Cache and Cookies Cleaning on Xiaomi Smartphones: A Complete Guide for All Models

Your Xiaomi smartphone (like the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 Or the flagship Xiaomi 14) is slowly slowing down over time? Applications are loaded for a long time, browsers show outdated data, and there is less free memory? The culprits of these problems are cache and accumulated cookies. These temporary files, which should speed up the system, eventually turn into digital garbage, occupying gigabytes of memory and braking the device.

In this article you will find step-by-step instructions for cleaning cache and cookies on any Xiaomi smartphone running under the control of the device. MIUI 12/13/14 We'll take it down:

• 📱 How to Clean the Cache of Individual Applications and the Entire System
• 🌐 Delete cookies in browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser, Firefox)
• 🔧 Special utilities for deep cleaning (Security, Clean Master)
• ⚠️ What happens if you delete the cache of important system applications
• 🔄 How to Automate Cleaning Without Manual Intervention

All methods tested on current firmware 2026 This is suitable for most models, including the Redmi. 10/11/12 series, POCO F/X/M, Xiaomi 12T/13/14 and older devices on MIUI 11 (If your model has been released earlier 2018 Some menu items may be slightly different – we’ll mention that too.

1.What are cache and cookies and why should they be cleared

Before we get to the instructions, we'll get to the terms cache, which are temporary files that create applications and systems to speed up re-access.

• 📸 Instagram caches photos so they open faster when scrolling through the tape.
• 🎵 Spotify or Yandex Music saves parts of songs for smooth playback.
• 🌐 Browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser) cache web pages so that they load faster when you revisit them.

Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device.

• 🔑 Authorization data (so as not to enter login/password every time).
• 🛒 Online shopping cart.
• 📊 Site display settings (language, theme, font).
• 🎯 Information for targeted advertising (so after searching for sneakers you are pursued by banners with shoes).

Why is this becoming a problem?

⚠️ Cache and cookies can take up to 5-10 GB of memory on a actively used smartphone:

• 🐢 Outdated cache files slow down applications (the system spends time searching for relevant data among garbage).
• 🔒 Cookies track your activity, which can be a privacy risk.
• 📱 The accumulated debris leads to overheating of the device and rapid discharge of the battery.

But cleaning the cache completely isn't always helpful, because once you delete the Google Maps cache, for example, the cards will take longer to load and WhatsApp will re-download all the stickers, so it's important to only clean what's actually interfering.

2. How to clear the cache of individual applications on Xiaomi

If a particular application is slow or takes up too much space, cleaning its cache is the first thing to try.This method does not delete your data (messages, photos, settings), but only temporary files.

Instructions for MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. In the list, find the desired application (for example, Facebook, Telegram, Gallery).
4. Slip it and select the Warehouse (or Memory in older versions).
5. Press Clear cache.

For convenience, you can sort applications by cache size:

• 📊 In the Application Management section, click on three dots (⋮) top-right.
• 🔽 Select Sort by Size → Cash.
• 🗑️ Now the apps with the largest cache will be on top - they should be cleaned first.

Some apps (like Google Play Services or Mi Account) may not have a cache clearing button.This is normal – their cache is managed automatically by the system.

Unnecessary messengers (Viber, Skype)|Social networks (TikTok, Instagram)|Games (PUBG, Genshin Impact)|Browser (Chrome, Mi Browser)|Maps (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps)-->

Example: After cleaning the Instagram cache (size 1.2 GB), the application began to open 3 seconds faster, and 800 MB of free memory was added. However, the first 1-2 launches after cleaning can be slower - this is normal, since the cache is created again.

3. Complete cache cleaning of all applications

If you want to delete the cache of all applications at once, without going to each one separately, use the built-in Cleanup feature (formerly called Security), which is secure and does not delete personal data.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Cleanup app (the brush icon on the home screen or in the Tools folder).
2. Click Deep Clean (or Garbage in older versions).
3. Wait for the scan to be completed (usually 10–30 seconds).
4. In the Cash app section, click Clean.
5. Confirm the action if necessary.

What's cleansing:

• 🗃️ Cache of all user applications (except system applications).
• 📁 Temporary download files.
• 🧹 Residual files of remote applications.

What's not cleaned:

• 📂 Personal files (photos, videos, documents).
• 🔐 Application data (saved games, chats, settings).
• 📱 System cache (a different method is needed to clean it, see Section 5).

After deep cleaning, it is recommended to restart the smartphone so that the system recalculates the free space and optimizes the work.

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If the application becomes unstable after cleaning the cache (for example, it crashes), try reinstalling it. This will help restore the necessary temporary files.

4. How to delete cookies in browsers on Xiaomi

Browser cookies accumulate especially quickly, as visiting each site can create new files. Their cleaning is useful not only for freeing up space, but also for:

• 🔒 Privacy protection (data for tracking is deleted).
• 🔄 Reset saved site settings (for example, if the site “remembered” the wrong language).
• 🛡️ Correction of authorization errors (if the site does not allow to account).

