list.
In the selection mode that opens, you can flip through the entire list and tick all the dialogues that are to be destroyed. Alternatively, use the "Clear All" function if it is available in your version of the application. This is especially useful when selling a phone or transferring it to another user1 when you need to ensure that traces of personal correspondence are removed.
It is important to distinguish between deleting dialog and blocking numbers. Deleting simply erases the story, but does not prevent the subscriber from writing you again. If your goal is to stop receiving a recession, you better use the lock function available in the settings menu of a particular contact or through Antispam.
☑️ Checking before mass cleaning
You can also sort the list by date or by unread messages, which helps you quickly find old dialogs that you can delete accurately without looking through each text separately, and the contact search function also speeds up navigation in large email archives.
Delete media and clean up the message cache
Often users don't want to delete a message for text, but to free up space occupied by the attached photos or videos. Simply erase the SMS in this case is not enough, since media files can remain in the memory of the device.
Files received through SMS or MMS are usually stored in hidden folders in the system, and the path to them can look like /MIUI/gallery/cloud/cache or similar directories inside the storage. Using the built-in Cleanup app allows you to find and delete these files in a secure way without affecting system files.
| Type of data | Where it takes place | Deleting method |
|---|---|---|
| Textual SMS | Application database | Deletion of dialogue |
| MMS (Photo/Video) | Telephone Memory/Gallery | Removal from the Gallery |
| Cash emoji | System cache | Cleaning the app cache |
| WhatsApp investments | Android/Media folder | Through storage management |
To access the storage management of a particular application, go to Settings → Applications → All Apps → Messages. Here you will find the Clean or Memory button. By clicking on it, you can select to clear the cache. This will not delete your text messages, but will remove temporary files that may have accumulated during use.
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Regular cleaning of the Download folder helps to free up space, since many files from messengers and browsers are saved there by default.
Messaging in the Xiaomi ecosystem
Xiaomi smartphones often come with their own versions of messengers or deep integrations of Google services. Deleting messages in Google Messages apps, which are often the default on global versions, happens in the standard Android way. However, Chinese versions of firmware can use their client, where the logic of deletion may differ.
If you use RCS-Chats (enhanced SMS with messenger features), deleting a message may work differently. You can delete the message only for yourself or for both interlocutors, if he also uses a supported client. To do this, you need to press and hold the message and select the appropriate option in the context menu.
For Xiaomi’s branded services, such as Mi Talk (if it’s still supported in your region) or Mi Cloud integration, synchronization can complicate the process. Deleting a message on a phone can cause it to be deleted in the cloud, but manual synchronization is sometimes required.
⚠️ Note: When synced with Mi Cloud is enabled, deleting correspondence on one device (e.g., a tablet) can automatically delete it on your smartphone. Check your sync settings before cleaning.
Notifications are worth special attention. If you deleted a message but it still hangs in the notification curtain, try swiping the notification or rebooting the device. Sometimes the MIUI system can stick to old notifications, requiring the notification service to restart.
Hidden Message Menu Functions
Problems with removal and their solution
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the message is not deleted, the status of “Delete” hangs, or the application gives an error, this can be due to a crowded memory of the phone, when the system does not have enough resources to record changes to the database, or a software failure of the Messages application itself.
The first step in solving the problem is to reboot your smartphone, which is a common action that often frees locked processes and allows you to complete the deletion operation. If the reboot didn't help, try clearing the Messages app cache through the settings, as described in the multimedia section.
In more complex cases, when the message sticks and interferes with work, you may need a safe mode. When you load your phone in safe mode, you turn off all third-party applications that may conflict with the system. If in safe mode the message is deleted successfully, then some software you installed is causing the problem.
- 📱 Restart the device in normal mode and try again.
- 🧹 Clear the cache and data of the Messages app in the settings.
- 🛡️ Check your phone with antivirus for malware.
- 🔄 Update the Messages app via Google Play Store or GetApps.
If nothing works, you can use the extreme method of resetting the app to factory settings, which will return it to the post-purchase state, but will save your SIM card and basic network settings, and your private messages are usually saved, but it is better to have a backup.
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If the message is not deleted due to a database error, it is safest to copy important contacts manually and then clear the application data completely.
Recovery of deleted messages
The question of how to delete often goes hand in hand with the question of how to return if the deletion happened by accident. On Android, unlike iOS, there is no single SMS basket available to the user out of the box. However, if you have synced with a Google or Mi Cloud account, the chances of recovery are high.
To check, log into your Google account on your computer or other device and check if the backup is still there. It is also worth checking the sync settings in the phone itself: Settings → Accounts and Sync. If the sync of messages was active, when you re-enter the account after the reset, data can be pulled from the cloud.
There are third-party applications for data recovery, but their effectiveness is not guaranteed and often depends on whether the data was overwritten by new ones. The less you used the phone after deletion, the better the odds. Using root rights can give access to deep layers of memory, but it is a risky procedure for the average user.
It's important to understand that if a message has been removed from a database and not synchronized with the cloud, it's almost impossible to software-generate it, which is why critical codes and passwords are better transferred to a secure storage facility or recorded immediately.