Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones sooner or later face slowdowns or lack of free space. Often the cause is accumulated digital debris that hides in hidden parts of the system. Understanding where the cache is in Xiaomi allows you to effectively manage the memory of the device without installing third-party software.
Many users confuse cache with application data, which leads to errors in cleaning. It is important to distinguish these concepts so as not to accidentally lose progress in games or program configurations. In this article, we will discuss in detail the structure of the file system of the MIUI shell and HyperOS, explaining which files can be deleted safely.
Android uses buffer memory to load frequently used items quickly, but over time, this data fragments and begins to take up gigabytes of space, and cleaning these areas properly can return the smartphone to its previous response speed.
What is cache and where is it stored on Android
Cache is an intermediate clipboard that saves temporary files to speed up applications. When you open a social network feed or a website in a browser, the system stores images and scripts in a special storage. When you re-refer to content, the phone reads data from local memory, rather than downloading it again from the network.
On Xiaomi devices, these files are distributed across several logical layers, the main storage is in the system partition, access to which is limited by the rights of the superuser, but the user can interact with the cache through standard customization tools or special download modes.
⚠️ Warning: Cleaning the system cache through the engineering menu is safe, but removing folders in the root section manually without understanding their purpose can lead to unstable work MIUI.
There are three main types of cached data that take up space on your device:
- 📱 Application cache: temporary files of specific programs (Telegram, YouTube, browsers).
- ⚙️ System cache: data of the operating system and Google services.
- 🌐 DNS and network cache: records of visits IP-connection speed addresses.
Cache search through standard Xiaomi settings
The easiest and safest way to find and clean temporary files is to use the built-in shell functionality. In MIUI and HyperOS, this tool is integrated deep into the system and does not require root rights. To get to the desired menu, go to Settings → Memory or use the Security → Cleanup application.
The system analyzer scans the device and displays a list of file categories that can be deleted. Here you will find not only cache, but also remnants of deleted programs, advertising files and large videos. The scanner algorithm is constantly updated to find new types of junk files.
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Use the Deep Clean feature in the Security app to find forgotten screenshots and empty folders that also take up space.
When you manually clean the app settings, you can access more information, so you can pick a specific program, like Chrome or Instagram, and you can see the separation between Storage and Cache. It's important to click Clear Cache, not Clear Everything, if you want to save logins and progress.
For advanced users, debugging mode is available to see hidden processes, activate it by clicking on the build number in the About Phone section several times, and then add additional memory management tools to the developer menu, although they rarely provide direct access to the file system.
Cleaning the cache through Recovery Mode
If your smartphone is not working properly or if you have glitches after you update, it is recommended to clear the system cache through the recovery mode.This method only affects temporary system files without deleting your personal photos, contacts or installed applications.
To enter Recovery Mode, you need to turn the device off completely. Then press the power and volume buttons at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, and then a menu with several items in English opens.
Navigation on this menu is done with volume buttons (up/down), and the choice is confirmed by the power button. You need to find the Wipe Data item and select the Wipe Cache option. Be extremely careful: the next Wipe All Data item will completely reset the phone to factory settings.
☑️ Cleaning algorithm in Recovery
Once the process is complete, the system will automatically restart. The first turn on may take longer than usual, as Android will recreate the necessary temporary files from scratch.
⚠️ Note: On new Xiaomi models with a blocked bootloader, access to the Wipe Cache partition in Recovery can be restricted or moved to the submenu to prevent accidental data loss.
Using applications for deep cleaning
Standard tools are sometimes not enough, especially if you need to clean out the remnants of remote programs or specific logs. Third-party utilities such as SD Maid, Files by Google or Clean Master are able to scan the file system deeper, they look for files by extensions and folder names characteristic of garbage.
But installing these programs on Xiaomi has its own peculiarities: Aggressive battery optimization in MIUI often kills the background processes of cleaners, preventing them from finishing their work. To make the utility work effectively, you need to add it to the startup and remove restrictions on the Battery menu → Energy Saving.
There is a perception that third-party cleaners consume more resources than they save. This is partly true for older models, but on modern processors, the difference is not noticeable, the main thing is not to put several of these applications at once, as they will conflict over access to files.
Special attention should be paid to access rights. When installed, the program will ask for permission to manage files, without which it will not be able to see where the cache in Xiaomi is in the file structure.
Should I buy a premium version of the cleaning service?
Table: Comparison of cleaning methods
To make it easier for you to choose the right way, we have prepared a comparison table that shows the effectiveness and risks of different methods of memory management on Xiaomi devices.
| Method | Security | Efficiency | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application settings | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| Security Annex | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| Recovery Mode | Medium | Tall. | Medium |
| Third-party utilities | Depends on the software. | Tall. | Low. |
| ADB team | Low (for beginners) | Maximum | Tall. |
As you can see from the table, there are enough built-in tools for everyday use: methods using ADB or manual deletion of system files require deep knowledge and are used in exceptional cases.
If you choose to use the command line through a computer, remember the syntax: commands are entered strictly in the format specified in the documentation. An error in one character can lead to the removal of the wrong partition.
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This command, for example, causes the system to vacate space by removing the cache until the specified free space value is reached, and you need to use it with caution.
The effect of cache on the operation of the system and battery
Many users mistakenly believe that the constant cleaning of the cache prolongs the life of the battery. In fact, frequent deletion of temporary files makes the processor and memory module work harder, reloading data, this, on the contrary, can increase the charge consumption.
Cache is designed to unload the processor. When the data is ready, the phone doesn't need to waste energy processing or downloading it over the network. Problems only begin when the cache size becomes disproportionate or files are corrupted.
Symptoms of cache problems can be:
- 🐌 Long-term discovery of apps that used to fly.
- 🔋 Quick discharge on standby.
- ❌ Constant departures of programs with an error.
If you notice such signs, it makes sense to conduct a memory audit. First of all, check the messengers, as they tend to grow to giant sizes due to media files.
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Regularly clean the cache completely, if the phone is stable, do this only when you have symptoms of memory loss or malfunction.