Consider the cleaning of cookies in popular browsers:

4.1. Google Chrome

1. Open Chrome and tap on three dots (⋮) top-right.
2. Choose a History. → Clear the data.
3. Put the flags in front of you: 🍪 Cookies and website data 🗃️ Cache images and files

All the time.

Clear the data

4.2. Mi Browser (standard Xiaomi browser)

1. Open Mi Browser and go to Settings (three dots) → Settings).
2. Choose Privacy and Security → Clear browser data.
3. Mark it: 🍪 Cookies and website data 🗃️ Cash.

Clean up

4.3. Mozilla Firefox

1. Tap it on three points (⋮) → Settings.
2. Go to Deletion of Personal Data.
3. Choose: 🍪 Cookies 🗃️ Cash.

Delete the data

After clearing the cookies, you will have to re-enter accounts on sites (for example, VKontakte, Gmail), since the authorization data is stored in these files.

5. Cleaning the system cache (for power users)

System cache (/cache) — These are temporary files created by the operating system itself. MIUI/HyperOS. Cleaning it can help if you:

• 📱 The phone is slowing down after the update.
• 🔄 Applications are closed spontaneously.
• 📵 Errors occur when installing applications.

Warning: Incorrect cleaning of the system cache may cause failures. Follow the instructions carefully.

Method 1: Recovery Mode (without data loss)

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select the language (if you have a choice).
4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Restart the phone (Reboot).

Method 2: Fastboot (for advanced users)

If the first method did not help, you can clear the cache through fastboot on your computer:

fastboot erase cache

This command only removes the system cache without affecting user data.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data (full reset)! The second option will delete all your files and settings.

6.Automatic Cache Cleanup: How to Set Up

To avoid manually clearing the cache, you can set up automatic cleaning using Xiaomi’s built-in tools or third-party apps.

Method 1: Auto Cleaning in Security

1. Open the Cleanup app.
2. Go to Settings (the pin pin pin icon at the top).
3. Turn on the Auto Clean option.
4. Select frequency: Daily, When screen locks or When charge is low.

Method 2: Files app by Google

• 📥 Install an application from the Play Market.
• 🔍 Start the scan in the Cleanup section.
• ⚡ Enable Automatic Cleaning in Settings.

Method 3: CCleaner (for advanced users)

The app allows you to flexibly configure automatic cleaning, including:

• 📅 Schedule by day and time.
• 📌 Excluding individual applications from cleaning.
• 📊 Detailed reports on the vacated place.

Be careful with automated tools, however - they can delete useful data. CCleaner, for example, sometimes clears the cache of Google Play Services, leading to app update errors.

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Autocleaning is convenient, but does not replace manual inspection. Periodically (every 1-2 months) go to Settings. → Storage and check which apps take up the most space.

7.What happens if you clear the cache of important applications

Some applications are critically dependent on cache, and cleaning them can lead to unexpected consequences:

If after cleaning the cache, the application began to work worse, try:

1. Reboot the smartphone.
2. Update the application to the latest version.
3. Clear the app data (but it will remove all settings!).

Important: Never clear the cache of com.android.systemui or com.miui.home applications – this can cause the interface to crash MIUI.

8.Other tips for Xiaomi optimization

Cleaning up cache and cookies is only part of smartphone care. To make Xiaomi work quickly and stably, follow these tips:

• 🗑️ Delete unnecessary files: Go to Settings → Warehouse → Files and delete large, unnecessary files (such as old videos or files) APK-installer).
• 🔄 Update the firmware: Regular updates MIUI/HyperOS optimize the system. Check the updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛡️ Use antivirus: Apps like Mi Security or Malwarebytes can help you find and remove malicious files that are also taking up space.
• ☁️ Transfer files to the cloud: Mi Cloud, Google Drive or Yandex.Disk will free up space on the device.
• 🔋 Watch the battery: A worn-out battery can cause lags. check its condition in Settings → Battery → Battery status.

If even after cleaning the cache, the smartphone continues to slow down, perhaps the problem is:

• 📉 Lack of RAM: Close background applications or install the Virtual module RAM (available on some models).
• 🛠️ Damaged firmware: Try resetting to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings).
• 🔧 Hardware problems: If the lags are accompanied by overheating, it may be necessary to replace the thermal paste or battery.

For Xiaomi models older than 2019 (e.g. Redmi Note 7, Mi 9) it is also recommended to turn off animations to speed up the work:

1. Turn on Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Set the scale of the animation window, the scale of the animation transition and the duration of the animator on the off..

These simple actions can greatly improve the responsiveness of an old device.

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If you install and remove applications frequently, use the app. SD Maid (requires root) finds and deletes the "residual" files that remain after uninstallation of programs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up cache on Xiaomi